@LulusMom1’s comment on the dishwashing thread reminded me of this lovely article about concocting a memorable meal out of bits and bobs, pantry and fridge staples.
We all do it, and not just with pasta.
What are your favorite, frequent, and simple something-from-nothings?
Any of them fit for company, or only for yourself?
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I loved these lines especially:
The key to a true pasta nada is deep restraint. The Zen-secret is knowing when to stop.
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In the pasta realm, butter and soy sauce, or miso and butter, or a combination. A sprinkle of garlic powder and bouillon boosts it even further.
Butter and cheese, of course. No cacio e pepe fuss needed there. Swap the butter for olive oil, if you must. I always want some cracked pepper on this too.
I think the raw tomato and garlic summertime “fresh” pasta counts in this category – not much to do, but oh so delicious.
If you have pangrattato or panko lying around to top any of these, yum.
All company worthy in my book.
Two things spring immediately to mind. Over the years, when there’s “nothing in the fridge/pantry” to make, I have made peas and eggs, and also mac & cheese with peas and canned tuna. The peas and eggs are about as foolproof as they come. Crack one egg per person into a medium bowl. Defrost some frozen peas and add to the bowl, and mix it all up. Add a tablespoon or two of oil to a hot pan, and dump in the peas/eggs mixture. Fold until the eggs are just set. Drizzle oyster sauce over it all, and serve with hot rice.
Son-in-law calls peas and eggs a sad little meal because he likes to have at least a little meat at dinner, but Spawn2 says he’s happy with the addition of a few potstickers on the side.
I learned to cobble meals together when I worked in a small, family-owned restaurant. It was my responsibility most nights to make the staff meal while everybody else was cleaning. Meat - other than musco meat - was off limits, but I was free to use almost everything else, so I learned to put things together on the fly.
If something was good on Day 1 and we kept leftovers, it will find its way into a frying pan for lunch next day. It may need enhancement - eggs to turn it into a frittata, for example. Or a big dollop of brown sauce. Or scooped out straight onto toast.
Toast is more my vehicle than pasta, tbh!
Rice yes, but fried rice, while touted as a “leftovers” meal, requires a lot more prep than I am usually willing to put in for this kind of quick fabrication.
Apropos.
Leftover potatoes become potato patties, Gröstl or frittata.
Tuna and pasta, cinnamon toast, and fried egg and cheese sandwiches are my main things when I’m on my own.
Lately, arugula or romaine salad with Italian tuna, evoo and white balsamic. Sometimes i add mandarins or hard boiled eggs
Sometimes, pasta with Parmesan , olive oil or butter, and lemon.
Tomato salad, just olive oil and vinegar, and basil if I have it.
Or fried egg with a slice of tomato and a dab of mayo.
Hoover Stew – I basically throw anything in with the basic recipe.
Hot Dog Soup - from the Glen & Friends Cooking YouTube channel. Again, throw anything in with the hot dogs.
Egg Fried Rice - Prior to the rise in egg prices, I would use the Aaron & Claire (again youtube) recipe for egg fried rice and throw anything in with it.
Vegetable Fritter - Using my mother’s fritter/pancake recipe add veggies, leftover ham, etc.
Any of these you’d all serve to company?
Fritters / pancakes are an unsung hero!
My mom’ s favorite don’t-feel-like-eating/making-much is a thin pancake / crepe that’s gently spiced, and may or may not have some greens (might be dried from the pantry) or grated vegetables included, depending on what’s at hand.
The plain version is delicious too, and whenever we eat it, we wonder why we don’t eat it more often!
If you are asking me… yes, when I get a call from Neighbor #2 that she is having a tough day and can’t cook, I’ll take her whatever I’m cooking.
She has her favorites, and on those days I’ll make extra for her to freeze, but if it’s just an average Tuesday and she needs a meal, I’ll share what I made.
Pasta any day, but in the last year or so I’ve been serving more and more stuff on toast. There is a Smitten Kitchen recipe that is now a go-to when I find myself in an emergency situation- beans and marinated artichokes with garlic and chilies. I always have all these things in the house and always love them. Perfect over either pasta or toast. Parmesan if you have it. Delicious and satisfying.
I’ve brought my frittatas to cottages during the summer, and made frittatas for other people when I’ve been visiting their cottages .
I would serve guests Gröstl or bread pudding made from what I had on hand.
I don’t think this thread has much to do with the article, which is less about making do with what’s in your pantry and more about minimalist cooking, knowing when to leave stuff out.
As in
I didn’t say “nothing,” I said “not much.” Bread pudding and frittatas and peas & eggs and fried rice are pretty far afield from what the article discusses.
Um, why wouldn’t you have it? parm should always be in the house! 
Mine keeps going bad if I don’t remember to put it in the freezer 
Yes, the freezer is where I keep my Parmesan cheese. I have to remember to move it to the fridge (in a timely manner) when I want to use it.
As you can tell, I haven’t opened the article…LOL.
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@Saregama
I have never had someone over for dinner without planning the dinner, and I usually plan a lot before any event I host. If I was throwing a minimalist pantry dinner together, I can see myself maybe doing that for myself and my immediate family, or possibly my uncle and cousin.
