Too many vegetables - celery pasta

What would you do if you inadvertently bought two bunches of celery at the same time? This is what happens when Ryan and I go in separate directions at the farmers' market. I didn't mind too much though - I saw a briliant recipe on Frugal Cuisine (months ago) and remembered it just in time.

Basically, you sweat the celery for a little while, add chicken stock and set to simmer. When the celery is breaking down and the stock has reduced a bit, you add some stirfry noodles, and cook until ready. I couldn't find any stirfry noodles in the cupboard, so I added some bowtie pasta a little earlier.

It was good. I just wish I could take photos as well as Pepper.

A five minute pasta dinner

I love making dinner just for me. I don't have to worry about anybody else's whims. But this is easily dinner for two - just increase the portions.

Smokey tuna tomato pasta

Cook enough wholemeal pasta for just you. Top it with one of those small, flavoured tuna tins - I love the smokey flavour. Cut up some cherry tomatoes, red capsicum, and any other veggies you like. Mix it all up, and zap it in the microwave for two or three minutes. Yum. This recipe works equally well for two people.

OK, I admit it isn't quite as quick if you have to cook the pasta. But I had a single serve already cooked and frozen in the freezer. I'd put it in the fridge last night.

Pumpkin and feta pasta

This is one of those really flavoury dinners, that you keep doing because it's easy, and it's easy to fudge if you don't have exactly the right ingredients. In theory, it serves 4 people, but I made it for lunch for 5 of us one day, and ended up with around a third left over. Maybe they meant 4 hungry lumberjacks. I originally found the recipe in 'bowl food' from Murdoch Books.

Ingredients
1.2 kg of butternut or japanese pumpkin, peeled & cubed
1 tsp fresh rosemary (I only do this because it grows outside my front door)
4 cloves of garlic
olive oil
500g pasta (i usually use penne, but the bowties work well too)
1 large red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup chicken stock
200g feta, crumbled
100g fresh rocket leaves (I think north americans call it aragula. i'm glad i don't have to pronounce that) I've used baby spinach as well.

Bake the pumpkin, garlic, rosemary & olive oil in a hot oven until the pumpkin is cooked.
Cook the pasta & keep it warm.
Cook the onion (in more olive oil) in the frying pan for a couple of minutes, then add the honey. When the onion starts to caramelise, add the stock and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes, until its reduced a bit.
Add everything to the pasta and stir through, I usually season with lots of cracked pepper.

This dinner freezes ok, it just doesn't reheat very well. Melted feta is pretty rubbery.