Seafood spaghetti

Seafood spaghetti

serves 4

ingredients

350g/12oz dried spaghetti 500g/1lb 2oz mussels 700g/11⁄2lb squid, cleaned 500g/1lb small littleneck clams 300g/11oz shrimps

4 cloves garlic

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 250ml/9fl oz dry white wine

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 dried red chillies, finely chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper

•Soak the mussels and clams in water for an hour. Discard any broken mussels or clams, or open ones that don’t close when tapped on the work surface. Under cold running water, scrub the mussels and clams thoroughly to remove any grit, pulling out the beards from the mussels.

•In a large deep frying pan over a medium heat, sweat 1 clove of the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Increase the heat to high, and add the mussels and clams with half of the wine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for about 5 minutes until the shells are open (discard any that remain closed). Remove from the heat and discard the garlic.

•Slice the squid into rings and finely chop the remaining garlic. Heat the remaining oil in another pan, and sauté the garlic, parsley and chillies for a few minutes. Add the squid and cook until the edges curl.

•Pour in the remaining wine and cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the shrimps (just the tails) and cook for a few more minutes before adding the clams and mussels. Simmer for another few minutes, then remove from the heat.

•Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain and add the seafood mixture to the spaghetti, mixing well.Stir over a low heat for a couple of minutes.

Serve piping hot.

Cheese-stuffed rice balls

  serves 3

ingredients • Mix together the rice and egg until

200g/7oz long-grain rice, well combined. Take a teaspoon of

cooked and cooled the rice and put a mozzarella cube

2 eggs, lightly beaten in the centre. Top with another

100g/4oz mozzarella cheese, teaspoon of rice. Press together to

cubed form a ball. Continue until all the

100g/4oz coarse dried rice mixture has been used.

breadcrumbs • Coat the rice balls with the

vegetable oil for deep-frying breadcrumbs. Place on a baking

  tray, and refrigerate for at least

  30 minutes. Heat enough oil for

  deep-frying in a heavy pan. Fry the

  rice balls, in batches, for 5 minutes

  until golden brown. Serve hot.

Broad bean, pea

& goat’s cheese salad

  serves 4

ingredients • Preheat the grill until hot. Cut the

250g/9oz goat’s cheese goat’s into thick slices, and season

1 bunch of watercress leaves with salt and pepper. Cook under

1 tablespoon chopped fresh the grill for 3–4 minutes until the

tarragon cheese starts to melt.

1 tablespoon chopped fresh • Toss the herbs with the spring

flat-leaf parsley onions, peas, broad beans, oil,

2 spring onions, finely sliced lemon juice and Parmesan. Season

75g/3oz peas with salt and pepper.

100g/4oz broad beans, skinned • Top the salad with the goat’s

4 tablespoons olive oil cheese, and serve straight away.

1 tablespoon lemon juice  

1 tablespoon freshly grated  

Parmesan cheese  

salt and ground black pepper

Chinese lettuce wraps

  serves 4

ingredients • Sauté the beef and onion in a

450g/1lb minced beef large frying pan over a medium

12–16 iceberg lettuce leaves heat. Add the garlic, soy sauce,

225g/8oz canned water hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and

chestnuts, drained and chilli sauce. Continue stirring and

chopped cooking until browned.

200g/7oz onion, chopped • Add the water chestnuts, spring

2 tablespoons minced garlic onions and sesame oil. Stir and

2 tablespoons light soy sauce cook for a further 1–2 minutes.

50ml/2fl oz hoisin sauce • To serve, arrange the lettuce leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh on the outer rim of a large serving

root ginger plate. Put the meat mixture in the

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar centre of the plate. To eat, spoon

1 tablespoon chilli sauce the meat mixture on the lettuce and

1 bunch of spring onions, wrap the leaf around the filling.

chopped  

3 teaspoons dark sesame oil  

Spaghetti bolognese

serves 4

ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped 50g/2oz streaky bacon, diced 350g/12oz minced beef 400g/14oz canned peeled

plum tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried oregano 125ml/4fl oz red wine

2 tablespoons tomato purée

salt and freshly ground black pepper 700g/11⁄2lb dried spaghetti

•Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the onion and sweat for 3 minutes.

•Add the garlic, carrot, celery and bacon, and sauté for 3–4 minutes until just beginning to brown.

•Add the beef and cook over a high heat for another 3 minutes until all of the meat has browned. Stir in the tomatoes (breaking up slightly with a wooden spoon), oregano and wine, and bring to the boil.

•Reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently for at least 45 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée, and season with salt and pepper.

•Cook the spaghetti in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for8–10 minutes until al dente. Drain thoroughly.

•Transfer the spaghetti to a large serving bowl, and pour the sauce over it. Toss to mix well, and serve hot.

Smoked ham linguine

serves 4

ingredients

450g/1lb dried linguine 450g/1lb broccoli florets 225g/8oz smoked ham, cut into

thin strips

For the cheese sauce 25g/1oz butter

1 tablespoon plain flour 250ml/9fl oz milk

2 tablespoons single cream pinch of ground nutmeg 50g/2oz Cheddar cheese, grated 1 tablespoon freshly grated

Parmesan cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

•Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the linguine and broccoli, and cook for 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Drain the linguine and broccoli thoroughly, then set aside and keep warm.

•Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a non-sticksaucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring all the time using a wooden spoon. Stir in the cream and season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for

5 minutes to reduce, then remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Stir until the cheeses have melted and blended into the sauce.

•Toss the linguine, broccoli and ham in the cheese sauce, then gently warm through over a very low heat. Divide the pasta among four serving bowls, and serve immediately.