A big part of cooking for two is planning your meals so that you can use leftover ingredients before they go bad. For the most part, I’d say that the Kiwi and I do pretty well on that front, but we certainly aren’t perfect. Veggies are the hardest for us. We always end up with random halves just hanging out on the veggie shelf.

It’s always handy to have a couple super flexible recipes up your sleeve so you can just use up anything that is about to go off. This is one of my favorites for using up leftover veggies. You can throw just about any veggie in this and it’s going to taste great.

Veggie Drawer Pasta

{heavily adapted for two from Goddess of Scrumptiousness}

The Marinade
2 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
zest from 1/2 of a lemon
salt and pepper

The Tomatoes
15 cherry tomatoes
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

The Pasta
4 oz whole wheat pasta

The Veggies
1 Tbsp olive oil
whatever you have on hand {I’ve had success with zucchini and bell peppers, but spinach would be great too.}

The Garlic Sauce
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C.

First we need to put our chicken in to marinate. Cut your chicken breasts in to bite sized pieces. In a small bowl mix your marinade ingredients together and toss the chicken in. Coat well with the marinade and put it in the fridge until you’re ready for it.

Slice your cherry tomatoes lengthwise and scatter them on a lined baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss on your rosemary, salt, and pepper. Give it a stir so that all the tomatoes are covered and pop it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Take a break. Have a nice glass of tea and peruse Pinterest for a bit.

When the tomatoes have about 20 minutes left start heating a large pan on medium high heat. Boil your jug and start heating a large pot on medium high heat too.

When the jug finishes boiling put your pasta on. Cook according to the directions in the package {usually 11-13 minutes for whole wheat}. When the pasta is finished drain the water and set it to the side.

Chop the veggies you’re using into bite sized pieces and grab your chicken from the fridge. When your pan is nice and hot, pour in the olive oil and add your chicken and veggies. Let cook them cook for about 3 minutes on each side.

Now we’re going to get fancy with the sauce. Push the chicken and veggies to the edges of the pan making a whole in the middle like a donut. Drop in the butter and when it’s melted sprinkle with flour. Add your minced garlic. Slowly add your chicken stock whisking while you pour to avoid clumps. Stir your chicken and veggies in with the sauce and then let it simmer away for about 5 minutes our until the sauce is thick enough for your liking. Add the pasta to the pan and mix well. Plate up and top with the roasted tomatoes and some yummy parmesan cheese.