August Pasta

There it is:  Still in the pan, with steam curling off.  August Pasta.  AKA, the cheapest meal of the year.

Even though this is not a gardening year for the record books, we still have an abundance of garden produce this August.  So, every August, I cook a meal or two that relies heavily if not solely on veggies.

What you see above is:

6-8 medium tomatoes, chopped (from garden)

2 medium leeks, chopped (from garden)

1 handful basil, chopped (from garden)

(You can also add peppers, zucchini, oregano, or pretty much whatever is ripe.)

Saute these until the flavor blends.  Mix with:

1/2 package angle hair pasta (Sam's Club, 89 cents per package)

Add sea salt and ground pepper to taste.  Serve.

That's right.  This meal comes in at 45 cents for the batch (remember, I paid for garden seeds and plants from the grocery budget in February, so the produce is a "pantry supply), or 15 cents for each of 3 big servings.  And, if you have lots of veggies, I can assure you that August Pizza and August Rice are equally yummy.

The Analysis

Fast:  The pasta version of this is the fastest, with just less than 20 minutes of prep and cook time.

Cheap:  45 cents a batch!  15 cents a serving!  Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

Good:  With produce this fresh, you don't really need oil or cheese to pump up the flavors.  It is low in calories but quite filling, and did I mention it is 15 cents a serving?