11 Minute Meal

So, it's Monday and in my book this is always the longest day of the week....not because I'm an anti-Monday person, I'm not. I usually enjoy Monday, because I try to make my Sundays as restful/productive as possible and am thus ready for the week. No, Mondays are long for me because I choose to stay late and work to get the rest of my week lined up. I've always done this, not just since I've become a teacher. In college I would work in the library to really focus on whatever it was I need to finish that week; during my steint as a professional lab rat I would work late to hit up an even yoga class and then run at the park afterwards, often followed by grocery shopping- hot, sweaty, good lord I don't look sexy right now after running at the lake, grocery shopping.

But why am I telling you about my manic Monday routine? Yes my loves, I have a point...and here it is. When I get home on Mondays I usually need food, and I need it STAT. So here is my perfect 11 minute meal if you happen to have crazy Mondays (or whatever day of the week leaves you short changed for dinner):

You will need:
1 box of your favorite pasta (I went with whole wheat Rigatoni)
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (this time around was Classico Brand: Fire Roasted Tomato with Garlic....even though I'm a diehard vodka sauce girl!)
A bag of fresh spinach
5-6 Mushrooms
1 to 2 Garlic cloves
EVOO or butta...your choice

(I keep all these items on hand most of the time, so this is a no stopping at the store meal too!)

Ready, set, 11 minutes until dinner!

-11 min: Set your pasta water to boil, hard
-10 min: Wash and slice your garlic and shrooms
-9 min: Throw in your pasta
-8 min: heat your "fat of choice" in a small skillet
-7 min: saute garlic and mushrooms over medium-low heat
-6 min: place a generous handful of spinach leaves in the bottom of your favorite bowl
-5 min: turn off the mushroom/garlic combo and enjoy the aroma
-4 min: crack open the sauce (if you have already opened this bad boy you may need to nuke it to bring it up to temp.....as you will see shortly I only use the hot pasta to heat up my meal)
-3min: relax, file your nails, short the mail, read the newest post on What's Normal, Anyways?
-1 minute: drain your pasta; add desired amount to bowl with spinach. The heat will begin to wilt down your spinach.
-30 seconds: top with sauce and mushroom/garlic mixture!


Yummy.....now mix it all up. With red pepper flakes and parma if you prefer, I do!


I save my leftover pasta and make this meal at work too. Just layer in your spinach, cold pasta, cold sauce and mushroom mixture in a microwaveable bowl, when it's time for lunch heat and eat! Yummy.

Love to all,
~a speedy chef (sometimes), Jess