My fettuccini slipped down the drain

You've got to admit, I can write a clickbait headline.

It was a bit of a sad evening but with a rather nice meal. In the freezer there was a bolognaise sauce Ray had made. I finally thawed it out today and made myself a meal of... fettuccini bolognaise.

Firstly I poured a glass of wine as I contemplated how to do this. There are things I need to remember. 

Pasta sauce, tick. Pasta, a choice of spaghetti or fettuccini. I chose the latter. I've no idea how much pasta to use. I have no idea of how long to cook pasta. I can't use my favourite kitchen tool, a skewer to see if it is cooked. 

A pot to heat the sauce and a pot of boiling water to cook the pasta. Me is not totally stupid. The sauce looked too watery and needed reducing. I did.

Garlic bread! I must have that. There was some frozen so I warmed that overcooked that in the airfryer. I warmed a plate in the microwave. I am getting good at this cooking thing.

I poured myself another glass of wine. But wait, I need grated parmesan cheese. Again the freezer provided.

I set the small part of the dining table that I'd cleaned from paint sanding dust, with a place mat and cutlery? I poured myself another glass of wine. Ah yes, I remembered a soup spoon and a fork to eat pasta bolognaise. Cool. This is going so well. Spag bol can me messy. I am using up Christmas themed serviettes from the sideboard, so I added one to the table. They are of such high quality and so large, it's more like wiping your mouth with a bath towel rather than a paper serviette. 

It was time for another glass of wine as I anticipated plating up my dinner. This will be delicious.

 

How do I get the fettuccini out of the pot of boiling water? Tongs? No, I think a calendar colander is the right way but the wine had given me clarity of thought. I am sure I've seen Ray drain off pasta by using the lid on the pot to retain the pasta while pouring the water down the sink. Yes, simple...except the fettuccini all slid out of the pot into the sink as well. I said a very bad word. Can the meal be saved?

Now, I had cleaned the sink that day. Boiling water had preceded the pasta. The sink must be clean and sterilised by boiling water, so I retrieved the pasta with tongs and put it on my plate. Not too much fettuccini slid down the drain. Note to self. Have one more glass of wine before preparing a meal to get it right. 

The meal was delicious but I am not sure if the pasta was al dente or overcooked. The end bits of the fettuccini were a little tough. If you don't hear from me for a few days, please call emergency services.  

And there is another serve of Ray's now thawed bolognaise sauce in the fridge to use up. Should I make a cottage pie with it? That can't be hard. Just put mashed spuds on top of the sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese, heat and brown. Can a spag bol sauce be used for a cottage pie? I feel another kitchen disaster coming on. 

There was also a mysterious container in the freezer containing what? I wasn't sure until I thawed it out. It was pea and ham soup that Sister brought a day or two after Ray died. I ate it for lunch the next day after thawing with toast. It was a thin vegetable laden pea and ham soup with nice chunks of ham, quite unlike my very thick and mature pea and ham soup.

NB. I did not drink as much wine as was in the story.