Lately, I’ve enjoyed comparing this pregnancy to my first one. During those long nine months carrying Ray, I craved red meat. Anyone who has tried to buy lots of red meat with something like $35 for a week’s groceries can sympathize with me that I didn’t get nearly as much as I would’ve liked, and some of those cravings were satisfied by fast-food burgers.
This time around however, the order of the day is carbs. Lots of carbs. I’m telling you, it’s a huge mental argument to wrestle my taste buds into any fruits, vegetables or protein. Never mind that it can already be a challenge to fit all those food groups into our grocery budgets, right?
Thankfully, this dish I’m sharing today has satisfied me through both pregnant cravings and several grocery budgets, and it’s so quick and delicious that it has rescued me from less healthy temptations.
Normally I use chicken, but steak works just as well. This dish is fabulously flexible that way, and you can whip up in 30 minutes. For the photos, I happened to have steak in the freezer from when my in-laws had visited and generously stocked our kitchen as a gift. So steak it was.
A family friend first served this dish to me when I was a child. I’m sure I was more than a little reluctant to eat so much broccoli, but her kids were tucking in so enthusiastically that I was won over. When I got this recipe from her, our friend didn’t actually give me any measurements. It’s more of a basic guideline that she adjusted to accommodate their tastes and whatever ingredient amounts they happened to have at the time.
Sometimes those recipes rock.
I’ve been desperately trying to find good deals on whole wheat or rice pasta, which I know still isn’t that healthy, but is probably better than white varieties. The best price I’ve found for rice pasta is at Trader Joe’s, where I can get spaghetti or rotini for $1.99/pound. Thankfully, since I’m not craving so much expensive meat this time, it’s a little easier to be more picky about our pasta.
Parmesan Pasta & Veggies
Serves 2-3. Ingredient amounts can be easily adjusted to fit your tastes.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 pound spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
- 3/4 cup broccoli, chopped, fresh (frozen works in a pinch) (can add other vegetables of choice, like carrots or peppers)
- EITHER: 1 chicken breast, thawed, OR 1 small steak, thawed (can also use leftover chicken or beef)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3-4 tablespoons butter, or to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, or to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
- If you prefer soft broccoli, steam it for 5-8 minutes
- In a large frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and pan-fry chicken or steak, seasoning with basil, thyme, and a little bit of salt.
- When meat is cooked, add vegetables and sauté until tender
- Add noodles and the rest of the butter to the pan, stirring and cooking until flavors mingle
- Turn off heat and sprinkle contents of pan with parmesan cheese, pepper, and any additional desired salt
- Serve warm
VARIATIONS
- WHEAT-FREE: Replace spaghetti with rice pasta
- GRAIN-FREE: Increase the amount of vegetables and meat; then leave out the pasta or try using roasted spaghetti squash instead
- VEGETARIAN: Increase vegetables and leave out meat
COST
(Keep in mind this is approximate, not exact)
- Meat
- Frozen boneless skinless chicken breast – I can buy a 2.5 pound bag for $5.50 at Aldi. This makes one breast basically $.91
- Breast from a whole chicken – Again from Aldi, I can buy a whole chicken for $.85/pound, which would make a breast about $.60
- Steak – If I buy it on super sale, I can get one for $2-$3, so let’s say $2.50
- Vegetables – This particular time I bought broccoli from Aldi for $1.48. Used about 1/3 of it, so $.74. I don’t count other vegetables into this calculation because if I add them, they are usually leftovers anyway.
- Noodles – I can buy buy it at Aldi, not on sale for $.79/pound, so it comes to about $.40
- Butter, cheese, seasonings, etc. – Let’s call it $.15
- TOTAL – So depending on what kind of meat I use, I can make this meal for between $1.89 and $3.79 to feed two of us and possibly have leftovers.
Really, this dish just about has it all. Easy, quick, protein and vegetables for the health nuts, pasta for the carb-lovers, just enough butter and cheese to flavor it but not smother it, and it can be easily adjusted to accommodate allergies or special diets.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What are your favorite 30-minute-easily-adjustable meals?
Cheers,
8 comments
Lee Ann
03/16/2011 at 11:19 AM (UTC -6)
Steph! Yes! Yum! <3 <3 <3
This is one of our favorites – one of the quickest go-to's.
De-lish.
And try this next time – one of your uncle Chad's fave ways for EVERY veggie now…ROAST your broccoli instead of steam. Wash and cut and lay on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with a little EVOO, salt and pepper to taste, then stick under the broiler for approx. 3-5 minutes. Watch it so it doesn't burn…it's very fast. And brings out soooo much flavor. Mmmhmm!
Steph
03/16/2011 at 12:34 PM (UTC -6)
Lee Ann – Mmmm…. roasted broccoli sounds fantastic!
Erin
03/16/2011 at 11:47 AM (UTC -6)
I’m wondering how spaghetti squash might taste instead of pasta because I just cooked up a whole bunch…hmmm… I guess we shall have to see sometime.
Susie Bee on Maui (Eat Little, Eat Big)
03/16/2011 at 1:03 PM (UTC -6)
Oooh, I love the parmesan sprinkle at the end.
Quick adaptable meal at our house is often a crustless quiche (eggs, veggies, cheese-whatever kinds are in the fridge) baked for 25 minutes or so.
Elizabeth
03/17/2011 at 7:31 AM (UTC -6)
Wow, I JUST made something like this last night! I used left over chicken breast and sauted it in a frying pan with some oil and garlic and herbs until golden. I didn’t know if I should use oil or butter, so I chose oil, but I think next time I will use butter! I also didn’t know how to cook the broccoli, so I just took the chicken out of the pan and added the broccoli with some water to it… but it didn’t turn out so great. The chicken and pasta was fantastic, though, especially topped off with italian cheeses, and I was so excited!
Steph
03/18/2011 at 4:57 PM (UTC -6)
Elizabeth – Way to go, haha. Great minds think alike!
Mary
03/21/2011 at 12:02 PM (UTC -6)
Here’s an easy one for your carb craving, and it doesn’t take long. Brown some rice, onion, and garlic in olive oil (this ups the flavor big time, so don’t skip this step). Now add enough liquid to cook the rice, using some of your home canned tomatoes if possible along with the salt. Cover and simmer until tender, top with canned tuna and shredded cheese and warm through. If tuna’s on sale, this is very inexpensive and satisfying too.
Mary
03/21/2011 at 12:03 PM (UTC -6)
Oh yeah, you’ll want to add a dash of red pepper to the recipe above.