By late July, our galley kitchen turns into a sauna by about 4 p.m. The window units do their best in the living room and bedroom, but the kitchen sits between them at the very end of the cool air's reach. Turning on the oven is out of the question. Even boiling water feels like a commitment.
So this time of year, I cook one thing on repeat: a pasta built around whatever produce is cheapest that week. It uses one pot of boiling water and one pan for about eight minutes, and it changes every time depending on what's piled up near the front of the store.
How the "whatever is on sale" part works
On our Saturday grocery run, I look for the summer vegetable that's either on sale or overflowing in its bin. In July, that's usually one of these:
- Zucchini or yellow squash: cheap, sturdy, fine for several days in the fridge
- Cherry tomatoes: sometimes two-for-one, and they collapse into a sauce in minutes
- Sweet corn: in peak weeks, an ear can cost less than a can
- Green beans: good with lemon and a lot of black pepper
- Bell peppers: when the multi-color bags go on sale
I buy about a pound of one, or a mix of two, and that becomes the pasta. Everything else is pantry stuff we already have.
Base recipe (serves 2)
Ingredients and rough cost
- 8 oz pasta, any shape, about $0.75
- About 1 lb sale vegetables, $1.50 to $3.00
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced, $0.25
- 3 tbsp olive oil, $0.50
- 1/2 lemon, $0.30
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan or similar hard cheese, about $0.90
- Pinch of chili flakes, salt, pepper
- Optional: a handful of basil from the balcony
Total: about $4.20 to $5.70 depending on the vegetables.
Steps
- Boil the water with plenty of salt. Cook the pasta until just shy of done. Scoop out a mug of the cooking water before draining.
- Prep while it boils. Cut the vegetables small so they cook fast: zucchini in half-moons, tomatoes halved, corn cut off the cob, green beans in short pieces.
- Start the pan. Warm the olive oil and garlic in a wide pan over medium heat until the garlic smells sweet and just turns golden.
- Cook the vegetables. Turn the heat up, add them with a good pinch of salt and the chili flakes, and cook 4 to 6 minutes. You want some browning on zucchini and corn, or tomatoes that have burst and gone saucy.
- Bring it together. Add the drained pasta and a splash of the cooking water. Toss over the heat for a minute until everything looks glossy.
- Finish off the heat. Add the cheese, a squeeze of lemon, black pepper and torn basil. Add more pasta water if it looks dry.
Our favorite combinations so far
| Vegetables | Extra touch |
|---|---|
| Zucchini + cherry tomatoes | Extra lemon zest |
| Corn + green onion | A spoonful of butter and lots of pepper |
| Green beans + garlic | Breadcrumbs toasted in the pan first |
| Peppers + onion | A pinch of smoked paprika |
Notes
- Save that pasta water. It's what turns oil and cheese into a sauce instead of a puddle. I forget about once a month and regret it every time.
- Cut small, cook hot. Small pieces mean less time standing over the stove, which in July is the entire goal.
- Protein if you want it. A can of white beans or chickpeas, warmed in the pan with the vegetables, makes it more filling. Leftover chicken works too.
- Balcony basil. We have a single pot on our tiny west-facing balcony. It gets blasted by afternoon sun and somehow thrives, which is more than I can say for us.
- Leftovers are surprisingly good cold the next day with a little extra lemon. I eat them at my desk between calls.
Last night it was zucchini and cherry tomatoes, both from the discount table. Sam ate on the couch directly in front of the AC unit, and Olive lay flat on the bathroom tile, which is the coolest surface we own. Dinner was on the table in twenty minutes, and the kitchen was back to merely warm by nine.
