Unproductive

At the bottom of the post is a picture of the most productive thing I did today. Yes, I also changed my sheets and hit the gym for an hour, but for the majority of the day I lounged. I mean this in the fullest sense of the word. Courtney and I watched the highly intelligent and thought provoking, critically acclaimed programming, The Rachel Zoe Project for, oh let’s just say, 4 hours straight. And did I once get out of my big, fluffy robe and jammies for the viewing of this show? Did I even manage to brush my teeth? Negative. Let’s just say when 1:00 rolled around, the pair of us decided to get our life together before bed sores were a legitimate concern.

Tonight I put together one of the easiest meals of all the times (that’s a Jillatinous reference). I took it from a recipe that I believe is in one of Giada’s cookbooks, but because it is so absurdly easy, I can just wing it. Here is a rough sketch of the ingredients and steps:

Ingredients:

• 4 links Italian sausage
• 1 pound whole wheat pasta (rigatoni, orchiette, whatever you prefer)
• 1 1/2 c grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• 4 c fresh spinach leaves
• 1/3 c dry white wine
• 1 1/2 c low-sodium chicken stock
• Italian cheese for garnish

Steps:

• Heat sausage over medium heat. While it’s cooking break it up into small chunks.

• Meanwhile cook pasta until just before al dente. Set aside until needed. Pour a little olive oil on it to prevent it from sticking together.

• After sausage has browned, drain any fat and add the white wine to de-glaze the pan. Scrape up any bits on the bottom. Then add one cup of the chicken stock.

• Add tomatoes to the sausage. Turn heat down to low and cover for 3-5 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft. Add salt and pepper to season.

• Add pasta to the sausage and tomato mix. Stir to combine all ingredients. Add stock as necessary.

• Add spinach and cover for 3 minutes or until spinach is soft. This should be done right at the end so spinach keeps its color and a little bite.

• Serve in large bowls and add any Italian cheese for garnish.

 

These directions are a little obscure, but like I said, I just kind of make it up as I go. It takes about twenty-thirty minutes and the ingredient list is super small. You probably have most of those things in your house now.

After an exhausting day like today, nothing says kick up your heels and relax like a big bowl of pasta. Enjoy!

nom nom nom