When I was in college I rented a room from a friend of mine. There was another tenant named Scott. He was the brother of my friend’s boss. Down on luck and trying to piece his life back together Renea was obliged to help him out. I can’t say that it was like a rerun of Three’s Company. In fact Scott and I were at odds with one another from day one. So I am hard pressed to admit that I actually liked something he created. It is like surrendering to my arch nemesis. Defeated.

Scott was a body builder. His version of cajun pasta and meat was a core staple in his diet. I think he took pitty on me when he realized my diet consisted of yogurt and cereal. I added more vegetables to make it a balanced meal. His version was just tri-colored pasta, ground beef and cajun spices all mixed together in a huge orange Tupperware bowl. Sometimes I add a can of diced tomatoes.

1 box Tri-color Ritoni Pasta
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1-2 tbsp Cajun spices or season salt
Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Cook noodles to your preference. Add butter and toss.

Meanwhile, saute onion, carrot, celery and garlic in oil until slightly tender. Add beef. Cook until no longer pink. Add spices. Let simmer 10 minutes. Serve beef mixture over noodles. Top with cheese.