Moving Day Pasta

My Husband and I moved in together eight Novembers ago after about two weeks of dating. Sounds bonkers, I know.

But when you know, you know.

You know?

I wonder if he remembers the actual date (it was the 9th).

Moving day went as most moving days usually do. It was hot, exhausting, and we were over it well before we were allowed to give up and call it a day.

When dinner time came, I told my future Husband that I would be taking care of dinner and retreated into our new kitchen.

I’m sure he thought that meant that I would be ordering a pizza or slapping some lunch meat between two slices of bread.

Not even close.

I may have been exhausted, sweaty, and smelled like cardboard boxes, but that didn’t dampen my constant need to overachieve.

For our first meal in our new place, I made him a simple pasta dish that I had made many times before. But because it was new to him, it was like I was making it for the first time all over again.

He loved it. In fact he loved it so much that he declared that we forevermore refer to it as ‘moving day pasta’. So we did, and soon this meal was thrust into heavy rotation on our dinner table and it’s still one of his favorites.

Since we’re celebrating his birthday this weekend, I thought it was only fitting that I post one of his favorites and the first meal we ever ate together in the first place we ever shared together.

It also just so happens to be another one of my favorite meals to make with some of my favorite pantry staples.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 a sweet onion – diced

2 cloves of garlic – minced

jarred sun-dried tomatoes *

marinated artichoke hearts *

kalamata olives *

feta cheese *

1 roasted red pepper – chopped

15 oz. can of cannellini beans – rinsed and drained

kale – about a cup or so – chopped

1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup stock or broth

heavy cream

Italian seasoning

pasta – your choice

*Use as much or as little of these ingredients as you want

Directions

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.

Add some extra virgin olive oil to a saute pan over medium heat and cook the onion until translucent.

Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, olives, roasted red pepper, and kale and saute until the kale is tender.

By now, your water should be boiling. Add a good amount of salt, stir, add pasta, and stir again so your pasta doesn’t stick together.

Once the pasta is cooking away gently, add the tomato pesto, the wine, and stock or broth (whatever you have). Stir together and let simmer while the pasta boils.

Just before the pasta is done, add the beans and feta to the sauce mixture. Stir to bring everything together and then splash in a little cream. Just a couple turns around the pan is all you need.

Add salt and pepper to taste and a few dashes of Italian Seasoning.

Now drain the pasta and add it right to the sauce. I usually just use tongs to lift the pasta out of the water and drop the noodles into the sauce, then I toss everything together gently.

Enjoy with a big glass of wine, crusty bread and a green salad.

*I’ve also made this pasta with fresh spinach and fresh grape/cherry tomatoes. It’s all good.