pasta – Page 3 – My Whisk and I

15-Minutes Gnocchi

September 21, 2022September 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g gnocchi
15ml olive oil
30ml butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml mixed Italian herbs
1 x 400g tin of diced tomato
125ml tomato sauce (ketchup)
125ml vegetable stock
80ml cream
5ml salt
a few grindings of black pepper
a few sprigs of thyme
parmesan cheese, to serve

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
Add the gnocchi, cook for 2-3 minutes (they should start floating) and drain.
Drizzle with some olive oil and mix through so that the gnocchi doesn’t stick – set aside.
Place a saucepan or large pan on medium-high heat and add the butter.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the gnocchi to the pan and sprinkle the herbs on top. Stir to coat.
Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Spoon the gnocchi into a bowl and keep warm on the side.
Now add the tin of tomatoes, tomato sauce and vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Pour in the cream, add the salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Add the gnocchi back into the pan and heat through.
Scatter some fresh thyme over and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately.

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Orzotto Alla Norma

August 23, 2022August 22, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is my take on this classic Italian dish….!

2 aubergine
olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
15ml thyme, chopped
300g orzo pasta
100g parmesan cheese, grated
1 burrata cheese or a few small mozzarella balls

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Slice the aubergine into discs about 5mm thick, spread them out on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil.
Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the aubergine slices and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add some olive oil.
Fry the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the chopped tomato and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Cook the orzo according to packet instructions.
Drain and add it to the tomato sauce.
Add the grated parmesan and stir through.
Spoon the orzo into a serving dish and top with the aubergine, roasted tomato and burrata.

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Gnocchi Pomodoro

August 15, 2022August 10, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Pomodoro is a simple tomato sauce that is smooth, thick and concentrated. Cook it in a wide sauté pan as it will help the moisture from the tomato to evaporate. Pomodoro can be served with pasta and chicken and may be kept in the refrigerator for one week.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
30ml sugar
2 x 500g packs of gnocchi
a handful of basil
parmesan cheese

Set a large, wide sauté pan over medium-low heat and add 45ml of vegetable oil to it.
Add the onion and garlic to the saucepan and gently cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the tomato to a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
Pour the tomato into the saucepan and add the sugar. Stir through.
Simmer the sauce on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes. You want the liquid from the sauce to evaporate so that you are left with a thick, concentrated tomato sauce.
Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions. Drain and add it to the sauce.
Tear up the basil leaves, stir it through and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Serve the gnocchi with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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Roasted Tomato Pasta

August 11, 2022August 11, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

400g vine tomatoes/cherry tomatoes
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
20ml capers, roughly chopped
2 leeks, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
30ml sugar
10ml salt
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
200g mixed mushrooms
300g penne pasta
parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Spread the tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of salt.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until the skins burst open.
Remove the tray and sprinkle the capers over the hot tomato. Set aside.
Add the leeks and a splash of oil to a saucepan and cook on medium heat until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now add the tinned tomato, sugar, salt and basil leaves and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
Blitz the mixture with a hand blender until you are left a with a thick, chunky sauce. Set aside.
Place a frying on high heat and allow to become hot. Add some butter to the pan and then the mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms are caramelised.
Cook the penne according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and pour the pasta into a serving bowl.
Spoon the roasted tomato, capers and all of the juices onto the warm pasta.
Add the blended tomato sauce and the mushroom and stir everything together to coat the pasta.
Grate a generous amount of parmesan cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with extra basil leaves to serve.

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Clam and Porcini Spaghetti

July 26, 2022June 22, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

300g dried spaghetti
1kg clams, washed
60ml white wine
45ml olive oil
45ml butter
250g porcini mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10ml dried oregano
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
a large handful of parsley, chopped

Bring 5 litres of water to the boil in a large saucepan with 30ml (8 teaspoons) salt.
Add the spaghetti to the pot of boiling water and cook for 9 minutes.
Heat another large saucepan over a high heat.
Add the clams and the wine, cover with a lid and cook over a high heat until the clams have opened. This should not take longer than 8-10 minutes. Discard any clams that stay closed.
Drain the clams and set aside.
Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and butter to it.
Add the sliced porcini and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the onion, garlic and oregano and cook for another 3 minutes or so.
Now add the tomatoes as well as the clams and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Drain the cooked spaghetti and add it to the sauce.
Sprinkle the parsley over and stir through.
Serve immediately.

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Green Spaghetti

April 14, 2022April 11, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a recipe from the brand new book “Cook it. Eat it. Live it.” by Jo Kenny. I was lucky enough to write a review on the book and simply cannot have enough of this delicious pasta dish! I have made a vegetarian version of Jo’s original Pea and Smoked Bacon Spaghetti.

120g spaghetti
100g smoked bacon lardons (or leave it out for a meat-free meal)
200g peas
a large bunch of fresh basil
30ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
30ml créme fraîche
20g parmesan cheese
zest of one lemon

Add the spaghetti to a large pot with boiling water and allow to cook until al-dente.
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and cook the bacon lardons for 5 minutes.
Add the peas, basil, olive oil and garlic to a food processor, season with salt and blend until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
Add the pea and basil paste to the pan on a low heat.
Add the creme fraîche and stir on a low heat to warm through.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan immediately.
Stir the pasta through the sauce so that is coated evenly.
Serve the pasta with the grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest and another squeeze of lemon juice.

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Traybake Gnocchi

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

400g gnocchi
2 sweet peppers, sliced
100g black olives
100g green olives
400g cocktail/rosa tomatoes
150-200g feta cheese
125ml olive oil

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line an oven tray with baking paper.
Place the gnocchi on one half of the tray in a flat layer.
Add the sweet peppers, black and green olives and tomatoes to the other side of the tray.
Place the feta in the middle of the tray and drizzle the olive oil over all the ingredients making sure the gnocchi is “well drizzled”.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Spoon onto a serving dish and drizzle the gnocchi with the oil in the pan before serving.

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Spaghetti Carbonara with Zucchini

September 23, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g wholewheat spaghetti
4-6 zucchini
250g bacon, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
250ml cream
250ml parmesan cheese, grated
5 egg yolks

Cook the spaghetti and set aside.
Make zucchini strips by placing a zucchini on a chopping board and running a vegetable peeler over the length of it. Pull as many strips as you can, flipping the zucchini from time to time. Keep the zucchini strips aside.
Pour a small amount of vegetable oil in a saucepan, add the bacon and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Remove the bacon and garlic from the pan and set it aside.
Pour the cream in the same saucepan and bring it to a simmer.
Add the egg yolks one at a time while whisking continuously.
Add the parmesan and zucchini strips and simmer for about 2 minutes.
Now add the bacon and cooked spaghetti and toss through.
Serve the pasta with more grated parmesan and an egg yolk on top.

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Mushroom Spaghetti

August 31, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Easy, quick and fabulous!!

500g spaghetti
45ml butter
200g mixed mushrooms
200g bacon, cut into pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
65ml dry white wine
250ml cream
125ml chicken stock
50g parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of parsley, chopped

Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet and keep warm while you make the sauce.
Put a cast-iron pan on to a high heat and add the butter to it.
Fry the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and slightly caramelised. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the bacon to the same pan. Fry for about 3 minutes.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and the cooked mushroom and cook for another minute.
Pour in the wine and allow the wine to reduce to half.
Now add the cream, stock and grated parmesan and turn the heat down to low.
Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Add the cooked and drained spaghetti to the sauce, mix through and taste for seasoning.
Scatter a handful of chopped parsley over the spaghetti and serve.

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Creamy Prawn Spaghetti

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

The sauce for this prawn dish is absolutely delicious! It is creamy and cheesy and brings all the flavours together. No bread is needed to mop up the sauce as the pasta absorbs it all. Give it a try, you will love it! Feeds 4 hungry adults.

250g spaghetti
30ml butter
400g prawns
3 cloves of garlic, minced
65ml dry white wine
250ml cream
125ml chicken stock
50g parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of parsley, chopped

Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
Place a large saucepan onto medium-high heat and add the butter.
Add the prawns and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Now add the white wine and cook until reduced by half.
Add the cream, chicken stock and parmesan and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Cook until the sauce has thickened.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the mixture and give everything a thorough mix-through.
Finish with a scattering of parsley before serving.