Category: Pasta

Do-ahead · Meat · Pasta

Sausage and kale gnocchi bake

Belinda

Now Fall is peeking around the corner (my favorite season) I will now start posting more substantial recipes for comfort and warmth.
This easy-to-make, quick-to-cook recipe from “Delicious Magazine” is the ultimate in midweek comfort food.

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7 oz curly kale
1 lb potato gnocchi
1 medium-sized onion
Olive oil for frying
3 good-quality pork sausages or mild Italian sausages
7 oz passata
Large handful fresh basil leaves
4 oz fontina cheese or mozzarella

Heat the oven to 400F/200°C/ fan180°C/gas 6.
Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil.
De-stalk and shred the kale (if necessary), then drop into the water with the gnocchi and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse both under cold water.
Finely chop the onion.
Heat a little oil in a large frying pan, then crumble in the meat from the sausages (discard the skins).
Add the chopped onion and fry for 7 minutes or until just soft.
Add the passata and basil leaves and simmer for 3 minutes.
Toss the kale and gnocchi through the sausage mixture, then transfer to a 1.5 liter ovenproof dish.
Tear over the cheese and season with salt and pepper, then bake for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Do-ahead · Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

One-pot cheesy tomato and gnocchi bake

Belinda

Dig into this easy-to-make family meal; it’s a one pot wonder made with gnocchi and the classic tomato, basil and mozzarella flavor combination from “Delicious” magazine

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1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 sliced mixed peppers
A large handful of basil leaves and stalks, chopped, plus extra to serve
400g tomato passata
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
14 oz (400g) fresh potato gnocchi
2 x 4oz (125g) balls of mozzarella, drained and sliced

Heat the oven to 400F
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based ovenproof braising dish.
Add the onion and garlic, then cook over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
Add the eggplant, and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the peppers and basil, then cook for 5 minutes more.
Add the passata and stock cube dissolved in 6 fl oz (200ml) boiling water. Stir well, then pour into the dish.
Stir in the gnocchi, top with mozzarella, then bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Scatter over a few more basil leaves to serve.

Pasta · Uncategorized · Vegetarian pasta

Pasta with smashed zucchini cream

Belinda

Recipe from “101 Cookbooks”
Use your favorite noodles here, long or short. I used bucatini, but also love stubby shapes with grippy ridges.

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8 oz dried pasta
3-4 medium zucchini (2 lbs), washed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6-8 medium cloves garlic, grated on microplane
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
1 cup basil, thinly sliced
1 1/3 cups chicken broth (or water if you’re vegetarian)
black pepper
toasted almond slices

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water well, and boil pasta per package instructions. Drain, reserving some pasta water, and set aside.

In the meantime, slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove most of the seeds. Cut into 1/4-inch pieces.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, a minute or so. Stir in the chopped zucchini and 1 1/3 cups chicken broth, cover, and simmer until the zucchini absorbs most of the water and softens, roughly 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, and carefully, with a fork or (even better) a potato masher, smash the zucchini until creamy.

Transfer the zucchini to a large serving bowl.
Add most of the cheese and most of the basil, and lots of pepper.
Stir in the pasta, and a splash of the pasta water if you want to thin it out at all.
Taste, and add salt if needed.
Finish by topping with lots of toasted almonds, and the remaining cheese and basil.

Dairy-free · Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Spaghetti with no-cook puttanesca sauce

Belinda

This recipe is by Andy Baraghani from the magazine “Bon Appetite”

Tomato seeds and membranes can be a bit bitter, which is why we remove them from this uncooked preparation—it also prevents the sauce from being watery.

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2 beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 lb.), halved crosswise, seeds removed
2 garlic cloves, finely grated, or crushed
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup Castelvetrano olives, pits removed and chopped
2 tbsp drained capers
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
12 oz. spaghetti
¼ cup finely chopped parsley (or you can use fresh basil)
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pulse the beefsteak tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 2 tsp. salt in a food processor until smooth; transfer the sauce to a large bowl and mix in the cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, and ¼ cup oil.

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid.

Add the pasta, parsley, and butter to the sauce.
Toss vigorously with tongs, adding a splash of pasta cooking liquid or more as needed to create an emulsified sauce that coats pasta.
Divide among bowls and drizzle with more oil.

Dairy-free · Pasta

Spaghetti with fennel, anchovies, currants, pine nuts & capers

Belinda

Another light, summer pasta dish, pretty much made from ingredients from your pantry.
From the BBC Good Food website

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2 fennel bulbs
l lb spaghetti
2 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
3.5 oz jar anchovy fillets in olive oil, roughly chopped
½ tsp dried chili flakes
3 oz currants, soaked in boiling water for 5 mins and drained
2½ tbsp capers, rinsed
1 small pack flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
3 oz pine nuts, toasted
A good squeeze of lemon juice

Quarter the fennel bulbs. Remove the coarse outer leaves and trim the tips (cut off and reserve any fronds). Remove and discard the core from each quarter, then chop the rest of the fennel.

Cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling, lightly salted water.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the fennel until soft, then add the garlic and cook gently until pale gold.
Add the anchovies, press with a wooden spoon, then add the chili flakes.
When the anchovies fall apart, toss in the currants, capers, parsley and most of the pine nuts.

Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the frying pan. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
Toss together, then serve straight from the pan or transfer to a large warm serving bowl.
Scatter over the remaining pine nuts and any fennel fronds.

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Zucchini and basil pasta with pesto breadcrumbs

Belinda

What to do with all that summer squash? I will be posting many recipes over the summer using summer squash.
This is #1 from the wonderful BBC Good Food website.
Simple, tasty and a little different. All you need is a green salad with some avocado in it to serve as a side.

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Serves 6

1 lb pack penne pasta
5 zucchini, grated
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
16 oz pot crème fraîche
2 oz Parmigano Reggiano cheese, finely grated
A medium bunch basil, reserve a few leaves for garnishing
4 oz chunk ciabatta
A handful toasted pine nuts, plus a few extra for sprinkling

Slightly undercook the pasta, then drain, reserving a ladleful of cooking water. Rinse the pasta with cold water to cool. Drain again, toss in a little oil to stop it sticking together and set aside while you get the rest of the bake ready.

Fry the zucchini in oil for about 10 mins to drive off most of the liquid; they should reduce down a lot. Add the garlic and onion to the pan, cook for 2 mins more, then season really well and add to the pasta. Stir in most of the crème fraîche and half the Parmesan with seasoning, then tip into an ovenproof dish. Dollop the rest of the crème fraîche over the top.

Heat oven to 350 F.
Whizz nearly all of the basil, remaining cheese, bread and pine nuts together to make pesto crumbs, then scatter all over the top.
Finish with a few more pine nuts.
Bake for 20 mins until the topping is crisp and bubbling at the edges.
Serve with a few more basil leaves scattered over.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Pasta · Salad · Vegan

Cucumber-Mango Miso Noodle Bowl

Belinda

This lovely recipe comes from the food blog “Love & Lemons”

“The tangy miso-peanut sauce is the real star – it’s also become a go-to recipe lately because its ingredients are so easy to keep on hand. Miso paste lasts about 1 year in the fridge, and I store my fresh ginger in the freezer. Peanut butter, garlic, and limes are all regulars in my kitchen.

The second time I made this I added tofu on top to make it a bigger meal – the tofu is not pictured here, but I’ve included a recipe below.
This recipe serves 3 on its own or 4 if you add the tofu (or whatever protein you like – chicken, shrimp, salmon, etc).

If you don’t have vermicelli rice noodles, brown rice stir fry noodles (the flat, thicker noodles) work well here. Pasta would also be fine in a pinch.

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6 ounces rice vermicelli noodles (or any noodle you like)
4 Persian cucumbers or 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped scallions
1 ripe mango, diced
½ jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced or minced
5 lime slices (1 for squeezing, 4 for serving)
Extra-virgin olive oil or sesame oil, for drizzling
⅓ cup chopped cashews, toasted
¼ cup torn fresh mint
Sea salt

Protein of choice, or (see baked tofu recipe below)

Peanut-miso sauce
3 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp white miso paste
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ tbsp fresh lime juice
2 to 4 tbsp warm water

Make the peanut-miso sauce:
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, miso paste, ginger, garlic, and lime juice. Whisk in the warm water, as needed, until the sauce is a drizzle-able consistency. Set aside.

Combine the cucumbers, scallions, mango, and jalapeño in a bowl with a few pinches of salt and a squeeze of lime. Toss and set aside.
Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with a bit of olive oil or sesame oil to keep the noodles from sticking together.
Assemble the bowls with the rice noodles, cucumber mixture, cashews, mint, generous drizzles of the peanut-miso sauce, and tofu, if using. Serve with lime slices and extra sauce on the side.

Baked Tofu
14 oz extra-firm tofu
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
tamari, for drizzling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
sriracha, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat the tofu dry and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Place on the baking sheet and toss with drizzles of olive oil, tamari and pinches of salt and pepper.
Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
Remove from the oven, toss the tofu lightly with sriracha, and return it to the oven for 2 more minutes.

Asian flavors · Fish · Pasta · Soup

Teriyaki salmon bowl with udon noodles and spinach.

Belinda

This is a delectable and light dish packed with flavor. It’s very low calorie and you’re going to love it!

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Serves 4

8 cups dashi broth (You can buy this ready made)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 knob fresh ginger (about 2 inch piece)
13 oz dried udon noodles
4 small salmon fillets, skinned
1 bunch spinach, washed
4 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

Teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp sugar

For the teriyaki sauce

Combine the dark soy, sake, mirin, oil and sugar in a small pot and heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Heat the dashi in a second pot and add the soy and mirin. Peel the ginger, cut into cubes and crush in a garlic press to get 1 tbsp ginger juice. Add the juice to the broth and adjust the flavorings to taste.
Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes.Drain and rinse in cold water, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Brush the salmon with the teriyaki sauce and grill on a hot well oiled grill, or a heavy cast iron flat pan, leaving the inside lightly pink.
Bring the dashi broth to just below a boil and add the noodles to the broth for 30 seconds to heat through, then divide the noodles among 4 warmed bowls.
Dip the spinach leaves briefly into the broth to wilt them and distribute them among the bowls.
Ladle the hot broth into each bowl and top the noodles with the grilled salmon, broken into large chunks or left whole.
Scatter the green onions on top and serve with chopsticks and spoons.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Pasta

Ginger-scallion ramen noodles

Belinda

This recipe is by Andy Baraghani from “Bon Appetite” magazine

The noodles are just a vessel for this savory, gingery, simple weeknight sauce. Double the batch, and you’ll always have a way to brighten up simple grilled or pan-roasted chops, roasted veggies, or grain bowls.

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Serves 4
1 5-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large bunch of scallions, very thinly sliced (about 2 cups), divided
½ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp sugar
Kosher salt
4 5-ounce packages wavy ramen noodles, preferably fresh
Toasted sesame seeds and chili oil (for serving)

Stir the ginger, garlic, and two-thirds of scallions in a large bowl.
Heat grapeseed oil in a small saucepan over high until oil is shimmery and hot but not smoking, about 2 minutes.
Pour the hot oil over the scallion mixture. The scallions will sizzle, turn bright green, and wilt almost immediately.
Let sit 5 minutes before stirring in remaining scallions.
Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, sesame oil, and sugar; season with salt. Let sit to let the flavors meld, 15 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss with as much or as little scallion sauce as you’d like in bowl.
Divide the noodles among bowls.
Top with sesame seeds and serve with chili oil alongside.

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Baked orzo puttanesca

Belinda

A beauty from Yotam Ottolenghi.

“The inspiration for this is the tuna melt, to which I am rather partial, so forgive me if that’s not up your street. This is a great way to use up tins, jars and bits of herbs and cheese that have been sitting around in the cupboard or fridge for too long, but I’ve also added a few fresh ingredients, such as basil and parmesan, to finish, so by all means substitute those for whatever you have in the house.”

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Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped (150g)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes
3 anchovy fillets, drained and roughly chopped
2 tbsp capers
1½ preserved lemons, flesh discarded and skin thinly sliced into strips (12g net weight)
70g pitted kalamata olives, roughly torn in half
2 x 5oz tins good-quality tuna in olive oil, drained and roughly flaked
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 15 oz or 16 oz tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 lb orzo
Salt and black pepper
1-2 plum tomatoes (180g), cut into ½cm-thick rounds
About 2 to 3 oz parmesan, finely grated
2 tbsp basil leaves, roughly torn

Heat the oven to 425F

Put three tablespoons of oil into a large, ovenproof saute pan for which you have a lid, and heat on a medium-high flame.
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about eight minutes, or until softened and browned.
Add the garlic, chili and anchovies, cook for a minute more, until fragrant, then stir in the capers, half the lemon, half of the olives, tuna, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, orzo, 15 fl oz water or broth, a teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of pepper.
Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through.

Turn up the oven to 450F.
Lift the lid off the pan, then haphazardly top the mixture with the sliced tomatoes, sprinkle over the cheese and return to the oven, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes, or until bubbling and lightly browned.
Remove, leave to rest for about 10 minutes, then top with the remaining olives and preserved lemon, the basil and the remaining tablespoon of oil, and serve straight from the pot.