As I looked into my direly empty fridge at the potential for the fourth “breakfast” meal in as many meals, I decided I probably should have dinner. I love eggs and toast, but in an effort to keep on loving them I figured three eggs and toasts in two days was pushing the limit. The nearly abandoned (or since my brain is Property Law mode also maybe mislaid) sprig of rosemary provided all the dinner inspiration I needed. A quarter box of pasta, two cloves of garlic, sliced mushrooms, some grated manchego and 30 minutes later, I was having an actual dinner.

Finals (and life!) can be overwhelming. So when dinner can be simple but elegant and not just another fried egg on toast, things are good.

Mushroom Manchego Pasta

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped finely

1.5 cups sliced mushrooms (any variety, I used baby Bella)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

3 ounces penne pasta (or any variety)

1/4 cup finely grated Manchego cheese (parmesan would also be great)

Salt and Pepper to taste

How

1. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Once shimmery, add garlic and rosemary, stirring constantly for about one minute. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and stir to coat with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. You want your mushrooms nice and shiny, but with a little bit of bite to them. Once they’ve become their best selves, add the teaspoon of balsamic to deglaze the pan. Turn off heat.
2. Meanwhile, boil your pasta water and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, and return to pan.
3. Add mushroom mixture to pasta, along with the Manchego.
4. Eat immediately

But don’t get me wrong, I love fried eggs.