Three Ingredient Thursday: Impressing your Mother-in-Law on SHORT Notice!

Well, it’s been a while since we had a Three Ingredient Thursday around these parts, but I have a really good one for you all!  I whipped this lovely recipe together not too long ago when I was told on about 30 minutes notice that my mother-in-law was coming to dinner.  My MIL is a delightful person, and I probably could’ve gotten away with frozen pizza, but for some weird reason (likely cultural programming/the patriarchy/etc.) I always feel the need to step my game up when she’s joining us for a meal, so I wanted to do something nice, but also simple (because 30 minutes notice).  After some quick Googling plus some creativity, I came up with this little beauty, which was such a big hit that I’ve made it once more at my husband’s request since then.

So, how’d I make it?  Here’s the recipe.

Your 3 Ingredients:

1. 1 box pasta (I used thin spaghetti, but any pasta will work, just adjust the cooking time accordingly)

2. 1 large can of crushed tomatoes

3. 2 tbsp. olive oil

You’ll also need the usual pantry staples – water, salt, pepper, and your own preferred seasonings.  You can also add in veggies and/or fresh herbs if you’d like, but those are completely optional.

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients plus 4 cups of water in a large skillet.

2. Cook on medium heat until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally throughout.

3. Serve!  (I garnished with vegan parmesan, and it was delicious, but again, this part’s optional).

Recipe makes about 8 servings.