Egg and Pasta Bake – and the Joy of Being “Old”
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The printable recipe for this Egg and Pasta Bake is at the bottom of this post.
I’ve started to feel older lately. Not old as in age, mind you, although some days I certainly do. Old is a state of mind. I have known people in their eighties who were younger than thirty year olds so I know better than to attribute it to a minor thing like age. What I’m talking about is that chasm that widens at some points, between us and the generations who came after we did.
It happens somewhat naturally when you have a teenager who is into computer programming as a hobby. Brady often starts speaking and I literally have no idea what he is talking about. He might as well be speaking Latin (which he sometimes does as well, just to throw me I think) for all I know.
But that is my kid and I’m used to it. What I’m not used to is other people’s kids, however “grown” they may be.
So this past week my husband and I found ourselves in one of our cell phone provider’s stores. We had a few questions about a new tablet with some technology we aren’t familiar with, as well as some new phone plans that can save us money.
We got paired up with a kid, who is probably legally an adult, but not quite at the age where he is actually hoeing his own row so to speak.
He was a very intelligent kid and the way he spouted off techno-speak reminded us of our son.
We asked him to explain this new phone plan to us, which somehow cuts our bill by over 30%. We knew it was a good deal but weren’t quite grasping where the catch was (there is always a catch and we wanted to see it coming).
So this kid starts talking, a mile a minute. The thing that trips me up about these kids is that, just like my son, they don’t really speak with a Southern accent. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the accent or lack thereof, but a Southern accent tends to slow things down a bit in conversation and folks who grew up around Southern accents are used to having a few extra seconds to digest what is being said because it takes longer to get out.
With these kids nowadays, it’s like you have to learn to speed listen or something.
So this kid starts explaining and I’m sure he did a great job, but we missed half of what he said because his words were so fast that the last of the sentence seemed to be said right on top of the first of the sentence.
When he was finished, I looked at my husband and was glad to see by his double blink that it wasn’t just me.
I’m glad he’s from the old Georgia, like I’m from the old Alabama.
My husband said “Okay, now let me get this straight.” and proceeded to try to explain back to the kid what he understood so far.
The kid, God love him. I’m sure he is a wonderful kid and was raised by kind people with good hearts and all of that. I’m so sure of this that we didn’t leave the store when he looked straight at my husband, who was about to drop a considerable amount of money on a new device, and said with an exasperated sigh usually only reserved for people who brought you into the world (and therefore are less inclined to bring you out):
“No. You didn’t listen to a word I just said.”
Ricky looked away from the kid, cranked his head to the side a bit, and tensed his jaw. I stepped in and said “Wow! We’re not used to hearing people talk like that to us outside of our teenager. He really is a lot like Brady, don’t you think Ricky?”
I tried to make light of it, reminding Ricky that this was somebody’s kid and obviously he had the information straight in his head, he just had a problem realizing that he wasn’t presenting it so it could be straight in other people’s heads as well.
Ricky took a breath and I gave the kid a motherly smile. He had the sense to back down and say “I’m sorry, let me get some paper and a pen and I’ll write it out for you while I explain”
I now think kids in prehistoric times started writing on cave walls just so their older, outdated parents could understand what they were trying to say. On another note, I couldn’t help but be impressed that this child of the new millennium still knew how to be proficient with such ancient devices as paper and a pen.
He recovered well. We bought a new device and changed both of our phone plans and actually left the store understanding how and why it would save us money. And feeling that great chasm grow larger than it has ever been for us.
That kid really saw us as old.
The next day, I got an email with the subject line “Do you want to feel 20 again?”. I have no idea what it was selling but I just sat there and looked at the subject line a moment without opening it. My own younger years flashed through my mind. For me, they were years that lacked wisdom, stability, a sense of direction. I didn’t know who I was or who I wanted to be, much less where I was headed, things that are well understood at this point in my life. I didn’t have any of the grounding I do now.
I thought of that kid at the phone store, remembering a time when I was so sure of the things I was so sure of – and completely unaware of so many other levels in life.
And then I looked at this email asking me if I wanted to feel 20 again.
“Not on your life.” I replied, hitting delete as I shut my computer and walked back into the kitchen.
Today’s recipe is one of those clean out the fridge or pantry, last ditch meals before you go grocery shopping type suppers. It’s also good for folks who just want to cut down on meat in order to squeeze the grocery bill a little bit tighter.
Ingredients are easy on this and can be changed based on what you have on hand or what you prefer. I am using the less expensive parmesan cheese, angel hair pasta (or spaghetti) kosher salt, heavy cream, fresh black pepper, cherry tomatoes, eggs, and a little bit of butter (it camera shy).
Heavy cream is expensive but I keep it on hand for my coffee lately. If you don’t have any, you can substitute whole milk or a can of evaporated milk. Evaporated milk would be my choice because it has that nice rich flavor to it. Also, in place of the tomatoes feel free to use any vegetables you have lingering about.
Here are the two main types of parmesan you are likely to have.
Either works just fine in this recipe so buy what you can afford or use what you have and don’t look back.
Let’s talk about pasta. Used to, folks would say that a stack of spaghetti about the size of a quarter is one serving. For me, personally, I have found that it is about the size of a nickel in my family. I’m using roughly three servings worth of pasta in this recipe.
Cook that according to package directions.
While that is cooking, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add cream (or milk).
Add Parm and stir that in a bit.
Add some salt and pepper to taste.
A little garlic powder would be really great here, too, as well as any herbs you like.
Stir that up and continue cooking over medium heat until it is smooth.
Add in cooked and drained pasta.
Stir that in until it is coated and then make a nest for every egg you plan on using.
Crack your eggs into the little nesting spots.
Half your cherry tomatoes and put them on the top.
If you’re not using cherry tomatoes you can just sprinkle your veggies over the top or you could have stirred them into the pasta before you added your eggs.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until eggs are done as well as you like.
At around 15 my eggs are over well (not runny in the middle).
Remove from oven and sprinkle with more parmesan if you like.
I also added some fresh parsley to pretty it up a bit (plus, I like parsley).
<—- This is my plate 🙂
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY and remember, if you have food in your pantry and a roof over your head, you are more blessed than many people ever dream of being.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste I used 1/2 teaspoon of each
- Angel Hair Pasta enough for 2-4 people
- 1 +1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 eggs
- More parmesan or herbs of your choice to sprinkle over the top.
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- In large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add cream, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir and continue to cook until creamy.
- Stir cooked and drained pasta into sauce until coated. Make a little hole in pasta for each egg you are going to use. Crack eggs into holes. Top with tomatoes.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until eggs are to the desired doneness for your taste. Remove foil and top with additional parmesan and herbs, if desired.
This is an easy recipe to adapt. Use whatever vegetables you have, milk instead of cream, and customize with seasonings of your choice.
If you want more sauce, double the milk, butter, and cream.
Nutrition
“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.”
~Winston Churchill
Submitted by Jenny. Click here to submit your own.
Oh Christy I can totally relate having raised 2 computer geek sons and having a daughter-in-law that is a programmer also. I was hesitant to even think about a cell phone much less one for the younger son but gave in and he ended up with a Blackberry at that time.. over time (and his graduation from college). Now he calls and tells me when it’s time to upgrade my phone, has taught me how to use all the apps and even gave me a tablet for Christmas! Both my son’s have received your books as gifts and I know they love when I send them recipes that you post.
Thank you for all that you do, I look forward to your emails, they always add sunshine to my days!
Just wait till all your docs start looking like Dougie Howser! I howled and flash backed. It just keeps getting better as I age. Always keep that sense if humor!
Christy, I got a laugh out of your experience, because I have been there myself, more times than I care to mention! I’ll just say that your husband practiced a lot of restraint, thanks to you, lol
I find that a lot of young people, and old, are very rude today, especially to seniors of which I fit in that category (I just turned 65.) I was raised to respect everyone & especially your elders. At age 16 I worked after school part-time in a department store. If I had spoken that way to a customer, the manager would have fired me. My school teachers, Sunday school teachers, & my parents did not tolerate disrespect & emphasized doing your best as it was a representation of who you are. I agree with Pam, “Manners is a lost art that needs to be revived.”
Hi Christy,
I think you hit on a “hot topic”. I am sure that as times and technology changes, there will always be those of us that are not on the cutting edge. It only takes a moment sometimes to bring “us” up to speed. I think the bigger issue here is of manners. I think manners and respect speak volumes. I think manners is a lost art that needs to be revived.
The recipe looks wonderful. Very similar to one at Macaroni Grill. As for the young man you spoke of, I’m not sure being someone’s child gives him license to be rude. I would have reported him to his supervisor. You didn’t do him any favors by letting it pass.
I see where you’re coming from and even agree, but I would vilolate a personal conviction in this case by reporting him. I have been shown grace so many times when I didn’t deserve it (and it continues daily). But mainly, so many people actually enjoy complaining (I am definitely not including you in that! I mean peoole who actually get joy out if it) and seek out management only when they have something bad to say, that I try to balance it out by seeking out management when I have praise to share instead.
You’re so right, Christy–kids these days don’t have the same accent. I’m a true blue Southerner, but you would hardly know it. That is, until I have a glass of wine or two. Then the accent comes on real thick like. But thankfully, my brother’s kids have an accent.
As someone who’s moved out of the South and moved around a lot, I can’t tell you how much I long to be back where people talk slow enough to have a conversation with! I find that most people in cities talk incessantly, and if you want to say something, you have to interrupt. I would never interrupt, because you know Southern manners. We recently moved to St Louis, and this place has a touch of the South. I love it 🙂
I like your meat-free meals. We have been going meat-free lately due to cost and my husband’s cholesterol issues. Keep ’em comin’! 🙂