One-Pot Pasta

 

Adapted from She's Leaving Home by Monica Trapaga

500g spiral pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

220g tub bocconcini, drained and sliced

7 Roma tomatoes, diced (I cleaned out the seeds and gunk first coz the tomatoes don't get cooked)

3 cloves of garlic, finely grated (I SWEAR I'm not a plant from Microplane, I just love it)

large handful basil, torn or cut into chiffonade

salt and pepper to taste

splash of balsamic.

1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the pasta as per package instructions, drain and set aside

2. In a bowl large enough to hold everything, combine the tomatoes, bocconcini, garlic, basil, olive oil and season to taste.

3. Add the pasta to the tomatoes, add the glug of balsamic and toss. Sprinkle Parmesan over the pasta and toss again. 

4. Check seasoning and serve, sprinkled with a little more Parmesan.

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Thai Chicken With Noodles

 

Adapted from Cooking With Coco: Family Recipes To Cook Together by Anna Del Conte

300ml coconut cream

2 tbs Thai red curry paste

2 garlic cloves, minced or grated (OMG MICROPLANE!)

3cm piece ginger, peeled and grated

1 normal or 2 small birdseye chillis, minced (BUT YOU CAN ALSO GRATE WITH A MICROPLANE!!)

juice of 2 limes

1 tsp salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced

250g frozen peas

300g egg noodles

few spigs of mint, basil and coriander (cilantro), chopped

1. In a bowl combine the first 8 ingredients, stir and marinate for an hour.

2. Heat a little oil in a pan, add chicken and marinade and cook, not too hot, for 5 minutes or so. Add the peas, bring back to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes.

3. While this is going on, boil some water and cook the egg noodles as per packet instructions but for 1 less minute than specified (mine just needed to be soaked in boiling water for 4 minutes).

4. Drail noodles and add to the pan with the chicken. Mix all together with tongs or something and cook for another minute. Check seasoning and serve topped with the chopped herbs and a spritz more of lime juice if you have it.

5.Om-nom-nom!

Pasta with Bacon and Herbs (or No More Smug Face After This, I Swear)

Not adapted from Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver

250g pasta

1 400g tin diced tomatoes

150g diced bacon

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

a mixture of other fresh herbs, chopped, totalling about a handful (I used chives, basil, mint and oregano)
salt and pepper to taste
a glug of olive oil

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Put a pot of water on to boil.

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add bacon and thyme and fry until bacon is browned.

Add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer 'til a bit thickened and flavours are melded together, about 10-15 minutes (bacon helps flavours meld quicker.)

Meanwhile, cook the pasta as per package instructions. Once cooked, place pasta and fresh herbs directly into frying pan and toss with the sauce. Serve straight away.

"Summer Panzanella"

Adapted from 'This Is A Cookbook: Recipes For Real Life' by Eli and Max Sussman

4 heirloom tomatoes or 6 plum tomatoes, cut into big pieces (I used 2 punnets of cherry tomatoes)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs EVOO
1/4 cup olive oil (not EV)
1/2 cup basil leaved, packed, cut into chiffonade
1 loaf crusty sourdough bread, unsliced
1 ball mozzarella
Salt and pepper, to taste

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Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F)

Combine the tomatoes, garlic, vinegars, EEVO and basil in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Tear the bread into 2cm pieces (the book said to cut the crusts off first but I tried both ways and I couldn't tell the difference) and put them on a baking sheet. Drizzle over the olive oil and salt to taste and toss everything together so it's all coated in oil.

Bake bread for 12 minutes or until crispy outside and still chewy inside.

Add croutons to bowl with tomatoes. Tear in mozzarella and toss everything together. Serve straight away.