Roasted vegetable pasta

Roasted vegetable pasta

serves 4

ingredients

50g/2oz butter, melted

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 small red pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 small green pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

100g/4oz button mushrooms, halved

8 cherry tomatoes, halved 350g/12oz dried farfalle salt and ground black pepper

•Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. In a small bowl, mix half the butter with the parsley and lemon zest. Set aside.

•Brush the remaining butter over the peppers and arrange, in a single layer, on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

•Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water until al dente and drain. Toss the pasta with the roasted vegetables and the herb mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Clam & Prosecco spaghetti

• Heat the oil in a heavy pan. Add serves 4

the garlic, and sauté until just • Heat the oil in a heavy pan. Add

coloured. Add the chillies, clams the garlic, and sauté until just

and Prosecco, cover and cook over coloured. Add the chillies, clams

a high heat for about 3 minutes and Prosecco, cover and cook over

until the clams open. (Discard any a high heat for about 3 minutes

clams that do not open.) Season until the clams open. (Discard any

with salt and pepper. Keep warm. clams that do not open.) Season

• Cook the spaghetti in lightly salted with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

boiling water until al dente, drain • Cook the spaghetti in lightly salted

and add to the clam sauce. Toss boiling water until al dente, drain

together over a high heat for and add to the clam sauce. Toss

2 minutes. Remove any empty together over a high heat for

shells. Check the seasoning, and 2 minutes. Remove any empty

serve garnished with the parsley. shells. Check the seasoning, and

  serve garnished with the parsley.

Spaghetti with courgettes

  serves 2

ingredients • Bring a large pan of lightly salted

200g/7oz spaghetti water to the boil, and cook the

about 3 tablespoons olive oil spaghetti until al dente.

2 courgettes, finely sliced • Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a

50g/2oz Parmesan cheese, large frying pan, and sauté the

freshly grated courgettes in batches until golden,

salt and freshly ground adding more oil when necessary.

black pepper • Drain the spaghetti well, add

  1⁄2 tablespoon of the oil and season

  generously with salt and pepper.

  • Toss the courgettes with the pasta,

  then divide between two warmed

  serving bowls. Sprinkle with the

  Parmesan just before serving.

Tuna & tomato noodles

  serves 4

ingredients • Heat the oil in a large frying pan.

3 tablespoons olive oil Add the garlic and dried chillies,

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped sauté for a few seconds, then add

2 dried red chillies, seeded and the onion. Sauté, stirring, for about

chopped 5 minutes until the onion softens.

1 large red onion, finely sliced • Add the tuna and olives to the

175g/6oz canned tuna in oil, pan, and stir until well mixed. Stir

drained in the tomatoes and any juices,

100g/4oz pitted black olives and bring to the boil. Season with

400g/14oz canned peeled plum salt and pepper, add the parsley,

tomatoes then reduce the heat and simmer

2 tablespoons chopped fresh gently for about 5 minutes until the

flat-leaf parsley tomatoes have broken down.

350g/12oz fresh egg noodles • Meanwhile, cook the noodles in

such as fettucine lightly salted boiling water for

salt and freshly ground 3–4 minutes until just tender. Drain

black pepper well, toss the noodles with the

  sauce and serve immediately.

Hazelnut pesto tagliatelle

  serves 4

ingredients • Put the garlic, basil leaves,

2 garlic cloves, crushed hazelnuts and cheese in a blender

25g/1oz fresh basil leaves or food processor, and purée to a

25g/1oz hazelnuts thick paste.

200g/7oz soft cheese such as • Cook the tagliatelle in lightly salted

mascarpone boiling water until al dente, then

225g/8oz dried tagliatelle drain well.

salt and freshly ground • Spoon the sauce onto the hot

black pepper pasta, tossing until melted through.

  Season with salt and pepper, and

  serve immediately.

Peppered chicken pasta

serves 4–6

ingredients  

700g/11⁄2lb skinless chicken breast 350ml/12fl oz chicken stock

  fillet, cut into strips 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed

2 teaspoons cracked black lemon juice

  peppercorns 75g/3oz Parmesan cheese,

2 garlic cloves, minced freshly grated

3 tablespoons olive oil salt and freshly ground

350g/12oz dried ribbon noodles black pepper

  such as fettucine  

•Toss the chicken with the peppercorns, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

•Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and lightly brown all over for about 3 minutes. Add the stock and lemon juice, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

•Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water until al dente. Drain well and toss with the chicken. Serve immediately, with the Parmesan in a separate bowl for sprinkling over the top.

Fig & chilli tagliatelle

  serves 4

ingredients • Bring a large pan of lightly salted

350g/12oz egg tagliatelle water to the boil, and cook the

2 tablespoons extra virgin tagliatelle until al dente. Drain.

olive oil • Meanwhile, heat a large frying

8 black figs, each cut into pan, add the oil and, when

8 wedges smoking, carefully put the figs in

2 dried red chillies, crumbled the pan, turning them immediately

finely grated zest of 2 lemons to caramelize. Season with salt

and juice of 1 and pepper, and add the chilli.

125ml/4fl oz double cream • Stir the lemon zest and juice into

50g/2oz Parmesan cheese, the cream, and mix into the cooked

freshly grated pasta. Add the figs and serve hot,

salt and ground black pepper scattered with the Parmesan.