Desperation Dinner

Many moons ago, I shared my recipe for a soup I like to make when I’ve forgotten to go to the grocery store. 100 Fresh Parmesan posts later (!), I found myself in a quasi-similar situation when I evaluated the contents of my fridge to find the remnants of several meals just kind of… hanging out. Rather than let good produce languish at the bottom of the bin, I decided to see what could come together, right now, over my stove.

I rejected the red onion I found (it’ll keep for a while longer); thought better of adding rosemary (could be overpowering); and decided to pass on some chopped black and green olives (would take whatever I made to a Mediterranean place that I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to).

Asparagus and mushrooms are known to live in harmony, so I elected them the winners of the veggie bin lottery. I decided to unite them not with a leftover, but with a staple—sun-dried tomatoes. Simmered in a simple cream sauce, sun-drieds take on a lovely, juicy quality and have a mild sweetness that pares well with other veggies. Add in a sprinkle of freshly grated Parm, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

End of the Week Spaghetti
Serves 3-4

8 oz. thin spaghetti
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
small bunch (approx. 8 stalks) asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 oz. cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
¾ c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan
sea salt and black pepper to taste
4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and add the spaghetti to the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving one cup of the cooking water, and return to the hot pot.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the asparagus, mushrooms and thyme and sauté over medium heat until the veggies have softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to a plate and keep warm.

Return the pan to heat and add the remaining olive oil and the sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes have softened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a bare simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and let cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables back into the pan and grate in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Pour the sauce over the reserved pasta. If the sauce is too thick, slowly add in some of the reserved cooking water until you reach a desired consistency. Divide the pasta between the plates or bowls and top with the reserved bacon pieces. Serve immediately with crusty bread.