Southwest Cheese 'n Pasta

Salsa verde. I love this stuff. And it's because of this recipe that I learned that a little salsa verde added to packaged macaroni and cheese makes a yummy meal.

I first made this dish many, many years ago while still a vegetarian. It's been so long that I don't know where it originally came from. But I'm glad I held onto it.

Southwest Cheese 'n Pasta

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup green salsa (salsa verde)

1 can (15 oz) cream-style corn

1 can (11 oz) Mexican corn

8 oz. uncooked cavatappi pasta

8 oz. processed cheese product (like Velveeta), cubed

1. Mix all ingredients except cheese in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Cover and let cook 10 to 14 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender.

2. Add cheese; stir until melted.

The Verdict: Seconds, please! This stuff is great!

While not the healthiest meal on the block, it might be one of the easiest. How many recipes do you literally dump five ingredients into a pan, cook it, add cheese and serve? Amir was at first a little skittish about the salsa verde; it's a medium heat and he's not a gigantic fan of spicy food. But the fact that it was macaroni and cheese soon won him over.

I didn't give it much thought, but you could at least add extra vegetables. Extra red bell pepper would be good, as would chopped zucchini.

I haven't made this for a while, and I'm glad that I did. It's a great recipe for your arsenal of super-quick dinners. Under 20 minutes...now that's fast!