meal for two

Last night, dad went to go pick up Geoff and the train station, so it was just mom and I for dinner. So, again, I chose a recipe that I wasn't sure dad (or Geoff?) would like: pappardelle with artichoke hearts and arugula. (I added a few ingredients too.) Recipe:

• Coarsely chop 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves and 6 oz jarred artichoke hearts. Set aside.
• Save 1 tbs oil from tomato packet/jar and 1 tbs oil from artichoke jar.
  
• Cut pack of asparagus into 1-inch sections, blanch, set aside.
• Heat oil in skillet at medium-high heat, add tomatoes and artichoke hearts, saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add 1/3 cup white wine, saute for 3 to 4 minutes more, or until most has evaporated.
  
• Add 2 cups arugula, stir until wilted.
• Add asparagus to skillet, and take off heat.
  
• Cook 1 8.8oz box of pappardelle according to its box's directions. Drain. Add a light amount of butter to prevent clumping.
• Mix together pasta and vegetable mix. Serve with grated parmesean cheese as desired.
• original
  

Final vegetable medley (then mostly covered to keep heat it)

The original recipe for this comes from here. I added the asparagus, decreased the amount of arugula, and added the butter and the cheese. Asparagus- good call. Less arugula- good call for me, my mom said she'd probably like a few more cups next time. Butter and cheese- very good idea; if you're not worried about the fat, these ingredients added a lot of (needed, in my opinion) flavor. Overall- it was good, but not my favorite at all. It was way too salty for me, probably because of the jarred tomatoes and jarred artichokes. But, my mom said she really liked it, even more than the fettuccine alfredo from last week. It also says it serves four--not the four people of my family. My mom and I finished it alone, so I know that it would not have been nearly enough had my brother and/or dad been home. So, as my mom said last night, it's a recipe to keep and just play around with when we have the time and energy.