This pasta, as you have already probably guessed, was made during the COVID-19 quarantine. That is why this recipe is to a certain extent vague, you can probably make this with whatever you have at home. That being said, in the event that you are making this after the quarantine, don’t fret because this pasta is delicious nonetheless.
On Day 18 of quarantine, my mom and I, the main cooks of the house, decided to rope in my dad and brother along with us to make this pasta a whole-family meal. Now my dad is pretty good at cooking himself, even if he doesn’t showcase his skills often, but my brother… well he’s a completely different story. He’s exclusively on the receiving end of the food and does his best to avoid the kitchen. My mom and I weren’t letting him get away this time, and thought: “what better time to introduce him to the world of cooking than quarantine when there’s rarely anything better to do anyway?”
Ingredients
- Pasta (we used bow tie)
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- Chili flakes
- Water for boiling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Garlic
- Pasta sauce (we used mostly white sauce, but added in some leftover tomato and pesto sauce)
These are what we used but they can be really be substituted with whatever you may want or have lying around:
- Bell Pepper
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Shredded Chicken
Directions
1Start by beginning to boil the water, and salt it liberally. Add the pasta into the water and cook until its al dente. Then, strain the pasta and make sure to save some water to use later if needed.
2While letting the pasta cook, add the oil to a large pan and heat it up. Then add the garlic and chili flakes, and cook it for a bit. Then, add the veggies and start cooking them. Next, add the shredded chicken and now season with salt and pepper, and more chili flakes if needed.
3Now, add the sauce(s) to the sautéed veggies and mix. If the sauce is too thick add pasta water to thin it out. Now add the pasta and mix it all together. That’s it, simple and easy quarantine pasta!
