One Pot Mushroom Spinach Artichoke Pasta

For this weeks meal, I decided to try out a one-pot pasta recipe that I found on Pinterest. I chose this recipe because it looked simple, cheap, and delicious.
https://damndelicious.net/2015/12/12/one-pot-mushroom-spinach-artichoke-pasta/
The ingredients for this recipe are:

• 12 ounces fettuccine
• 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

The first step I took in this recipe was dicing both the onion and artichokes. Using the knife skills we were taught in class, I made sure that I cut the onion in half first and always keep my knife on the cutting board. 

After I was done dicing, the next step in this recipe was to combine the fettuccine, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, onion, garlic, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a pot with 4 1/2 cups of water. After bringing this to a boil, I reduced the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 13 minutes. 

Once the pasta was cooked through and the liquid had reduced, I stirred in the spinach, parmesan, and butter until the spinach had wilted. After about 30 minutes, I was done and ready to eat!

Reflection:

This recipe is definitely one that I will make again. I was surprised at how much flavor this dish had with the few ingredients and steps it took to make it. When describing the process of cooking it to my roommates, they were also surprised at how delicious it turned out. Unlike a lot of pasta recipes I've tried in the past, this one included a lot more vegetables and a lot less dairy. By decreasing the amount of dairy I use in my cooking, I am able to eat healthier as well as more sustainable. In addition to this, only having to use one pot in this recipe made the clean-up process super easy and saved water in the process! 

Food Pantry

After exploring my food pantry, I noticed that I already have most of the staple items. Throughout the year, my pantry is always stocked with adequate supplies to cook at home such as whole grains, herbs/spices, oil, vinegar, and condiments. The only ones I'm missing from the list are dried fruits/nuts, canned tomatoes, and stocks. While I understand the importance of having dried fruits, nuts, and stocks in your pantries, I'm still quite confused about the significance of canned tomatoes. I wonder why they don't mention any other canned vegetable in the basic pantry list.