Recipe: Turkey Meatballs with Tomato and Basil Sauce

These meatballs were so scrummy, my Italian and Spanish house mates were asking ME for the recipe! Kudos indeed! As you guys know, I love turkey. The key with turkey is not to overcook it, that's the only reason people think it's dry, its just people cooking it for too long! I love the tomato and basil passata they have at Sainsburys, and I've found out recently that passata or creamed tomatoes are cheaper than tinned chopped tomatoes. Dunno why??

Turkey Meatballs with tomato and herb sauce (serves 2)

Meatballs

500g turkey thigh mince

1 celery stick, finely diced

½ onion, finely diced

Big handful chives, finely chopped

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

80g breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Sauce

500g tomato passata with basil

100ml chicken stock

1 garlic clove, crushed

Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

200g pasta of your choice

Basil and chive flowers for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Mix together all of the meatball ingredients, season well, and shape into 12 large meatballs. Put a frying pan on a high heat, and fry the meatballs in the oil for about 5 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally.

2.Put the meatballs on an oven tray and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Put the passata, stock and garlic in a saucepan, heat up, and season to taste.

3.Plate up the cooked pasta, pour over the tomato sauce, pop the meatballs on top, and garnish with fresh herbs if desired. 

Recipe: Tortiglioni with a Creamy pesto and Spinach sauce

I had never heard of tortiglioni until the other day, but it was on offer at sainsburys, so now I not only know what it is but also love it! It's basically a pasta similar to rigatoni, but smaller, and with ridges. If you look at the previous post, you can find the recipe for my wild garlic pesto- but if you are unlucky and don't have the wonderful luck of having a serving of wild garlic pesto made, or are not in the short period of time when wild garlic is available, then use any other type of pesto you prefer; typical basil, red pepper, or sundried tomato- there seems to be so many varieties out there these days!

Tortiglioni with a creamy pesto and spinach sauce (serves 2)

200g tortiglioni
150ml chicken stock
180g thick double cream
60g spinach
120g Wild garlic pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
Wild garlic flowers and fresh basil for garnish

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Cook the chicken stock and cream in another saucepan for 5 minutes. Add the pesto, cook for another 2 minutes.
2. Add the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain the tortiglioni and mix into the cream sauce. Cook on the stove, stirring continuously for 1 minute, until all the ingredients are well mixed and hot.
3. Season to taste, and serve, with wild garlic flowers and basil leaves if desired.

Recipe: Farfalle Genovese

A lot of people think that putting two starches together on a plate is a little weird. I suppose I do too in some cases- like when you see people have curry with rice AND chips- straaange! This is a classic traditional Italian recipe. It is called "Genovese", because pesto was originally invented in the italian town of Genoa. I often make my own home made pesto for this dish, but this time (because of me being good on my diet) i made this with Sainsburys Own "Light" pesto- and it was really nice actually- couldn't tell it was lowcal really! A traditional pesto is made with gurt loads of fresh basil, good olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan and garlic- if you fancy making your own. What's great about this too, as a student is that it is a one pot dish! Less washing up for Mel!

Farfalle Genovese (serves 1)

90g farfalle

125 small new potatoes, halved
80g French beans
50g green pesto (homemade or shop bought)
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan and fresh basil for garnish (optional)

1. Cook the farfalle according to the packet instructions. 10 minutes before the farfalle is cooked, add the potatoes. 5 minutes before the end of cooking time add the green beans.

2. Drain, return to the pan, mix with the pesto, season to taste and serve- with parmesan and fresh basil for garnish if desired.

Recipe: Turkey Bolognese

Yummy- I love turkey so much! Cheap, tasty, and low in fat! Bit of a random recipe I suppose- I added butternut squash soup to it because I had some in a tupperware left in the fridge to use- gave it a really nice sweetness actually. Also some people think it might be odd to add chilli to a bolognese, but I remember when i had that masterclass with Marco Pierre White he added red chilli to his turkey bolognese- I suppose great mind's think alike, haha!! I have used farfalle as my pasta of choice- but go ahead and use whichever shape you fancy!

Turkey Bolognese (serves 4)

 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Knob of butter
1 red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
Large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp herbs du Provence
500g turkey mince
30g tomato puree
Splash of white wine
200g passata
200ml beef stock
100g butternut squash soup
1 bay leaf
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
400g pasta (of your preference!)
Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

1. Fry the red onion, garlic, chilli and parsley in the olive oil and butter for 5 minutes. Add the turkey and tomato paste, and cook on a high heat for about 10 minutes, or the mine is beginning to brown.

2.  Add the wine, let it bubble a little, and then add all the other ingredients. Simmer on a medium heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, and season to taste.

3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain and serve topped with the Bolognese sauce, garnishing with fresh basil if desired.  

Recipe: Spicy Chicken Arrabbiata Pasta Bake

The spicy chicken pasta bake- what a canteen staple! This would knock the socks off anything any of the dinner ladies cooked for us at school though! It is just the most delicious thing, it really is. Feel free to make it spicier, by adding chilli flakes and another fresh red chilli- i've only used 2 because as you guys know i'm a bit of a spicy wimp! I have served this with a pea shoot, tomato and red onion salad- a very nice accompaniment.

Spicy Chicken Arrabbiata Pasta Bake (serves 2)
1 tbsp olive oil
20g butter
2 red chillies, diced finely
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 chicken breast, diced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
100g diced green olives
300ml beef stock
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
170g farfalle
50g breadcrumbs
4 tbsp grated parmesan.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Fry the chicken, chillies and garlic in the butter and olive oil for 6 minutes. Add all the other ingredients (except pasta, breadcrumbs and parmesan) and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes.
2.Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Mix the pasta into the sauce, season to taste, and pour into a baking dish. Top with the breadcrumbs and parmesan, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve!

Recipe: Red Pesto Turkey Lasagne

This is the first recipe that i've made so far with the frozen turkey mince I got from Bernard Matthews at Christmas. I was a bit nervous as the mince looked a little unusual, but this recipe is absolutely delicious! So much flavour- don't believe people that say turkey is tasteless, they obviously haven't tried this recipe yet, haha!! In terms of lasagne recipes it's also pretty easy to make too. Main problem i have is lasagne sheets sticking together, but to get away from that problem, either use loads of olive oil to stop em from sticking, or alternatively, use those ready-cooked fresh lasagne sheets from the supermarkets. Quite a lot of cheese on top I suppose, but at least the lean turkey lowers the fat levels a bit!!

Red pesto Turkey Lasagne (serves 4)

Lasagne
8 lasagne sheets
2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for lasagne sheets)
1 white onion, diced
½ tsp garlic salt
½ tsp herbs du provence
400g turkey mince
1 tbsp tomato puree
100g finely diced chestnut mushrooms
1 green pepper, seeded and finely diced
100ml beef stock
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp Worchester sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
100g grated cheddar

White sauce

50g butter
40g flour
500ml semi-skimmed milk
90g tomato pesto
Salt and pepper to taste

1.     Preheat the oven to 180C. Cook the lasagne sheets until soft. Drizzle them with olive oil (to stop them from sticking together) and set aside.

2.     Fry the onion, garlic and herbs in the oil for 5 minutes. Increase the heat, and add the turkey and tomato puree, and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the pepper and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes, stock, and Worcestershire sauce, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.     Meanwhile, make the white sauce. Melt the butter, stir in the flour, gradually add the milk, and then stir in the pesto. Cook until you have a thick sauce, season to taste, and set aside.

4.     First, put half the mince into the bottom of a dish. Layer with 4 of the lasagne sheets, and then top with the other half of the mince, and half of the white sauce. Add the other 4 lasagne sheets, top with the rest of the white sauce, scatter with grated cheddar, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Serve!

Recipe: Italian Meatballs with Cirio Sauce

Hey guys. So I won a lovely little prize draw, from My favourite recipes (who i still write for) and Cirio- an Italian food company. I got sent a lovely tomato hamper- with these sorts of products in it: tinned tomatoes, tomato sauces, pizza sauces, tomato puree, and a few other bits and bobs.

Both me and the boyfriend have been lucky lately actually- Nicky won a hamper too! He won a hamper from New covent garden- a lovely fruit, veg and nut collection just in time for Christmas! These meatballs are scrummy- my tip for the perfect meatballs, is whiever "flavour" you make them with herbs and spices (e.g. spanish, spicy, scandinavian etc.) use half pork and half beef mince. The fat in the pork keeps the meatballs moist, and the beef gives them rich flavour. If you can't get cirio tomato, garlic and herb sauce- just use your favourite pasta sauce.

Italian Meatballs with Cirio Sauce (serves 4)

250g pork mince
250g lean beef mince
1 very finely chopped red onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Handful fresh basil, chopped
1 egg
50g breadcrumbs
½ tsp dried mixed herbs
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper (plenty of!)

4 tbsp olive oil
1 jar Cirio garlic and herb tomato sauce
400g spaghetti

1. Mix together all the meatball ingredients, shape into medium sized meatballs (makes about 30) and put on a plate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C. Put a pan of salted water onto the boil for the spaghetti. In a large frying pan (you will probably have to do this in batches) fry the meatballs on a high heat, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Put the meatballs in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
3.Heat up the tomato sauce, drain the pasta, and serve the meatballs and sauce over the cooked spaghetti with whichever garnishes you might fancy (grated parmesan/cheese, freshly chopped herbs, extra virgin olive oil, cracked black pepper, etc.).

Recipe: Spanish Tortellini

A rather student-y meal I suppose, but needs must as the devil drives, and at the moment the desire to eat tasty gourmet "chef-y" meals every night goes slightly against my university budget. Also where does the time go? with already 6 weeks into my second year of University I have so much work and reading to do, that I can't really spend hours preparing meals how I would like to. I do believe though that it entirely possible for someone on a low budget or someone that doesn't have too much time on their hands to produce delicious meals for themselves. This recipe uses one of my regular cheap staples: pre-made tortellini. I used sundried tomato and mozzarella tortellini from sainsburys this time, but most tortellini/ravioli flavours work in this dish. I used some of that Bath Pig Chorizo again as well- I know i'll be doing work experience with them in the Spring, but without bias I can honestly say it is the nicest cooking chorizo i've ever tasted. Great texture too.

Spanish Tortellini (serves 1)

150g any type shop bought tortellini/ ravioli
1 tbsp olive oil
50g raw chorizo, diced
1 garlic clove
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
Large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated manchego or parmesan for garnish.

1. Cook the tortellini according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, in another pan, fry the chorizo and garlic in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, parsley and smoked paprika and cook for a further 2 minutes.
2. Add the cooked tortellini to the chorizo and tomatoes. Stir well to combine all the ingredients, and serve with some grated manche
parmesan.

Recipe: Spicy Tomato and Chorizo Penne

This recipe is wonderfully picante and deeply saitsfying. The earthy flavours of smoked parika eminating from the chorizo, mixed with the spicy rich tomato sauce, stirred into wholemeal penne makes a wonderfully quick tasty gratifying lunch for two. The chorizo i've been cooking with lately is fabulous, I got it from The Bath Pig Company with whom i'll be doing some work experience in the spring. Their products are lovely, locally reared, and made with proper old fashioned curing techniques - and you can really taste that in the meat. My boyfriend is a bit of a fan of "burnt meat"- in a way that for instance, he likes his bacon 'cremated' - so if you want the chorizo really charred, put it in the oven for 15 minutes, but 10 is fine enough for me.

Spicy Tomato and Chorizo Penne (serves 2)

100g cooking chorizo, diced into small cubes
200g wholemeal penne
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 red chilli, finely diced
1 tbsp freshly chopped basil
1 tsp stock powder
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp mixed herbs
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
Grated parmesan for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Put all the chorizo into a roasting dish and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
2. Meanwhile, heat up all the other ingredients (except the parmesan) in a small saucepan, stirring often. Season to taste, mix into the cooked pasta, and spoon into two bowls. Top with the crispy chorizo, some freshly grated parmesan, and serve!

Recipe: Chargrilled Courgette, Pea, and Ricotta Tagliatelli

This is such a divine recipe- the earthy flavours of the courgette mixing with the fresh zesty flavours of lemon and ricotta. I got this ricotta from the new Jamie's Deli that's opened up in town, the place is STUNNING- It's like a proper decent Italian deli, just with a few Jamie Oliver branded things scattered about. Theres meats hanging from the ceilings, big wheels of cheese, crates of unusual vegetables outside, and a fab deli counter. However, i had my sneaky eye on the ricotta they were selling, as i could tell it was THE REAL DEAL rather than the watery tasteless ricotta you get from supermarkets. This ricotta, sourced from Westcombe which is only a couple of miles from where I live, is so delicious and creamy and lovely- i'm hooked! This recipe takes 15 minutes to make and is very good for you- it includes at least 2 of your 5 a day in there! You can either use chargrilled courgettes that you get in a packet from the supermarket, or you could make your own by just chucking some courgettes on a griddle pan for a couple of minutes each side.

Chargrilled courgette, pea, and ricotta Tagliatelli (serves 1)

100g dried Tagliatelli
80g frozen peas
80g diced chargrilled courgettes
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of half a lemon
Plenty of salt and pepper to taste
30g fresh ricotta

1. Cook the Tagliatelli according to the packet instructions. 2 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the frozen peas to the pan.
2. Drain the peas and pasta, and return to the pan. Mix in the courgettes, olive oil, lemon and seasoning. Top with the fresh ricotta and serve!

Recipe: Student's Basic Spag Bol

All of a sudden it seems, my little baby brother is going off the University!! Can't believe it really, he's such a numpty bless him! Me and my family werent sure whether he was going to get into Uni because his BTEC grades were a bit rubbish, but he's been accepted on a foundation degree (4 years, eep!) and is moving out on monday! This is the first time my brother actually wanted to learn a few cooking basics actually, because as we were growing up as kids I loved food and tried getting my brother into it, but he never showed any interest. Mum's taught him to cook rice and pasta, and some egg dishes (omelette and scrambled eggs and all that) and yesterday i went over and taught him how to cook spaghetti bolognese and chilli con carne. I think those are just great basic student go-to's, and mince is so cheap as well. This is the most simple, basic recipe I could teach him (as he has no cooking experience atall) with the most basic ingredients- and i honestly believe even the most kitchen-shy student could pull this one off. The mince can also be frozen in seperate portions if the student has a freezer (not completely sure whether my bro has one or not?)

Student’s Basic Bolognese (serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 white or red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped (or a tsp of pureed garlic)
500g minced beef
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tin chopped tomatoes
400ml beef stock (made with two beef Oxo cubes)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Sugar salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Grated parmesan on top

1. Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes- or until the onions are soft and beginning to brown.
2. Add the minced beef, a little salt and pepper, and mixed herbs, and cook on a high temperature for 10 minutes, stirring often, until well browned.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce, and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste and serve!

*When cooking the pasta, it’s about 125g dried pasta per person

Recipe: Puttanesca for One

Puttanesca is a traditional Italian tomato sauce, traditionally made with tomatoes, olives, capers, olive oil, chilli and garlic. In the Neopolitan region, it is also traditional to add lots of anchovies and oregano to the sauce. I've used worchester sauce because I don't like anchovies (too fishy for me) but worchester sauce is made with anchovies and I quite like that taste of it so i thought it made a good substitute. The sauce is said to have been invented in the 50s, and has been very popular in Italy from the 60s onwards. I have used wholegrain spaghetti this time- but that's what I just happened to have in the house, use white if you'd prefer.

Spaghetti Puttanesca (serves 1)

100g spaghetti
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
100g passata (or tomato juice)
30g black olives
20g capers
2 tsp Worchester sauce
Pinch chilli flakes
Pinch garlic salt
Pinch dried oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (plus extra for garnish)
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste.

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta, and cook according to the packet instructions.
2. Put all the other ingredients in another smaller saucepan, and cook on a medium heat for 6 minutes.
3. Drain the spaghetti, stir in the sauce, and put back on the heat until most of the excess liquid has evaporated and the sauce becomes thick (this normally takes 1-2 minutes).
4.Serve with some freshly chopped parsley on top!

Recipe: Roasted red pepper and tomato sauce

Wheyyy, I finally did it, I tricked my little brother into eating peppers! (He is eighteen bearing this in mind!). One night i just really fancied a fresh tasting healthy spaghetti dish with a sauce and now i've made this recipe a few times, i love it! That night i served it with pasta, and some freshly chopped parsley and parmesan as you can see in the picture. However, this sauce goes with almost anything- pies, cold cuts, roasted meats, other sorts of pasta, it's very versatile. You can even serve it as a soup too as well if you fancy it.

Roasted red pepper and tomato sauce (makes about 800g)

3 tbsp olive oil
2 red peppers, seeded and diced
1 red onion, diced
1 tsp herbs du Provence
Salt and pepper

1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
A little water (if necessary)

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Roast the peppers and red onions in a roastring tray with the herbs, oil and seasoning for 20 minutes, or until the peppers start blackening. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. Add the roasted vegetables and all the other ingredients into a food processor and blend until a smooth sauce is obtained. Pour this sauce into a pan and heat until piping hot. Add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick for you, season to taste, and serve- with spaghetti, pies, meats, whatever you fancy!

Recipe: Creamy Boursin, Leek and Mushroom Tagliatelli

This is another recipe I have written for Bel, and it is as tasty as it is calorific! I suppose unfortunately pretty much none of my Bel recipes have been "low fat", but when you're dealing with items such as Boursin and Leerdamer, you just have to think of them as slightly indulgent I suppose. If using normal garlic and herb boursin (not "cuisine") i reccomend that you increase the milk to 200ml instead.

Creamy Boursin, leek and mushroom Tagliatelli (serves 2)

200g dried Tagliatelli
2 tbsp olive oil
15g butter
1 leek, sliced thinly
125g mushrooms, sliced thinly
200g boursin cuisine
150ml semi skimmed milk
50g wafer thin smoked ham, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sautee the leek in the butter and olive oil for 5 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms, and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. In a bowl, mix together the milk and boursin cuisine until smooth, and mix into the leeks and mushrooms.
3. Add the drained Tagliatelli, stir to coat, and once the sauce is thick enough (the pasta absorbs the liquid very quickly) serve, with the diced smoked ham.

Recipe: Macaroni Cheese

I expect that every family has their own take on the classic dish that is macaroni cheese. It's simple, tasty, cheap, and very easy to make. Some people add bacon, or roasted tomatoes- some versions even include beef, or red wine! Had a disastrous attempt at making one about a month ago using red wine and smoked bacon- actually ended up tasting revolting- Cheers metro recipes for making me waste a load of nice ingredients! My mum makes a really nice version with mushrooms, and cheese sauce made with wholemeal flour, thats very interesting too. This version has three different cheeses in it, which I think just gives it a great savoury edge (but lets not think about the calorie count, ey!). I served this with some delicious new season asparagus, just steamed with a bit of lemon butter on top.

Macaroni Cheese
250g macaroni
40g butter
40g flour
500ml semi-skimmed milk
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp crushed garlic
100g grated red leister cheese
15g finely grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
100g grated cheddar

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Cook the macaroni in boiling water, according to it’s packet instructions. Meanwhile, make the white sauce (like you would normally) with all the other ingredients, except the cheddar cheese.
2. Drain the macaroni and add it to the cheese sauce. Stir to combine well, season to taste, and pour into a large baking dish. Top with the cheddar cheese, bake in the oven for 30 minutes, and then serve!

Recipe: Crushed Pea, Spring Onion and Mint Linguini

I thought considering spring is in full swing now that I ouight to switch to the more lighter "zestier" recipes perhaps. All the new leaves on the trees and all the lush sunshine has always made me think that if Spring had to have a definitive colour, i reckon it would definitely be green. This is a really great, fresh, healthy recipe- that is not only great as a main course, but also a fab starter (i usually serve a small amount of it with a large pot of olive on the side) or as a side dish to an Italian meat dish. Fresh peas can of course be used instead of frozen if you like, but they will probably require a bit more cooking that explained in this recipe.

Crushed pea, spring onion, and mint linguini (serves 4 as a main, or 8 as a side dish or appetiser)

500g dried linguini
350g frozen peas
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling later)
2 tbsp olive oil
6 spring onions, sliced finely
40g finely grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Put the frozen peas in a bowl and pour enough boiling water (from a kettle) to cover them. Leave them for a few minutes to defrost in the water.
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the linguini, and cook according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, drain the peas, and “pulse” in a food processor with the mint, extra virgin olive oil, and a little seasoning- you want it “crushed” rather than completely smooth and blended, so don’t blend for too long.
3. In another large pan, fry the spring onions in the normal olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the crushed pea mixture to this, the cooked linguini (along with a ladleful of the starchy water that the pasta had been cooking in) and parmesan. Stir around with tongs on a high heat for two minutes until everything is hot and well combined.
4. Season to taste, and serve, with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top.

Recipe: Penne with Sundried Tomato Pesto

30 Followers! Wahey! Brilliant news. Doing rather well in the WWF recipe competition (close second place now) so thanks to anyone on here that voted for me, that's great. Went back home and cooked this for mum and dad and they loved it! Mum's never tried rocket cooked into a dish before, and thinks thats a really good idea, so she liked it a lot. It is quite rich i suppose, and does not really need any extra salt added to it- the sundried tomatoes are enough! But the sundried tomato and walnut pesto is so much nicer than the shop bought sundried tomato pesto's you get in the supermarkets, i'm completely hooked! Tempted to see how long it would last in jars, so i could give it as a gift perhaps!

Penne with Sundried tomato and walnut pesto (serves 3/4)

1 x 280g jar (undrained weight) sundried tomatoes in oil
75g walnuts
40g grated parmesan
1 garlic clove

2 tbsp Olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
Pinch of sugar
50g rocket (plus about 10g/ large handful for garnish)
350g dried penne
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Blitz the sundried tomatoes (and all the oil from the jar as well), walnuts, parmesan and garlic in a food processor until smooth. If it is too thick for pesto, add a couple more tbsp of olive oil to loosen it up.
2. Fry the red onion with a pinch of sugar, in the olive oil and butter, for 10 minutes, until soft, and caramelised. Add the rocket and cook for a minute or until it begins to wilt.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a little of the starchy pasta water. Add the drained pasta, pasta water, and pesto to the onions and rocket, stir until all the ingredients are well combined and the sauce is thick. Season to taste, and serve with some extra fresh rocket on top!

Recipe: Chicken, Asparagus and Red Pesto Fusilli

This is such a simple dish, only using a few ingredients, but so packed full of flavour. I am actually drowning in Asparagus now, because there was a deal at Sainsburys for two massive bundles of it for only £3! I know it's out of season and it's from peru, but i dont care- student needs cheap veggies!! The "red pesto" i got from Marks and Spencers, and it seems to be called "red pesto" because it's not just sundried tomato based, its also got red peppers and cashew nuts and things in it. It's absolutely delicious anyway, i could eat it with anything- as a dip, on toast,on a jacket potato, you name it! If you cant find this though, any other sundried tomato pesto will work just as well.

Chicken, Asparagus, and red pesto fusilli (serves 3)

1 chicken breast
2 tsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
250g dried fusilli
12 asparagus spears, diced
3 rounded tbsp sundried tomato (or “red”) pesto
Knob of butter
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the chicken breast, oil, oregano and seasoning into an ovenproof dish, and bake for 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the fusilli and cook for 10 minutes (or whatever it says on the packet instructions). 4 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the asparagus to the pan.
3. Drain, and return to the pan. Remove the chicken from the oven and roughly dice. Add the cooked chicken, butter and red pesto to the hot pasta and asparagus, stir well to combine, season to taste and serve!

Recipe: Heinz Pasta Bake

Another recipe with a rather sneaky/ time saving ingredient in- a tin of heinz tomato soup! It's something we always have in our cupboards at home, and so i thought i would use it as a sauce and make a bake (in one of my rather lovely new Le Creuset bake dishes my mum bought me for Christmas). I have now moved out of my parent's house, to live with my boyfriendp- which has been a little bit daunting, but i love it really! But nowadays, now that i actually have a student loan, i'm looking for cheap easy and filling meals, and this really fits the bill. Nick ate this and couldnt even guess the "secret ingredient"- so trust me, it doesnt just end up tasting of soup- Lol!

Heinz Pasta Bake (serves 4)

280g dried penne
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
120g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
30g chopped/shredded smoked ham
1 tin Heinz cream of tomato soup
100g grated cheddar

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Cook the penne for 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pan, fry the mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil for 2 minutes. Add all the other ingredients to the pan (except the cheddar) and the cooked pasta, and stir until well combined.
3. Pour into baking dish, top with cheddar, and chuck under the grill for 5 minutes. Serve!

Recipe: Pasta with Leeks and Mushrooms

This is a strange little dish- weird mix of herbs and spices and using worchester sauce! But it works, celery salt, worchester sauce and lemon works very well together (c'mon, just look at the bloody mary- possibly the most perfect coctail in the world, minus the tabasco, lol) and all of those ingredients happen to go very well with mushrooms and leeks. In the picture I have here I used tagliatelli, but I think this recipe works better with spaghetti or linguini actually.

Pasta with leeks and mushrooms (serves 2)

150g dried spaghetti, linguini, tagliatelli, or any pasta of your choice.
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large leek, or 2 medium leeks, diced
200g sliced mushrooms
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp mixed herbs
¼ tsp celery salt
2 tbsp Worchester sauce
Squeeze of lemon
10g freshly grated parmesan
Wedges of lemon for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the leeks and mushrooms for 10 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.
2. Put the pasta onto the boil and cook according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, remove the lid from the vegetables, add the spices and Worchester sauce and cook for a further 10 minutes.
3. Add the pasta into the vegetable mix, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and stir until everything is well coated. Serve, with freshly grated parmesan on top, and lemon wedges on the side.