This simple pasta dish will be ready in 10 minutes, the kind of dish we like on a Friday night! The Italian sausages we used tonight were the spicier sort but this would be delicious with milder ones too, the key is the higher meat content. If the sausages have fennel in them halve the fennel seeds.
Wine Suggestion: An under-rated Tuscan coast gem, Morisfarm’s Mandriolo. A classic, youthful Sangiovese with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot this is juicy and vibrant, but also hiding a serious core that stands up to flavoursome food
Penne with Italian sausages & rocket – serves 4
200g Italian sausages
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ glass of white wine
500g penne rigate pasta
100g freshly grated pecorino
100g rocket
Remove the skins from the sausages and break them up into a bowl.
Warm the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat, add the sausages and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Add fennel seeds and some salt and continue to cook for another minute. Add the wine and cook for a minute more, then remove from the heat.
Meanwhile cook the pasta in lots of salty water.
When the pasta is cooked, return the sauce to a medium heat. Drain the pasta and tip into the sauce. Sprinkle over the pecorino and rocket and toss for about 30 seconds over a medium heat to allow them to come together.
(Original recipe from Gino’s Pasta by Gino D’Acampo, Kyle Books, 2010.)
We’ve tried a few of these lately; a pasta dish where you literally chuck everything into the one pan, pasta and all, and cook. Perfect for weeknight/late night cooking.
Wine Suggestion: Well we wouldn’t go too fancy here as it would sort of defeat the purpose, something red, Italian, and not too expensive would be our choice.
One-pan pasta with sausage & fennel – serves 2-3
1 tbsp olive oil
4 pork sausages, skinned
1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp hot-smoked paprika
a pinch of chilli flakes
1 x 400g tin of chopped or plum tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
450ml chicken stock
175g penne pasta or similar
2 tbsp crème fraîche, soft cheese or double cream
2 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated, plus more to serve
a bunch of basil, roughly torn
Heat the oil in a a large deep frying pan. Pull off small pieces of sausage and add them to the pan. Fry until nicely browned all over. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, paprika and chilli flakes and cook for another couple of minutes.
Add the tomatoes, tomato purée and stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta, then cover with a lid and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes or until almost cooked, give it a stir now and then as it cooks. Stir in the crème fraîche, Parmesan and basil, then remove from the heat, cover with a lid and leave to sit for a couple of minutes. Serve with extra Parmesan.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, May 2020.)
Jules’ parents often give us yellow peppers as they prefer green ones, and for some reason they can only buy peppers locally (NI) in multi-coloured packs of three. Perhaps another Brexit effect. No matter as we’ve found the perfect use for them in this simple pasta sauce by Joe Trivelli. We didn’t have enough rigatoni so added some penne that got stuck in all the rigatoni tubes. We had good fun sucking them out.
Wine Suggestion: This is excellent with oaked Sauvignon Blanc, especially white Bordeaux, where the oak mellows out the grassy characteristics and adds a creamy, buttery layer with extra citrus fruits. We recognise these are harder to find and higher in price, so more affordably we successfully opened an Umani Ronchi Ca’Sal di Serra Verdicchio which carries over the cut grass and citrus characters and adds an almondy twist.
Rigatoni with yellow peppers – serves 4
1 large yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
½ dried chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes
40ml double cream
400g rigatoni – Joe sugests whole-wheat but we had the regular stuff so just used that
a handful of basil leaves
salted ricotta if you have some – we used Parmesan which works too
Put a medium frying pan over a medium heat and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Fry the pepper for 3 minutes, then add the garlic with a pinch of salt. Crumble in the chilli, cover and cook over a low heat, stirring now and then. You want the pepper to soften completely which could take around 30 minutes so be patient.
Add the cream and bring to the boil, then simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, then purée the sauce in a food processer and return to the pan.
Cook the pasta in lots of salty water until al dente. Scoop out a mugful of the pasta cooking water before draining, then add the pasta to the pepper mixture. Toss the pasta and sauce over a low heat, adding the basil leaves and some pasta water if needed to make the sauce creamy.
Serve on warm plates with some grated cheese.
(Original recipe from The Modern Italian Cook by Joe Trivelli, Seven Dials, 2018.)
Tinned fish seems to be having a moment, which is fine with us because we love it. We especially like Shines of Killybegs who do great sardines in sunflower oil, amongst lots of other delicious fishy things.
Wine Suggestion: An Italian white with a nutty twist at the end like Sartarelli’s Tralivio, a verdicchio from low yielding old vines that epitomises the very best of this grape and a perfect match to the umami saltiness of this dish.
Spaghetti with chilli, sardines & oregano – serves 2
olive oil, for cooking
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
75g rough breadcrumbs, made from stale bread
200g dried spaghetti
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 x 120g tin good-quality sardines in oil, drained
½ tsp dried oregano
50g rocket
Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add a good glug of olive oil and when it’s hot add the breadcrumbs and half the garlic. Cook for a few minutes until golden and toasted, then season with salt and pepper and toss well. Drain on kitchen paper if needed.
Cook the pasta according the pack timings in lots of very salty water.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little oil, then add the remaining garlic and the chilli for 1-2 minutes. Flake the sardines into small pieces, then toss in the pan with the garlic and chilli.
Lift the cooked pasta out of the cooking water with tongs and add straight to the frying pan with the sardines. Toss to mix well, then add the oregano and season to taste.
Stir in the rocket and divide between two plates. Garnish with the garlicky breadcrumbs.
(Original recipe from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course,
A recipe by Rachel Roddy; simple and filling. Keep your Parmesan rinds in the freezer for adding to soups like this.
Pasta & Chickpea Soup – serves 4
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp tomato purée
a sprig of rosemary
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained
a Parmesan rind (optional)
225g short tubular pasta e.g. tubetti or ditalini or broken tagliatelle
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, then add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery, then cook gently until soft and fragrant.
Add the tomato purée and sprig of rosemary, stir and cook for a few minutes, then stir in the chickpeas. Add 1 litre of hot water, a pinch of salt and the Parmesan rind, then stir again. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove half the soup and pass through a food mill or blend with a stick blender until smooth, then return to the pan. Season to taste with salt. Add the pasta and cook until tender, the pack timings should work but do check as you go and keep stirring. You add a bit more boiling water if needed. Season again to taste then serve garnished with your favourite olive oil.
(Original recipe from Five Quarters: Recipes and Notes from a Kitchen in Rome by Rachel Roddy, Salt Yard Book Co., 2015.)
Wine Suggestion: Something red from Italy’s Adriatic coast, but nothing too big or complex as this is a fun, casual dish! For us Umani Ronchi’s Rosso Conero Serrano, a Montepulciano – Sangiovese blend that has a medium body, fresh and bright cherry fruits and a gentle, earthy tannins was the ticket.
Prawn spaghetti with tomato, chilli & basil – serves 2
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
150g baby plum tomatoes
150ml white wine
200g spaghetti
a handful of basil leaves
225g raw peeled prawns
a generous knob of butter
Warm the oil in a large frying pan, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until starting to soften, then add the white wine and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions in lots of very salty water, then drain but reserve a cup of the cooking water.
Add the basil and prawns to the tomatoes, season well, and cook until the prawns turn pink. Stir in the butter and spaghetti and a splash of pasta cooking water if you need to loosen the sauce a bit. Toss it all together and serve.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, March 2020.)
Do buy good quality tuna for this, packed in olive oil. We like Ortiz which is widely available and excellent quality. We’d also highly recommend Shines’ Wild Irish Tuna, one of our local companies based in Donegal. We have tried loads of their tinned and jarred fish and they are all top quality.
Wine Suggestion: We chose a lighter red to match this dish from the Marches in central Italy. The Umani Ronchi San Lorenzo Rosso Conero has style and panache and the medium body, morello cherry flavours, soft spices and silky tannins are a charming match.
Baked orzo puttanesca – serves 4
4 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes
3 anchovies in oil, drained and roughly chopped
2 tbsp capers
30g preserved lemon, discard the flesh and thinly slice the skin into strips
70g pitted Kalamata olives, roughly torn in half
2 tins of good tuna in olive oil, drained and roughly flaked
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
250g dried orzo
1-2 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into half ½ cm thick rounds
40g Parmesan, finely grated
5g basil leaves, roughly torn
Preheat the oven to 200C fan.
Heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan that has a lid. Add the onion and cook gently for about 8 minutes or until softed and browned. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and anchovies and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the capers, half the preserved lemon strips, 45g of the olives, the tuna, tomato purée, tinned tomatoes, orzo, 450ml of water, 1 tsp of salt and lots of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover with the lid and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through.
Turn the oven up to 230C fan.
Remove the lid from the dish, top with the tomato slices and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for a further 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned, then leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle over the remaining olives, preserved lemon, basil and 1 tbsp of oil before serving.
(Original recipe from OTK Shelf Love by Noor Murad & Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2021.)
Inspiration for evenings when you’re feeling uninspired. Ready in 10 minutes.
Wine Suggestion: A southern Italian red, especially those from Mt Etna and surrounds if you can as they tend to have both warm to match the roasted red peppers and a savouriness to comliment the umami anchovies. For us the Gulfi Cerasuolo di Vittoria, and Nero d’Avola – Frappato blend. Fragrant, silky and with a deep core of earthy red fruits; one of those wines that is both effortless and yet demanding of attention.
Red pepper & anchovy spaghetti – serves 3
300g spaghetti
3 tbsp olive oil, plus a bit extra to drizzle
4 garlic cloves, sliced
8 anchovies, from a jar of tin of anchovies in olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes
300g jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
1 tbsp tomato purée
a handful of basil leaves, finely sliced
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add lots of salt. Add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than the timings on the pack.
Meanwhile, put the olive oil, garlic and anchovies into a large, deep frying pan and cook over a medium heat for a minute or until the oil is hot and the garlic has started to sizzle.
Add the peppers and tomato purée and stir well. Continue to cook until the spaghetti is ready, adding a ladle of the pasta cooking water to make a sauce.
When the spaghetti is ready, use tongs to transfer it to the sauce, you can add a little more water to get the right saucy consistency if you need. Cook for another 30 seconds, tossing to coat, then remove from the heat and stir through the basil. Serve drizzled with some extra olive oil.
We’re pretty sure we saw somewhere that Polpo, a cookbook by Russell Norman, has just turned ten years old which inspired us to get it out and cook something. We served these, at Russell’s suggestion, with some home-made focaccia but pasta would be good too. It’s an excellent tomato sauce to use for other purposes too.
Wine Suggestion: Given the Italian inspiration to this dish we had to open something to match. The cherry and berry flavours in Pico Maccario’s Barbera Tre Roveri really sing alongside the anise-fennel flavours and the wild herb, leather and truffle flavours lend a base note to the whole dish. Bravo!
Spicy pork & fennel polpette – serves 6
1.5kg pork mince
3 medium eggs (we only had large, all was well)
150g breadcrumbs
a large pinch of dried chilli flakes
20g fennel seeds, lightly toasted and ground in a pestle and mortar
½ tbsp fine salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
½ tbsp fine sea salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
a small pinch of dried chilli flakes
750g fresh tomatoes, quartered
3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
a small handful of oregano, chopped
caster sugar, if needed
Make the tomato sauce first, up to a few days in advance if you like.
Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and sweat the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and chilli flakes for 15 minutes. Add the fresh tomatoes and the rest of the oil and continue to cook gently for another 15 minutes.
Add the tinned tomatoes, bring to a gentle bubble and simmer over a low heat for 1 hour.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped oregano. Now taste and season if it needs a litle sweetness (we find it usually does). Blitz with a stick blender until smooth and you can also pass through a fine sieve if you would like it more passata textured (we don’t tend to bother).
Now make the meatballs. Heat the oven to 220C/Gas 8.
Put the pork mince, eggs, breadcrumbs, chilli flakes, ground fennel seeds, salt and pepper into a large bowl and mix together well with your hands. Roll in 45g balls and place on a greased baking tray, then roast in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once, until starting to brown.
Meanwhile, bring your tomato sauce up to a gentl simmer. Transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce and poach for 10 minutes. Serve with some lightly toasted focaccia or pasta or whatever else you fancy.
(Original recipe from Polpo by Russell Norman, Bloomsbury, 2012.)
Adapted from Claudia Roden’s Tagliolini with lemons, but as we couldn’t find this pasta chose another thin version with great success. Perfect for lunch or in small portions for a starter.
Wine Suggestion: Paired with Sartarelli’s Sparkling Verdicchio which captured the sunshine and joy of the Adriatic coast. Full of pure fruit flavours, hints of almond and lemon and a real balance between a crisp, fresh acidity and fruit.
Capellini with lemon – serves 2 to 4
200g capellini (or tagliolini or whatever long and very thin pasta you can find)
1 lemon, grate the zest and juice
6 tbsp double cream
grated Parmesan or Grana Padano, to serve
Cook the pasta in lots of boiling water according to the timings on the pack.
Mix the lemon zest and juice with the cream in a serving bowl and season with salt.
Add the cooked and drained pasta into the serving bowl and mix with the sauce.
Serve with lots of black pepper and cheese.
(Original recipe from Med: A Cookbook by Claudia Roden, 2021)
This recipe is from Rachel Roddy’s fabulous book, An A-Z of pasta. She introduces this one by asking if you are familar with vitello tonnato, which happens to be one of Jules’ favourite dishes, so we had to try it. Rachel uses the lumache pasta shape, which means snails and they are a bit like snail shells. We found these hard to find so we substituted conchiglie to great effect.
Wine Suggestion: look for a crisp, fresh white with a good body/structure like a dry, unoaked chardonnay from a cooler region. For us it was Céline & Frèdéric Gueguen’s Bourgogne Côtes Salines. Grown in vineyards just outside the Chablis appellation this is vibrantly fresh apple and melon flavoured with a savoury mid-palate that just melts into the tuna sauce.
Conchiglie with tuna, egg & capers – serves 4
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, trim to the palest bit, pull of any strings, and finely chop
6 tbsp olive oil
1 x 200g tin of tuna in olive oil, drained
2 tbsp tiny capers, rinsed
200ml white wine
1 unwaxed lemon, zested and juiced
400g conchiglie (or lumache)
a sprig of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 egg yolks, beaten
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add a generous amount of salt.
Warm the olive oil in a frying pan, then add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt and cook on a medium-low heat, until soft. You need to be patient as this will take a while.
Add the tuna and capers, stir for a minute, then add the wine and allow to bubble for 10 minutes, adding 3 tbsp of lemon juice and some zest for the last few minutes. You are looking for a saucy consistency so cook for a bit longer if it is still watery.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet timings, then drain and tip into a warm bowl, pour the sauce over the top, add the parsley, toss together, then quickly add the egg yolks and toss again.
(Original recipe from An A-Z of Pasta by Rachel Roddy, Penguin: Fig Tree, 2021.)
A simple pasta dish with fantastic flavours. It looks veggie but actually contains anchovies and chicken stock. If you’re not bothered by those it’s a definite winner!
Conchiglie with chickpeas and za’atar – serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
a small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
10g thyme leaves, finely chopped
25g anchovy fillets in oil, drained and chopped
1 lemon, finely shave off a piece of the skin of half, then squeeze to get 2 tbsp of juice
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained
1 tsp soft brown sugar
400ml chicken stock
200g conchiglie pasta (or gigli or orecchiette)
50g baby spinach
15g parsley, roughly chopped
1 ½ tsp za’atar
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan until hot, then add the onion, garlic, cumin, thyme, anchovies, lemon skin, ½ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper. Fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the chickpeas and sugar. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chickpeas start to brown and turn crispy. Add the chicken stock and lemon juice and simmer for 6 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly reduced. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring a large pan of salty water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the timings on the pack, then drain.
Stir the spinach and parsley into the chickpeas, if it doesn’t wilt you can warm the chickpeas through again gently. Add the pasta to the pan of chickpeas and stir to combine. Divide between bowls, then sprinkle with the za’atar and drizzle with olive oil.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi with Tara Wigley and Esme Howarth, Ebury Press, 2018.)
Tender lamb and a sauce rich with cumin and warm spices. Certainly not a combination we’re used to but one that works very well. Do remember to put the lamb in the marinade when you get home from work, don’t skimp on the butter, and don’t be tempted to use any cheese on the pasta, it is not required!
Wine Suggestion: warm, red and spicy; like a good Primitivo (Zinfandel), Monastrell (juicy Mourvedre) or Shiraz. Our choice tonight was Finca Bacara’s Crazy Grapes Monastrell from Jumilla in Spain; juicy, brambly and velvety tannins.
Lamb & Cumin Pasta – serves 4
500g lamb leg steaks
1 tbsp garlic granules
2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
250g tagliatelle
50g butter
Put the lamb between sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin to flatten. Thinly slice the lamb into strips about ½ cm thick and put them into a non-reactive bowl. Add the garlic granules, spices, olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and plenty of seasoning and mix well. Cover the bowl and leave to marinate at room temperature for at least an hour.
Cook the pasta in lots of salty water, then drain but keep the cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat a wok over a high heat. When hot, add the lamb and the marinade, cook until seared all over, this shouldnt take more than a few minutes, avoid stirring constantly to allow it to sear.
Remove the wok from the heat and add the butter. Check the seasoning, then add the cooked pasta with a little cooking water to loosen. Serve straightaway.
(Original recipe from Simply by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2020.)
This is tomato pasta sauce but with some unusual additions that make it taste a bit special. We hightly recommend you try this.
Pasta with tomato sauce & brown caper butter – serves 4
400g penne pasta
Parmesan
flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
1 onion, chopped
olive oil, for frying
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
1 tbsp white miso
1 tsp runny honey
FOR THE BROWN CAPER BUTTER
4 tbsp capers, drained
75g butter
Fry the onion in a splash of olive oil over a lowish heat for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, rosemary and tomato purée and fry for another minute, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 10-15 minutes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of salty water until al denté.
Melt a small knob of the butter into a small frying pan, then add the capers and fry until they burst open, then tip into a small bowl. Add the rest of the butter to the frying pan and cook until it turns light brown and smells nutty, then pour over the capers.
Add the miso, honey and a little seasoning to the tomato sauce.
Drain the pasta but reserve a mug of the cooking water.
Mix the drained pasta with the tomato sauce and a splash of cooking water to loosen the sauce. Divide between warm bowls, then pour over the caper butter. Serve sprinkled with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley.
(Original recipe by Ylva Bergqvist in Olive Magazine, December 2018.)
This is a rather unconventional method but it does work, and the resulting dish is perfect comfort food for a cold day. The za’atar pesto is a good addition to cut through the richness and the feta provides creamy nuggets. A crazy but good idea from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen.
Wine Suggestion: A crisp white with body and texture is called for here to help cut through rich layers and stand up to the complex flavours. Domaine Ventenac’s Cassandre waas our choice and a very happy match indeed. Vermentino from Cabardes in the south of France, this comes from vineyards that have cooling breezes and a little altitude to give it depth of flavour as well as a scintillating freshness; finishing with a slight nutty twist that gave the pesto an extra lift.
Middle Eastern mac n cheese with za’atar pesto – serves 4 to 6
300g dried cavatappi or fusilli pasta
600-700ml whole milk
65g unsalted butter, cut into 3cm cubes
3 garlic cloves, crushed
⅛ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and roughly crushed
75ml double cream
150g mature cheddar, roughly grated
180g Greek feta, roughly crumbled
45g shop-bought crispy onions or shallots
FOR THE ZA’ATAR PESTO
1 large lemon
3 tbsp za’atar
20g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
40g pine nuts, lightly toasted
6 tbsp olive oil
Put the pasta, 600ml of milk, 350ml of water, the butter, garlic, turmeric, 1 tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper into a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down the heat and cook, stirring now and then, for 8-14 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the sauce thickened. You can add the extra 100ml of milk if you need it thinned a bit.
Turn the heat to low and stir in the cumin, cream and cheeses. Stir until the cheddar has melted.
Meanwhile, make the pesto. Finely grate the lemon to get 1½ tsp of zest. Peel the lemon, cut into segments and roughly chop. Put the lemon and zest into a bowl.
Put the za’atar, coriander, garlic, pine nuts, a pinch of salt, plenty of black pepper and 3 tbsp of the oil into a food processor, then pulse a few times to get a coarse paste. Add to the lemon and stir in the remaining 3 tbsp of oil.
Transfer the cheesey pasta to a large serving platter, dot all over with the pesto and top with the crispy onions.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen Shelf Love by Noor Murad & Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2021.)
This version has fresh pesto stirred through the béchamel sauce which is a variation we’d not come across before, and it’s very good indeed. So good we may add any leftover pesto to dishes like this in the future; it brings a burst of Spring to a rich dish.
Wine Suggestion: We were uncertain what to open alongside this dish given the many components, but felt we needed to stick to an Italian. Freshness to balance the béchamel, depth for the layered richness, but a lightness of being to complement the basil pesto. We had a bottle of Pira Langhe Nebbiolo on the shelf and we’re happy to report it was a good match.
Lasagne with pesto – serves 6 to 8
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 celery stick, finely chopped
500g beef mince
1 glass of red wine
700ml passata
1 tbsp tomato purée
12 fresh lasagne sheets
FOR THE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
100g butter
100g plain flour
1 litre full-fat milk
¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
100g freshly grated Parmesan
FOR THE PESTO
40g basil leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled
30g pine nuts
120ml extra virgin olive oil
20g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions, carrot and celery for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the beef mince and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon until browned all over. Season and leave to cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the wine, stir well and buble for about 3 minutes, then add the passata and tomato purée, lower the heat and continue to cook for an hour, uncovered, until you have a thick sauce. Taste for seasoning after 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the pesto by putting the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. Pour in the oil and blitz until smooth, then transfer to a bowl and fold in the cheese. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.
To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the cold milk, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, whisking constantly. When the béchamel is thickened, stir in half the Parmesan, the nutmeg and the pesto. Season and set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4.
To assemble, spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of a deep ovenproof dish. You can use your lasagne sheets to get the right sized dish, you need to make 3 layers of lasagne sheets. Lay a third of the lasagne sheets over the béchamel, then spread over half the meat sauce and top with another thin layer of béchamel.
Lay another third of the lasagne sheets on top and cover with the rest of the meat sauce. Add the final layer of lasagne and spread the remaining béchamel on top, completely covering the lasagne sheets. Sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan and grind some black pepper over the top.
Cook on the bottom shelf of the oven for 30 minutes, then move to the middle shelf and increase the temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cook for another 15 minutes or until browned and bubbling.
Remove the lasagne from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
(Original recipe from Gino’s Pasta by Gino D’Acampo, Kyle Books, 2010.)
Who doesn’t love tuna pasta bake. We’re a bit sceptical about one pot cooking … what’s the big deal with using more pots? Anyhow, the one pot works in this case as the pasta absorbs all the flavours. This is also another dish that breaks the nonsense “no cheese with fish” rule.
This is easily halved and can be whipped up from store cupboard ingredients mid-week.
Wine Suggestion: A light, youthful sangiovese with plenty of fruit like Rocca delle Macie’s Chianti Vernaiolo.
Tuna Pasta Bake – serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tins of tuna, drained
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
25g capers
25g black olives, halved
1 tsp lemon zest
leaves from 1 sprig of thyme
½ tsp chilli flakes
400g short pasta, we used fusilli
75g Cheddar cheese, grated
Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole, we have a shallow one which works well for this, then add the onion and cook until very soft. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the tuna, tomatoes, capers, olives, lemon zest, thyme and chilli flakes. Stir until well combined, then add the pasta. Season with salt and pepper, then stir until the pasta is completely coated in sauce.
Pour in enough water to just cover the pasta and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook until the pasta is al dente and has absorbed most of the water. This will take between 10 and 15 minutes, start checking at 10. You might need to stir now and again to stop it sticking to the bottom.
Heat the grill to high.
Sprinkle the dish with the cheese, then place under the grill until browned and bubbling.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ One Pot Wonders by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2019.)
This dish even looks like Autumn! Roast any leftover squash on another night.
Wine Suggestion: A light, earthy red or a richer, oaked Chardonnay. A good Burgundy might be a bit extravagant for a Monday but equally it’s a good match.
Butternut squash & pancetta pasta – serves 4
80g pancetta cubes
1½ tbsp olive oil
750g butternut sqush, remove the seeds and cut into 2cm cubes
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves finely chopped
¼ tsp chilli flakes
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
350g fusilli pasta
100g young spinach, roughly chopped
grated Parmesan, to serve
Cook the pancetta in a large, dry frying pan until really crisp. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pan.
Add the oil to the pan, then the squash, rosemary, chilli and garlic. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender. Season well and gently crush some of the squash pieces with a wooden spoon.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of salty boiling water, then drain but keep the cooking liquid. Add a ladle or two of the pasta water to the squash and bubble for a few minutes. Tip in the pasta and toss. Stir through the spinach until wilted, then divide between warm bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan and black pepper.
Spanish seafood pasta, made like a paella and with a dollop of alioli … what could be more reminiscent of dinner by the sea on holidays; this dish smells like Spain. Lightly does it when cooking the seafood.
Wine Suggestion: A lighltly chilled Garnacha Negra (Grenache Noir) from Terra Alta springs to mind – they really have a wonderful affinity for this grape there, alongside the Garnacha Blanca too. Edetaria’s basic “via Terra” has all the joy, freshness and perfume to compliment the flavours of the food while adding an extra warm spice and red fruits to lift it further. 30 minutes in the fridge was enough to make it taste and feel like sunshine in Spain, even if the weather outside isn’t quite like that at the moment.
Seafood pasta – serves 6 (easily halved)
6 tbsp olive oil
400g monkfish fillet
4 baby squid, cleaned and bodies cut into rings
12 raw peeled king prawns
12 queen scallops (or you can cut bigger ones in half)
4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp sweet paprika
a good pinch of saffron threads
1.25 litres of fish or chicken stock
500g fideua pasta (or you can use vermicelli or spaghettini)
3 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
lemons quarters, to garnish
garlic mayonnaise or alioli, to serve
Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large paella pan (40-45cm). Add the monkfish, sprinkle with salt, and cook for a few minutes, turning. Add the squid and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Add the prawns and scallops and turn until the prawns are pink and scallops just seared, just a minute or two. Transfer the cooked seafood to a platter and pour off and reserve any cooking liquid.
Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan, stir in the garlic and stir briefly, then stir in the tomatoes. Add the paprika, saffron and some salt, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the liquid has almost evaporated.
Meanwhile, bring the stock and cooking liquid to the boil. Add the pasta to the sauce in the paella pan and cook, stirring, until well coated. Pour in the boiling and cook until the pasta is al dente. Place the seafood on top a few minutes before the end.
Serve sprinkled with parsley and with lemon and alioli or galric mayonnaise on the side.
(Original recipe from Claudia Roden, The Food of Spain, Michael Joseph, 2012.)
We came across this Joe Trivelli recipe at the weekend when trying to find a lunch dish that would use up half a tub of ricotta. It’s definitely worth buying a tub of ricotta for too.
Wine Suggestion: This dish needs a wine that has a bit of acidity and freshness, so taking inspiration from the grated Pecorino on top we went for the similarly named Pecorino grape from the Marche. The crunchy, characterful Vellodoro Pecorino from Umani Ronchi well met the mark and reminded us of summer too, which was a bonus.
Pasta with pine nuts and ricotta – serves 4
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
a pinch of dried chilli flakes
60g pine nuts
300g tomatoes, peeled and chopped (Joe recommends yellow tomatoes but we had red)
3 sprigs of basil
400g short pasta, we used fusilli
200g ricotta
50g grated pecorino
extra virgin olive oil
Put the garlic into a wide pan with 3 tablespoons of oil and place over a medium heat. When the garlic starts to turn golden, add the chilli. Turn the heat down low, remove the garlic and add the pine nuts. Allow them to colour but watch carefully or they could burn.
Add the tomatoes and basil sprigs and season. When the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of boiling salty water until al dente. Scoop out a mug of cooking water before draining.
Toss the pasta with the tomatoes and pine nuts, then add the ricotta, half the pecornio and a few spoons of cooking water. Keep turning the pasta over until you have a nice consistency, adding more water if it looks dry. Serve in warm bowls with the rest of the cheese and a drizzle of your best olive oil.
(Original recipe from The Modern Italian Cook by Joe Trivelli, Seven Dials, 2018.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 