Recipe - Vegan & Vegetarian Lentil Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 800g canned chopped tomatoes
• 410g can brown lentils
• Pasta to serve 4

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes until softened.
2. Add the garlic, cumin, thyme, tomato paste, tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Bring to the boil and season with salt and black pepper. Turn the heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes, add the lentils and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water according to packet instructions. Drain and toss with sauce.

Recipe - Pasta with Braised Chicken, Tomato And Rosemary Sauce

Recently when we had our delicious meal at La Rosa at The Strand, I fell in love with the Capellini della Mamma  -  Mum’s Angel Hair Pasta with Braised Free Range Chicken &  Rosemary. So, I went looking for a similar recipe. Found it :) I would cook this for a dinner party, it was great!

Ingredients:

• 80 ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 400 gm skinless chicken thigh fillets (about 6)
• 400 ml tomato passata
• 150 ml chicken stock
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 600 gm dried spaghettini
• To serve: finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method:

1. Heat half the olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add onion and garlic and stir occasionally until translucent (5-7 minutes). Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add chicken, season to taste and cook, turning once, until browned (4-5 minutes). Add to onion mixture, then add tomato passata, 100ml stock, rosemary and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer until tender (1-1½ hours), adding more stock if sauce gets too thick. Set aside to cool slightly, then coarsely shred chicken and return to sauce, season to taste and keep warm.
2. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (5-7 minutes), drain well, return to saucepan, add sauce, season to taste, toss to combine and serve hot scattered with grated parmesan.

This recipe is from the March 2013 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Original recipe: http://m.gourmettraveller.com.au/recipes/recipe-search/fare-exchange/2013/2/mums-spaghettini-with-braised-chicken-tomato-and-rosemary-sauce/

Recipe - Super Speedy and Easy Meat-free pasta (my own creation … don’t count the anchovies)

Serves 4 

Ingredients

·       Olive oil

·       4 tbsp. panko bread crumbs

·       4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

·       6 anchovies, peeled and finely chopped

·       4 tbsp. pine nuts

·       basil leaves

·       juice of 1

·       Lemon

·       Pepper

·       4 tbsp. finely grated Parmesan

·       Pasta (enough for 4 i.e 250g)

Method:

1.       Dry roast the pine nuts & bread crumbs – set aside

2.       4 garlic cloves, peeled

3.       Add enough olive oil to sauté the anchovies and garlic until just browned – take off heat

4.       Cook the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl

5.       Stir through just a little olive oil (so pasta doesn’t stick), the lemon juice, pine nuts, breadcrumbs, parmesan & basil leaves (leave aside some to sprinkle on top to make it look pretty)

6.       Season with pepper to taste

7.       Sprinkle remaining basil leaves on top

Recipe - Chicken, bacon and spinach spaghetti bolognaise

I found this recipe on http://www.taste.com.au and didn’t really take it too seriously … IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! You may spot extra spinach (you caught me … I had surplus … also it was silverbeet). Also, I used pancetta vs. bacon.

Ingredients

·       1 tablespoon olive oil

·       1 brown onion, finely chopped

·       2 garlic cloves, crushed

·       1 celery stick, finely chopped

·       1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped

·       125g shortcut bacon rashers, finely chopped

·       600g chicken mince

·       750ml Italian tomato pasta sauce

·       1/2 cup Campbell's Real Stock Chicken

·       75g baby spinach leaves

·       400g dried spaghetti pasta

·       grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Method

1.       Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until carrot is tender.

2.       Add bacon and chicken. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add pasta sauce and stock. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach. Cook for 1 minute or until the spinach is just wilted.

3.       Meanwhile, cook pasta in a saucepan of salted, boiling water following packet directions until tender. Drain. Divide between bowls. Top with bolognaise. Serve with parmesan.

Recipe Source: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/18081/chicken+bacon+and+spinach+spaghetti+bolognaise