I love cooking, but like everyone else, some evenings I just want something quick and easy. I don’t normally go to takeout or delivery as choices when I want a quick and easy meal. Instead I try to always have things on hand for a quick and easy meal in 30 minutes or less. This saves on cost, feeds my creative spirit, and ensures we are eating fresh and local as much as possible year-round.
I recently made this quick veggie stir fry with what was on hand, and had enough for a delicious dinner and 2 lunches to boot. This could be done with rice, pasta, quinoa or your favorite grains, whatever you have on hand. It’s a great way to use up small quantities of things already in the fridge. If you don’t have all the ingredients I used on hand, think of suitable substitutions. For example, no ricotta on hand? Try cream cheese or cottage cheese. No pine nuts? Skip the nuts altogether or just use whatever nuts you have on hand, chopped and toasted lightly. No peppers? What about tomatoes…you get the idea, anything goes!
While sauteeing the veggies I boiled some water on my Wolf Induction Cooktop, with it’s super fast boil time, then cooked some pasta. I saved the pasta water to add a little to the stir fry for sauce and texture. Then I topped it with shredded Italian blend cheese and served it with some fresh sliced bread I had made earlier in the day. Easy peasy and on the table in 1/2 hour or less!
Recipe
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp sunflour or oilive oil
- 4-6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 red pepper chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 lb pasta, cooked and water reserved
- 1/4 cup shredded Italian blend cheese of your choice
- salt and pepper to taste
While boiling pasta, rice or grains, melt butter and oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and peppers and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and season with salt and pepper, then stir for 1-2 minutes while spinach wilts. Add ricotta cheese and pine nuts, and stir to combine, then add heavy cream and 1/4 – 1/2 cup pasta water, along with cooked pasta. Stir to combine and heat through, then serve topped with shredded Italian blend cheese. Buon Appetito!