Tag: Pasta

December 2025

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One word – Christmas! So without further ado, here are two recipes that should make your life a little easier during the busy festive season.

Menu One is ‘Lamb, Date & Chilli Stew’ from the cookbook Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour. Don’t be put off by the mention of chilli as this stew is very mild, plus the dates give it a moreish sweetness; it’s suitable for all taste buds, young and old. Doubled or even tripled, it’s a good option for feeding a crowd, and in addition, it can be frozen. What’s not to like?! Menu Two is ‘Courgette, Pea & Ricotta’ Lasagne from chef/food writer, Nina Parker. Lasagne is always a good option for entertaining, as it can be prepared in advance and then just put in the oven when your guests arrive. Even better, this one is super easy as you don’t have to ‘faff’ around making a béchamel sauce, instead you just whip ricotta with grated cheese. It’s vegetarian, so is a good option for vegetarian guests or simply for those who have had their fill of meat over the festive season.

Merry Christmas to you all!

(Watch out for my Christmas treat next week – it will be perfect for your celebratory table!)

Menu One

Lamb, Date & Chilli Stew (Serves 4-6)

From the cookbook Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, this stew will please most taste buds; the chilli is a very mild addition, it simply rounds off the dish by cutting the sweetness off the dates. Serve with rice or couscous.

Vegetable oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

800g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1.5cm cubes

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon chilli flakes (or ½ teaspoon if you’re less brave)

4-6 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly bashed but kept whole

250g best-quality dates (I use Medjool), pitted and roughly chopped

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Place a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and pour in enough vegetable oil to coat the base of the pan. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent. Add the lamb and spices and stir well to coat the lamb in them, then season generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Add garlic cloves and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Now stir in the dates, followed by the vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring regularly.
  3. Pour over enough boiling water to generously cover the contents of the pan. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure it isn’t sticking on the bottom.
  4. Check the liquid volume, topping with water if necessary, and check and adjust the seasoning to taste, then cook uncovered for another hour or so until the meat is beautifully tender. Serve with rice or couscous.

Menu Two

Courgette, Pea & Ricotta Lasagne (Serves Four)

This lasagne from chef/food writer Nina Parker, is super easy as you don’t have to ‘faff’ around making a béchamel sauce, instead you just whip ricotta with grated cheese.

350g lasagne pasta sheets (gluten-free if required)

For the filling:

3 tbsp olive oil

3 medium courgettes, sliced into 3cm chunks

350g cherry tomatoes, halved

400g tinned chickpeas (1 tsp bicarbonate of soda)

6 garlic cloves, diced

200g frozen peas

Small bunch fresh basil, roughly chopped

2 buffalo mozzarella balls, torn into 3cm pieces.

For the tomato sauce:

2 tins of plum tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, grated,

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp sugar,

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional).

For the ricotta sauce:

45g melted butter

150g Grana Padano, plus about 20g extra for grating over the top

500g ricotta cheese,

Lots of grated nutmeg to taste

Zest of 1 lemon and a small squeeze of juice,

Salt + pepper

170ml whole milk

Extra olive oil and grated cheese for the topping

  1. Grease a 25cmx33cm baking dish with a spoon of oil.
  2. Pour the chickpeas with the tin water into a bowl and top with extra water to completely cover. Mix in 1 level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and leave while the courgettes cook.
  3. Set a large saucepan over a medium-to-high heat with 3 spoons of olive oil. Add the chopped courgettes and tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper, cover (leaving a gap) and cook for 10 mins. Mix every so often. Stir in the 6 cloves of chopped garlic and cook for another 5 mins. Wash the chickpeas under cold water, drain and add to the pot. Season and simmer for another 5 mins. Stir in the peas and basil.
  4. Put all the tomato sauce ingredients into a blender and blitz for 20 secs until smooth.
  5. Add all ingredients for ricotta sauce into a bowl and beat together for 20 seconds.
  6. Spread a few spoons of the tomato sauce across the baking dish and top with one layer of lasagne, followed by more tomato sauce. Add half of the courgette mix, top with 1 ball of mozzarella, grated cheese, 1/3 of the ricotta sauce, and salt & pepper. Repeat once. Finally, top with more pasta, the last 3rd of the ricotta sauce, grated cheese, seasoning and olive oil.
  7. Bake in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 40/45 mins in the middle of the oven.
  8. Eat straight away with extra cheese!

‘Blast From the Past’ Recipe

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Linguine with Asparagus and Prosecco (Serves 4)

I thought that with the summer days getting shorter and our need to make the most of them it would be a good idea to share this wonderfully simple recipe from Skye McAlpine’s cookbook ‘A Table in Venice’ (I first shared it back in the summer of 2021). As she herself says, cooking with Prosecco always seems rather extravagant, but the delicacy of Prosecco definitely lends something extra special to the sauce. I also use Prosecco when I cook ‘Spaghetti Vongole’ (recipe here), as it gives the sauce a lightness (from the bubbles) and a subtle sweetness. You could, of course, use white wine instead of Prosecco, but do try it with Prosecco at some point. The mini bottles of Prosecco are perfect for this recipe, or of course you could get a full bottle and enjoy the remainder of the bottle with your meal!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

400g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3 cm lengths

100ml Prosecco

Handful of parsley, chopped

400g linguine (gluten free if required)

30g butter

30g parmesan cheese, grated

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring over a low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes until softened but not coloured.
  2. Add the asparagus and Prosecco, and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the Prosecco has evaporated and the asparagus is tender (if it is not quite cooked by the time that the liquid has evaporated add a splash of water and cook for a little longer). Finally stir in the parsley.
  4. Meanwhile cook the linguine according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Just before draining the pasta, scoop out about half a cup of cooking water and set to one side.
  5. Drain the pasta, toss it back into the pan and add a good splash of the reserved cooking water to ‘loosen’ it. Little by little stir in the butter. Finally add the asparagus mixture, give everything a good stir and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

‘Blast From the Past’ Recipe

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Penne Pasta with Sausage (Serves 4)

With its gloomy days, January is one of those months that calls for some quick supper dishes. This sausage pasta recipe is ready in 15 minutes, if not less – it’s a keeper. It will be no surprise to hear that it was one of the first recipes I ever shared back in 2020!..

I regularly cook this pasta dish as not only is it very tasty but incredibly quick to make. Although just a pinch of nutmeg and cloves are added, they really do make the sauce. The recipe is from ‘Passion for Pasta’ by Antonio Carluccio, I first bought this book over 20 years ago, it became so tattered from over use that I had to buy a second copy! If you are gluten free, like me, you can use gluten free sausages – I get some great ones from my local butcher. You can also serve this sauce with gluten free pasta, I think these days it’s hard to fault it; I have given it to Nick and Felix before, when I’ve been too lazy to cook two types of pasta, and they’ve hardly noticed! I particularly like ‘Barilla’ and ‘Garofalo’ gluten free pasta.

*To watch the video of this sauce being made click here!

375g penne rigate (gluten free if required)

75g butter

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

300g pork sausage meat, removed from casings and broken up (gluten free if required)

1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped

150ml dry white wine

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

75g freshly grated parmesan cheese

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Melt the butter and gently fry the onion and garlic.
  2. Add the sausage meat, continuing to break it up, mixing it in with the onion and garlic. Fry gently until well browned.
  3. Add the wine and rosemary, reduce heat and cook gently for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the nutmeg, cloves and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Meanwhile cook the penne according to the instructions on the packet, until al dente.
  6. Mix the sausage mixture with the parmesan cheese and add to the drained pasta.

‘Blast From the Past’ Recipe

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Spaghetti with Monkfish and Cherry Tomato Sauce  (Serves 4)

This is a recipe that I shared back in the early days of Menu Mistress when we were in summer lockdown. It was one of my favourite quick recipes during those never-ending Covid days (which now, thankfully, seem like some surreal dream; how quickly life moves on!). I made this pasta dish again just the other day and was reminded of it’s deliciousness. And so I decided that I should also remind you!..

Often nicknamed ‘poor man’s lobster’, monkfish is a lovely meaty fish making this dish totally satisfying. It is best to have all the ingredients prepared before cooking as the sauce cooks quickly. It is a very special yet quick and simple pasta dish…

400g monkfish fillet, sliced into 1cm slices

400g spaghetti

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 red chilli, chopped (or less according to your taste)

Pinch of dried chilli flakes

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

350g ripe cherry on the vine tomatoes, halved

4 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons of capers

1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 lemon

Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Season the monkfish and place in the pan, allow to colour, stirring. Then add the dried and fresh chilli, and the garlic, cook for a couple of minutes.
  2. Add the tomatoes and wine to the pan followed by the capers, cook over a high heat for a couple of minutes.
  3. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions until al dente.
  4. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the pan with the sauce along with the parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice (to taste). Toss everything together and serve. Easy!

April 2024

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Yes, I’m smiling it’s April and finally, it’s officially springtime (plus it’s the month of my birthday!). If like me you’re feeling full of the joys of spring, you’re probably out and about making the most of the brighter weather. Consequently, that means less time at home in your kitchens; so I figured that this month we would need some quick recipes with some bright flavours to match the weather and our mood… I happen to have a couple up my sleeve!

Menu One is ‘Sausage & Charred Citrus Traybake’, I must admit that I would never have thought that the combination of these flavours would work as well as they do – but believe me they absolutely do! The charred citrus juices blend beautifully with the cooking juices to create a tasty, aromatic sweet and sour sauce while the chickpeas stirred in at the end of cooking make it a substantial one-dish bake. Menu Two,’ Bandari Monkfish Tails with Shiraz Salad’, is an Iranian recipe which uses a tasty spice mix to permeate the fish with wonderful aromatics and colour. Served with the Shiraz salad it delivers a flavourful dish! Finally, Menu Three is ‘Spaghetti with Pancetta, Parsley and Parmesan’. The sweetness of this buttery, red onion sauce is cut beautifully by the salty pancetta and a sprinkling of parmesan. Once the onions and pancetta are chopped, it’s an easy sauce to throw together – a week-night pleaser!

I hope that these recipes for April have made you smile and let’s hope the weather can match their bright flavours!..

See you next week for my Tuesday Treat!

(Need some music for you kitchen?.. Lend an ear to my latest playlist, ‘Music to Cook to…MenuMusic Twenty-Seven’… With its upbeat soul tracks it’s made for the brighter weather!)

Menu One

Sausage & Charred Citrus Traybake (Serves 4)


I must admit that I would never have thought that the combination of these flavours would work as well as they do – but believe me they do! We have Ixta Belfrage’s incredibly inventive cookbook, Mexcla, to thank for this recipe. The charred citrus juices blend beautifully with the cooking juices to create a tasty, aromatic sweet and sour sauce while the chickpeas stirred in at the end of cooking make it a substantial one-dish bake. It’s very important to use good quality Italian style sausages for this recipe as their fatty juices will run into the veg and sauce and not dry out.

300g carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks

1 red onion, cut into sixths

5 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 large mild red chillies, halved lengthways

3 tablespoons olive oil

1½ teaspoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon chipotle flakes

½ teaspoon Aleppo chilli or pul biber

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon fine salt

8 good quality, fatty sausages, preferably Italian style (gluten-free if required)

90g water

1 lime, halved

1 tangerine, halved

200g tinned chickpeas, drained

For the Cucumber Salsa:

½ cucumber, peeled, halved, seeds removed

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons olive oil

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

5g fresh coriander, finally chopped

5g fresh chives, finally chopped

  1. Place the first 12 ingredients (everything from the carrots to the sausages) in a large roasting tin. Mix well, then spread the sausages out. Pour the water into the tin, around the sausages making sure that you don’t get them wet!
  2. Roast in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 35-40 minutes, turning the vegetables (but not the sausages) a couple of times, until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are golden brown.
  3. While the sausages are in the oven, place a large frying pan on a high heat. Once very hot place the citrus halves, cut side down in the pan and char for 3-4 minutes or until the cut sides are nicely charred.
  4. For the salsa, chop the cucumber into 1cm cubes and mix together with the lime juice, oil, and salt. Then, just before serving stir in the chopped herbs.
  5. Transfer the contents of the roasting tin to a platter and squeeze over the charred citrus then stir in the chickpeas. Top with some of the cucumber salsa, serving the rest on the side.

Menu Two

Bandari Monkfish Tails with Shiraz Salad (Serves 4)

This Iranian recipe from Sabrina Ghayour’s cookbook Persiana uses a tasty spice mix to permeate the fish with wonderful aromatics and colour. Served with the Shiraz salad (recipe below) it delivers a flavourful dish!

4 monkfish tails or loins, about 175-200g each, skinned and cleaned

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 fat cloves, crushed

5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

A handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped plus extra to serve

A handful of fresh dill leaves, finely chopped

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

Olive oil

1 teaspoon salt flakes

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  1. Mix all the dry spices together in a bowl and add the garlic, ginger, fresh herbs, lime zest and juice, yogurt and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir well. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the spice paste to rest.
  2. Place the monkfish tails in a shallow dish. Give the spice mix a good stir and pour over the fish. Use your hands to work the paste into the fish, ensuring all sides get an even coating. Once again cover with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and bring the fish to room temperature.
  3. Preheat a frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, drizzle with a little olive oil. Gently lay the monkfish in the pan and cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until opaque and firm. Transfer to a serving plate and leave to rest for 1-2 minutes then serve, sprinkling with a little extra coriander and the Shiraz salad (recipe below) on the side.

Shiraz Salad (Serves 4-6)

Taking its name from the city of Shiraz in Iran, this is a popular Iranian salad. It’s the perfect accompaniment for spiced meat and fish dishes.

1 cucumber, finely diced

6 vine-ripe tomatoes, cored, deseeded and finely diced

1 red onion, halved and sliced thinly into ‘half moons’

Olive oil

3 good pinches of sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

2 heaped teaspoons of sumac

200g pomegranate seeds

  1. Place the cucumber, tomato and red onion in a bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season with the salt and pepper and pour over the lemon juice then give everything a good mix. Finally, sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and sumac and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, as it’s best served chilled. 

Menu Three

Spaghetti with Pancetta, Parsley and Parmesan (Serves 4)

The sweetness of this buttery, red onion sauce is cut beautifully by the salty pancetta and a sprinkling of parmesan. Once the onions and pancetta are chopped, it’s an easy sauce to throw together – a week-night pleaser!

8 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 medium red onions, peeled and finely chopped (I use my food processor to save time!)

200g pancetta, finely sliced, then cut into 5mm pieces, plus 6 thin slices

400g spaghetti

150g butter

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

120g Parmesan, freshly grated

  1. Gently heat the butter in a pan. Add the onion and cook steadily for 15-20 minutes, then add the chopped pancetta and garlic. Turn the heat down, stir and continue to cook to blend the flavours for a further 10 minutes. Season generously with salt, pepper and dried chilli. The mixture should become quite dark. Add parsley and stir.
  2. Heat a small frying pan, brush with oil and fry the extra slices of pancetta until crisp.
  3. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, keeping back 2-3 tablespoons of cooking water. Mix the spaghetti into the warm parsley mixture and toss together, adding a little pasta water to help the sauce coat the spaghetti. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan and a slice pancetta on each portion.