I’m very poor, and this fact of life has caused me to go to the local food bank on several occasions. I’m well aware that food banks tend to have quite a bit of fattening or otherwise unhealthy choices, and frankly who are we to turn up our noses at free food? Often we have nothing at home. We might have hungry children. Yes, some food is definately better than none. Still, our choices are frequently the sort of foods that are really a double edged sword. Yes, we get to eat that night, our kids get to eat, but later down the line we pay for it in medical bills (heart disease, heart attacks, morbid obesity, diabetes and diabetes related problems) and in unnecesary suffering.
The other part of the problem is that knowing how to cook even basic items is becoming an art rather than a skill. That is, it is becoming the world of a priveleged few, taking the ability to compose healthier, cheaper items away from the average person.
So I’ve decided to be a (albeit tiny) part of the solution. The following recipe is made with items I found at the foodbank. I even found the portabello mushrooms there. I’ve added a few things for taste that have to be purchased, but what’s wonderful about this dish is how easily it takes adaptions and substitutions. Don’t like jalapenos? No problem. Through in some anchos instead. Can’t get your hands on Marsala wine? Just as good without it.
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Orange Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Onion (I prefer purple, but whatever’s available is just great)
1 Large Portabello Mushroom
1 Chille of your choice (I’m using habanero for this) 
Garlic
Seasonings (I use black pepper, Tobasco, a little salt, maybe some red pepper flakes)
Olive oil. Try and get extra virgin.
Marsala wine. (Optional)
Tomato sauce. You can use jarred sauce for this and it will still taste great. Just try and avoid things like Ragu, which have a lot of sugar added. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city that cares about organic food you might be able to score some real tomatoes or organic canned sauce there.
Take a large sauce pan. I got mine at Goodwill for a dollar. As far as knives go I was lucky enough to get a really nice one for my birthday, but I spent many weeks chopping all of this stuff with a butter knife. (hey, it was all I had!)
Anyway. Put a small amount of olive oil into the pan, just enough to coat the bottom. Set aside. Take all your veggies and chop them. I think this dish works better with a rough, larger cut. Heat your pan just a bit, then add the onions, sweating them for a minute or two. If you want a very spicy pasta, half a habanaro and saute it in the oil before adding anything else. After a minute, remove the chile. Trust me, do not leave it in. Even with just a saute the pasta will be hot enough to knock your socks off.
Then add all the other vegetables. If you have marsala wine (or any wine, really) add about 1/4 of a cup to the veggies. Let it cook for a minute, a minute and a half. Season as you see fit, add as much garlic as you like. Add the tomatoes/tomato sauce and turn the heat down to a very low medium. Then let the whole mixture simmer until it gets nice and thick. Throw it on pasta and you’re done. You can make enough to keep portions in your fridge and eat it over several days.
Cheap (if not free, if you can find all of this at the food bank) and healthy. I was lucky enough to find everything at the food bank except the wine and the habanero.
