There isn't always time to make a pasta sauce that needs to bubble away for hours
I don't know about you, but when I get home after a hard day's work, the first thing I do – after putting on the kettle, obviously – is look in the fridge to see what there is to eat. Problem is, there's often very little in my fridge at all; and even if there is, it's usually in such a state that it would be better off in the compost bin than in the cooking pot.
It's at times such as these that the store cupboard comes into its own, especially when you're looking for something tasty but quick. I don't mean beans-on-toast quick (though they have their place); I mean pasta. Well, of course I do: I'm half Italian.
The first two recipes this week are two of my go-to quick pasta mainstays, and neither requires a sauce that's had to bubble away on the stove-top for hours. The first uses ingredients I've almost always got at home; the second involves a little pre-planning, because it stars that great bitter veg cime di rapa (the dish also works with sprouting broccoli or kale instead, by the way) – even so, it, too, takes very little time to cook, and the other ingredients are store cupboard staples (well, they are in my house, anyway). This week's final recipe, meanwhile, is the sort of easy fish supper I'd make on those rare evenings when I do remember to stop off at the shops on the way home.
*Tagliatelle with walnut pesto*
Serves two hungry mouths as a main meal. As a general rule, I serve 75-100g of dried pasta per person for a first course and 150-190g for a main. But then, I'm greedy – if the amount of pasta here seems too much to you, just reduce it to suit your appetite.
*Salt and pepper*
*370g dried tagliatelle*
*2 cloves garlic, peeled *
*100g shelled walnuts*
*25g pine nuts*
*200g grated parmesan *
*Olive oil*
*6 picked mint leaves*
*1 handful picked flat-leaf parsley*
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper*
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the tagliatelle and cook as per the instructions on the packet. This could be anywhere from six to nine minutes, but err on the side of caution: there is nothing worse than soggy, overcooked pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, put the garlic, walnuts and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until blended, but not too much – you want the sauce to have a nutty bite to it. Tip the nut mix into a large serving bowl, then stir in the parmesan and enough olive oil to bring it all together into a paste. Season to taste – you won't need much salt, because the cheese is pretty salty – and set aside.
When the pasta is cooked, drain, tip into the bowl and toss to coat with the sauce. Chop the herbs (don't do this any earlier, or the mint will go a nasty shade of black), scatter on the top, and serve immediately, with a dusting of parmesan, if you like that kind of thing.
*Penne with cime di rapa*
Serves two (again, if need be, reduce the amount of pasta to suit your appetite). If you can't get cime di rapa, kale and sprouting broccoli make good substitutes, though the kale leaves will need to be torn off their tough stalks and a longer blanching time.
*Salt and pepper*
*300g cime di rapa*
*370g dried penne*
*Olive oil*
*3 cloves garlic, peeled and very finely chopped *
*1 pinch dried chilli flakes*
*2 tbsp creme fraiche*
*Pecorino, grated, to serve*
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the cime di rapa, blanch for 30 seconds, then use tongs to transfer from the pot to a sieve, to drain. Keep the boiling water, because you're going to use it to cook the pasta.
Add the penne to the boiling water and cook as per the instructions on the packet – about 10-13 minutes, usually, though again err on the side of caution.
In a large, heavy-based saute pan or similar, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over a medium flame. When hot, add the garlic and chilli, and fry gently until the garlic has softened but not taken on any colour. Stir in the cime di rapa, saute for a minute more, then remove from the heat.
When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the pan with the cime di rapa. Stir in the creme fraiche, add a little grated pecorino and toss to coat the pasta. Serve at once with a bowl of grated pecorino alongside, to add to taste.
*Bream with sprouting broccoli and anchovy*
The broccoli here acts as a kind of warm side salad. Serves two.
*Olive oil*
*2 sea bream, descaled and cleaned *
*2 lemons, cut into slices*
*1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated and slightly bashed*
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper*
*4 small sprigs fresh thyme*
*4 small sprigs fresh rosemary*
*600g sprouting broccoli*
*1 tin salted anchovies, rinsed*
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Pour a glug of olive oil into a large ovenproof dish. Cut three or four deep diagonal slashes in both sides of each fish, and stuff the cavities with all but two slices of lemon, a few garlic cloves and a couple of sprigs each of thyme and rosemary. Lay the fish in the prepared dish and drizzle all over with olive oil. Season and roast for about 15 minutes, until cooked through – it's worth checking if the fish is done after about 12 minutes, just to be on the safe side.
A few minutes before the fish is done, blanch the broccoli in a pot of salted boiling water for a minute or so, then drain and toss in a bowl with the chopped anchovies. Squeeze over the lemon and set aside while you plate up.
Remove the fish from the oven, transfer to plates and serve with the sprouting broccoli and some crusty country bread.
• Angela Hartnett is chef/patron of Murano, Cafe Murano and Merchants Tavern, all in London, and Hartnett Holder & Co at Lime Wood in Hampshire. Reported by guardian.co.uk 21 hours ago.
I don't know about you, but when I get home after a hard day's work, the first thing I do – after putting on the kettle, obviously – is look in the fridge to see what there is to eat. Problem is, there's often very little in my fridge at all; and even if there is, it's usually in such a state that it would be better off in the compost bin than in the cooking pot.
It's at times such as these that the store cupboard comes into its own, especially when you're looking for something tasty but quick. I don't mean beans-on-toast quick (though they have their place); I mean pasta. Well, of course I do: I'm half Italian.
The first two recipes this week are two of my go-to quick pasta mainstays, and neither requires a sauce that's had to bubble away on the stove-top for hours. The first uses ingredients I've almost always got at home; the second involves a little pre-planning, because it stars that great bitter veg cime di rapa (the dish also works with sprouting broccoli or kale instead, by the way) – even so, it, too, takes very little time to cook, and the other ingredients are store cupboard staples (well, they are in my house, anyway). This week's final recipe, meanwhile, is the sort of easy fish supper I'd make on those rare evenings when I do remember to stop off at the shops on the way home.
*Tagliatelle with walnut pesto*
Serves two hungry mouths as a main meal. As a general rule, I serve 75-100g of dried pasta per person for a first course and 150-190g for a main. But then, I'm greedy – if the amount of pasta here seems too much to you, just reduce it to suit your appetite.
*Salt and pepper*
*370g dried tagliatelle*
*2 cloves garlic, peeled *
*100g shelled walnuts*
*25g pine nuts*
*200g grated parmesan *
*Olive oil*
*6 picked mint leaves*
*1 handful picked flat-leaf parsley*
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper*
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the tagliatelle and cook as per the instructions on the packet. This could be anywhere from six to nine minutes, but err on the side of caution: there is nothing worse than soggy, overcooked pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, put the garlic, walnuts and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until blended, but not too much – you want the sauce to have a nutty bite to it. Tip the nut mix into a large serving bowl, then stir in the parmesan and enough olive oil to bring it all together into a paste. Season to taste – you won't need much salt, because the cheese is pretty salty – and set aside.
When the pasta is cooked, drain, tip into the bowl and toss to coat with the sauce. Chop the herbs (don't do this any earlier, or the mint will go a nasty shade of black), scatter on the top, and serve immediately, with a dusting of parmesan, if you like that kind of thing.
*Penne with cime di rapa*
Serves two (again, if need be, reduce the amount of pasta to suit your appetite). If you can't get cime di rapa, kale and sprouting broccoli make good substitutes, though the kale leaves will need to be torn off their tough stalks and a longer blanching time.
*Salt and pepper*
*300g cime di rapa*
*370g dried penne*
*Olive oil*
*3 cloves garlic, peeled and very finely chopped *
*1 pinch dried chilli flakes*
*2 tbsp creme fraiche*
*Pecorino, grated, to serve*
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the cime di rapa, blanch for 30 seconds, then use tongs to transfer from the pot to a sieve, to drain. Keep the boiling water, because you're going to use it to cook the pasta.
Add the penne to the boiling water and cook as per the instructions on the packet – about 10-13 minutes, usually, though again err on the side of caution.
In a large, heavy-based saute pan or similar, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over a medium flame. When hot, add the garlic and chilli, and fry gently until the garlic has softened but not taken on any colour. Stir in the cime di rapa, saute for a minute more, then remove from the heat.
When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the pan with the cime di rapa. Stir in the creme fraiche, add a little grated pecorino and toss to coat the pasta. Serve at once with a bowl of grated pecorino alongside, to add to taste.
*Bream with sprouting broccoli and anchovy*
The broccoli here acts as a kind of warm side salad. Serves two.
*Olive oil*
*2 sea bream, descaled and cleaned *
*2 lemons, cut into slices*
*1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated and slightly bashed*
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper*
*4 small sprigs fresh thyme*
*4 small sprigs fresh rosemary*
*600g sprouting broccoli*
*1 tin salted anchovies, rinsed*
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Pour a glug of olive oil into a large ovenproof dish. Cut three or four deep diagonal slashes in both sides of each fish, and stuff the cavities with all but two slices of lemon, a few garlic cloves and a couple of sprigs each of thyme and rosemary. Lay the fish in the prepared dish and drizzle all over with olive oil. Season and roast for about 15 minutes, until cooked through – it's worth checking if the fish is done after about 12 minutes, just to be on the safe side.
A few minutes before the fish is done, blanch the broccoli in a pot of salted boiling water for a minute or so, then drain and toss in a bowl with the chopped anchovies. Squeeze over the lemon and set aside while you plate up.
Remove the fish from the oven, transfer to plates and serve with the sprouting broccoli and some crusty country bread.
• Angela Hartnett is chef/patron of Murano, Cafe Murano and Merchants Tavern, all in London, and Hartnett Holder & Co at Lime Wood in Hampshire. Reported by guardian.co.uk 21 hours ago.