The college son is home this summer, busy putting time in at his summer internship… And, he also wants to learn how to cook. Â He will be living in a sort of fraternity house with Cru this fall, complete with a kitchen, so that he can step away from the high-carb, low-nutrient dorm fare.
At 4:55 this afternoon, I stopped myself from starting to cook dinner,and decided to wait for him to get home and start this 20-minute meal, so I could illustrate, step-by-step, and let him do the cooking.
Have you tried this meal? It’s been on PInterest for several years now, in differing versions. Â It’s not a Pinterest “fail” and is very forgiving and versatile…and quick!
Basically, you can use pasta with anything you wish, such as  fresh, or frozen vegetables, and/or any cooked meat.  In this case, the meat was frozen meatballs, frozen vegetable medley, and spaghetti.
The trick is to use a skillet, rather than a pot to boil the pasta. Â The wide surface area of the skillet allows you to cook the pasta in just a few inches of water.
- Add water and a bouillon cube to the skillet, and turn up the heat to medium.
- Add uncooked pasta, vegetables and cooked meat.
- Cove and let simmer, lifting the lid to check on the water level. Â If the pasta hasn’t finished cooking, and the water is low, just add a bit more water.
- As the steam continues to cook the vegetables, and the pasta cooks, you can add your salt, pepper and seasonings you like.
- Once the water is gone, and the pasta is cooked, you have the option of adding salt, or just eating as-is.
A perfect meal for a busy student, who only wants to wash one pan.