Mexican Pasta

Hi!

I finally got a chance to cook last night, and discovered a half a dozen things that HAD to be eaten, or they'd be in the bin shortly. And since I was too lazy to go to shop to buy something that actually WORKED with these things, I just freestyled. And what I cam up with was, in the inimitable words of my boy, "Like, Mexican and Italian met and had babies." So yes..... That's what we have here, folks! A fridge-emptier that turned out delicious, if a little weird. But weird's alright sometimes, isn't it? Especially if it was yum!

{Image source: cremo, flickr}
And because I have far too many things going on in my head (10 days!!), I can't think of anything more interesting to write. I'm writing this as a recipe, but feel free to freestyle with whatever you have, substituting the veggies and even the meat, and the serving style. For me, it was the spices that made it Mexican, and serving it on pasta that made it Italian. It would be just as good served on rice, or even in a pita or tortilla wrap, for a more genuine Mexican meal.

{Image source: jules:stonesoup, flickr}

Mexican Pasta

Ingredients:
500g beef mince
250g broccoli florets
2 medium courgettes/baby marrows/zucchini
1 can tomato and onion mix
1 can Four Bean mix (chickpeas, red kidney beans, cannelini and borlotti)
1 handful halved cherry tomatoes
1 tomato, chopped
3 baby potatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chutney
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat a pan, and brown the mince, until there are no pink parts left.
2. Add the chopped courgettes and fresh tomatoes, and turn down the heat. Fry for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to get soft.
3. Add the spices and garlic salt to the mix and stir to combine.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes and tinned beans and stir, bringing the mix to a low simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the mince is cooked.
5. If the mixture is looking a little dry, add the tomato paste, and add the chutney, which adds a lovely sweetness to the dish. Also, while the pasta is cooking, you can spoon a few spoons of the pasta water over to the mince mixture. It helps to loosen the mixture, and the starch in the water helps to bind it all together, and coat the pasta once you serve and mix the two.
6. Parboil the broccoli and baby potatoes in the microwave, and chop potatoes, and add both to the mixture.
7. Serve over cooked pasta (or rice/tortillas/mashed potatoes/etc)

It's a lovely, filling (if slightly weird) meal, and can be changed around to suit whatever you have on hand. Don't you love those meals that turn out great when you don't have a plan?