You know life is busy when you can’t even seem to find time to make a 30-minute meal. That’s exactly how things have been over here. Every since school started back up, our entire family has just been going, going, going all the time. We’re all over the takeout and microwave meals, and I have vowed to get in the kitchen and get cooking.

That doesn’t mean I suddenly have extra time, though. It just means I have to be smarter about the meals I make. Simple, quick and tasty are my ultimate quest with any dish that I make, so I’m always on the lookout for products and recipes that will help me to reach that goal.

Also, when I think about how long it’s going to take to cook, I consider the time that it’ll take to clean the kitchen afterwards, too. An easy meal can quickly turn into an hour or more in the kitchen once you add in clean up. Who has time for that? I can tell you who doesn’t. Me.

It’s for these reasons that I was really intrigued when I heard about Barilla® Pronto™. It’s pasta that you don’t have to drain. No draining means you don’t have to use a colander which means you’re already one dish down after you eat. I love that. In order to test it out, I made Barilla® Pronto™ Spaghetti with garlic, parmesan, wilted spinach and arugula.

It worked, y’all. I put the spaghetti in a large skillet, added 3 cups of water and set my timer for 10 minutes. While the pasta was cooking, I sautéd the greens and garlic, and everything was finished at the same time. The water completely evaporated and the Barilla® Pronto™ was al dente in no time.

I mean if I can get dinner done this quickly, I might be able to cook every night. Or, you know, every other night. Definitely a couple of times each week. Either way, it means less fast food for our family, and more delicious home cooking. Goal met.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barilla® . The opinions and text are all mine.