I knew this week would be a doozy. Coming off vacation is always hard, especially a quick weekend vacation that involved mornings with bloody mary’s and returning to endless snow and subsequently, no school or daycare for days. With two working parents, naturally.
Yesterday, Shea “entertained” herself for about 8 straight hours. Can we just agree that Presidents Day is a thing…or it’s not? Mark and I both had work and Piper had daycare, but Shea was off school. That was followed up with a snow day for the girls today. Who needs school or daycare anyway? I feel like life needs to write excuse letters to employers, and thank heavens, my employer is wonderful and so understanding about…life.
I rallied to find a babysitter so that Mama Mark wasn’t juggling BOTH girls and a day of meetings…again. Shea is LITERALLY bored to tears. I thought that was one of those things people say just to be dramatic, like an “uphill both ways” kind of sentiment. But no, the girl is literally bored to tears. And if there’s no school tomorrow, I’ll be joining her with tears. The end-of-my-rope tears.
Also coming off vacation, Mark and I are craving good-for-us food. Big time. It all started with the impulse purchase of $11 salads in the airport and we’ve been on a vegetable binge ever since. The body knows what it needs! Dinner tonight was a heaping pile of greens topped with carrots, cucumber, avocado, bell pepper, blue cheese, sunflower seeds, pecans, and salmon. Good-for-us food AND cleaning out the fridge and freezer!
Tomorrow night, we’ll be back to our (at least once a week) pasta meal. The famous TikTok feta pasta will be happening. Not gunna lie…I’m pretty excited about it! Also quite curious to see how it goes over with the peanut gallery.
In the meantime, we’re surviving the arctic, snowy days (barely, but hey) and enjoying the small comforts of this time of year. Hot cocoa, hot tea, fires roaring in the fireplace…pasta. Always pasta…so comforting and loved by all. This one pot dish is packed with good-for-you ingredients while maintaining full-on comfort food status! Keep warm, USA!
One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese
Veggie-packed meat sauce with al dente pasta...all made in one big'ol skillet!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb 96% lean ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 lb rigatoni
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking up into crumbles, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery; stir and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the Italian seasoning and tomato paste; stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add the broth and diced tomatoes; increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.
- Add the pasta and cook for 12-14 minutes or until al dente. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe from Savory Nothings
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 7 Serving Size: scant 2 cupsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 419Total Fat: 6.7gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 626mgCarbohydrates: 58.7gFiber: 6.1gSugar: 8.1gProtein: 30.7g
One pot wonders your jam? Always the case in my kitchen. Here’s some favorites!
- One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet
- Garlic Basil Barramundi Skillet with Tomato Butter Sauce
- One Pot Kielbasa Pasta
- One Pot Teriyaki Rice with Chicken and Vegetables
- One Pan Mexican Chicken and Rice
Be well,
