Today I ran the pasotto experiment for the second time. “Pasotto” is pasta, cooked risotto-style where the liquid is added as the pasta cooks.

Ingredients:

500 g (one pack) of pasta, clear chicken broth, frozen mixed veggies, chicken breast meat, and some olive oil. You can cook pasotto in any liquid. I’m lazy so I buy pre-made broth, even though it adds substantially to the cost.

Step 1: Put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the pan, heat it up to smoking point, and pour in the pasta. Dry. All of it. Because it’s fun.

Explanation: This is “toasting” the pasta. Does it make any difference? I dunno. I’m in the “olive oil is magic” cult.

Step 2: Pour in the chicken broth, or whatever liquid you’re using. Beef stock, fish soup, water. Put in enough to get all the pasta wet. Maybe more. But not too much.

Times like this, I really miss the physical shutter button on my old phone. “Tap to capture” just isn’t as convenient.

Step 3: Stir the pasta. Stir stir stir. You may take out a piece and test for doneness. Still not done? Good, throw in the chicken.

The breast meat was dry because a) it’s breast meat and b) it was 2 weeks old. No matter – the stock will revive it! Also, put the meat in well before the pasta is even al dente, or you’ll overcook the pasta (or undercook the meat).

Step 4: Pasta is allllllmost done. Throw in the veggies:

And add a bit more stock if you like. In fact, you can cook the veggies separately and just add them in the end, but that defeats the “one-pot” cooking purpose of this dish.

Step 5: Stir stir stir to mix everything up and ensure veggies are cooked. Ooof! Pasta is really heavy now, from absorbing all that stock.

Since I’m going to put these in storage containers and put them in the fridge for reheating at a later date, it doesn’t really matter if the veggies are undercooked. Might even be better, as overheating makes the carrots limp, while the peas turn a sad wilted-green colour.

Step 6: Serve or store as needed.

Monday lunch, Tuesday lunch, Wednesday lunch, Thursday lunch, Friday lunch.

Notes: You can add cheese along with the veggies, and balsamic vinegar along with the first addition of broth. I skipped both this time around because the flavours were a little overpowering, and I’m going to be eating this in the office so it would be discourteous. In fact, the original recipe adds white wine instead of balsamic, but *shrugs* everything’s a suggestion.