Tag: pasta

Pasta with mushrooms and leek

Published on by Hanna2 Comments

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New year’s resolutions. Usually I am against them myself although others seem to do well with a dry or healthy January (well done, guys!). I actually made a small resolution this year and it is totally food related of course; to cook more from my cookbooks.

I have a bit of a, ahem, cookbook addiction and since I don’t want to stop buying new shiny ones I thought I’d better utilise the ones I’ve got. So far I have already cooked a few things from my newly acquired ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course‘, among other things this pasta recipe with mushrooms and leek.

It sounds very ordinary and it sort of is, yet very delicious. The sauce is silky without being too rich (especially with a splash of white wine added to cut through the cream) and the fried mushrooms and leek are very tasty. I also like that the pasta in this dish is lasagne sheets although the dish is quite far from a regular or even open lasagne. But it really works and I prefer it to many other pasta shapes.

Pasta with mushrooms and leek, serves 2

Adapted from ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cooking Course‘.

For once I followed the recipe dutifully, apart from one small addition; a splash of white wine in the cream sauce.

8 chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

1 leek, washed, trimmed, quartered and sliced

oil for frying

salt, pepper

250 ml chicken stock

100 ml double cream

1 tbsp white wine

4-6 lasagne sheets

To serve: grated parmesan, optional

Heat up the oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add the sliced mushrooms. Add the garlic after two minutes and the leek after another two. Fry until the mushrooms are golden and the leek has softened. Season.

Add the chicken stock and let it reduce for five minutes. 

In the meantime, cook the lasagne sheets in salted water until al dente, for four minutes. Add the cream to the mushrooms and a splash of wine and let it thicken. Season to taste. Remove from heat and submerge the lasagne sheets in the sauce. Plate prettily and serve with or without grated parmesan.  

Tagliatelle with mushrooms, spinach and parmesan

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When I cooked this yesterday my flatmate asked me if I really liked my pasta with mushrooms, and even though I do, I guess she has seen me eat it quite often since I moved in and I don’t like it that much. But it is a great supper to whiz up when you’re lacking energy but need some comforting home cooking. Adding spinach brightens up the dish and adds another earthy flavour that I love. Plus it makes it feel almost healthy. At least I keep telling myself that.

Tagliatelle with mushrooms, spinach and parmesan, serves 2

2 portion tagliatelle 

2 tbsp salted butter

1 garlic clove, grated

150 g mini portabello mushrooms (or other flavourful ‘shrooms) 

2 tbsp dried ceps (porcini mushrooms)

4 tbsp recently boiled water

150 g fresh baby spinach

2 tbsp philadelphia or double cream

greated parmesan 

salt, black pepper

Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Slice the portobello mushrooms. Place the dried ceps in a small bowl and add the hot water and leave to soak for a minute or so. Squeeze out the excess liquid using a spoon and the edge of the bowl. Save the liquid. 

Melt the butter in a medium frying pan and add the grated garlic. Fry the mushrooms (both fresh and dried) until golden on medium heat. Add the spinach and let it wilt. Add grated parmesan. Add the mushroom broth and the philadelphia or cream. Mix until a silky but thin sauce. Add salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and add to the pan and let some of the sauce evaporate until it gently coats the pasta without being runny. Serve with more grated parmesan. 

Weekday wonders: pasta with pesto and fried broccoli

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As much as I like finickety recipes sometime nothing but simple food will do. Simple without being boring that is. It’s a fine line, but I definitely think that this simple concoction of pasta, fresh pesto (may it be store-bought) and fried purple sprouting broccoli with lemon zest is simple, fresh and far from boring.

Penne with pesto and fried purple sprouting, serves 2

2 portions penne

50 ml fresh pesto

200 g purple sprouting broccoli

1/2 lemon, zest only

grated parmesan

olive oil

Cook the pasta according to the packet. Cut the broccoli into chunky pieces. Fry on medium heat in olive oil. Once browned add lemon zest and season. Drain the pasta and mix with the pesto and some olive oil. Divide between bowls, top with broccoli and grated parmesan. 

Pasta with lemon ricotta and roasted vegetables

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I had some leftover ricotta in the fridge one day and rather than repeating what I used it for, I tried to come up with a new (and simple) dish.

This is a perfect warming (and rather healthy) meal for a regular weekday when you’re lacking energy. The ricotta is mixed with parmesan for more flavour, and lemon zest for a fresh kick. The roasted vegetables are kept quite plain but because they’re roasted they have a deep sweet flavour.

Pasta with lemon ricotta and roasted vegetables, serves 2

 250 g pasta of your choice

2 sweet potatoes, diced

1 courgette, in half circles

1 yellow pepper, diced 

olive oil

120 g ricotta

1 tbsp grated parmesan (more to serve)

the zest from 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper

Mix the diced vegetabled in a roasting tray and toss with olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Roast in a 200C oven for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet. 

Mix ricotta with lemon zest and parmesan, salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are done, mix the drained pasta with a spoonful ricotta in a bowl. Top with vegetables and another dollop of ricotta. Sprinkle over parmesan.

Tagliatelle with girolles, white wine and balsamico

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

There are quite a few speedy pasta recipes in the archive, and that is exactly what I like with pasta – the speedy element. As long as you use good wuality pasta and don’t cook it to mush, you don’t need many ingredients to throw together a quick and delicious meal.

I had some girolles left in my freezer that I added white wine, balsamic vinegar, creme fraiche, parmesan and garlic too. Most important while making a pasta sauce is to use strong flavours. As it gets mixed in with the pasta it will have just enough flavour, but if you start off bland it will only get blander when you add the pasta. I prefer a smallish amount of sauce to pasta, it should only coat and dress the pasta, not let it swim in it.

Tagliatelle with girolles, white wine and balsamico, 1-2 portioner

200-250 g tagliatelle

1 large handful girolles

butter for frying

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 tbsp white wine

100 ml creme fraiche

2 tbsp balsamico

parmesan shavings

chopped parsley or persillade

Cook the pasta according to the packet. Melt the butter in a frying pan or sauteuse. Fry the mushrooms on medium-high heat. Lower the heat a bit and add the pressed garlic. After a minute or so, add the wine and let most of it evaporate befpre adding the creme fraiche. Add the balsamic, let the mixture thicken and season to taste.

Drain the pasta but put some of the cooking water to the side. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss with the sauce. Add some pasta water if you want the mixture to be thinner. Plate and add parmesan and either chopped parsley or some persillade.

 

Already updated: pasta with truffle oil and parmesan

Published on by Hanna3 Comments

It was not long ago at all that I declared that the nicest pasta dish is served with butter, truffle oil and parmesan, perfect for a quiet night in. That it is still true. But. It gets even better if said butter is browned butter. You will almost faint while eating this – it is that good!

Pasta with truffle oil, browned butter and parmesan, serves 2

3oo g good tagliatelle

1-2 tbsp browned butter

truffle oil

plenty of grated parmesan

black pepper

Browned butter: Melt butter in a saucepan while whisking until the colour turns brown. Remove from heat and pour through a muslin cloth. Keep in the fridge.

Cook the pasta al dente. Drain in a colander. Pour the pasta back to the pan and add the browned butter. Flavour with truffle oil and plate in bowls. Add plenty of grated parmesan, black pepper and maybe a pinch of salt.

Pasta with spinach and peanut sauce

Published on by Hanna3 Comments

I thrive on inspiration from other blogs. Isn’t it great what the internet can provide us with?

Last week I found this recipe on a Swedish food blog I follow; Kryddburken [The Spice Jar] – a wonderful pasta recipe with a fabulous sauce made with spinach, peanuts, lemon, garlic and parmesan. It was utterly simple and tasted lovely. I think this will stick to my weekday repertoire.

I adapted the recipe a little (omitted pine nuts and halved it). You find my version below.

Pasta with spinach and peanut sauce, serves 2

Adapted from this recipe.

200 g pasta of your choice

100 g spinach, roughly chopped

50 g salted peanuts

200 ml half and half (half cream, half milk)

1/2 lemon, the juice

75 ml grated parmesan

1 small garlic clove, pressed

1 tsp chilli sauce

butter and oil for frying

salt and black pepper

Cook the pasta accordingly. Chop the nuts with a knife or in a food processor. Add the butter and oil to a frying pan on high heat. Add the spinach and nuts. Cook until the spinach has wilted and the water has dried away. Add the half and half, garlic and lemon juice and let the sauce thicken while stirring. Season.

Remove from the heat after about 5 minutes and stir in the parmesan. Serve with the pasta.