Pasta cooks quickly, and with a few tasty ingredients you can have dinner on the table in no time at all. Angela Day has some versatile recipes.
On the menu:
Creamy smoked trout and dill pasta
Bacon and butternut pesto pasta
Roasted asparagus, rocket and goat’s cheese pasta
Chilli prawn pasta salad
Lentil spaghetti
CREAMY SMOKED TROUT AND DILL PASTA
Serves 4
300g linguine pasta
200g smoked trout, chopped
45ml chopped fresh dill
250ml cream
60ml grated Parmesan
5ml lemon rind
30ml lemon juice
salt and pepper
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water until al dente.
Drain and return to the pan.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over a low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
BACON AND BUTTERNUT PESTO PASTA
Serves 6
500g butternut, peeled and cubed
1 red onion, cut in wedges
30ml olive oil
salt and pepper
300g fusilli pasta
125g basil pesto
250g bacon, crispy fried androughly chopped
250ml grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Place the butternut and red onion on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to the pan.
Add the pesto to the pasta and toss until well coated.
Add the butternut, red onion, bacon and half the Parmesan and mix well.
Serve with extra Parmesan.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS, ROCKET AND GOAT’S CHEESE PASTA
Serves 6
100g asparagus
200g cherry tomatoes
30ml olive oil
salt and pepper
200g penne pasta
100g goat’s cheese, crumbled
125ml pitted olives, halved
1 small red onion, finely chopped
30ml lemon juice
60ml olive oil
30ml honey
30g rocket leaves
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the asparagus and cherry tomatoes on a baking tray with the olive oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 10-15 minutes.
Remove and set aside.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.
Drain and stir the goat’s cheese into the warm pasta.
Add the roasted asparagus, cherry tomatoes and the olives to the pasta.
In a small bowl, combine the red onion, lemon juice, olive oil and honey and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour over the pasta and stir in the rocket leaves. Serve at room temperature.
CHILLI PRAWN PASTA SALAD
Serves 6
DRESSING
60ml olive oil
30ml lime juice
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
5ml crushed garlic
10ml brown sugar
60ml chopped fresh coriander
200g prawns, cooked and peeled
SALAD
300g bow-shaped pasta
half a red and half a yellow pepper, finely diced
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 small cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced
100g mange tout, sliced in half diagonally
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
Combine all the ingredients well for the dressing. Pour half over the prawns and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
For the salad, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.
Prepare all the vegetables and add to the pasta with the rest of the dressing. Stir in the prawns and serve.
LENTIL SPAGHETTI
Serves 6
60ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
125ml vegetable stock
30ml tomato paste
400g tin of lentils, drained and rinsed
15ml balsamic vinegar
100g pitted olives, halved
125ml chopped fresh parsley
300g spaghetti
125ml grated Parmesan
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion, garlic, carrot and celery until soft, about five minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, lentils and balsamic vinegar and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the olives and parsley and simmer for a further five minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Add the lentil sauce to the hot pasta and stir well to combine.
Divide among serving bowls and top with grated Parmesan.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.