Servings: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 15 min Total: 30 min
This is another recipe not entirely unlike “Poorly Cooked Eggs”. Its design is more to indicate a blend of ingredients tossed into pasta, with a hearty cream based sauce. It’s not a “fixed” recipe, per se. In fact, It’s a dish or … a “method” which I lovingly call “Pasta à la Stuff in DJ’s Fridge” (I usually replace “stuff” with a stronger term, but … this is a family blog). When I tell people I might make “Pasta à la Stuff in DJ’s Fridge” … they come a runnin’!
I use this dish as a “treat”. It’s a rare treat, thus it’s more than 10 grams, but I only eat it about once a month. If you’re on induction, or early in your weight loss travels … stop reading … right now.
There are 4 essential parts to this dish: Stir Fried Stuff, Pasta, Cheese and Cream Sauce.
The basic ratio which yields four hearty portions is: 4 servings of pasta to 1 cup of heavy cream. There’s virtually no limit to the amount of “stuff” allowed, nor is there a particular limit to cheese. Here, your main limitation is the number of net carbs you’re limiting yourself to.
To make it, you would sauté the stuff, while boiling the pasta (be sure to under cook the pasta, by about two minutes!). About the time the stuff is properly stir fried, you will strain the pasta. Add the cream to the hot stuff. This should boil and immediately begin reducing. Add your strained hot pasta and toss in the sauce for about 90 seconds. In the final 30 seconds, toss in your cheese. Serve!
“Stuff” could be just about any vegetable or meat, but I use a lot of chicken and sausage. Veggies can be onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, yellow squah, asparagus, green beans, different varieties of mushrooms, all manner of herbs, spinach, etc.
Cream is pretty much … cream … but you can add more “stuff” to the cream, such as … (not all at the same time) mustard, pesto, sun dried tomato pesto, capers, chopped olives, etc. Flavorings, basically. Not too much!
Cheese … I almost always use grated parmesan and chunks of fresh mozzarella, but you could use goats cheese, brie, feta, blue cheese, etc. You know … cheese!
Finally, the pasta. Just read the box! Really anything will do!
That’s the basic idea behind “Pasta ala Stuff in DJ’s Fridge”.
Dreamfield’s Nutrition Disclaimer: Due to the magic of the fiber coated matrix, a single 56 gram portion is shown as having 5 grams of digestable carbs. However, my recipe system isn’t designed to display their nutrition information in the magical way in which they’ve been able to. As a result, I’m fudging the numbers to show 42 grams of carbs, with 37 grams of fiber. Technically, this isn’t true, but it’s the only way to have the math display numbers that match Dreamfield’s claims.
Pasta à la Stuff in DJ's Fridge
Print RateIngredients
- 1 cup cream heavy whipping
- 1/4 cup Pesto alla Genovese
- 4 portions low carb pasta
- 2 tbsp light olive oil
- 1 each small green zucchini cut into small cubes or discs
- 1/4 lb (about 5) plump cremini or button mushrooms cut into wedges
- 1 each boneless chicken breast cubed (or equivalent thigh meat - skin optional)
- 1/4 cup bacon bits
- 1/4 large bunch broccoli including stalks, cut into florets
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 lb fresh mozzarella cubed
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a large pot of water on the stove, to boil. This will be used to cook the pasta. Add a healthy amount of salt to the water.
- Pre-heat a large sauté pan (mine is huge, a 13.5 inch "Family Fry Pan"). A wok would work nicely, too! Just make sure it's hot!
- Add your pesto to the cream, and whisk it together. Set aside. You'll need it in a moment.
- Once your water is boiling, add your pasta (unless it's a thin pasta, like angel hair, at which point, you should wait until near the end ... it cooks quickly).
- In the large sauté pan, add your oil.
- Now, add your "stuff" to the sauté pan. Add it in order of cooking time. Whatever takes the longest ... add first. Then, wait a moment, then add a bit more, etc.
- If it were me, I would add the mushrooms and zucchini, first. I would sauté them about half way, then add the chicken. Make sure to season with salt and pepper, while it's cooking. Then, once the chicken is halfway cooked, I would add the broccoli. The pan should always be very hot and you may even make a little smoke. That's ok. Don't let things just sit and steam or slowly gurgle away. This is a hot pan stir fry. Go Go GO!!
- Stir the pasta in the boiling water. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than it states on the box. Once the pasta is ready, strain it through a colander.
- Add your pesto cream to the hot pan.
- Once the pasta has drip dried for a moment or two, add it to the hot pan with the stuff and the cream sauce.
- Toss the ingredients together, to coat the pasta with the sauce. Saute for about 90 seconds, while the sauce reduces and thickens. It should nicely coat the pasta.
- Evenly spread your grated cheese and mozzarella around the top of the hot pasta. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Serve!
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* Learn More: More about this recipe and nutrition …