Thursday Night Improv

By James Oseland

Credit: James Oseland

Thursday night. So hungry I can't see straight. I just got back from a month-long sojourn to California, to be with my mom, who had an emergency bypass and developed complications in the hospital. As a result, there are only odd random ingredients in the fridge and in the pantry. Some decent olive oil. Some stale matzoh. A bunch of parsley that's probably 5 minutes away from being tossed. A wedge of parmigiano-reggiano.

So, what to eat for dinner? Daniel, my partner, and I have been eating out far too many nights in a row, and we both feel the need for something real, something hot, something cooked in our own kitchen, something nourishing and quick and simple. I throw open the fridge and assess the options again.

Within minutes, I have a basic flavor narrative mapped out in my mind.

I set an aluminum pot full of water to boil on the stove, and salt it to within an inch of its life. I heat about half a cup's worth of olive oil in a skillet over a medium-high flame and toss in five (or was that seven?) cloves of thinly sliced garlic. It turns golden-brown, and it smells great. Next, about three-quarters of a cup of julienned sundried tomatoes go in, along with a cup and a half of thawed frozen peas (wow, those Trader Joe's petite peas are really fantastic), some crumbled Greek oregano, and about 25 turns of the pepper mill. I let all the ingredients become one with the oil, and when everything is good and hot, I stir in two beaten eggs until they're just set.

Meanwhile, the three-quarters of a box of Rienzi thick spaghetti I'd dropped into the boiling water has just reached an al dente firmness. I drain the pasta and toss it, along with about a third of a cup of the cooking water, into my odd, instant sauce. I raise the heat to high, let most of the liquid cook off, and toss in a good cup and a half of finely grated parmigiano-reggiano.

Daniel and I have dinner in front of us. It strikes all the notes we were yearning for. It's pretty to look at, it's flavorful but not too palate-challenging, it's comfort on a plate. Thank god for the random ingredients we find in our kitchens.

Comments (6)

by Anniepooh on 2010-03-15

Beautiful! This is why I adore pasta. I also keep the same things on-hand for exactly this reason - the unexpected.

by carolec on 2010-03-15

Agreed! There is nothing like noodles. The world's comfort food, dontcha think? Here's what I like to put on a quick-dinner of tossed pasta: slivers of onion (any kind, white, red, shallot, green, whatever is on hand), sun-dried tomato (my own), greens (spinach, kale), cheese or sausage (if I have it), crushed dried red chili pepper.

by brooklyngourmet on 2010-03-15

Comfort on a plate indeed. Improv nights are my favorites... Some of my most delicious dinners are the ones that don't start with recipes but with what I've got on hand. Don't underestimate thet sense of accomplishment that comes with cleaning out the fridge!

by afmorgan53 on 2010-03-15

Here's my blog post about the same night at my house....
http://moretimeatthetable.blogspot.com/2010/02/almost-veg-pasta-la-lindsey-vonn.html I was lucky to have a few vegetables in the bin, but have made do with olive oil, garlic and some eggs.... Even when it's simple, it's almost always better at home.

by bonnie ragan on 2010-03-19

I love creating meals from food on hand. We had leftover steak one night, and I sliced it thin, spread mayo on sliced sourdough bread, put the sliced steak on it and then covered it with marinated mushrooms (the saveur recipe) and put it in the oven for about 5 minutes. It was good. Making a spread with the marinated mushrooms would be even better.

by joantuano on 2010-03-24

In the kitchen, pasta is my home.. simply changing the way u cook something can turn the dish into an extravagant delight-- I once decided to be adventurous with my amatriciana; instead of using freshly blanched tomatoes and diced onions, I made it with random stuff in my pantry and fridge. Canned chopped tomatoes, slivers of sun-dried tomato, onion rings which I caramelized with brown sugar and balsamic, and this cherry chili from India. It was DIVINE. Anyone with a decent fridge can make awesome pasta.