Tag Archives: pasta

Bolognese Spaghetti Sauce (Stephanie Alexander)

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Ingredients

Directions:

  1. Saute onion, celery and garlic in oil in a large saucepan until softened.
  2. Add minced meat and pancetta and fry until meat breaks up into small lumps.
  3. Sprinkle in flour, then stir well.
  4. Add wine, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  5. Mix well, then increase heat and boil to evaporate liquid.
  6. Add stock, tomato, tomato paste and herbs.
  7. Reduce heat again and simmer for 1 hour, stirring from time to time.
  8. Taste for seasoning.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/bolognese-sauce-124451#ixzz1ylitQETE

Easy spinach and ricotta canneloni

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Only six ingredients are needed to make this tasty and wholesome cannelloni bake.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 750g fresh reduced-fat ricotta cheese
  • 150g baby spinach leaves, chopped
  • 4 fresh lasagne pasta sheets
  • 2 cups Italian tomato pasta sauce
  • 75g grated tasty cheese
  • 60g baby rocket

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place ricotta in a bowl. Add spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.

  2. Cut lasagne sheets in half crossways. Spread 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture along the centre of each piece. Roll up to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining ricotta mixture and lasagne sheets.

  3. Spread half the passata sauce over the base of a 6cm-deep, 25cm x 35cm (base) ovenproof dish. Arrange pasta tubes, seam side down, over sauce. Spread with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until pasta is cooked and top golden brown. Serve topped with rocket.

Notes

  • Variation: Replace half the spinach with rocket leaves, and stir in 125g chopped cooked bacon.

Green Pasta

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  •  Small pasta shapes (little shells are good)
  • A frying pan full of green soft salad-y leaves (it will reduce) – rocket is great, spinach, mizuna, radish tops. Not the crunchy salad leaves. Chop the leaves up.
  • 2 zucchinis, finely grated
  • olive oil
  • 2 dried chillis
  • 2 anchovy fillets
  • 2 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced)
  • cream
  • lemon juice to taste (about half a lemon)
  • parmesan cheese to taste
  • Pepper and salt to taste

Method

Put the pasta in boiling water to cook (follow packet instructions). When ready, turn off the heat, drain, rinse with hot water and return to the saucepan. Cover.

Meanwhile, heat some olive oil gently in a pan. Add the garlic, chilli and anchovy fillets and mash them around with a wooden spoon. Don’t burn the garlic or it will taste bitter. When the mixture is fragrant, add the grated zucchini and cook for a  few minutes until softened. Add the green salad leaves and cook until wilted. Then add some cream and stir (a couple of table spoons is good, enough to make a sauce). Reduce mixture by allowing to bubble gently for a couple of minutes. Add the grated parmesan cheese (start with a small amount and add more once you’ve tasted it) and once it has melted and stirred in, squeeze through the lemon juice to taste and remove from the heat.

Mix with the warm pasta, add freshly grated pepper and taste. Add salt if needed and serve.