Sunday Supper

After almost 16 years of marriage, over 14 of those with children, I'm pretty tired of cooking. I'm tired of the act of cooking, the decisions that go into cooking, and the list of recipes I have in my repertoire. Yes, I could ask the kids to cook--one child for each day of the week--and that would help cut down my responsibility in some ways. But in other ways, it would make more work for myself. So, I'm at an impasse.

While I decide what I want to do about cooking in this family, I'm trying quick and easy recipes on nights when we have leftovers in the fridge in the event the kids don't like what I'm making. (Yes, sometimes I cater to my kids. Other times, I don't give them a choice about what they're eating.)

The other night, I decided to throw some ravioli in the pot for Tim and me since the kids had pizza and veggies to eat. As I boiled the water, I decided that regular red sauce was too mundane, so I looked for a creamy garlic sauce. Now, I'm not a fan of heavy, creamy, cheesy sauces, so I had to be careful that any recipe I looked at wasn't laden with cream or cheese. I spent all of 30 seconds looking, and this is what I found.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (Or more...I always add more.)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ³⁄₄ cup broth (veggie, chicken, or beef)
• ³⁄₄ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons parsley flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• ¹⁄₃ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (I used only about 1/4 cup)

What to do:

1. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and add garlic.
2. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute.
3. Add flour and cook 1 minute, making sure to stir constantly.
4. Stir in broth and milk and cook until sauce boils and thickens. Stir frequently.
5. Add parsley (if desired), salt, pepper and cheese.
6. Stir until the cheese melts.
7. Toss hot pasta with sauce and serve immediately.

The original recipe can be found here.