Weekend Herb Blogging: Desperation Spaghetti

The last two days have been extremely rushed, and I mean that literally.  I feel like a character in a Looney Toons cartoon, running from place to place.  And that doesn't count the time on the treadmill.  I think I bit off more than I can chew, with all the baked goods I've been preparing, as well as other obligations.    Oh well, Easter will be over soon and then life will return to a more normal pace.  Yesterday I resorted to my Desperation Spaghetti, a tried and true dish for those moments when I simply can't spend more than 10 minutes in total on a meal.  Here it is, and just in time for Herb Blogging Weekend, the creation of Kalyn, who's off having a very nice time in Texas!  The herbs of choice for this meal are fresh oregano and basil (again).  Go to Kalyn's site and see all the other Herb Bloggers in action!  I'm sure their recipes are much better planned than mine. 

This is when I make Desperation Spaghetti:  my exhaustion approaches critical mass, and hitting myself in the head with a hammer is more attractive than cooking dinner. But, going out to get a meal is out of the question, and the pizza or Chinese food available for delivery is horrible.  So, this is the moment I run to my freezer and remove a container of frozen tomato sauce.  Yes, yes, I know I should switch to Pyrex containers and not use the plastic ones. Fortunately, this tomato sauce had some ground turkey in it.  I defrosted the sauce in the microwave--yes, yes, I know I shouldn't heat plastic containers in the microwave.  Then, I heated the sauce and threw some chopped fresh oregano into it. That gave it a wonderful flavor and qualified it for Weekend Herb Blogging.  I tossed the sauce with cooked pasta and scattered some julienned fresh basil and shaved parmesan cheese on top.   I was tired and grateful to have a good meal that took so little time.

Comments

[Shannon]

Oh, Sher, how funny! Just before I read this, I had my version of Desperation Spaghetti! I cooked up some frozen tortellini and while it was boiling, I sauteed some pre-minced garlic and halved cherry tomatoes in olive oil, then threw the tortellini into it, shredded up some fresh basil, ground up some pepper, and grated some parm cheese quickly on top. Then ATE IT OUT OF THE POT because that's how lazy I was feeling. Hurray for Desperation Pasta!

[sher]

Shannon,

Eating pasta out of the pot is right up there with eating ice cream out of the carton. It tastes better that way, don't you think? For one thing, if you eat the pasta out of the pot, you have access to more of the "goodies" that tend to fall off the pasta, back into the serving bowl, as you dish it out into your plate. By the way, your Desperation Tortellini sounds wonderful.

[Shannon]

It DOES taste better that way! In fact, when I moved in with BW, it took me quite awhile to change my eating-pasta-out-of-the-pot ways. So now I only do it when he's out for the evening, like tonight. Bwa ha ha!

[Karina]

Love your title - and I'm right there with ya on the spaghetti thing. [Thank goddess there is gluten-free pasta!]

[farmgirl]

I would eat that spaghetti ANYTIME. No desperation needed whatsoever. (And no apologies necessary for your recipe!) Looks absolutely delish. Great photos--I can practically taste it right through the computer. If that's your idea of fast food, I'm moving in with you. : )

[kalyn]

This sounds much better than some of the things I eat when I'm desperate. I love having spagetti sauce in the freezer. It's my favorite thing to make when the garden produces too many tomatoes.

[sher]

Karina,

I've noticed that my grocer is carrying more products that are gluten free. There's also a women in town who started a gluten-free bakery, so kids could have a nice gluton-free birthday cake.

Farmgirl,

NO, No--I'm moving to your farm and will fix you the spaghetti. You're living my dream there. I'll live in the greenhouse with Upsie.

kalyn,

Welcome back! I'm so looking forward to Summer. Tomato sauce made with vine ripened tomatoes is wonderful.