Orechiette con Salsiccia

Ingredients:

• 2 Italian sausages
• 1 Can tomato sauce
• 1 Medium onion
• Half cup white wine
• 300gr Orechiette or pasta of your choice
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan Cheese

Method:

1. Dice the onion, drizzle a non stick pan with olive oil and cook the onion for about 5 minutes until tender and starting to brown.
2. Put in the Italian sausage and break using a wooden spatula.  Cook until browned.
3. Pour in the wine, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes until sauce thickens.  Season accordingly.
4. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
5. Add the pasta to the sauce and serve immediately with some Parmesan cheese.

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Pasta with Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium aubergine
• 1 Can chopped tomatoes
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 small onion
• Olive oil
• Fresh basil (optional)
• 250gr Pasta of your choice
• Salt & Pepper
• Grated Cheese

Method:

1. Heat a non stick pan with a little olive oil and a pot of water for the pasta.
2. In the meantime cut the aubergine in small cubes and fry for about 10 to 15 minutes until tender.
3. Dice the green pepper and onions and add with the aubergines. 
4. Add the can of chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  
5. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until the tomatoes are heated through.
6. Pour the cooked pasta in the vegetable sauce and mix in some grated cheese.
7. Serve with some fresh basil.

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Stuffed Pasta Shells

I am not a big fan of pasta, so when I feel like having some pasta I like it to be a little creative and try to make the most out of it.  Here follows one of my recipes that I made recently.

Ingredients:

For 2 persons

• 250g fresh ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons grated cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• Salt & Pepper
• 250g Pasta shells
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Olive Oil
• 400ml Tomato sauce
• 1 small Maltese sausage (optional)
• 4 tablespoons milk (optional)

Method:

1. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the ricotta and mix with a fork so the crumble the ricotta.
2. Add the grated cheese, parsley, salt and pepper and give a good mix.
3. In order to quicken the process of filling the pasta shells, get a new plastic bag and tip in the mixture.  Cut out the the corner tip of the plastic bag and use it as a 'pasty bag' unless you already have one.  Fill in the pasta shells (I bought lumaconi) and place in a dish. *Note: I did not pre-cook the pasta shells.
4. Pour in the dish the milk and set aside.  This step can be ignored, the difference is that the milk will help to moisten the shells.
5. Chop the onion and garlic and toss in a pan on low heat with a drizzle of olive oil.  
6. Once onions are translucent, mix in the sausage meat and cook until meat changes colour.  Then add the tomato sauce and simmer on low heat for about 10.
7. Turn off the heat and pour the tomato sauce over the pasta shells and let it sit for about 1 hour.
8. Preheat oven at 200°C, place the dish in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes.  Turn off the oven and let it sit for another 30 minutes before plating.

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Spaghetti Vongole

I am not a huge fan of fish however this one with fresh shellfish was so good that I had to share it with you.  On my fathers recommendation, a trip to the farmers market is worth while.  Look out for the 'fisherman's wife' van, we have never been disappointed.

Ingredients

• 1 kg fresh vongole (managed to find fresh ones at the local farmers market)
• Garlic
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 500g spaghetti
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 200ml white wine
• Crushed chillies (optional)
• Parsley

Method

1. Put a pan of water for the pasta, to boil.
2. If you are using fresh vongole, sort through them and if there are any which are not tightly closed try to tap them sharply and if they do not close throw them away.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water.
4. Quickly put a non stick pan on high heat add the olive oil.  When heated through put in the garlic, tomatoes, chilli, salt and pepper.
5. As soon as the garlic starts to colour put in the vongole and the white wine and close the pan with the lid.  Cook for about 4 minutes untill all vongole are open.  If there are any that did not open just toss them away.
6. Drain the pasta and add to the pan of vongole.
7. Stir for a further minute and serve immediately with some chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy! And as a friend of mine always says... 'fresh fish makes all the difference'  

Dedicated to you Jen!

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