Pancetta, sage, ricotta & olive pasta

 

Two sleeps before I awake to a new year with limitless possibilities and no expectations.
I am looking forward to this new year more than others before; this one almost past, whilst filled with joy and wonderful experiences, was also filled with much heartache and loss for me - but I guess that makes it one I won't forget in a lifetime of years...

For the new year I am breaking old habits, one of them being the tradition of a new year's resolution, instead, I will endeavourer to live in the present, and make the most of whatever comes my way - no self-promises to be broken :). Que sera, sera...

In regards to what I shall be cooking in 2011, I am setting myself a challenge to cook at least three recipes per week from my collection of dusty, and almost forgotten cookbooks. It is time I finally discover which books contain golden recipes and which merely lumps of lead, as let's face it, not all printed recipes are great ones...

Perhaps I will end up with a little extra shelf space for some new and wonderful books as well.

Speaking of which, what are some of your most tried and true cook books?
And are you making any New Year's Resolutions?

Pancetta, sage & ricotta pasta
adapted from No Time To Cook by Donna Hay
serves 2

200g pasta (rigatoni)
15g butter (I used 30g)
1tsp olive oil
8 sage leaves
8 slices pancetta, sliced thickly (I used three for R's bowl)
1/2cup green olives, halved
pinch chilli flakes
1 tbs lemon zest (I omitted as R doesn't like lemon)
2 tbs lemon juice (I omitted also)
150g fresh ricotta
finely grated Parmesan to serve

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 10-12 mins. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep frypan, add butter,oil, sage & pancetta and cook for 3mins or until pancetta is crisp (I cooked pancetta separately as it takes a while to crisp up). Add olives, chilli, lemon zest and juice and then drained pasta to the pan, toss to coat. Place pasta in bowls and top with chunks of ricotta and sprinkled Parmesan cheese.

ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 5mins.
cooking time: 15mins.
total: 20mins.

taste: 3/5. Sucker-punch pasta.

This dish certainly isn't mild by any means. I actually quite liked the briny olives with the strong sage and bite-y Parmesan upon the soft pasta and cool ricotta with a hint of heat. Hubby found it too salty, despite there being no additional salt, and as much as I liked the flavour combo, I have to agree that it was quite salty, the lemon I omitted most likely would have helped to cut through that with its acidity and would add some 'freshness'.

would I make it again: No - hubby thought it was OK, but would prefer to see what else is out there.

Bugs Bunny pasta

It seems the time has come again

for things that frighten boys and men

Of ghosts and ghouls and witches brooms

to leave the comfort of their tombs

As Jack O Lanterns light the way

and all things creepy come to play

Grab your friend and hold on tight

All Hallows' Eve begins tonight

Although I live 'down under', Halloween seems to excite my inner child who revelled in all things spooky and slightly macabre growing up. Whilst my fellow school mates idolised Britney Spears, it was Wednesday Adams whom I felt a kinship with. Beetlejuice, Buffy and Jack Skellington were my peeps. So despite the lack of pumpkins on doorsteps and door-knockers in costume, I still wanted to get in on the action and contribute something 'orange' for this occasion. And although not necessarily spooky, mention cooked carrots to a child and I'm sure they'll be frightened :)

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 50mins.
total: 1 hour.

taste: 4/5. Carrot-tastic!

When I was no higher than a hip bone twas true that I detested any form of cooked carrots. Perhaps if I had been given this dish my carrot-loathing would have been halted far earlier than the age of twenty-two...

I loved this dish. It was tasty with a lovely balance of sweet, salty and savoury (although I may have added a little too much thyme the second time around, don't be too liberal with this fragrant herb). Both adults and children alike loved it. As always, I would increasing the topping-to-pasta ratio, as it's always best to have more than less. I also found that this worked with some pasta shapes better than others. Penne wasn't as great as farfalle or even macaroni.

would I make it again: Yes.


recipe: Bugs Bunny pasta

Salmon & pesto spaghetti

If someone offers a warning regarding a particular wedding photographer, forget about how pretty the pictures and albums are and take heed.

Needless to say my husband and I went trough hell trying to stick to the original package deal we signed on for, and after 3 days and over 20 hours of arguing we still ended up $1,500 over the initial amount. It's like a hostage negotiation, if you don't pay up then you can kiss your darling photos goodbye. In all honesty I wouldn't have minded paying the extra amount if they had just been honest about their packages and 'hidden costs'; it's the plain faced lying that gets my goat.

Venting aside (I'm hoping this hasn't aged me 10 years, because it sure feels like it has), I was left with little energy and a mountain of apathy. All of my emotional wells have been drained dry and I was left an amorphous blob on the couch. The only thing that was able to render me mobile was my grumbling tummy. I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to stay upright before falling asleep so I opted for something quick (with the possibility of using pre-packaged items) to fill my belly.


serves 2

olive oil
1 salmon fillet
3tbs pesto
200g spaghetti
grated cheese, to serve

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line baking tray with foil and spray salmon with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 12mins or to your liking.
Meanwhile boil water, oil and salt in a large saucepan. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, leaving small amount of cooking water and return to pan. Stir through 3tbs of pesto and flaked salmon. Serve with grated Parmegiano Reggiano.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 3mins.
cooking time: 12mins.
total: 15mins.

taste: 4/5. Use a pesto you love as it is the main flavour.

would I make it again: Yes - super quick week night dinner with no fuss.

recipe: adapted from here http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/20465/salmon+salsa+verde+spaghetti

Tuna & macaroni bake

Tuna in, tuna out. Tonight's dish was a last minute substitute. I had another dish meant for this evening, but upon a second look it no longer seemed appetising (hard boiled eggs, no pasta). I have made this particular dish before, it was liked but not overly so. Second time around I have limited the mustard (the most noted dislike previously) and increased the cheese (I have a cheese loving family).

ease: 5/5. prep time: 15mins to cook pasta and make sauce.
cooking time: 20mins.
total: 35mins.

taste: 3.5/5. Not bad, perhaps too much onion. I reduced the mustard to 1tsp which was enough for the boys. It definitely needs more tuna and perhaps cheese sprinkled on the top.

would I make it again: No - perhaps there is a better tuna bake recipe out there.

recipe: http://www.taste.com.au/recipe/view-recipe.php?id=1022&page=&mc=1#c

Mushy roast garlic and cherry tomato pasta

Summer definitely made up for its late arrival with two days of 40C sweltering heat. Last night we ordered pizza as I just couldn't bear to turn on the oven or the stove top. Tonight, I also wanted to order in but I didn't feel like eating junk so I opted for something that would allow me to walk away into the cool lounge room while it cooked itself.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 6mins.
cooking time: 30mins.
total: 36mins.

taste: 3.5/5. Everyone liked it, I found it a little lacking on the garlic front, will have to add more next time. I halved the amount of red onion.

would I make it again: Yes. As a last minute meal as all of the ingredients I usually have on hand.

recipe: http://www.thegoodmoodfoodblog.com/2008/11/mushy-roast-garlic-and-cherry-tomato.html

Cacio e pepe

I had a chicken dish in mind for tonight's dinner however I forgot to defrost it. As 5:30pm rolled around I ransacked my cupboards for pieces that would somehow make a complete meal.

Pasta is normally my go to choice. As I did not have any canned tomatoes but plenty of cheeses I thought this recipe would be prime choice.

ease: 5/5. prep time: 10mins to grate cheeses and make sauce.
cooking time: 9mins to cook pasta.
total: 19mins. taste: 4/5. I enjoyed this but the others found it too bland. I only had Parmesan aged to 2years so that is what I used. It did end up a little greasy - perhaps too much oil.

would I make it again: No - I was the only one who finished my plate.

recipe: http://www.weareneverfull.com/cacio-e-pepe-a-spicy-creamy-simple-cheap-and-satisfying-roman-meal/

Thousand layer lasagna

A belated Merry Christmas to all! I hope your Christmas was filled with good food, good company and fantastic presents :) Both of my Christmas feasts went well and I had a great time, even our dog Yoshi got to go to one of them.

This morning I managed to drag myself out of bed to go the the infamous Boxing Day sales as I have never been before. I saved up some money throughout the year in anticipation of a big spend up (mostly clothes). However I was sorely disappointed; I came back with few items (mostly non-discounted books) as there just wasn't anything I really liked, or the items weren't heavily discounted (some stores had maybe 15% of their stock discounted 20-30% and the rest was full priced). A few shoppers told me that the pre-Christmas sales were actually better than the today's - Ryan and I even noticed a Hugo Boss jumper we bought for his dad was $20 MORE expensive today than it was a few days ago when we bought it. Oh well, I think next year I shall buy something if I like it rather than wait a year to do everything in one day.

Now onto dinner - all the shopping wore me out (as I am not a seasoned shopper) so i wanted a ZERO effort meal for dinner. This recipe was perfect as I had some fresh lasagna sheets in the fridge that don't need to be pre-boiled.

ease: 5/5. prep time: 7mins to make sauce and layer lasagna if you don't have to boil the sheets beforehand.
cooking time: 30mins.
total: 37mins - only 7mins work in the kitchen, if you can even call it that.

taste: 4/5. I omitted the lemon zest and used 1tbs of garlic - I loved it but my partner thought it was too garlicky - the lemon would have helped to cut through the richness too so next time I will follow as written...well maybe a touch more garlic than written. I used bocconcini, tasty cheese and Parmesan.

would I make it again: Yes - as a backup as I normally have the ingredients on hand.

recipe: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001386.html

Perfect mac-n-cheese

I thought when I had found Neil Perry's recipe for Macaroni and Cheese that I would never have to look for another recipe again. Unfortunately, my partner did not share my enthusiasm for the dish and since then the hunt has resumed for a recipe that we both like.


I like my macaroni and cheese to be unctuous and cheesy. Ryan doesn't want his to taste like any cheese except tasty. When I found this recipe I had a feeling I'd found the one. Whilst it has Gruyere (yum!) and blue cheese the majority of the cheesiness comes from tasty. It doesn't have breadcrumbs (something he doesn't like) so I thought I'd try once again and see how it goes.

ease: 4.5/5. You make the sauce separately.
prep time: 12mins to make sauce and cook pasta.
cooking time: 25mins in the oven.
total: 37mins.

taste: 4/5. I found this to be creamy, cheesy and spicy (the chilli powder does have a kick so don't go overboard). I had to sprinkle some parsley over mine as I felt it needed something to break up the heaviness. Ryan like it - but as I used penne he didn't feel it was Mac-N-Cheese and so he can't decide if it is the one until I cook it with macaroni pasta. To be honest I am not sure why the recipe calls for penne, and I'm surprised I didn't realise and substitute with the macaroni.

would I make it again: Yes - with macaroni next time.

recipe: http://cookingquest.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/perfect-mac-n-cheese/

Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

After trying the vegan muffins, which were fantastic, I thought I would give this recipe a try.

ease: 4/5. You make your own sauce.
prep time: 10mins to make sauce.
cooking time: 5mins - I use angel hair pasta which cooks in 3mins.
total: 15mins.

taste: 3/5. I doubled this recipe, so I used two cans of chopped tomatoes. I made the HUGE mistake of forgetting to add salt or even some red wine to the sauce, so to say it came out bland is an understatement. I also didn't have enough fresh basil to double the recipe so I substituted 2tsp dry basil. This may have tasted nicer if I had actually seasoned it.

would I make it again: No. Would just use a jar of sauce to make tomato pasta.
recipe: http://veganyumyum.com/2008/08/super-quick-tomato-basil-cream-pasta/

Gorgonzola & caramelised onion penne

Light showers and thunderstorms whilst curling up on the couch with my fiance and the Sex & The City movie. Before we knew it the sun was tucked into bed and it was past our normal dinner time.

With my stomach growling I wanted to knock something up in a jiff; I had some left over blue cheese which I wanted to use, so I found a pasta dish.

ease: 5/5. Make sure you don't burn the onions.
prep time: 20mins. I sliced two onions which took 20mins to caramelise, in that time I cooked the pasta and made the cheese sauce.
cooking time: 2mins to toss sauce through pasta.
total: 22mins.

taste: 3.5/5. Without the onions it is a little bland. I even added another 1/4cup of mersey valley cheese, and it still wasn't very cheesy.

would I make it again: No. Not tasty enough.

recipe: http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2007/05/gorgonzola-and-caramelized-onions-sauce.html

Goat's cheese, spinach & chilli pasta

ease: 4/5. You cook spinach separately.
prep time: 2mins to wash spinach and get past in saucepan.
cooking time: 5mins to wilt spinach and stir though pasta.
Total: 7mins.

taste: 3.5/5. Needs more garlic and cheese. Ryan didn't like it though.

would I make it again: No.

recipe: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/16912/goats+cheese+spinach+and+chilli+pasta

Orecchiette with broad beans, butter & parmesan

Ease: 4/5. If I didn't have to shell the broad beans this would be super easy.prep time: 2mins to slice butter and get ingredients ready.
cooking time: 15mins to cook pasta and toss through butter and parmesan.
Total: 17mins. Pretty quick and little hands on work.

Taste: 3.5/5. If I only used broccolini, then 4.5/5. I used shell pasta as I couldn't find orecchiette, and frozen broad beans as I couldn't find fresh at Coles. This turned out to be a nightmare though as the broad beans still had a shell around them and I had to peel them after cooking. As this was taking forever I sauteed some broccolini in butter and garlic and tossed them through. Thank God I did as the broad beans were really bitter and mushy.

Would I make it again: No. I would use the recipe and substitute with garlic broccolini though.
Recipe: http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/orecchiette-with-broad-beans-butter-and-parmesan

Rigatoni with cabbage and Taleggio

EASE: 3.5/5.
Prep time: 10mins.
Cooking time: 20mins. I ended up with a little too much liquid - so I scooped out 1/2cup before putting into bowls and under grill.
TOTAL: 30mins.

TASTE: 3/5. Ok, but not great. The flavours competed a little and the cabbage and onion made it taste a little sweet. I used double brie instead of taleggio.

Would I make it again: No.

Recipe: http://gourmettraveller.com.au/rigatoni_with_cabbage_and_taleggio.htm

Tomato & Crispy Garlic Fettucine

200g fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
400g can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
sea salt & cracked black pepper
4 leaves silver beet (Swiss chard), trimmed and chopped
finely grated Parmesan, to serve

Cook pasta in salted boiling water for 12mins til al dente. Drain and keep warm.
Heat large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add oil, garlic and breadcrumbs and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add tomato, stock salt and pepper to the pan and cook for 3-5mins until thickened. Add pasta and silverbeet to pan and cook for 2mins or until silverbeet is wilted and pasta warmed through. Top with crispy crumbs and Parmesan. Serves 2.

Ease: 4/5. Few ingredients and ready fairly quickly.
Prep time: 20mins. 20mins to cook pasta. 15mins to make breadcrumbs, tomato sauce and to prep ingredients.
Cooking time: 2mins. To toss cooked pasta and silverbeet through prepared sauce.
TOTAL: 22mins. Really quick - but most pastas are

Taste: 3/5. I kinda liked this, the silverbeet was quite bitter and a little more leathery than spinach. Ryan hated this as he hates silverbeet (which I now know). I would use spinach though rather than silverbeet. I was a little heavy handed with the garlic also, otherwise for a tomato pasta it's nice.

Would I make again: No. Ryan didn't like it enough.

Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce

Some Facts About Tuna:

EASE: 4.5/5. Few ingredients and two saucepans used.
Prep time: 5mins.To dice onion, peel and slice mushrooms, boil water and get ingredients ready.
Cooking time: 15mins. To cook pasta and sauce.
TOTAL: 20mins. Very quick dish with minimal active cooking.

TASTE: 3/5. Not bad, a little bland and watery.

Would I make again: No.

Recipe: http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/Penne-with-tuna-and-tomato-sauce

Chicken, mushroom & avocado fettuccine

Some Facts About AVOCADO:

• Avocado is popular in chicken dishes and as a spread on toast, served with salt and pepper.
• A whole medium avocado contains approximately 21 grams of fat, though most of it is monounsaturated fat. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K. They have the highest fiber content of any fruit - including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber.

EASE: 2.5/5. Lots of prep and active cooking.
Prep time: 15mins. The peeling and slicing of the mushrooms is the most time consuming. You also have to slice the avocado and chicken. Getting all of the ingredients ready and boiling the water also takes time.
Cooking time: 30mins. 10mins to cook pasta and chicken, and 20mins to cook the sauce and combine with the pasta.
TOTAL: 45mins.

TASTE: 4/5. I enjoyed it - I varied some of the amounts. Due to 1 dodgy avocado I only used 1 avocado, which Ryan said wasn't enough. I used 250g of egg fettuccine which made enough for 3.5 people. I used 250g of double cream, 200g mushrooms and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. I kept all other ingredients the same except I used a little sprinkling of dried dill rather than 2tbs fresh. I would add more mushrooms next time. I also sprinkled a little Parmesan on the top.

Would I make again: Yes. Nice pasta dish with lots of veg and protein. Nice without the chicken also.

Recipe: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/13850/chicken+mushroom+avocado+fettuccine

Penne with Broccoli

Monday night = fast meal. In the past I have opted for trashy fast food for my Monday night meal, but after a few years of doing that I now crave something home-cooked and with nutrition - but, it has to be ready in under 30mins. Pasta is one of those dishes that is almost always a quick meal.

Some Facts About BROCCOLI:

• is a plant of the Cabbage family.
• Broccoli is high in vitamin C and soluble fiber and contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties including diindolylmethane and selenium.

EASE: 5/5. Minimal prep and active cooking time.
Prep time: 5mins. Just have to wash and cut the broccoli and slice the garlic. Then get the pasta on and fry the garlic at the same time.
Cooking time: 15mins. Pasta takes 12mins. Then you drain and toss the pasta through the garlic oil for around 3mins.
TOTAL: 20mins.
TASTE: 4/5. I forgot to add the bacon, so I'm sure Ryan would have enjoyed it more with the bacon. I liked it - broccoli, chilli, garlic and freshly grated parmesan. Simple but tasty. I used 400g of pasta which feeds 4 people. I used 5 cloves of garlic as I want more crispy golden pieces.

Would I make again: Yes.

Recipe: http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/penne-with-broccoli

Spinach Macaroni Cheese

Mmm - mac & cheese is one of my favourite dishes - however it is not all that great nutrition-wise; which is why Donna Hay's addition of spinach appealed to me because of the added nutritional value.

Some Facts About SPINACH:

• In popular folklore, spinach is a rich source of iron. In reality, a 60 gram serving of boiled spinach contains around 1.9 mg of iron (slightly more when eaten raw).
• Boiling spinach for four minutes can halve the level of folate.
• Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, and vitamin B6. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, copper, protein, phosphorous, zinc and vitamin E. In addition, it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, niacin and selenium

Recipe:

• 400g macaroni
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup pouring cream
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar
• 1 1/2 tbl Dijon mustard
• sea salt & pepper
• 150g baby spinach
• 1 cup grated cheddar (for sprinkling on the top)

Preheat oven to 200C. Cook macaroni until al dente. Drain and return to the pan.
Add milk, cream, cheddar, mustard, salt & pepper, and spinach - mix to combine.
Spoon into large baking dish and top with extra cheddar. Bake for 10-15mins or until cheese browns. Serves 4.

Ease: 4.5/5. Pretty much no prep involved and very little active cooking.
Prep Time: 5mins. Just washing the spinach and getting all the ingredients out.
Cooking Time: 25mins. Pasta takes around 15. Oven browning takes around 10mins.
Total: 30mins.
Taste: 3/5. Ok - but VERY watery, not what I am used to in a Mac & Cheese. The Spinach was a strong flavour, whilst the cheese barely came through. I think the 2cups of low fat milk may have caused the wateriness. I would suggest 1 1/2cups of full fat milk at most.

Would I make again: No. Not a very good Mac & Cheese due to its consistency. Ryan hated the spinach in it, but I didn't mind it. Would be a good way to get kids to eat spinach.

Chicken Pasta Bake

This is my "CBF" meal - not only does it only take only 40mins, it's super tasty.

Sorry about the bad pic - taken with an IPhone.

Ingredients:

• Dolmio's Cheese and Tomato Pasta Bake Sauce
• 250g Shell pasta
• 1/2 barbecued roast chicken - shredded
  
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese

Put first three ingredients in a baking dish - chuck it in the oven for 30mins
Then sprinkle cheese on top and put back in until browned

Ease: 5/5 - only prep is shredding the pre-cooked chicken - spent 5-10mins "actively" cooking
Taste: 5/5 - even the boys really loved this - all had seconds
Would I make again: Yes, whenever I can't be arsed.