Simple and Flavorful: Top Grocery Picks
Whenever I go to the grocery store, I try to pick out a few simple ingredients worthy of a meal. Iโm usually not seeking out anything fancy or hard to make. Iโm looking for something easy, delicious, and inexpensive. These days, I always shop on a budget since prices have escalated.
Here are my top five grocery items:
Garlic: Itโs the base of almost everything I cook. Not only is it jam-packed with the best flavor on the planet, but itโs also a heart-healthy ingredient.
Spinach: I could eat this every day and never get sick of it. Itโs my go-to vegetable, and I add it to practically every meal. I love it in the morning with eggs, as a salad in the afternoon, or as the star side dish for dinner. Obviously, sautรฉ it with garlic and call it a day.
Pasta: Itโs my comfort item. There are so many different types of pasta to choose from, but my personal favorite is bucatini. Itโs a rather thick noodle with a tiny hole in the centerโperfect for absorbing extra sauce. Itโs very filling.
Parmesan cheese: I put it literally on every dish I make for dinner. Itโs my favorite cheese in the world, and I one day hope to bask in all its glory in Parma, Italyโyou know, at the famous Parmigiano Reggiano factory. Whether itโs in a shaker or freshly grated (I prefer fresh), if itโs on the table, Iโm grabbing it and dousing it on my meal.
Onion: Letโs face itโitโs practically the base of everything too. I use it every single day for something, and Iโll eat it any which way: grilled, raw, or caramelized. I just canโt seem to get enough of it.
The thing I love most about these ingredients is that theyโre simple, affordable, and endlessly reliable. And when I have all of these items, I can create something beautiful. Perhaps my favorite meal to make with them is creamy garlic spinach Bucatini with Parmesan.
Creamy Garlic Spinach Bucatini with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 8 oz Bucatini pasta
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small onion thinly sliced or diced
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- olive oil or butter
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- salt and pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes or nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the bucatini until al dente. Reserve ยฝ cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Heat olive oil or butter in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sautรฉ until soft and slightly golden, about 5โ7 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in the spinach and let it wilt down completely.
- Lower the heat and pour in the cream, stirring gently. Let it simmer for 2โ3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Use reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese until melted and creamy.
- Season with salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes or a pinch of nutmeg.
- Serve warm with extra parmesan on top.
Notes
- If the sauce thickens too much, add more pasta waterโit brings everything back together.
- Freshly grated parmesan melts better and makes the sauce smoother.
What are the grocery items you always come back toโand whatโs the meal that feels like home to you?
โSometimes the simplest meals are the ones that remind us how to take care of ourselves.โ โ Unknown
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