Pasta pronto

It’s your kids’ P.E. day and they will be home in about half an hour. They will want more than a light afternoon snack. Problem? No… Whip up a pasta dish in 20 minutes!

We’re normally prepared when the kids get home from school. But things did not run their usual routine today. Meaning I lost track of time. See, I hardly get to watch TV when the kids are home. They just switch the channels from Disney to Nickelodeon to Cartoon Network and I haven’t the heart to compete with them since they only get to enjoy their usual shows for an hour or two before starting with their homework. I don’t watch much TV when they’re in school either because that’s when I do my writing and reading. I end up watching movies after they have gone to bed. And, sometimes, I have to compete with my husband’s “shows” (cars, motorcycles).

So, today, I was finished with my writing and reading about an hour after lunch. I decided to check what was on HBO and Cinemax. Well,… 3,000 Miles to Graceland was on. I’ve seen it once before so I knew it was a good movie. I got so wrapped up with it I didn’t notice the time. I had 30 minutes left to prepare something for the kids. I had to think and act fast.

I boiled the water for the pasta while chopping the vegetables and preparing the rest of the ingredients. By the time the pasta was in the water, I was cooking the sauce. I was watching the clock because the kids would be home anytime. My pasta dish took 20 minutes from boiling the water to transferring the cooked dish to a serving plate. So, I called it Pasta Pronto.

Ingredients :

150 g. of pasta (I used fetuccine)
1 tsp. of finely minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tomato, cut into 1/2″ x 1/2″ cubes
1/2 c. of frozen sweet peas, thawed
1/3 of a 12-oz. can of corned beef, crumbled
2 tbsp. of olive oil
2 tbsp. of tomato paste
1 c. of beef broth (it pays to keep a stock in the fridge; freeze it to last longer)
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of pepper
1/2 tsp. of sugar

Cooking procedure :

Boil enough water for the pasta.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and the rest of the ingredients.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the live oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Saute the garlic and chopped onions until fragrant. Add the tomato cubes, chopped bell pepper and sweet peas. Cook for a few seconds. Add the corned beef and tomato paste. Stir. Pour in the beef broth. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Top with grated cheese, if you wish.