Anyway, if you're annoyed that I'm teasing you with my secret, distract yourself with this dish. It's an easy meal, prepared mostly with pantry staples. (If you want it to taste fresher, though, plan ahead like I did and visit the olive bar at your supermarket - the olives, sundried tomatoes, and roasted garlic can all most likely be found there.)
Update: My secret was that I was spending all of my free time preparing to fulfill one of my life's goals, appearing on the TV quiz show Jeopardy! Unfortunately, I ended up playing against a fantastic guy ... who went on to win that season's Tournament of Champions. Needless to say, I lost. However, I came in second place (and was the only person to get Final Jeopardy right), and it was an awesome experience.
Mediterranean Pasta
Ingredients:
1 (12 oz.) box whole wheat pasta, prepared according to package instructions
1 (14 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained well
15-20 olives (I used a combination of kalamata and jumbo green)
2 avocadoes (optional)
pine nuts (optional)
For the sauce:
1 (14 oz.) can tomatoes (diced or not)
4 cloves roasted garlic (more if you love garlic - it's just a mild migraine trigger for me)
10-12 small oil-marinated sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
5 kalamata olives (pitted)
salt and dry crushed red pepper to taste
Directions:
1 (12 oz.) box whole wheat pasta, prepared according to package instructions
1 (14 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained well
15-20 olives (I used a combination of kalamata and jumbo green)
2 avocadoes (optional)
pine nuts (optional)
For the sauce:
1 (14 oz.) can tomatoes (diced or not)
4 cloves roasted garlic (more if you love garlic - it's just a mild migraine trigger for me)
10-12 small oil-marinated sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
5 kalamata olives (pitted)
salt and dry crushed red pepper to taste
Directions:
- While pasta is cooking, use a blender or food processor to pulse sauce ingredients until they are well-mixed, but still chunky.
- When pasta is done, drain and return to pot.
- Add olives, artichoke hearts, and sauce to the pasta. Warm over a medium flame until heated through, stirring constantly.
- Top with sliced avocado and pine nuts, if you want. (I didn't have pine nuts this time, but have used them in this recipe before and they were great.)