Make perfect pasta
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Date Posted:
November-9-2009 15:56
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Why should you learn to cook Italian “peasant food”? Because it’s cheap but sophisticated, just like you are…
Sure, your flatmates say your spag bol is the greatest outside Bologna, but will Ole Faithful wow Miss Friday Night and lure her from the kitchen to a more entertaining room in the house? We think not. Serve some pasta that shows you care.
Orecchiette with bresaola, zucchini and rocket pesto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely diced
2 small zucchini, sliced
200g sliced bresaola, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons rocket pesto
1 cup cream
500g dried orecchiette
80g parmesan cheese, grated
To make the pasta sauce, heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onion until softened. Add the zucchini and bresaola and cook for three to four minutes, then dollop in the rocket pesto and pour in the cream. Simmer for five minutes, until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper. While sauce is cooking, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and return to the pan, add sauce and toss. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Serves four.
Fettuccine with salmon, crème fraîche and rocket
500g dried fettuccine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
3 x 120g salmon fillets, skin removed and diced
Juice and grated zest of 2 lemons
250g crème fraîche
100g rocket
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the shallots until softened. Add the salmon and cook for two minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, zest and crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and warm gently. Drain pasta and return to the pan, add sauce and toss to combine. Scatter with rocket to serve. Serves four.
One more delicious recipe and some invaluable cooking tips...