Found Meal: Pasta Bits and Simple Sauce

This one goes out to all of the true skinflints in the world (Let's unite for a beer. You pay.). We'd saved leftover pasta from a couple of meals. The rest is kitchen detritus. The results were lunch.

2 cups cooked, leftover plain pasta
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 tbsp tomato paste (When opening a can of tomato paste, don't use the whole can. Freeze the rest wrapped in plastic sprayed with oil. When you need it, cut off a piece with a serrated knife and defrost in the microwave.)
¼ cup Neufchatel cheese (or cream cheese)
1 tbsp half & half
Dried oregano & dried basil
Crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup pine nuts
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Olive oil (unimpressive)
Sugar

1. If you have two or more types of pasta, chop it until everything is roughly the same size.
2. Toast the pine nuts in a skillet, remove and chop roughly.
3. Put a bit of olive oil in the same skillet, and cook the garlic gently over low heat.
4. When it is fragrant, but before it is golden, add the tomato paste.
5. Fry for a few moments, then add about half a cup of water. Stir to incorporate the tomato paste, and let simmer for a few minutes.
6. Season with a small bit of kosher salt.
7. Add the Neufchatel cheese and half & half, stirring to combine. Keep the sauce simmering.
8. When the cheese has been completely incorporated, add the oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes.
9. Let the sauce simmer for a few moments more before adding the parsley and about half the chopped nuts.
10. The sauce might need a pinch of sugar here. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
11. Toss pasta through. Serve garnished with more chopped nuts.