These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: Noodles with Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese

People are often surprised when I say what my favorite food is. I guess they expect me to say seared foie gras, or lamb in a coffee, chocolate, and pinot noir sauce, or some such rich and beautiful thing. It's true, I do love those things, but if I had to choose one favorite food it would be...

...noodles.

Noodles. Noodles of all kinds. I adore noodles! They are perfection. So, when The Kitchen Survival Guide pairs noodles with two other loves of mine, I have to stand up and shout "huzzah!"

Noodles with Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese

This is a traditional Sunday night supper in our house. You can throw it together in 5 minutes (not counting the time it takes to cook the noodles). Substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream and use low-fat cottage cheese, if you wish.

Preparation time: 15 minutes, including the time to cook the noodles
Cooking time: approximately 10 minutes following the directions on the noodle package
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Can be made ahead? No.
Can be frozen? No.
Can be doubled and tripled? Yes.
Good for leftovers? Okay.

1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces wide egg noodles
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup (8 ounces) creamy style or low-fat cottage cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot with 2 quarts of water and the salt to a boil. Add the noodles, and stir for a moment to separate them. Cook for the minimum time recommended on the package.

While the noodles are cooking, empty the sour cream and cottage cheese into a serving bowl and mix together. When the noodles are cooked drain them, then mix them gently with the sour cream/cottage cheese mixture. Add salt and pepper as desired.

It's official: I want to live at Lora Brody's house. At least on Sundays around dinner time.

Egg noodles and sour cream always get me to thinking of beef stroganoff, but this gem of a recipe is much more likely to be pantry cooking for me than stroganoff. I just don't keep fresh mushrooms in the house all the time, nor, frankly, beef. I shop for those for specific recipes. But, creamy yummy dairy goods? Always in the fridge! Egg noodles? Always in the pantry!

There's not a thing about this recipe that doesn't make me think "warm," "cozy," "homey," or "soothing." I can't imagine it being good for leftovers...

...mostly because I can't imagine leaving any to be left over.