Category: Pasta

Recipe: Seriously Creamy Three Cheese Macaroni Cheese

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Macaroni cheese wasn’t something I grew up with. We had pasta bolognese and mamma made a really nice creamy pasta sauce with ham, but macaroni cheese I have discovered myself as an adult. I’ve made baked versions and stovetop versions, and I’ve found them all delicious but a little bit stodgy.

But then I saw a post from Half baked harvest making a very creamy mac ‘n cheese on Instagram that looked great. So with her recipe as a guide (but with a few changes) I made this seriously creamy mac ‘n cheese which has now become my go-to! It’s so quick and easy and verrry comforting!

Seriously creamy three cheese mac ‘n cheese, serves 2

Inspired by Half baked harvest’s recipe.

200 g macaroni

50 ml milk or cream

60 g Philadelphia

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1/2-1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp salted butter

250 ml grated cheddar

50 ml grated parmesan

salt and pepper

Cook the macaroni al dente in (take 2-3 minutes off the full cooking time on the packet) in a large non-stick saucepan in plenty of salted water on high heat. Reserve a mug of pasta water. Drain the pasta and transfer back into the pan and place it on medium-low heat. Add the milk/cream and Philadelphia, dijon mustard and garlic powder and stir until the Philadelphia has melted. Add the butter, cheddar and parmesan and stir until melted. If the sauce thickens too quickly add a splash of pasta water to loosen it. Just repeat if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a little more mustard if needed. When lovely and creamy divide between bowls. Serve with a tangy salad.

Recipe: Courgette Orzo Pasta with Lemon and Mascarpone

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November. How did we get here so quickly? It felt like August not long ago and the beginning of September just yesterday. We’ve been back in London fully for a while now and it feels good to not have to pack a bag for a while. To cosy up with candles and blankets at home.

This recipe is September for me, so I missed the cut-off, but with the milder temperatures we have now I think this still works. It’s absolutely delicious and a good way to use up any courgettes (I got some in my vegetable box only yesterday). It’s also a great way to make something comforting with vegetables (something I find hard).

Sometimes when I create a recipe it’s because I use what I have to hand. Other times I dream something up in my head and try to execute it. And most often, it’s a combination of the two.

In this case I had an idea of a creamy orzo pasta with courgette. With lemon, because it’s the obvious pairing and flavour enhancer. But the mascarpone part of the recipe came to me because I had half a packet left in the fridge and I needed to use it up. And it’s the ingredient what made this dish so lovely.

For me, the whole point of orzo is to create something a bit risotto like, but with pasta. It has a different, silkier texture than rice and feels lighter somehow. But the creaminess is important. And mascarpone offers that in the nicest possible way. For me this bowl of courgette and orzo tastes of summer slowly becoming autumn, the trees changing colour, of tanned legs in trousers instead of shorts, of the clearer fresher air that september brings.

Courgette orzo pasta with lemon and mascarpone, serves 2

200 g orzo

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 – 1 1/2 medium courgette, cut in half and sliced

1/2 lemon, zest and a little juice

1/2 packet mascarpone

grated parmesan

salt and pepper

Cook the orzo al dente in a saucepan. In a non-stick frying pan, heat upp the butter on medium heat and fry the shallots until soft. Don’t let them brown. Remove from the pan. Add the olive oil to the pan and turn the temperature up to medium-high. Add the courgette half moons and fry until soft and a little brown. Take the pan off the heat and add the onions back in. Lower the temperature to medium and place the pan back on the heat. Add the mascarpone and lemon zest, salt and pepper and stir until creamy. Reserve some of the pasta water in a mug and drain the orzo through a sieve. Add the pasta to the courgette mixture and add a little of the pasta water. Stir in a handful of grated parmesan and adjust the seasoning if needed. Spoon the pasta into bowls and sprinkle with some more grated parmesan before serving.

Recipe: Creamy Langoustine Pasta with Garlic Butter Langoustines on the Shell

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This summer, which I mainly spent in Norfolk, was heaven. Apart from the weather. But we had lots of barbecues and ate a lot of lovely local seafood.

But one day at the fishmongers, while also buying local crab, I couldn’t resist the beautiful looking Scottish langoustines. And that night I turned them into this stunning pasta dish with wine, tomatoes, cream and of course lots of langoustine meat.

I was quite generous with three each; half of the meat went into the sauce and the other half I kept in their shells, covered with garlic and parsley butter and put under the grill before placing them on top of the silky pasta. It was creamy, buttery and pure heaven to eat.

If I had had more time I would have made a quick stock from the shells to use in the pasta sauce but it wasn’t actually needed. Instead I put them in the freezer and made langoustine soup a few days later using a quick stock, a splash of wine and cream. Delicious!

Creamy langoustine pasta with garlic butter langoustines on the shell, serves 2

6 langoustines

1/2 shallot, finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

100 g cherry tomatoes, washed and halved

a small pinch of sugar

3 tbsp dry white wine

150 ml cream

salt and pepper

250 g spaghetti

4 tbsp salted butter, softened

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Start with the langoustines. Cut them all in half lengthways and get rid of the vein. Keep six halves in their shells but take the meat out of two of the claws, keep four as they are. Pick all the meat out of the remaining six half and cut into 1 cm pieces. Set aside.

Cook the pasta al dente according to the packet. Then start the sauce by placing a large frying pan on medium heat and add the butter. Cook the onions for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the wine and let it bubble away. Add sugar. Then add the cream and let it thicken slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Mix together the butter with garlic and parsley. Place the six langoustines halves shell on in an oven-proof dish. Spread with plenty of butter and place under a hot grill (250C) until bubbling and hot, it only takes a minute or two.

Heat up the sauce, add the langoustine meat, the drained pasta and a splash of pasta water and cook for a minute or so in the sauce while moving the pasta around the whole time. Once it is coating every strand of pasta in a satisfying manner, divide the pasta between two bowls. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then place the shell on langoustine halves on top, three in each bowl. Add two claws to each bowl and serve.

Recipe: Spaghetti with Buttery Tomato Sauce and Burrata

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I take inspiration from all around me and my cooking philosophy (and perhaps generally in life too) is that everything can be improved upon. So even though I thought my regular tomato sauce could hold is own, I was intrigued when I saw Swedish food writer Sofia Wood add butter and honey to her tomato sauce on Instagram.

Not long after I saw that I made this spaghetti with tomato sauce and burrata and the butter, honey and lemon juice really improved my already quite good tomato sauce. The butter just makes it more mellow (in the best possible way) while also adding depth. I highly recommend trying this at home! The honey is less controversial as I always add sugar to my tomato sauce to take away sharpness, but honey works really well and you don’t have to be scared you added too much like you can with sugar. Lastly, the lemon juice added back a bit of sharpness after having removed some with adding butter and honey, but it adds a different kind of sharpness than the tomatoes have naturally – it’s fresher!

So with all these little tweaks my tomato sauce was taken to the next level and it was SO good paired with creamy burrata, olive oil and basil that I urge you, yes URGE you, to try it too!

Spaghetti with buttery tomato sauce and burrata, serves 2

1 burrata, 200 g

300 g spaghetti

1 tbsp olive oil for frying

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

400 g passata

50 ml water

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp salted butter

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1 small bunch basil, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Topping:

torn basil

extra virgin olive oil

grated parmesan

salt and pepper

Cook the spaghetti al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Take the burrata out of the fridge. Add the oil to a large sauce pan on medium heat. Fry the garlic for a few minutes but don’t let it get too brown. Add the passata and water and let it reduce for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add honey and butter to the sauce and let it melt while stirring. Add the lemon juice and basil and season well to taste.

Add the drained spaghetti to the sauce and a little pasta water if needed. Continue to cook the pasta in the sauce while moving the pasta around in the pan with tongs until each strand of spaghetti is evenly coated with tomato sauce. Remove from heat and divide between bowls.

Tear the burrata in two and divide between bowls. Drizzle with olive oil. Scatter with basil and add extra salt and pepper. Finish it off with a generous scattering of grated parmesan.

Recipe: Chipotle Broccoli and Pepper Pasta Bake

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When it comes to pasta bakes I usually only have one goal; to mix pasta with cheese, something creamy and whatever needs to be eaten from the fridge. A great way to make them, absolutely, but recently I have been craving the same pasta bake again and again so it’s worth writing down the recipe.

I find that the combination of broccoli and fried sweet peppers work really well together in many different settings, like in a quiche, or in a salad, so maybe that’s why it works so well in this dish too.

Chipotle broccoli and pepper pasta bake, serves 3-4

As I’m of the philosophy that a pasta bake should include anything that needs using up, I highly recommend using up different dairy products and cheese. I’ve been known to mix creme fraîche with cream and even milk! Anything works.

200 g short pasta

1 head of broccoli, stem removed and cut into florets

1-2 peppers, seeds removed and cut into thin strips

1 tbsp mild olive oil

200 ml creme fraiche

2 tsp chipotle paste

salt and pepper

2 handfuls of grated cheddar

salad to serve

Cook the pastan al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside. In the same pan, blanch the broccoli (place the broccoli in boiling water, bring to the boil and drain quickly) and set aside. Heat up a frying pan and add the oil. Fry the peppers on medium heat until a little brown around the edges. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix creme fraiche with chipotle, salt and pepper. Add the pasta and drained vegetables and mix well. Pour into a buttered gratin dish and top with cheese. Bake in 200 C for approx 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with a crunchy salad.

Recipe: Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta with Spring Onions

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There are so many aspects of a roast chicken supper that I like. That the golden roasted bird with herbs, lemon and butter pairs fantastically well with dauphinoise potatoes and is a real joy to eat is of course number one. But it’s also extremely satisfying that I can make stock from the bones to use for soup or stews. And that I can use leftovers for both sandwiches and (at least) another supper! You really can stretch a chicken quite far, especially if you’re frugal with the leftovers and use with pasta, as I explained in this post.

Like that recipe, this one came about in the usual manner; while creating a dish using leftover chicken and what else I had to hand at that time. In this case mushrooms and spring onions. The result, so good I wanted to share it with the world!

Creamy chicken and mushrooms pasta with spring onions, serves 2

250 g spaghetti 

100 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp butter

1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped

150 ml cream

1 tbsp lemon juice

1-2 tbsp tomato paste

150 g leftover roast chicken, torn into bite size pieces

3 spring onions, sliced  

approx 100 ml pasta water 

salt and pepper

grated parmesan

Cook the spaghetti al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms until golden brown on medium-high heat. Season. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic. After a minute or so add the cream and stir while it thickens. Add lemon juice and tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the chicken and half of the spring onions. Add the cooked pasta and some pasta water and using tongs or a wooden fork, move the pasta so the sauce thickens. Once each strand of spaghetti has a nice coating of sauce remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and peppar. Add grated parmesan and the remaining spring onion and serve.

Recipe: My favourite lasagne

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Fun fact; I didn’t think I liked lasagne when I was a child. My mamma never made it so my only reference was the school lasagne which was horrible. I’m sorry, but it was and I still wouldn’t eat it today. So imagine my fear when we were going away with the student body for a few days aged 11 or so and I was told one of the dinners would be lasagne.

One of the school dinner ladies was there cooking for us and the lasagne she put down on the table was absolutely delicious and miles away from the bulk made one we had at school. From then on I’ve loved the dish, but as I never learnt how to make it from my mamma, it took me a while to figure out my preferred version.

After a lot of trail and error I have come up with a recipe I am very happy with and quite proud of. In my trials I have learnt that I don’t like mine to acidic and I definitely want red wine in the sauce. The smell of a bolognese sauce cooking on the stove for a few hours is one of my favourite smells. It’s the mixture of the scents that does it for me; slight smokiness from the browned beef, a whiff of fat that makes everything taste better, and the warming scent of red wine bubbling away.

I’ve also learnt (the hard way) that you need a vat of béchamel. Like way more than you think you need. Oh, and lasagne sheets behave very differently. The best ones I’ve found are these from Barilla that cook quickly and don’t drink all the sauce.

So without much further ado, here is my beloved recipe. Let me know if you try it and what you think! Oh, and try this salad while you’re at it. It goes perfectly with pasta and adds a little freshness and tang to your lunch or supper!

My lasagne, serves 4

Bolognese sauce:

500 g beef mince, at least 12 % fat

2 tbsp soffritto (equal parts minced carrots, onions and celery)

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2 bottle red wine (375 ml)

1 tbsp tomato paste

400 g chopped tomatoes

2 tsp herb d’Provence

Bechamel sauce:

4 tbsp butter

3 tbsp plain flour

1 l whole milk

grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

2 tsp lemon juice

1 handful grated mature cheese

1 parmesan rind

To assemble:

approx 12 lasagne sheets

1 handful grated mature cheese 

Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and fry the soffritto over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the beef mince fry until brown and a bit crispy in parts. Add salt and pepper. Pour in the red wine. Add the bay leaf and pour in the tomatoes and a little water. Add the tomato paste, give the pot a good stir and bring to the boil. Once boiling lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and let it gently simmer away for 11/2-2 hours. Stir occasionally and check that it’s not reducing too quickly. If so, lower the heat and add a little water. Once you have a thick and not too runny bolognese, adjust the seasoning and add the dried herbs. Leave on low heat while you make the béchamel sauce. 

Add the butter to a large saucepan. Add the flour and fry it while stirring with a whisk on medium heat for a minute or two. Add approx 200 ml milk and stir with a whisk until the mixture thickens. Add the parmesan rind, keep on a medium-low heat and repeat with the remaining milk. Don’t let it boil as it could split, and stir continuously with a whisk so it doesn’t burn at the bottom of the pan. Once thick and creamy add the grated cheese, grated nutmeg and lemon juice. Season well to taste and set aside. 

Pre-heat the oven to 200C fan. 

To start building the lasagne, pour a ladle of béchamel into an oven-proof dish aprox 25×20 cm and spread it out to cover the bottom of the dish. Place a layer or lasagne sheets on top to cover. Break sheets apart to find pieces to fit the dish if needed. Add another ladle of béchamel and spread it out. Add a third of the bolognese on top and spread it out. Add another layer of lasagne sheets, cover with béchamel and top with a third of the bolognese. Do one more layer. Top the last layer of lasagne sheets with béchamel and mix in a little of what’s left of the bolognese sauce, just to get a nice colour. Add the cheese and any remaining béchamel. 

Place the lasagne in the middle of the oven and cook for approx 30 minutes. Until browned and crispy on top and cooked through. Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Prepare a salad, cut up the lasagne and plate. 

Recipe: pasta alla vodka

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This year we’ve eaten a lot of pasta. I think we needed it this year more than ever. To me, a nice pasta dish is really comforting, especially if it is of the creamy Roman kind, but it also helps that so many pasta dishes are easy and quick to make. It seems much needed from time to time, this year when we have spent so much more time in our kitchens.

Pasta alla vodka has become a firm favourite that we eat quite often, and the creamy tomato-y sauce with a hint of vodka is just the best when in need for a bowl of comfort. I use Bon Appetit’s recipe and like them I prefer to make it with a medium-sized rigatoni.

Obviously one can eat pasta any day of the week but I’ve found it especially nice to make it on Fridays to celebrate the end of the working week with a quick but lovely pasta dish and a glass of wine. It sets one up for the weekend ahead, even in a lockdown.

Pasta alla vodka with rigatoni, serves 4

Adapted from Bon Appetit’s recipe.

500 g medium-sized rigatoni

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

115 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tube (127 g) double-concentrated tomato paste

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (can be omitted)

60 ml vodka

180 ml double cream

basil leaves for serving

Boil the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Pour the oil into a large saucepan and place on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, just until onion is starting to brown around the edges, approx 5–7 minutes. Add tomato paste, and red pepper flakes if using, and stir until the paste evenly coats the onions. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the paste is deep red and starting to brown on bottom of pot, approx 5–7 minutes. Add the vodka to deglaze pan and stir to incorporate, scraping the bottom of pot. Reduce the heat to low. Using a heatproof glass measuring cup, scoop about 60 ml boiling water from the pasta pot, then add the cream to it and slowly pour it into the tomato paste while stirring. Remove from heat. Reserve about 150 ml of the pasta water and add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce. Add some of the pasta water to the pot and stir on low heat as the pasta continues to cook and the sauce thickens. Gradually add half of the Parmesan, stirring constantly to melt the cheese. You should have a smooth, glossy sauce that coats each piece of pasta. Season with salt and divide pasta among bowls. Top with remaining cheese, drizzle with olive oil and scatter basil on top.

Recipe: Cheat’s carbonara

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You know how it’s a complete no-no to have cream in your pasta carbonara?! Well, during lockdown I had to forgo my principles a little when I was short on eggs. The honesty box for eggs at the village farm was under high demand and sometimes you were unlucky and went without.

So I ended up adding a little cream to my egg yolks and parmesan and it was actually so much easier to make a carbonara that way. No holding of breath and giving a silent prayer that it would turn out ok. It just worked, so for us non-Italians I actually think this is the best way to learn how to make this dish. And then when you’re confident and can make it in your sleep, make it without the cream and experience the authentic version, because it’s pretty great. Yes, better than this version with cream. But when you’re low on eggs or tired one night after work, then this is my go-to!

Cheat’s carbonara, serves 2

Very similar to proper carbonara, but much easier to make!

1 large free-range egg yolks

40g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

2-3 tbsp cream

150g good quality pancetta, diced

200g dried good quality spaghetti

1 clove of garlic

extra virgin olive oil

black pepper

a pinch of salt

Put the egg yolk into a bowl, finely grate in the Parmesan, season with pepper, then mix well with a fork and put to one side. Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente.

Fry the pancetta in a little oil over medium-high heat. Peel the garlic and crush it and add it to the pan for flavour – remove if it browns or when finished cooking. Reserve some cooking water and drain the pasta and add it to the pancetta pan. Toss well over the heat so it really soaks up all the flavour, then remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the pasta back to the spaghetti pan, season and add a splash of the cooking water, then pour in the egg mixture and the cream. Mix well (I like to use tongs to move the pasta around in the pan), adding more cooking water (if needed) until lovely and glossy. Serve with a grating of parmesan and extra pepper. 

Updated: Easy Creamy Truffle Pasta

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I last updated this recipe eight years ago, and it really is great as it is, but I recently adapted it into this creamier, more decadent version, and it’s too good not to share with you.

When you crave restaurant truffle pasta (like my favourite at Sorella) but don’t want to go out, this really hits the spot. Using truffle oil is of course miles away from fresh truffle, but as it’s much easier to get hold of it makes sense to keep a good bottle in your pantry for when the cravings hit.

Easy creamy truffle pasta, serves 2

3oo g good tagliatelle

50 g salted butter

50 ml double cream

about 1 tsp good quality truffle oil

plenty of grated parmesan

1/4 lemon

sea salt and black pepper

Cook the pasta al dente in salted water. Remove half a mug of pasta water and drain the rest away in a colander. Put the hot pan back onto high heat and add the butter. Let it foam and wait for brown flecks to appear. Remove from heat and pour in the cream while whisking. Let it thicken a little then add in a little of the pasta water and add the pasta. Add the parmesan little by little while stirring until you have a silky sauce. If too thick, add more pasta water. If too runny, put it back on medium heat and keep stirring. When the consistency is right, remove from heat and add the truffle oil. Add a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Divide between bowls. Add more parmesan, a little more black pepper and maybe a few more drops of truffle oil.