Category: Pasta&Rice

COUSCOUS

14/12/2019

COUSCOUS
Don’t we just love a quick and easy dish? I know I do. I love it so much that I have
called my cat “couscous” This is the most ridiculously simple side, super volatile that tastes just as good cold for Tabbouleh as it does hot for Tajines. It is wonderfully light and healthy.

Ingredients
500g of instant couscous (couscous are tiny grains made from wheat, it’s essential teeny pasta)
If you are using a different kind of couscous as the whole grain couscous for example, read the how to cook method written on the packaging.
500ml water or stock (stock add flavour)
60g butter
Salt
Cumin and paprika optional

Methods

Bring the water to boil, when it is boiling add the couscous
Add the butter and stir
Add a big pinch of salt
Add cumin, paprika and if you wish
Turn off the heat.
Wait 5 /10 minutes

The water must have been absorbed by the couscous
With a fork, fluff and separate it so every grain is detached as much as possible.
Buddy it up with a Tajine

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Pasta and Tuna

29/6/2014

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Pasta and Tuna

A delicious and simple recipe that can be made from store cupboard ingredients

For Four

Ingredients

500g Penne
3 fresh tomatoes each cut into quarters
4 drained anchovy fillets
1 medium onion finely sliced
1 can of peeled tomatoes ( use 1can and ½ or be bold and use 2 cans if you don’t have fresh tomatoes)
500g canned tuna in Springwater ( drain the tuna and reserve the spring water)
3 small garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp Virgin olive oil
½ can of black olives
2 tbsp of chopped parsley
1 tbsp of Parmesan
Salt and Pepper

Methods

Heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan for a minute.
Add the finely sliced onion and let it cook until transparent.
Add the can of tomatoes and the fresh ones.
Add the garlic and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
Add the drained tuna, the anchovy fillets, salt and pepper.
Toss for a few seconds and let it bubble for a few minutes on gentle heat.
After 10 minutes stir in the black olives.
Put the pan on the back burner on low heat.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for about
10 minutes.
Drain the pasta.
Toss the penne with the sauce, mix in the last tbsp. of olive oil and season to taste.
Add a little bit of the spring water reserved from the Tuna can if the pasta seems too dry.
Add the parmesan and the chopped parsley on top and serve.

Enjoy !

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Pasta De Bretagne

23/6/2014

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PASTA DE BRETAGNE

A delicious recipe made by my friend Claire de Bretagne. Looks complicated but in fact it is easy and quick (15mn)

For four

Ingredients

500g fresh spaghetti (6/8 minutes to cook)
A small bouquet of flat parsley, finely sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tiny bit of red chilli
1/2 lemon juice
2 shallots
1 cup of roseé wine
2 tbsp. of fresh cream

Method :

In a sauce pan, heat the wine and the shallots until the liquid boils, then lower the heat and continue simmering until the liquid is reduced down to about 2/3.
Meanwhile, bring a big casserole of salted water to the boil (roughly 2-3L)
Add the pasta to the boiling water and put on the back burner to cook.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and once hot, fry the scallops for 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
Using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until it is golden brown, not more than 1 minute on each side.
Then reduce the heat to medium and add shallots sauce, the fresh cream, lemon juice, the tiny bit of chilli and Salt and Pepper.
Stir constantly for 4 more minutes.
Adjust the heat to very low.
Sprinkle with the parsley.
Drain the pasta, living a 1tbsp of boiling water at the bottom, so the pasta does not turn cold too quick and put a lid on.
Serve the pasta and the sauce. A TAAAABLEEE !!!!

You can keep the sauce warm by keeping the saucepan in the bain-marie on the back burner or in oven, on very low heat, while you cook the pasta, specially when using normal dry pasta which take longer to cook.

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Pasta Vongole, Venise, Venise, Venise

12/9/2013

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Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I think, hum… lets cook Pasta Vongole for dinner!! I must have been dreaming all night long that I lived in a shell, deep on the Venice ocean floor Oui, oui I know I fell into a soup casserole when I was a baby and have never recovered since…. But I tell you, this extra simple recipe is a must-try and is easy to cook in few minutes. Besides, it makes a beautiful plate with pasta cooked al dente, holding in their twists and turns nice shells with a touch of red from the subtle tomatoes and refreshing chillies…

The most important thing is timing.

Ingredients
For four

500g spaghetti
200g cherry tomatoes
800g pipis (cockles) from sustainable sources (with their shells) scrubbed clean.
One red chilli, finely sliced
2 soup spoons of olive oil
250ml white wine
A small bouquet of flat parsley, finely sliced
2 or 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a big casserole of water to the boil (roughly 2-3L)
Add the pasta to the boiling water and put on the back burner to cook.
In a sauce pan, on medium heat, add the olive oil, the tomatoes chopped in two and the garlic. Let them cook for 3,5/4 minutes.
Add the wine, the pipis, the parsley, salt and pepper and crumble in the chilli.
Stir constantly.
Let it cook on medium/high heat until the pipis open and look happy.
Get rid of any clams that haven’t opened. This step is very important, as those which have not opened might be not fresh and should not be eaten.
By now the pasta should be cooked ; drain the water, put back the drained pasta to the pan and add the sauce.

Serve immediately with a little bit of grated cheese on the side and some fresh bread to mop up the sauce.

Enjoy !!!

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COUSCOUS

Pasta and Tuna

Pasta De Bretagne

Pasta Vongole, Venise, Venise, Venise

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