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I rarely (if ever) remember to take photos when I’m cooking. I just don’t think far enough ahead to “what if I want to blog about this later?” However, in an attempt to get my blogging mojo back I figured I need to plan ahead a little more often.
With that thought in mind, I present tonight’s dinner, “Pasta à la Whatever the Cupboard had to Offer!”

Basic Ingredients this time around included ELVOO (extra light virgin olive oil), Tomato Basil Salad Dressing (about 2T left in the bottom of the bottle), 1 can of artichoke hearts packed in water, small can of black Lindsay Olives (green olives would also work), mushrooms, sliced. White wine (whatever you have laying around), and cooked pasta.

Here comes the fun part!

1. Put on large pot of water to boil for pasta. DO NOT ADD OIL TO YOUR WATER. Add a tablespoon of salt instead.
2. Add a splash of ELVOO to a frying pan, add mushrooms and a generous splash of white wine. Put a lid on the pan and let things simmer gently for about 5 minutes or the amount of time it takes to finish off a half glass of wine.
3. Chop up 2 or 3 tomatoes in large chunks. Drain canned artichoke hearts, and chop into quarters. Drain the olives. Give the mushrooms a stir.
4. Pasta water should be boiling by now, so toss in your choice of noodles and cook until al dente (pasta should be firm to the bite, but not hard). For this dish it is important to slightly undercook the pasta. I chose fettucini noodles.
5. Pour the salad dressing over the mushrooms, add the chopped artichokes and tomatoes and olives. Stir to blend, sprinkle with fresh chopped basil (or freeze dried, if that’s all you have). Cover and turn off the heat.
6. Drain pasta when cooked, place in a nice bowl. Pour the mushroom and vegetable mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan. Have some more wine while the pasta soaks up some of the juices (this is why you don’t add oil to the pasta cooking water. If you add oil your pasta won’t absorb the liquid and pick up all that wonderful flavour).

Serve with french bread and (of course) MORE wine!

Enjoy!