Simple meals like this pasta dish have abounded on our dining room table lately. It’s not the prettiest dish I’ve ever served (and this is a particularly unfortunate picture), but it’s hot and cheesy and delicious. Just what I need when I want to save my remaining energy for bed time cuddles with super silly little boy.
The recipe is really more of an outline than a recipe. I use whatever vegetables I have on hand and whatever beans are in the pantry. If you have leftovers that need to be used, your family will not feel slighted if you serve this to them. Be creative! Here are some combos that I think would be marvelous:
- roasted broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and chickpeas
- roasted sweet potatoes, chicken, and green chiles
- diced ham and roasted asparagus
- bacon, wilted spinach, and a “sunny-side up” egg
Instructions
- 10 oz. box of brown rice penne pasta
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 4 large handfuls of roasted veggies
- 10 oz. leftover chicken, ham, or beans of your choice
- 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, roast your favorite veggie in the oven at 400 degrees.
- Reheat the leftover mean or beans. Dice or shred meat into bite-size pieces
- Stir the veggies, butter, meat, and parmesan cheese into the drained pasta.
- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve.
This sounds good! I often make a similar pasta + leftovers meal, often using chickpeas, but I generally use olive oil over butter. I also have yet to throw in red pepper flakes. Lately I’ve been feeling like this leftovers dish needs a kick, and I’ve tried orgeno, which was good, but something tells me the two mixed together (oregeno + red pepper flakes) might do the trick.