THE OLIVE PICKER'S VEGETABLE PASTA ALL IN ONE

I don't like advertising much, it often has the opposite effect on me, if I see an ad too often or think it's too stupid I never ever buy that product. I actually try to buy things that I really like and that rarely coincides with the products you see publicized. So does this mean that those products need massive ad attacks to sell? Probably. But then a lot of us buy a life style when you go shopping, I buy mine and those who dreams of the perfect middle class life with clean and nice children, a perfect home and a loving husband or wife might buy a certain Italian brand of pasta for example. I don't pretend to be above it, I just look for other lies to blind myself with, but I try to put my money on other things instead of paying for what I consider false.
Having said this, I have to say that advertising can be good and informative, a way of showing us that a good product exist but without trying to sell us a life style. Well at least not too much. Yesterday I saw an ad that inspired me and that is truly a rare thing! Alessi has a new pot/pan on the market that has been designed by Patrick Jouin for Alain Ducasse and the ad for that gives a sort of recipe how to cook pasta like the olive pickers did (in the olden days I suppose) with very little water but with good ingredients. So today's post has been inspired by that ad even though absorption pasta has been around for a while (it's actually a sort of DIY Cup o'Noodles isn't it?), I remember reading about it in an Italian magazine ages ago but I somehow never got around to do it despite seeing several food blogs posting about it. Just shows the power of publicity, doesn't it?
And just to prove that I do cook for myself and me alone sometimes, this recipe is for one.





THE OLIVE PICKER'S VEGETABLE PASTA ALL IN ONE
1 abundant portion

80-100 g / 2 7/8-3 1/2 oz pasta
1 small to medium zucchini
1 small carrot
1 stick of celery
1/2 onion
1/2 clove of garlic
Salt
Olive oil, extra virgin

- Chop the vegetables in the size that you prefer and then braise them in some olive oil with salt in a skillet or pan with high sides/walls/whatever please heeelp! until they begin to brown slightly.
- Add the uncooked pasta to the vegetables, go on braising for a couple of minutes until the pasta has absorbed the oil and some flavours before adding the water.
- Add enough water to cover the pasta and the vegetables and let it simmer uncovered until the water is absorbed and the pasta is ready. You may have to add some more.
- Stir often and serve when ready!