Oh, I needed some carbs today. After running 10 miles before work this morning, I was craving them, in fact.
But I didn’t want just any carbs. No, they needed to pack a nutritional punch, as well, providing a little bang for my buck. So by the time I got home from work, I knew just what I was going to make: An eggplant penne meal I’d seen written about over at $5 Dinners.
Eggplant? Pasta? Fresh salad greens and tomatoes from the CSA, delivered to my doorstep just this afternoon? It doesn’t get much better than this!
I was surprised at how easy this recipe was to make – but, then, I’ve made enough $5 Dinner recipes by now that I shouldn’t have been so shocked. Erin does a great job of whipping up fantastic meals for a fraction of what you think they’d cost, both financially and time-wise. So when everything came together perfectly at the end, with minimal prep work in advance, I should have known … but I was still pleasantly surprised!
Anyway, in short, this dish was a hit. LeeLee and I both loved it, and my body was very grateful for the shot of carbohydrates. We’ll definitely be making it again!
The stats:
Eggplant: $1.50 ($0.75/person)
Penne pasta: $1.00 ($0.50/person)
Parsley: FREE from garden!
Basil: FREE from garden!
Crushed tomatoes: $1.45 ($0.73/person)
Cheese: $2.50 ($1.25/person)
Lettuce: Prepaid.
Tomatoes: Prepaid.
Garbanzo beans: Free (my mother had extra cans and gave us some!).
GRAND TOTAL: $6.45 … or $3.23 per person.
BUT WAIT! This meal makes enough leftovers for a hearty lunch tomorrow. So the per-person price goes down even more!
:)