It’s nearly finals week. You’re sick, tired, you’ve spent the previous eight hours in Powell, and there is simply nothing on this Earth that could compel you to cook something.
We’ve all been there, and if you’re anything like me, a freezer meal and a 45-minute risotto are equally unappealing to think about. But there can be a healthy balance between the two extremes ““ especially since good food can help retain sanity through exam season.
Most of the following dishes can be completed in 15 minutes or less, and all of them can be modified to be simpler and faster if the need arises.
Even though I have been on a relatively low-carb, low-fat diet, I find that pasta is one of the quickest and heartiest foods if you need a fast meal with a lot of energy to sustain you through an all-nighter. I have found that generally, when I have a 15-page paper due at noon and have waited until 10 p.m. to start writing it, caffeine alone is simply not enough to sustain my focus.
One dish to try is a staple that you can really dress up if you want: pasta and canned marinara sauce. Start by following the cooking instructions on your favorite brand of pasta, and in a separate sauce pot slowly heat up any variety of marinara.
The great thing about marinara (tomato sauce) is that the vast majority of the work is done for you. If you spend a little bit more, you can buy a sauce that already has sausage, mushrooms or mini meatballs in it. In that case simply combine the sauce and pasta with a bit of salt, pepper and handfuls of Parmesan cheese for a fast dish.
But I like to do a bit more than that. In a separate pan you can very slowly saute thinly sliced mushrooms in olive oil with salt and pepper, and add them to the sauce once they are browned and have lost a bit of their volume.
Add some precooked sausage to the mix ““ or if you want a throwback to your childhood you can cook a few hot dogs in the microwave, slice them up, and add them to the sauce as well. (That’s a favorite late-night dish of mine.)
Another thing you can do is buy tortellini and store it in the freezer until you need to cook it. Ralphs and Costco both offer great packages of cheese tortellini that can be cooked right away or frozen indefinitely and cooked when you’re in a hurry.
In case you don’t know, tortellini is a small Italian pasta with a little pouch that holds meat or cheese. They’re quite good, and sold in a variety of flavors, shapes and sizes.
You can cook it the same way you would any other pasta dish ““ by following the instructions on the package and adding some marinara and Parmesan cheese. But again, there are a few things you can do a little bit differently.
Tortellini is also great when they’re not drowning in a red sauce. For a more pared-down (and wallet-friendly) dish, you can add a drizzle of olive oil and a dollop of butter to the cooked pasta to form a quick sauce.
Then add in some salt, pepper, Parmesan and Italian herbs to complete the dish. I like to add in basil, garlic powder, oregano and thyme ““ make sure to season the dish judiciously, because nothing ruins the cheesy goodness of tortellini quite like a blast of basil. The trick is to taste as you go.
My last tip for you today is to buy precooked, frozen chicken breasts. Costco sells them in rather large quantities, but I’ve also seen them in and out of Ralphs and Trader Joe’s. You can simply microwave them for a few minutes and you have instant chicken, which can be used in virtually anything.
One of my favorite things to do is make a quesadilla, pan-fried with a bit of Mexican cheese blend and diced chicken breast.
You can also make a chicken sandwich, which is fantastic with a single chicken breast, a crusty bread and a bit of ranch dressing. Or you can cook some pasta and season it the same way I described seasoning the tortellini. Except this time, add in some of the precooked chicken breast and a dash of lemon for a simple and easy chicken pasta dish.
If you like a quick meal and have any tips of your own, e-mail Pesce at apesce@media.ucla.edu.