pink and green pasta

My cooking is rapidly becoming much less inspired. Argh argh argh midterms. Yesterday I left my apartment for class. Unfortunately, I didn’t actually bring my class notebook. Or my keys. Eesh!

Thanks for all your kind thoughts about econ. It actually went pretty well, which is good, since I think (oi oi oi typed “think I since”) I studied more for econ than I have for any test, like, ever?

Next on the docket is 3 more midterms x_x. And a FINAL INTERVIEW for Teach for America (!). Then a “break”, ahh. Then jury duty agh.

But anyway, let’s return to a simpler time, earlier this week, when I made pretty pasta for dinner.

Cute colors, no?

Penne with Canadian Bacon, Peas, and Caramelized Onions

3 slices Canadian bacon (I used Trader Joe’s brand)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 of a sweet onion, sliced

2 oz. whole wheat penne

1/2 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)

Heat a skillet on medium. Put in your Canadian bacon, and heat until browned and slightly crisped. Set aside.

Then add olive oil to the same pan, heat, and add sweet onions. At this point you want to put the water on for your pasta- it’ll time out beautifully. Give the onions a healthy dose of pepper (and salt if you wish- I didn’t because I thought the bacon gave enough) and cook on medium or medium low (depending on how crazy your stove is) so they brown slowly and gently, stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta to al dente.

When there are 2 minutes left on the pasta cook time, return the bacon and add the peas to your onion pan, and increase heat to medium high. Stir often. When pasta is done, add directly to the skillet, with a bit of pasta water (I did this by the simple virtue of not having a slotted spoon and using my ladle to scoop out pasta!). Toss everything together until water has evaporated and peas are cooked through.

 

Caramelized onions= bliss. Simple, heartly, comforting, and nutritionally balanced.