Spaghettini with Baby Plum Tomatoes

Tags

food, Italian, pasta, vegan, vegetarian

Last Thursday I was already busy in the kitchen at 8am whipping up a packed lunch for my husband as there were no leftovers from the previous night’s dinner for him to take to work like he usually does. 

So I made this super simple pasta dish that took 10 mins to prepare.



Ingredients

• 4 to 5 Baby plum tomatoes (cut into halves) 
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic (sliced width wise)
• Half tsp chilli flakes 
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• Spaghettini pasta, enough for 2 people (takes 3 mins to cook)
• sea salt & cracked black pepper 
• Lots of extra virgin olive oil 

Method

1. In a skillet, add the olive oil & garlic. Let it simmer on a low heat so the oil is infused with the flavour.
2. Add your chilli flakes & dried parsley. 
3. Turn the heat up a little and sauté the halved baby plum tomatoes.

4. Once slightly soft, toss in the cooked pasta and coat with the flavours. 

Add more chilli flakes & dried parsley if you desire! 

I’m also so happy to say that 2 people decided to make this dish that same day after seeing my posts on My Simple Delights’ Facebook & Instagram page! 

Happy cooking!💛

Easy Peasy, Warm & Cosy

Tags

easymeals, food, healthy, vegan, vegetarian

Yesterday was a busy day of running errands and nursing a sick husband. It was a gloriously beautiful day after the rain and snow we’ve been getting here. So, after I prepared Chicken Porridge for my husband, I decided to have a bright coloured late lunch to go with the sunny day.

Ingredients
• Ciabatta
• Red & Yellow Baby Plum Tomatoes (sliced in half)
• Rocket salad
• Mixed Italian herbs
• Dried Parsley
• Garlic granules
• Basil pesto
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & cracked black peppercorns

Method
1. In a hot skillet, add a tablespoon of the olive oil.
2. Throw in the baby plum tomatoes along with the dried herbs, garlic granules & seasoning. Sauté for just under a minute and set aside on a plate.
3. Take the Ciabatta bread, slice in half and place in the skillet to char on both sides and soak up the now flavoured olive oil. Once charred, take it off the heat & smear your pesto on.
4. Top the warm Ciabatta with a handful of rocket and the soft warm tomatoes and serve.

A simple, bright lunch that’s quick and filling! It’s also perfect for gatherings where instead of charring the bread, just place them in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and the dried herbs.

Happy mid-week!💛

*Here are a couple of shots I took from my neighbourhood from when it snowed last week and the glorious day we had yesterday.

Tagliatelle Pirata

Tags

food, Italian, pasta, prawns, seafood

Just when I thought I was feeling better, I caught a cold a few days ago. We recently bought roller blades and we were roller blading outdoors almost all of last weekend, so I think that might have something to do with it. I had not been on roller blades since I was living in Australia in 1996, but I was surprised that I managed to pick it up again quite quickly and not fall!

Anyway despite being unwell, and after having so much soup, I decided to make this pasta dish that I often have whenever we go out for an Italian meal…

Ingredients
(I don’t have specific measurements for the ingredients, so just cook it according to your own taste & the quantity you want to cook)
• Fresh prawns (cleaned & de-veined)
• Fresh tagliatelle
• 3-4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• lots of Basil (chopped)
• Dried parsley
• Single cream
• Peeled plum tomatoes
• Tomato purée
• Dried chilli flakes (optional)
• Plenty cracked black pepper & a little salt to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Cook the pasta and remember to save a little pasta water for the sauce. Once done, set aside.
2. In a hot saucepan, add olive oil, garlic, dried parsley, pepper and chilli flakes.
3. Stir well for less than a minute, add the peeled plum tomatoes, salt & a little sugar and let it simmer for 2 to 3 mins. Add the cream, tomato purée and half of the chopped basil. Simmer for another 3 mins.
4. If you see that the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water to thin it down. Now add the prawns and the rest of the basil and cook for 2 to 3 mins, making sure you don’t overcook the prawns.
5. Toss in the cooked tagliatelle into the sauce and let the sauce coat the tagliatelle thoroughly.

Garnish with dried parsley & basil, serve.

Simple, tasty and ready in minutes.

Have a great weekend to all! Happy cooking!💛

Lasagne made with Love

Tags

food, Italian, love

Lasagne. I think the last time I made this dish was probably about 2 years ago when we were living in Manchester! I just find it so time consuming and you know me, I am more of a “the less time you are in the kitchen, the better” kind of person.

But when my husband requested Lasagne for dinner a couple of nights ago, I could not exactly say no…….this time! 😉 I have to be completely honest, I don’t have the exact measurements for this dish as it is my Mama’s recipe. So this dish has always been cooked with great abandon!

Ingredients
for the bolognese sauce…
• Lean minced beef (browned)
• Garlic (minced with cracked black pepper)
• A whole white onion (diced)
• Italian sweet green pepper (diced)
• Mushrooms (roughly chopped)
• a tin of Peeled plum tomatoes
• Concentrated tomato puree
• a chicken stock cube (in hot water)
• Oregano
• salt to taste
• a little sugar

Method
1. Before anything, brown the minced beef in a skillet.
2. In a saucepan, add a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and throw in the onions and peppers. Sauté till the onions are soft and clear. Add the minced garlic.
3. Put the browned minced beef and continue to stir for 2 mins before adding the chicken stock. Add the mushrooms, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, salt and a little sugar.
4. Leave to simmer on a low heat for 45 mins. Keep checking and stirring to make sure it does not burn!

for the white sauce…
• a little flour
• Milk
• Grated cheese
• Italian mixed herbs
• Butter
• salt & pepper to taste

Method
1. In a saucepan, add butter and a little bit of olive oil just so the butter doesn’t burn. To that, add the flour and milk a little at a time. Once there are no lumps, add the cheese, herbs & seasoning.
2. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens slightly. If you feel it’s too thick, add a little more milk.

…Now you are ready to assemble the Lasagne

1. In an oven proof dish, place some of the white sauce first before putting the pasta so it won’t move around.
2. Assemble this anyway you want, the way I do it is, pasta, white sauce, bolognese sauce. I press the pasta down gently to make it more compact. Carry on till you get almost to the top of the dish with the top layer being the bolognese sauce.
3. Top it off with grated cheese and place in a pre heated oven ~ 180 degrees celcius.

4. Leave to cook for 40 mins or until the cheese is slightly golden. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

I served mine with a side salad dressed with olive oil & lemon juice and some breadsticks.

Needless to say that my husband was a very happy man and had 2 servings with plenty more leftovers for the next 2 days!

Glad that was over and done with! That will be me for the next 2 years before I absolutely HAVE to prepare another Lasagne! Phew!! ☺️

Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend! 💛