A lot of nights I barely have time (much less the energy) to cook some complex meal before the male members of my household are digging through the pantry looking for a snack “just to tide me over.”
Heck, if I’ve been to the gym, sometimes I’m the one scavenging for food.
While there’s a time and a place for having a frozen pizza or takeout, typically I try not to sacrifice serving a balanced, at-least-somewhat-healthy meal in favor of getting things done quicker. Pasta is an easy go-to, but we get sort of burned out on spaghetti. I’ve been trying some different ideas in order to give us more variety while still keeping it easy and full of veggies.
This recipe was loosely inspired by the one-pot tomato-basil pasta recipe that’s been making the rounds on Pinterest (I also tried it, and it was yummy but had fewer veggies thrown in the mix).
Easy weeknight pasta with summer veggies
Recipe by Misty Mathews, thefamilymath.com
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1.5 cups mini farfalle (bow-ties)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 yellow or white onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes with onion and garlic (use fresh if in season)
2 thin-sliced pork chops
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Place pasta in boiler with 3 cups water, salt and a tbsp of olive oil and bring to a boil. Boil over medium heat until slightly al dente. Once pasta is on, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Salt and pepper the pork chops to taste, then cook in oil/butter combination. Once the chops are mostly cooked, add the zucchini, squash, onion, oregano and basil. Set the chops aside, drain the pasta, then add the canned tomatoes (liquid included) and the veggie/spice mixture. Add the other tbsp of butter plus salt and pepper to taste and heat on medium-low until warmed through. Serve the pasta topped with a pork chop.
{ 0 comments }
For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed me tweeting with the 
Welcome to The Family Math. I'm Misty, a third of the Math equation. I'm learning this motherhood gig as I go. I'm a freelance writer, a cloth diaperer, postpartum depression survivor, all-around good friend and collecter of Xena and Hercules paraphernalia (OK, so one of those things isn't true).
