This is a delicious pasta dish which highlights the fresh bell pepper, courgette & carrot used. I have a huge pot of basil in my kitchen & make sure that I give this dish a very generous serving! In case you’re not familiar with it, conchigliette is tiny shell pasta
Serves 4-5
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups ground chicken
- 2 cups wholewheat conchigliette pasta, uncooked
- 500 ml water
- 400 g canned tomatoes, liquidized with own juice
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated (sharp)
- 1 large brown onion, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 medium courgette, grated
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 3-5 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon schwartz Season-All
- 1 teaspoon schwartz italian seasoning
- 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Gently fry the onion & the chicken in a medium sized pan over a medium heat. After 10 minutes, add the rest of the chopped / grated veggies & the seasoning, fry for a further 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add the liquidized tomato , miced garlic & the water. Cover & simmer gently for 45 minutes.
- Whilst the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted boiling water until soft.
- When you have a thick sauce, remove from the heat & stir in the cheese & the basil. Mix well then stir in the pasta. Cover & allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, this way the pasta is the right temperature for the family to eat & the pasta will have taken on the flavours of the sauce.
- Serve any kids first, then adjust the seasoning for adults if required.
TIPS:
- Ground turkey or ground beef work equally as well in this dish.
- Replace the conchigliette with your favourite pasta variety.
Good accompaniments to this Sicilian-style pasta are an arugula and fig salad, breadsticks, and gelato with amaretti.
Makes 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 5tablespoons butter
- 6caper-wrapped anchovies in oil, drained (1 1/2 tablespoons oil reserved), chopped
- 5garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 210-ounce cans baby clams, drained well, juices reserved
- 3/4cup dry white wine
- 1/2cup whipping cream1pound spaghettini
- 1/2cup (packed) sliced fresh basil
- lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS Melt butter with anchovy oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped anchovy mixture and garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add clam juices and wine; boil 4 minutes to reduce slightly. Mix in cream and clams; set aside.
Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return pasta to same pot. Add sauce; toss over medium-high heat until sauce coats pasta thickly, about 5 minutes. Mix in basil; season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.
Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min
Makes 6 main-course servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2teaspoons anchovy paste
- 1large garlic clove, minced
- 1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1lb farfalle (bow-tie pasta), freshly cooked to tender, rinsed under cold water, and drained
- 1romaine heart, chopped (6 cups)
- 2 1/2oz finely grated parmigiano-reggiano (1 1/4 cups)
- 1cup croutons (optional)
DIRECTIONS Whisk together lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste, garlic, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add pasta, romaine, cheese, and croutons if using, then toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Carey Paquette of Arlington, Virginia, writes: “When it comes to cooking, I make an effort to prepare healthful meals, but wouldn’t call myself a fanatic. I believe that olive oil goes in everything and wine goes with everything; I just use them in moderation.”
Makes 8 side-dish servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 7tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 2teaspoons grated lemon peel12ounces penne pasta
- 2cups small cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 1/2cups chopped red bell peppers
- 1 1/2cups crumbled feta cheese
- 1cup chopped green onions
DIRECTIONS Whisk oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Cook penne in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse pasta with cold water to cool quickly and drain again. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add tomatoes, bell peppers, feta cheese, and green onions. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their sweetness. What to drink: A dry Italian white, such as Pinot Grigio or Soave.
Makes 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2pounds cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3cup olive oil
- 5garlic cloves, minced
- 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 3tablespoons chopped fresh oregano1pound farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
- 1/2cup halved pitted kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
- 1/4cup drained capers
- 6ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1/4cup pine nuts, toasted
DIRECTIONS Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Combine tomatoes, oil, garlic, vinegar, and crushed red pepper in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes are tender and juicy, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in oregano. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return to pot. Add tomato mixture, olives, and capers. Stir over medium heat until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add feta and stir until melted and creamy, about 2 minutes. Divide pasta among 6 plates; sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.
Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min
Makes 4 generous servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4lb dried angel-hair pasta (capelli d’angelo)
- 1 1/2lb bay scallops or quartered sea scallops, tough muscle removed from side of each if necessary
- 3/4stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 3tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
- 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, or to taste
DIRECTIONS Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.
While pasta is cooking, pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté half of scallops, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Cook remaining scallops in remaining 3 tablespoons butter in same manner. Return first batch of scallops to skillet and stir in lime juice and tarragon.
Toss pasta in a bowl with half of scallops and 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Top pasta with remaining scallops and sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Here’s a summer salad with robust flavors.
Makes 8 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 6tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4cup red wine vinegar
- 1tablespoon drained capers
- 1garlic clove, minced1pound fusilli pasta
- 12ounces tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 8ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1cup (packed) fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
- 1/2cup minced pitted oil-curedblack olives
DIRECTIONS Blend first 5 ingredients in processor until tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Set dressing aside.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large bowl. Add dressing to hot pasta; toss to coat. Cool, stirring occasionally. Add chopped fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan and olives; toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
While this recipe makes more pasta that the four rectangles you’ll need for the Pumpkin Cannelloni with Clams and Sage Brown Butter, Jody Adams recommends rolling out all of the pasta and cutting the extra into tagliatelle, which, when tossed with butter and cheese, makes a wonderful dinner later in the week. For rolling and cutting, she likes to use the pasta-maker attachment for the KitchenAid standing mixer.
Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 40 min
Makes about 1/2 lb pasta.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 2/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour plus additional
-
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
-
semolina flour for dustingspecial equipment: a pasta machine or a kitchenaid standing mixer fitted with pasta-maker attachment
DIRECTIONS Make dough:
Blend all-purpose flour and eggs in a food processor until mixture just begins to form a ball. (Dough should come together but still be somewhat sticky.) If dough is too loose, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
Roll out dough:
Set smooth rollers of pasta machine at widest setting. Cut dough into 3 pieces and keep 2 pieces and keep 2 pieces wrapped in plastic wrap. Flatten unwrapped piece of dough into a rectangle and dust with all-purpose flour, then feed through rollers.Fold rectangle in halfand feed through rollers 4 more times, folding in half each time and dusting with flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through without folding. Continue to feed dough through without folding, making space between rollers narrower each time, until second-to-last setting is used. Cut sheet into 4 (6- by 4-inch) rectangles.
Transfer to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet dusted with semolina flour and cover with plastic wrap. Roll out and cut remaining dough into noodles for another use.
Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min
Makes 6 main-course servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 2tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 1/4cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1lb rotini (corkscrew pasta), freshly cooked to tender, rinsed under cold water, and drained
- 1(12-oz) jar marinated artichokes, drained and chopped
- 1(12-oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
- 1/2lb mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2lb thinly sliced sweet soppressata or salami, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4lb kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1 1/2cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS Whisk together red-wine vinegar and olive oil in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
Here is a quick and healthy pasta thats both easy to make and enjoy.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 lb dried pasta (I used lemon pepper linguine)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion,chopped
- 16 ounces fresh salmon fillet, skinned, de-boned and cut into cubes
- 3 medium red ripe tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
- 2 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, washed
- coarse sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large pot.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or shallow saucepan.
- Add chopped onions and cook until translucent and just starting to color.
- Add the salmon and stir with the onion for a couple of mins on med high heat.
- Add the garlic, wedged tomatoes, and oregano them lower heat to med.
- Cook while stirring for about 5 minutes and add the baby spinach.
- Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the flavors developed.
- Add salt & pepper to taste.
- When the sauce is nearly done (about the time you add the spinach).
- Check the pasta and drain when cooked to your liking (remove sauce from heat if pasta needs more time).
- Add drained pasta to the pan with the sauce and mix.
- Serve at once.
