Improvisational Cooking

Time to use up those leftovers.

Pasta:
1 box of penne pasta, cooked al dente
(Fusilli or bow tie would work well, too.)

Sauce:
1 garlic clove, minced
milk
dried parsley
salt and white pepper
shredded cheese—cheddar, Italian blend or Mexican blend

Leftovers:
roast turkey breast or chicken, cubed
Italian dry salami, cut into thin strips
cooked broccoli florets

Fillip (some nice extras; add what you like):
sliced mushrooms, cooked
frozen peas, thawed
capers
bacon, crumbled

In a large saute pan, heat the salami over medium heat, until the fat is exuded. Then add the cubed turkey or chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned. Add broccoli and fillip and toss. If the pasta was cooked on another day and refrigerated, add the pasta and cover. Turn the heat to low.

In a large saucepan, sweat the garlic in just a bit of olive oil and salt. Add milk (enough to make sauce for the ingredients in the other pan), parsley, white pepper and stir. Heat slowly over medium low until the milk steams and just barely bubbles. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese into the sauce and whisk until completely melted and smooth. Continue adding cheese in this manner until the sauce is the desired thickness.

Toss the pasta mixture with the sauce. Serve topped with fresh ground pepper and shredded parmesan cheese.