July 7, 2016
You know when you are having one of those terrible weeks? I feel like the whole start of the week I couldn’t get out of a funk. I felt so flat at work, and when I left I couldn’t think of anything worse than going to the gym. I felt terrible, and it was making me unproductive at work and I wasn’t really getting much done at home either. I guess it was a combination of terrible weather and a bit of home sickness – I’ve almost been down in Melbourne now for 6 months, which is bound to bring with it a fresh wave of missing home. It really does take its toll on you after a while, and you’re left feeling very average.
So I had to figure out a way to get out of my terrible mood. I had no real idea of how to make things better, and my only solution was to get back into the gym. Endorphins make you happy, right? But come Tuesday afternoon, all I wanted to do was go home and curl into a little ball. Then I felt guilty about skipping the gym, and also that I didn’t feel like eating something healthy. I always try to be so good during the weeks, and I felt that my cravings for chocolate and comfort food, along with not going to the gym, was making me fall off the bandwagon.
One of the girls from work realised that I wasn’t in a good place, and suggested we go for a drink after work. Now I’m not for promoting alcohol as a solution to a problem, not one bit. But sometimes, you just need a big glass of red wine to perk you up. I don’t know whether it was just getting out of my usual routine of going to the gym, going home and eating healthy, or whether it was just that red wine is delicious, but I felt so much better after doing it. I realised that what I actually needed was to give myself a night off, and cut myself a break. You don’t need to control everything all the time, and sometimes you just need to take the night off and give yourself some time to recover.
Once I realised this, my roommate and I were on the walk home and decided that the best life decision for us at that moment would be to cook up some delicious pasta. Pasta is one of those ultimate comfort foods for me, and it always makes me feel better. I don’t eat it often, but it is one of my favourite things to cook and eat. So I decided that cooking up some delicious comfort food pasta, along with some more wine, would be the perfect cure for my terrible mood.
I can’t guarantee that this recipe will make you feel as better as it made me, but speaking from experience, this was the best dish I could have possibly made. The difference in my mood between now and the start of the week is immense, and I owe it all to giving myself a break and cooking some comfort food. It’s amazing how restorative a delicious meal can be when you really need it. And sometimes you just need a giant bowl of pasta with a big glass of red wine.
It’s good for the soul! So here is my recipe for a delicious weeknight, comforting bowl of pasta. It was still pretty healthy, all things considered, so you don’t even need to feel that guilty about it! And it’s the perfect excuse for some red wine to go with it. Because what is pasta without wine? That is not the Italian way!
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 1 large clove of garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of chili flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 teaspoon of thyme
- 5-6 brown mushrooms chopped
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- ½ cup of water
- ½ cup of red wine
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach
- 3 and ½ cups of small shell pasta or whatever you have lying around
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese to serve
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In a medium pot, put some water on to boil. Reduce the heat when it is at a rolling boil and add some salt to the water.
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Heat the olive oil in a fry pan, and add the onions, chili flakes, oregano and thyme. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
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Add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook until they begin to soften, about another 3 minutes.
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Pour in the tomatoes, water and red wine, and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced down.
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Meanwhile, cook the pasta as per the packet instructions. When the pasta is ready, stir the baby spinach through the sauce, and take off the heat.
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Strain the pasta and put back into the pot. Add the sauce and stir to completely coat the pasta. Serve with some pepper and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
And that’s all there is to it. It is actually a really simple weeknight meal that is absolutely delicious, and exactly what I needed. That’s what I love about Italian cooking, you can cook up a really delicious dish in such a short amount of time, and with really simple ingredients.
This pasta reminded me of when I first started cooking, and I learnt how to make a tomato based sauce. It was one of the first things that I mastered, and so it brought back fond memories of home and cooking for friends and family. It was the perfect comfort meal as it brought me back to those happy times, and reminded me of what is important. Sometimes you just need a big bowl of pasta, and sometimes it really makes your night. And if it is able to improve your mood that much, wasn’t it really just what the doctor ordered? It would be silly not to eat pasta if it makes that much of an impact on how you are feeling.
I find pasta to be the ultimate comfort food. It always manages to make me feel better, and it tends to be what I turn to when I need a bit of cheering up. This recipe is such a great tomato sauce, because you can really add in whatever ingredients you have in the panty. I often chuck in prosciutto or ham to add a little bit extra to the dish, or even some zucchini if I have it on hand. It’s really up to you. You could even have just a plain tomato sauce if you wanted, the flavours speak for themselves after all.
This dish was ridiculously easy to make and super quick, so there’s no excuse for cooking it up on a weeknight when you’re feeling like you need a bit of comfort. However, I implore you to enjoy it with a glass of red wine and a good movie, it just makes the experience much better. I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure we could all use a bit more comfort in our life. If you get comfort from pasta like I do, I’m sure this dish will deliver just what you need! And if you just love pasta, it was absolutely delicious!
What do you eat when you’re feeling down? Any recipes that you think I should try next time I need a pick me up?
Until next time, happy eating!
Ella xx
