Dear Darla Tortilla

I was inspired to make a dish from scratch thanks to this olive toast by Leng AKA The Hungry Girl. The only problem was, I didn’t have bread. So I scavenged for whatever ingredients I could find in the fridge and pantry to fix myself a similar light vegetarian dish.

Here’s what I found:

1. Whole Wheat Tortilla

I bought this last week because I wanted to make quesadillas using the cheeses my dad brought home from Brussels. But you know me, the kitchen inspiration that sparks along grocery aisles wears off once I actually unload my supplies in the kitchen. So yeah, I was happy to be able to do something with the tortilla tonight.

2. Tomato Paste

This is actually a cheesy pasta sauce I whipped up last weekend. (See recipe at the bottom.)

3. Arugula

Arugula is, without question, my favorite salad green. (My least favorite, if you want to know, is iceberg lettuce.) I haven’t found the perfect arugula yet though. The ones I chance upon are too mustard-y for my taste.

4. Pitted Black Olives

…Or any olives for that matter. I just like my olives black and pitted.

5. Alfalfa Sprouts

Also got this last weekend, for a green salad that I have not yet tossed.

* * *

Here’s the very simple, very quick procedure:

1. Spread the tomato sauce on the tortilla.

2. Microwave on high for 10-20 seconds. But my guess is that it would be better to heat the tortilla on a teflon pan to achieve a slight toast, before spreading it with the tomato sauce. I was just too lazy tonight, plus I didn’t want to dirty up too many things!

3. Lay out all the other ingredients on the tortilla.

It was at this point that I realized that I had actually made my own version of Yellow Cab’s Dear Darla pizza! It’s funny because I had all the ingredients at my disposal to make one. If I’d toasted the tortilla it could have been my pizza crust.

4. Rock and roll!!!

Of course I’m biased but this was really good!

* * *

Now for the pasta sauce I used as my base.

I love cheese like you have no idea. This is one instance where less is definitely not more! Whenever we eat Italian out I gravitate toward the quattro/cinque formaggi pizza or pasta. (On a side note: I have survived almost two years without poultry, beef, and pork but I CANNOT survive that long without cheese. I simply cannot give up cheese.) So last Saturday I thought of making my own pasta sauce by blending stewed tomatoes and lots of cheese!

I prefer canned stewed tomatoes to canned whole/diced tomatoes or even the regular tomato paste. Stewed tomatoes have already been seasoned and spiced so they definitely make for a more flavorful choice.

As for the cheeses, I honestly don’t remember every type I threw in the processor because I used a lot, most of them leftover cheeses. But I do remember using cheddar, emmenthal, camembert, parmesan, and processed quickmelt cheese (god I love eating unmelted quickmelt cheese).

I processed the stewed tomatoes and cheeses until I ended up with a thick, thick creamy tomato paste. Then I transferred the sauce into a pan, added diced onions and minced garlic and let it simmer for around five minutes.

The end result: my very own many-cheese pasta sauce!