Easy capellini pomodoro and/or bruschetta

This could be about an 80% "pantry" meal. All you need to buy fresh is the garlic and basil. You could technically get away with dried basil and garlic from a jar... but those are serious flavor downgrades (whereas canned tomatoes are not a bad sub for fresh tomatoes, flavorwise).

For bruschetta, skip the pasta and in fact all of the cooking; just mix together all of these raw ingredients, let it set up a couple hours to swap flavors around (as Mark Twain would say) and then serve on rounds of toasted French bread. I know bread freezes well... does toast freeze well? That would get you a step closer to the bruschetta being a "pantry" appetizer.

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
• 12 oz angel hair pasta, cooked

Cook garlic in olive oil till tender.

• Two 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Add tomatoes and pepper to pan; toss till heated through.

Put this mixture atop the cooked pasta with:

• 2 c fresh chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Lee Bailey's potatoes

2lb new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1/2 stick butter
Splash olive oil
Small handful sliced garlic
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp water

Melt the butter in a large skillet, toss in olive oil. Combine potatoes and everything else; put in skillet, cover and cook on low heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and creamy with crispy edges.