Some days I sit at the laptop and words just come. Sometimes I have a clear idea of what I want to say and how it links to the food and recipe. Sometimes I have no real idea where the words will take me. It is like I am sat chatting with a friend, the conversation twists and turns and after an hour you look up and think how did we get onto the subject of Moroccan bath tiles. (Oh yes I have odd and interesting conversations with my friends 😉 )
Some days like yesterday I sit and I can't think of anything to say, well nothing that I think anyone would want to read, that is quite hard to handle. Your brain is goading you "I am boring, my stories are boring, why would anyone be interested in what I have to say?" I don't want to use the term writers block as I don't presume to be a writer. I am a waffler, I write as I talk.
Many many (many) years ago, I did my Duke of Edinburgh Award. At the end of the expedition each member of the group had to do a presentation on one aspect of the four days. Unsurprisingly I chose 'camp cooking'. I was 17, so I did what most 17 year old girls do when faced with a speech, I wrote the whole thing out. There were no flash cards or prompts, this was an essay that I planned to read verbatim to the school. The teacher in me is now crying, back then the security of a script was what I needed to get over my fear and stand up and talk, now after years in the classroom it is the thought of trying to do a presentation with a fully written out scrip that fills me with dread. My old pupils would testify to the scatty and slightly random nature of my lessons. We always got the work done and the information made it from my head to their head, but it wasn't a textbook classroom.
Like I said I am a waffler, I like to twist and turn when I talk (with my words you understand....I don't do the jive when I talk!;-) ) So whilst now I wouldn't want a script, some things haven't changed because back then I also wrote as I spoke, something I hadn't realised until that presentation.
The presentations were marked and I got great feed back, Mr O'Hara said it was "an engaging, personal presentation that felt spontaneous, yet informative", then he saw my essay and laughed. He told me "you write as though you are having a conversation with the page. This reads as though someone has documented you talking on the phone to a friend".
I hope the same can still be said. As I like to waffle, I like to chat and some days like yesterday when I really have nothing to say, then I hope I can just close the computer and say nothing. Better to leave a day unblogged than to force some words onto the page.
Today I wasn't sure I had much to say, but I tapped away and now I have filled a couple of minutes of your day with my random musings.
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Random musing from a 17 year old who spoke about cooking dried noodles on a camp stove, of a 28 year old teacher who got every student out of their seat and made them run about to explain changes of state, of a 35 year old blogger who is sat with a cup of coffee wondering whether cold left overs of yesterdays pasta dinner, is an acceptable morning tea or will it just make me seem like a bit of a piggy? I think I know the answer 😉 But once you have tried this risoni recipe you might understand my dilemma.
I hope you enjoy the random musings, as I have plenty more conversations to have with you. One day I will explain how we got onto the Moroccan tiles....just got to figure that out myself first! Aren't you glad you stopped by 😉
For more delicious pasta recipes try these:
- Garlic Butter Pasta with Garlic Chicken (for garlic LOVERS)
- Shrimp Chorizo Pasta
- Creamy Rosemary Chicken Pasta
- Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce
- Pasta with Roasted Fennel
- Pork Stroganoff with Buttered Noodles
- Creamy Saffron and Shrimp Pasta
- Parsnip and Bacon Pasta
- Black Truffle Pasta
- Get ALL PASTA RECIPES
Get the Recipe
Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup risoni pasta (also called Orzo pasta)
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 2 cubes of frozen spinach (remove from the freezer when you start cooking the pasta)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoon chopped basil
- Black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Place the butter into a small saucepan and melt over a low heat.
- Stir in the risoni and stir until it is coated with the butter.
- Add the chicken stock, cover the pan and reduce the heat.
- Cook on the lowest simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes remove the lid and give the pasta a stir.
- Add the spinach and stir gently.
- Keep gently string until the spinach has defrosted and the liquid is almost gone.
- Stir in the Parmesan, basil, and season with pepper.
- Continue stirring until the Parmesan has melted.
- Serve with an extra grinding of black pepper and a generous grating of parmesan.
- I served ours with some char-grilled herb mustard chicken.
Nutrition is per serving
Sezzz says
Made this for a quick dinner.
Swapped garlic infused olive for the butter, and used fresh spinach and added peas instead of basil.
Quick and delicious.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Peas sound like a great addition 🙂
Cx
Roxy Gibson says
I just made this for my family and definitely should have doubled the recipe as it didn’t feed the 4 of us ( 2 adults and 2 small kids) We all wanted more. I used fresh spinach and topped with cherry tomatoes. So delish, will have on regular rotation in our house.
Jane says
I have made this at least twenty times and I love it. I don't use the basil, often I use it as a side to a main that has other flavours. The core risoni:stock:spinach:parmesan ratios and the timing works really well. Thanks for the recipe.
Mel says
looking in my pantry for hat to cook for dinner, lots of risen, so a quick search and I found this recipe, guess thats hat we are having for dinner as I also just picked a container of spinach yesterday evening! Thank you for helping with todays inevitable question. What's for dinner mum?
Kim Lawrence says
This was so delicious! I was making it for my 9 month old baby! But I'm having some for lunch.. I will give her some for dinner....if there is any left!! Haha 😜
Claire McEwen says
Oh this makes me simple so much 🙂
So pleased you enjoyed it! I hope your baby did too!
Cx
Monica says
How much would two cubes of spinach be in cups?
Cheers
Monica
Claire McEwen says
If you are using fresh spinach then it will be around 1 tightly packed cup.
hope that helps 🙂
Michael says
You're talking about frozen spinach, so how much would 2 cubes of frozen spinach be?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Micheal,
I am going to make this again (for better photos) and I will measure the spinach both ways to see.
Sorry I can't update you straight away.
Cx
Digglefree says
Excellent recipe, however I found the basil to be rather over powering and could be reduced to Atleast half the stated amount.
Claire McEwen says
Thank you for the feedback 😀
Hearty K says
Thanks for this! Tried it for my husband and I as per this recipe, and once again without the stock for my toddler who loved it. I love the flavor the butter gave but was curious- do you coat your pasta in butter in your recipes for a richer flavor?
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so happy you enjoyed it, and great that it can be adapted to toddlers too 😀
Yes, I like to coat the pasta in butter (much like you do rice in risotto) because I think it adds so much to the pasta.
I am all about the butter 😉