Super Sidekicks: Tubettini with Peas & Cream

I thought I would do a quick little post here.

Not all side dishes are created equal! It doesn't always have to be meat, potatoes, vegetables. Boring. Ho-hum. Let's zazz up some side dishes, shall we? I'm going to start introducing Super Sidekicks. Impressive, easy and above all tasty ways to pick up a meal.

Tonight I simply did not have the energy to make the chicken thighs in my freezer exciting. My brain was not working at full capacity. My fiance requested I simply use some lemon-pepper seasoning and be done with it.

"But that's boring!" I objected.
"I don't care if it's boring!" he insisted.

(For the record, I not only used the lemon pepper, but olive oil, crushed red pepper and minced garlic. I coated all the chicken thighs in this, then baked at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes)

Of course, I had to serve something alongside the chicken, so I rummaged around in my pantry and found tubettini: tiny tube-shaped pasta. Of course, I ran to my copy of 365 Ways to Cook Pasta (man, it's getting a lot of press lately!) and flipped to the chapter on tiny pasta shapes (yes, there is an entire chapter on tiny pasta shapes).

This recipe calls for farfalline (tiny butterfly shapes), but I don't see any harm in using tubettini instead.

TUBETTINI (FARFALLINE) WITH PEAS AND CREAM, courtesy of 365 Ways to Cook Pasta
YOU WILL NEED:
1 cup farfalline
1 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup heavy cream (or more as needed)
Grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt

mise-en-place

Please excuse any poor lighting, the bulb in my kitchen blew and I'm not tall enough to change it. I had to wait until my fiance came home!

You will also need at least a 2-quart saucepan for the sauce as well as a pot to cook the pasta in.

1. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain.

2. Combine the peas and heavy cream in a saucepan; heat to boiling.

3. Stir in the pasta with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the pasta absorbs most of the cream, about 2 minutes.

4. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top; serve alongside your meal!

There you go - an easy and nutritious side dish, something different for a weeknight meal!

What do you think? Is this something I should continue doing? I figure every so often I'll feature a special side dish, and maybe even branch out into desserts eventually! How does that sound?

Feedback is appreciated, as always.

For my brethren on the East coast, have fun with the snow tomorrow. I surely won't.

Peace!