Rest Is Served (And Yes, It’s in One Pot)

A love letter to slowing down, featuring the easiest pasta I’ve made all summer + a 30-day “Practicing Rest” calendar for August

🕒 3 min read

Pasta Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 package of linguine noodles (or your favorite kind)

• 1–2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

• 3 generous handfuls of fresh kale, spinach, and/or arugula

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• Juice of half a lemon, or to taste

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

• Cracked black pepper, to taste

• Block of parmesan, grated throughout cooking

Optional Add-Ins

• Sun-dried tomatoes

• Fresh basil

• Dried herbs (oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes — your call)

Directions

1. In a large pan or pot, warm a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.

2. Add the chopped garlic and sauté just until fragrant — don’t let it brown.

3. Add in the tomatoes, linguine (broken in half if needed), salt and pepper, and half of the greens.

4. Pour in just enough hot water to barely cover the noodles — about 3–4 cups to start.

   • (Tip: I use the hot water from our dispenser, but you can also boil water on the stove ahead of time.)

5. Cook uncovered on high, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. As the water cooks off, a silky, starchy sauce will form. Add a splash more hot water as needed until pasta is tender — about 8–10 minutes total.

6. Once the noodles are cooked and the sauce is glossy, remove from heat.

7. Fold in the remaining greens, grate parmesan, add torn basil, a bit more lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss gently.

8. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or herbs according to your preferences.

Serve It With:

• A cozy glass of wine 🍷

• Warm garlic bread

• Your favorite protein

• Or just on its own, at the table with someone you love

Enjoy! Scroll down for more good stuff 👇🏾

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Rest Is Served (And Yes, It’s in One Pot)

I never thought rest and joy would go in the same sentence for me, but here we are.

This past month of the Ambyr Things relaunch has completely blown me away.
I’m creating content that feels exciting again, I feel closer to you all than ever — and I’m so honored that some of our conversations have turned into your dreams being spoken out loud too.

But also... we went viral on Instagram — 53k new people found us in a single post.
And in just the last 30 days, the blog has seen more success than it did in the last four years combined.

But here’s what I need you to hear:

That’s not the reason I feel happy.
That’s not what shifted everything.

The real shift?

I finally stopped worrying about what’s around the corner, and started focusing on what’s right in front of me.

It’s actually presence.
It’s the buying and smelling of the roses.
It’s finding joy in little things that are actually not little at all.

Like…dinner.

The easiest pasta I've made all summer

One night, with the fridge running low and energy even lower, I pulled together a few things I had on hand — cherry tomatoes, kale, lemon, garlic, basil, a box of linguine, and some cheese — and threw it all into one pot.

Less than 20 minutes later, I was serving a meal that felt like something out of a rustic summer cookbook, but required almost zero effort. I didn't even measure.

But it wasn’t just dinner. It was the first time in a while that we all sat — baby in the high chair, my husband and I side by side, glass of wine in hand — and really slowed down. No phones. No to-do list. Just us.

There was laughter.
There were second *ahem, third helpings.
There was one of those good conversations that seems to stretch time.

It felt like falling in love all over again — with him, with this life, with the act of being here.

The case for cooking (but not stressing)

What I love most is that this pasta wasn’t planned — it was inspired.
And yes, it was heavily influenced by the Duchess’ new show With Love, Meghan, which reminded me that we can do so much more than we give ourselves credit for at home.

We can make better food choices for ourselves and our families.
We can reclaim time, energy, and intention — without giving up flavor, joy, or that sacred feeling of being cared for.

And ironically? That kind of presence adds time back to your day.

Because when you're not rushing, you're savoring.
When you're not striving, you're receiving.
And when you're not performing, you're resting.

A 30-day invitation to rest

If you’ve been going nonstop or are convinced that you “just need to be more productive”… I want to offer something different.

I made a 30-Day “Practicing Rest” Calendar for August — a gentle invitation to pause each day and let joy catch up with you.

Each prompt is simple, doable, and nourishing.
No pressure. No performance. Just rest.
Because rest is productive, protective, and powerful. (You is productive, you is protected, and you is powerful 😂 IYKYK)

Before you go...

Make the pasta.
Light the candle.
Have the conversation.
Hold your people.
Put your phone down.
Let it be easy.

You're already doing enough.
Now it’s time to feel good again.

Rest is served. And yes — it’s in one pot. 🍝

With Love,
Ambyr