Spinach, Tomato and Pesto Pasta

This is a simple and quick pasta that serves two.

olive oil

4 cloves garlic (crushed)

half a courgette (sliced)

2 tomatoes

a couple of handfuls of spinach (frozen or fresh)

salt

pepper

(lemon juice)

ready pesto sauce

parmesan/feta to garnish

pasta

- Boil the water in a large pot and start cooking the pasta.

- Fry the garlic for one minute, add the courgette and fry with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until cooked but firm to the bite.

- Add the tomatoes and spinach and simmer until just cooked, then season to taste.

- Sieve the pasta and mix in a couple of spoonfuls of pesto sauce. Serve into bowls and spoon over the sauce.

- Garnish with parmesan or feta.

Spaghetti Siracusani

This recipe is from "The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook", very simple and tasty dish. We have made small alterations to it but it's still basically the same.

olive oil

3-4 garlic cloves (crushed)

1 pepper (cut into strips)

1-2 courgettes (cut into strips)

2 tins good-quality tomatoes

1 tblsp capers

3 tblsp good calamata olives

salt

pepper

fresh basil

parmesan

spaghetti or other pasta

- Fry the garlic on a low heat for a minute, then add courgette and pepper and cook on a medium heat with the lid on, stillirg occasionally, until cooked but still firm to the bite.

- Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Boil your pasta.

- Season to taste and garnish with fresh basil and parmesan.

Wild Mushroom Pasta

We have a generous amount of dried wild mushrooms stockpiled, thanks to an enthusiastic mother who picks more than she can eat herself. Soaking the mushrooms in boiling water creates a rich stock that serves the basis of this dish.

dried wild mushrooms (soaked, with their stock retained)

(some regular mushrooms)

olive oil (for frying)

3 cloves garlic (crushed)

fresh chili (chopped)

fresh parsley

lemon juice and zest

2 tsp capers

salt

pepper

(parmesan)

- Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water, keep the water to use as stock later on.

- Fry the garlic for a couple of minutes, then add the mushrooms and chili and fry until they soften up.

- Add the capers, some lemon juice and zest and a little seasoning and start adding stock a little by little, just enough to cover the mushrooms. While doing this, start boiling your pasta.

- When the pasta is cooked, toss everything together, season to taste and drizzle with a little olive oil.

-Serve with optional grated parmesan.

Tagliatelle, Pesto & Grilled Vegetables

Homemade pesto is a perfect partner of pasta. In my opinion pesto and pasta needs something fresh to accompany it, so this time I used some grilled cherry tomatoes and peppers.

Pesto:

50 g parmesan (grated)

50 g pine nuts (lightly toasted)

3 handfuls fresh basil leaves

1 garlic clove (crushed)

olive oil

salt

pepper

(a squeeze of lemon juice)

tagliatelle/spaghetti

tomatoes (grilled)

peppers (grilled and peeled)

- Blend all the pesto ingredients well, add enough olive oil to make it smooth.

- Boil the pasta and mix the pesto-sauce in it. Serve with the grilled vegetables.

Vegetarian Bolognese

I'm not a huge fan of soy mince in many dishes but this is very tasty. My boyfriend makes a lovely spaghetti bolognese and he has changed my mind about so called meat substitutes on occasion. The taste gets better the longer you simmer the sauce, so take your time to make this dish.

onion (chopped)

carrot (chopped)

celery (chopped)

3-4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

soymince (covered with hot stock)

2 dl red wine

1 tin tomatoes (or 4 fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped)

tomato puree

1 bay leaf

thyme

rosemary

black pepper

salt

pinch of nutmeg

olive oil

spaghetti

fresh basil

parmesan

- Fry the onion, carrot and celery on a medium heat until soft and then add garlic and soy mince and fry for a few minutes. After this add the red wine and simmer until half of it has evaporated.

- Add the tomatoes, dried herbs, white pepper and puree and let simmer at least half an hour.

- Boil the spaghetti in a big pan of salted water, drain, rinse with hot water and then season with pepper and olive oil.

- Season to taste, add the nutmeg and drizzle with olive oil to settle the flavours. Serve with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan.

Chanterelle & Spinach Lasagne

I got some fresh, locally picked chanterelles from a nearby market place and used them in this simple, tasty lasagne.

1 litre chanterelles (roughly chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

olive oil

(butter)

150 g spinach

thyme

white pepper

black pepper

salt

splash of red wine

Cheese sauce:

25 g butter

1/2 dl wheat flour

6 dl whole or semi skimmed milk

mild cheese (grated)

green pepper

black pepper

nutmeg

salt

9 lasagne sheets

parmesan (grated)

mozzarella (sliced)

Mushroom filling:

- Fry the onion and garlic in a low heat until they are golden, and then add the chanterelles and thyme and fry for a few minutes.

- Stir in the spinach and fry until it's just cooked, then add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Season well.

Cheese sauce:

- Make the cheese sauce in a heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat. Melt the butter, and gradually pour in the flour, whisking constantly. Whilst continuing to whisk the mixture, slowly pour in the milk and bring to the boil, letting the sauce boil for a couple of minutes.

-Take the pan off the heat and add the cheese and seasonings.

- Lightly grease a lasagne dish and start layering the sauce, filling and pasta, finishing with a layer of cheese sauce. Top with the parmesan and mozzarella.

- Bake at 175 degrees until the pasta is soft and cheese has some brown spots. Let the lasagne stand for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Tip: If the cheese browns before the pasta is cooked, cover the baking dish with some tin foil or baking paper.

Grilled Goat's Cheese Pasta

My boyfriend made this for me as my birthday main course. It was delicious in its simplicity.

1 red onion

2-3 cloves garlic

olive oil

6 tomatoes (peeled and chopped)

balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

goat's cheese

fresh basil

- Fry the onion and garlic on a low heat until they are soft and slightly caramelised, adding the balsamic vinegar at the end and letting it evaporate.

- Add the tomatoes and let them cook on a low heat for about half an hour.

- Start boiling the pasta.

- Brush the goat's cheese with olive oil and grill until it has a few brown spots on top (about 5 minutes).

- Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little olive oil.

- Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Tip: It's best to grill the goat's cheese straight from the fridge to prevent it from melting too much. Be careful with the timing, you want to have the goat's cheese straight from the grill when the pasta is cooked.