spaghetti – My Whisk and I

20-Minute Tuna Spaghetti

September 25, 2023September 7, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g spaghetti
45ml olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 spring onion, finely sliced
2 tins of shredded tuna, drained
1 lemon, zest and juice
125ml sour cream
30ml capers, roughly chopped
30ml chopped parsley
15ml chopped chives
parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Drain the pasta and keep it in the pot too stay warm.
Place a large pan over medium heat, add the oil and wait for it to heat up.
Add the garlic and spring onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Now add the tuna, lemon zest and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Pour in the cream and cook for 1 minute.
Add the spaghetti, capers, parsley and chives and stir until the spaghetti is well coated in the sauce.
Grate over a generous amount of parmesan cheese and stir through.
Now grate over some more parmesan, stir again and serve.

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Spaghetti Bolognese

March 10, 2023March 9, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

45ml vegetable oil
250g smoked bacon, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml rosemary leaves, chopped
1kg minced beef
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
10ml dried origanum
2 bay leaves
15ml sugar
60ml Worcestershire sauce
50g tomato puree
5ml salt
250ml beef stock
400g spaghetti, cooked
parmesan cheese

Place a large saucepan on medium heat and add the oil.
Add the chopped bacon and cook for 10 minutes.
Turn the heat down and add the onion, carrot, garlic and rosemary. Cook for another 10 minutes while stirring often.
Add the minced beef and stir-fry for 5 minutes, ensuring it is broken up.
Now add the tinned tomato, origanum, bay leaves, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and stock.
Bring the bolognese to the boil, turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook for one hour until you have a rich, thick sauce. Stir the sauce every now and then while it cooks.
Cook the spaghetti, drain and spoon onto plates.
Serve the bolognese sauce on top of the spaghetti with grated parmesan cheese.

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Chorizo and Spinach Carbonara

October 4, 2022October 3, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a cheat’s version of carbonara and makes a perfect weekday dinner. Feeds 4 adults.

300g dried pappardelle pasta (or spaghetti)
150g chorizo sausage, sliced
15ml thyme, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml lemon juice
45ml yoghurt
1 egg
100g baby spinach
50g parmesan cheese, grated

Fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions.
Add the chorizo to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and fry for 3 minutes.
Add the thyme and garlic and stir-fry for another minutes or so.
Add the lemon juice, yoghurt and egg to a small bowl and whisk together with a fork.
Take the saucepan from the heat and add the yoghurt mixture while stirring.
Add the spinach to the saucepan and place it back onto the heat while stirring until the spinach is wilted.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle the parmesan over.
Mix through before serving.

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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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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.