Category Archives: Pasta

Baked Tomato And Mozzarella Pasta (easy mid week when you have nothing!)

By emma | Published: January 19, 2015
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  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 small carrot, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes (5-6 fresh tomatoes and blended)
  • 45g small black olives,  pitted
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 300g cooked short pasta (such as fusilli or penne)
  • 75g fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 6). Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat and cook the onions, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the olives, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Stir the tomato sauce through the cooked pasta and spoon into a casserole dish. Dot with the mozzarella cheddar and bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.

*Source: Bill Granger Everday

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Spaghetti With Garlic And Spinach (great mid-week meal!)

By emma | Published: January 19, 2015
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  • 400g Spaghetti
  • 80ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • Sliced red chilli, to taste (1-2 small ones)
  • 80ml white wine
  • 90g baby English spinach
  • Sea salt
  • Small handful finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, put the olive oil, garlic and chilli in a frying pan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the garlic is golden. Add the wine and cook, stirring for 20 seconds. Add the drained pasta and spinach and toss to coat it well.  Season with salt and sprinkle with parsley, then serve with lots of grated parmesan.

*Source: Bill Granger Everday

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Spicy Chicken Meatballs

By emma | Published: January 19, 2015
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  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 500g chicken mince
  • 3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
  • 50g pancetta, chopped
  • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 500g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 125ml chicken stock
  • 500g fusilli  pasta, cooked, to serve
  • Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Heat 1t of the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 min., or until the onion is soft. Add the coriander and chilli and cook for 1 min.

Put the chicken in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, bacon, parsley and salt. Add the spiced onion and mix well with your hands. Refrigerate for 30 min. to firm the mixture. Wet your hands with cold water to stop the mixture sticking and roll it into small meatballs.

Put the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with 1 t olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the meatballs on a second lined tray and drizzle with1 t oil. Roast the tomatoes and meatballs in the oven for 15-20 min., or until the meatballs are golden and the tomatoes starting to pucker.

Put the stock and tomatoes in a saucepan and the meatballs. Simmer for 5 min. and season to taste before spooning over pasta and serving with parmesan.

*Source: Bill Granger Everyday

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Chicken Pasta Bake

By emma | Published: July 9, 2010
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  • 250 grams small pasta, cooked (use penne or spirals)
  • 2 cups broccoli, blanched
  • 3 cups shredded chicken (can use a rotisserie, or I sometimes get the spicy nandos chicken tenderloins for a quick meal that is a whole lot healthier than just nandos!!)
  • 1/2 cup semi dried tomatoes, chopped or I substitute with a punnet of cherry tomatoes cut in quarters
  • 4 green spring onions, chopped
  • 250 grams sour cream
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • large bunch basil, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Combine chicken, spring onions, semi dried tomatoes, broccoli and basil in a bowl. Mix mustard, sour cream, stock and garlic and stir through mixture to combine all ingredients. Mix through the cooked pasta and pour into a baking dish.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated parmesan and 1/2 cup grated mozarella.

Bake for 20 minutes.

* Serves: 4

*Source: www.ninemsn.com.au

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Bolognese

By emma | Published: March 21, 2010
spaghetti-bolognese
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stick celery, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 400g minced beef
  • 100g pancetta chopped (could use bacon, but chop finely or even blend)
  • 2 tsp flour
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • s+p
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 cups veal or chicken stock
  • 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or could use 400gram tin toms)
  • 2 Tbsp tom paste
  • 1 large sprig thyme
  • 1 bay leaf

Saute onion, garlic, celery until soft. Add mince and pancetta and fry on medium until the mince breaks up. Sprinkle in flour, then stir well.  Add wine, s+p + nutmeg. Increase heat and boil to evaporate liquid. Add stock, tomatoes, tom paste and herbs. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour (or until reduced down and looks like bolognese!)

Serves 4.

Note: I double the recipe, as it freezes really well. If you do this cook for a couple of hours.

Source: Stephanie Alexander Cookbook.

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