'Feed Us!', They Cry.

Some nights making dinner is like extracting a tooth.

I don't want to do it and even if it's fast, it still feels pretty painful. Throw in the vegetarian complication of trying to eat meals that satisfy without tasting completely strange, after all our tastes have been trained a certain way, it all feels a bit too much. So I threw a plea out to Mr E this arvo to please hunt and gather my favourite chocolate (mmmmm..... Greens & Black Organic Dark Chocolate - Maya Gold ,thanks Babe) to help fortify poor little me :P for my mini ordeal of meal preparation. Tonight's recipe is so easy it's kind of a crime to complain and it's a great one to have as its mostly healthy. I haven't yet mentioned that for our family of four, it will feed us for at least two or three meals with usually leftovers for Mr E's lunch. So this is how it goes:

Tortellini with Ricotta and Roast Vegetables in Pasta Sauce

* 630g bag of Tortellini with Ricotta and Roast Vegetables

* Jensens Organic Pasta Sauce Basil & Garlic 500g x 2

* 800g tinned crushed tomatoes

* 1 medium onion, finely diced

* 2 small zucchinis, finely grated

* approx 350g mushrooms, sliced

* 3 celery sticks, finely diced

* 200g baby spinach, washed

:) In one big pot fry diced onion with a splash of olive oil until it changes colour.

:) Add the zucchini, and wait until its cooked. Be sure to stir so it doesn't stick to the bottom.

:) Add Mushrooms and once they've cooked through add the diced celery.

:) Once its all cooked up, pour in the crushed tomatoes and pasta sauce. Bring to the boil and then turn it down to a simmer and let the pasta sauce reduce its liquid whilst you're putting on a big pot full of water to get ready for the pasta. Very near the end when the pasta is nearly ready, turn off the heat to the pasta sauce and add the spinach leaves which will curl up with the heat. Stir in.

:) Follow the instructions on the pasta and when cooked combine the pasta and pasta sauce ready to serve with a little Parmesan sprinkled on top.

:) Voila! One mostly healthy, fairly easy, filling and tasty, vegetarian meal. Not ingenious but fills the belly's of my little family with loads extra to spare!