Italian “Stir Fry”

When I was single and living alone, I prepared full meals for myself as a way to unwind. I would either cut a recipe down to one portion or make a larger portion and have leftovers for lunch or other nights. However, a lot of nights I prepared dinner using whatever was kicking around in my fridge and pantry – this recipe is an example. You can make this dish with literally whatever you think looks good at the market or what you already have in the fridge. You can add meat or not. It can go over pasta, rice, couscous, quinoa or farro. It is the perfect “what should I make for dinner tonight?” meal. The ingredient list below is merely a suggestion.

1 TB. olive oil
1 red, yellow or orange pepper, chopped *
½ red onion, chopped *
1 zucchini, chopped *
1 summer squash, chopped *
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup pesto (optional)
½ cup ricotta cheese (optional)
pasta – 3 oz dry for per person

* ingredients that can be prepped several days ahead.

Note – Boil salted water for the pasta as you prep the rest of the ingredients. When you add the pasta to the boiling water start your stir-fry; they should take the same amount of time to cook.

Heat olive oil in a pan and add the next four ingredients. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add your tomatoes, and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until they start to break down and get saucy. When your pasta is done, drain it, and throw it in the pan with the veggies; add the pesto, ricotta, salt and pepper to taste and mix it up.