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!💛

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!💛

It’s Tagliatelle Time

Tags

Chicken, food, Italian, pasta, tagliatelle

When I was in my early 20’s, I went on a 3 week break with a couple of girlfriends to the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy. We stayed with friends up in the mountains in Pietrasanta where fire flies glowed at night and we cycled down to the beach in the mornings. We took day trips to Pisa, Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi, Florence & last but definitely not least…we walked through Cinque Terre where the coastal scenery was just breathtaking!

Since then, I have always loved Italian food. So for dinner last night I prepared a very simple pasta dish.

Ingredients

• Tagliatelle
• 2 pieces of chicken breast (sliced)
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• a handful of cherry tomatoes (halved)
• Fresh basil (according to your taste)
• 50ml single cream
• 1tsp tomato purée
• salt & cracked black pepper
• half tsp sugar (to break the acidity of the tomatoes)

Method
1. In a skillet, sauté the chopped garlic together with the sliced chicken. After about 5 mins, throw in the tomatoes. Cook this till the chicken is cooked and the tomatoes are very soft/broken.
2. Add the cream, tomato purée, basil, salt & cracked black pepper, sugar and simmer on a low heat.
3. Meanwhile in a saucepan, bring water to boil and drop the tagliatelle in. I bought the packet tagliatelle so it was ready in 4 mins.
4. Now, I learnt this from Jamie Oliver…add some of the boiling pasta water to the simmering sauce to loosen it up a little.

5. Drain the pasta and stir in the sauce in the saucepan. Add a few more fresh basil and it’s ready to serve.

Fresh, simple and does not take long to prepare at all! It made me want to travel to Italy again!

But perhaps next time I should plan on going to Sicily as that was where my late great-great grandfather was from. 😊🇮🇹

Happy cooking!