A (Near) Flop

Occasionally I have a less than full pantry.  And my dinner is far from artistic every night of the week.  Last night I attempted to make some sort of pasta for dinner.  It took some serious doctoring to save from the abyss of the trash can.  But I’m happy to report that with a little bit of effort, I managed to make a surprisingly spicy pasta salad.

not quite what i was "going for" but a yummy surprise!

Never mind that my original intent was to make a savory bow tie pasta with goat cheese and pine nuts in a balsamic vinegar reduction.  But I was already out of luck when I realized that the Cypress Farms Chevre in my fridge expired three weeks ago!  So no goat cheese.  I figured I’d substitute some parmesan instead.  I began in earnest, boiling my bow ties, and reducing my balsamic vinegar with honey, brown sugar, and salt.  I added the pasta to the thickened sauce and did NOT like the flavor one bit.  It was bitter and sugary all at once.  A great marinade for chicken, but not what I wanted to eat with my pasta.  I considered throwing it in the trash then and there, but I defaulted on crushed red pepper flakes and hot sauce to mask the taste.  I also added the peanuts I had chopped.  Thinking that something was still “missing” (and that I had absolutely no protein like chicken or shrimp in the freezer) I nervously added two heaping tablespoons of pico de gallo.  After the first bitter bite of the (undoctored) balsamic pasta I was skeptical.  Had I really saved dinner?

Yes! It was fiery hot – just the way I like it.  And the balsamic reduction provided a sweet undertone that balanced the spice.  I wouldn’t normally put pico de gallo with peanuts, but it turned out to be the perfect fresh accent.  I poured myself a glass of Chardonnay to reward my own Herculean efforts… and then headed over to Foodbuzz to document the recipe before I could forget about my culinary ingenuity.  So if I were going to “re-do” this, I’d follow a recipe kind of like this…

here goes nothing!

Balsamic Bow Ties With Peanuts and Pico de Gallo

1. Bow Tie Pasta
2. Balsamic Vinegar
3. Brown Sugar
4. Honey
5. Salt
6. Pico de Gallo
7. Hot Sauce
8. Peanuts
9. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Cook 2 cups of bow ties until al dente (about 8-9 minutes, varies with brand).  In a small frying pan, combine 1/2 c balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp honey, and 1/2 tsp salt. Heat on low until boiling/bubbly. Turn off heat. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes.  Add bow ties directly to balsamic sauce (do not rinse as the addition of the starchy “pasta water” will prevent bow ties from sticking to each other).  Add 3 tbsp (or less, if you prefer a mild flavor) of hot sauce.  Toss in 1/3 c pico de gallo and garnish with 1/4 c crushed peanuts. Serve lukewarm or chill and serve cold. Pairs well with crisp white wines (think: California Chardonnay!). Serves 2-3.

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Reflecting on dinner, I’ve determined that my near flop is a parallel to life. Sometimes, despite a clear idea in your mind of what the finished product will taste like, you end up with something totally different.  In an effort to save already good inputs, you reinvent and discover something delicious in the process.  Now if only I could apply this concept to my current life situation…