NP: Thom Yorke, The Eraser

Is it me, or is Chuck at Chicagoist turning the act of boiling water into a post about making this allegedly impressive bachelor pad dinner?

You want a good, hearty, wintery Italian dinner? Boil water with some chicken stock -- could be the bullion cubes, doesn't really matter. Throw in some elbow pasta (2-3 ounces per person works for me), and then some drained cannellini beans (about a third to half a can per person). When the pasta is mostly done, ladle out enough of the water so that it just covers the pasta and beans, and then add about two tablespoons of Classico Spicy Tomato Basil sauce and a pat of butter. Add seasoning to taste. How much liquid you leave in depends on how soupy you want it. Sprinkle grated Italian cheese (I tend towards romano myself) and serve in a bowl.

This is the closest I've been able to come to the St. Bart's Italian Festival pasta y fagioli. You can add cooked, diced chicken or scallops to give it some more protein, and adding spinach is another nice touch, but pull it apart before dropping it in.