Noodling Over The Possibilities

After walking at S/CAR’s convocation, a sense of closure enveloped me; only, it wasn’t calm and peaceful. I felt a door open, and I was immediately pushed through it and brought to a screeching halt.

My fitness regimen was lax this week, simply because I was so tired, which means my social life was rather lax also. I had the privilege to attend a roundtable at the USIP on Wednesday, and I worked my regular hours at the community center, including a babysitting gig, but I didn’t do much of anything else. My body was sluggish and my mind was racing at the most inconvenient times. The nightmares (yes the zombie kind) have reared their not so pleasant heads, not to mention waking up at 3:30 most mornings. 

The recipes are lining up… sigh.

 I wish I had something inspirational and uplifting to write, and I’m sure I will on Sunday, but right now I want to focus on important things and tell you what I’ve learned another time.

So I hope this noodle dish will fill you up as it did for my family and I. It was one of those dishes I made before I graduated and was in need of comfort. Fusilli is my favorite kind of noodle, corkscrew in appearance and a wonderful texture to chew on. It had been a while since I’d had the pleasure of eating a noodle-based dish where the noodle was the main attraction, and I loved it so much I wanted to share.

A warning, though: it’s not the prettiest thing I’ve ever made. In my opinion, noodle dishes are supposed to have their ingredients thoroughly mixed, with a different flavor for each bite. Oh, and topped with cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.

Fusilli with Sautéed Prosciutto and Vegetables

240 g Dried fusilli noodles (I used the Trader Joe’s brown rice fusilli)
Juice of 1 Lemon
45 ml Olive oil
1 Green bell pepper, finely diced
1 Red onion, finely diced
2 Garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
113 g Sliced prosciutto, shredded into bite-sized pieces
28 Basil leaves

20 Mini pearl grape tomatoes, halved horizontally (as garnish)
40 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated

In a medium stainless steal pot, bring up to 2 quarts of water to a boil on medium-high heat and cook the fusilli noodles as instructed on the bag/box.
When cooked, drain the water and pour the noodles back into the pot, along with the lemon juice and olive oil.
In a large cast iron skillet on medium heat, grease the bottom with your choice of cooking oil and pour in the pepper, onion, and garlic.
When the pepper has at least softened, add in the prosciutto and cook until browned.
Turn off the heat and fold in the basil leaves until slightly wilted, and then add the fusilli noodles.
Pour the noodle dish into four bowls, and garnish the tops with the tomato halves and cheese.
Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.