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Chilli & garlic spaghetti with lemon crumbs

Apr 3

Posted by admin in pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“The lemon and heat balance out this dish perfectly, and a perfect excuse to use purple sprouting broccoli”

  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 1 long red chilli, finely diced
  • 20g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • ½ lemon, finely grated zest
  • 150g spaghetti
  • 125g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed and cut into short lengths

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a small non-stick frying pan and add the garlic and chilli. Cook for 1-2 minutes over a very low heat, stirring occasionally. Tip out into a bowl. Return the pan to the heat and add the breadcrumbs. Cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly until golden. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest and season well. Keep warm.

Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions. Add the broccoli for the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Drain, reserving 3-4 tbsp of the cooking water, and return to the pan. Pour over the cooking water and garlic and chilli oil. Toss well together and divide between two warmed bowls. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.

Source : Adapted from Olive Magazine, April 2011. (only slight changes)

Servings/Yield : Serves 2

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 5min, Cook 15min

Nutrition: per serving : 338 kcalories, protein 13.1g, carbohydrate 66g, fat 4.3 g, saturated fat 0.6g, fibre 4.8g, salt 0.22 g

Notes: Common broccoli can be used for this recipe, just divide into bite sized floretes for easy cooking.

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Hearty Pasta Soup

Nov 9

Posted by admin in italian, pasta, soup, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“Do something different with a pack of tortellini. This filling soup is full of fibre, low fat and full of veg. The perfect lunch or supper”

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 carrots , chopped
  • 1 large onion , finely chopped
  • 1l vegetable stock
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 200g frozen mixed peas and beans
  • 250g pack fresh filled tortellini (we used spinach and ricotta)
  • handful of basil leaves (optional)
  • grated parmesan , to serve

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the carrots and onion for 5 mins until starting to soften. Add the stock and tomatoes, then simmer for 10 mins. Add the peas and beans with 5 mins to go.
Once veg is tender, stir in the pasta. Return to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the pasta is just cooked. Stir in the basil, if using. Season, then serve in bowls topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan and slices of garlic bread.


Try: Make it a bake Ricotta & basil bake: Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/ gas 6. Tip the pasta into a baking dish, season the tomatoes, stir in the basil, then spoon on top. In a bowl, combine the peas and beans, 250g tub ricotta and a handful grated Parmesan. Dot the mix over the pasta, scatter with more Parmesan, then bake for 20-25 mins until golden.

Alternatives: No basil – pesto will do Can’t get hold of fresh basil? If you’ve got a tub of pesto in the fridge, stir a spoonful into the soup just before you serve it.

Source : Good Food Magazine : March 2008

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 5 min, Cook 25 min, Ready in 30 min

Nutritional Notes : Per Serving : 286 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 44g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 6g, sugar 11g, salt 0.88 g

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Asparagus Fettuccine

Sep 1

Posted by silli in italian, pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“This fettuccine is only on the menu the short while asparagus is in season. I think that makes eating it even more special”

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 small Onion, Finely Chopped
  • 1 small Celery Stick, Diced
  • 1 medium Courgette, Finely Diced
  • 1 small Leek, White Part Only, Diced
  • 16 Asparagus Stalks, Tips Reserved, Stalks Thinly Sliced
  • 1 handful Basil Leaves
  • 300 ml Vegetable Stock
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 400 g Fettuccine
  • 50 g Parmesan, Finely Grated
  • Pea shoots, To Serve
Add 4 tsp olive oil to a heavy-based pan over a low heat and sweat onion and celery until soft. Add courgette, leek and asparagus stalks and sweat for a further 2–3 minutes. Add most of the basil leaves and when they wilt, add the stock, then simmer until veg are tender. Remove from the heat and, using a hand blender or food processor, blend till creamy. In another frying pan over a low heat, add a little oil and cook garlic till soft, then add the asparagus sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
Boil a pan of salted water. Cook fettuccine, and 3 minutes before it’s done, add the asparagus tips. When fettuccine is al dente, drain, reserving a little cooking water, and add to the asparagus sauce. Loosen the pasta and sauce with cooking water, as needed. Stir in remaining basil, and serve with parmesan and pea shoots.

Source : Jamie Magazine : Issue 3

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Moderately Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 40 min, Cook 10 min

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Spinach & ricotta gnocchi

Aug 14

Posted by admin in italian, vegetarian | 1 Comment

“These luxurious gnocchi are both light and spoilingly rich at the same time”

  • 200g young spinach, washed
  • small handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 140g ricotta
  • 85g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 100g freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese , plus extra to serve
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • olive oil and rocket, to serve
Boil the kettle. Place the spinach in a large bowl and pour boiling water over it. Leave for 2 mins until wilted, then drain thoroughly. Leave to cool, then wrap a clean tea towel around the spinach. Hold it over the sink and squeeze out as much water as possible. Finely chop.
Place the spinach, parsley, garlic, ricotta, flour, eggs, cheese and a generous grating of nutmeg into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to stir very thoroughly until everything is completely mixed. Using wet hands, form the mixture into walnut-size balls. Place on a large plate or tray and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
When ready to cook, heat the oven to warm and bring a large pan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and drop in batches of about 8-10 gnocchi at a time. They will sink to the bottom, and when they rise to the top give them about 1 min more, then remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve the gnocchi on warm plates drizzled with olive oil and scattered with rocket and more cheese.

Source : Good Food : May 2010

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 40 min, Cook 10 min

Nutritional notes : Per serving : 287 kcalories, protein 20g, carbohydrate 19g, fat 15 g, saturated fat 8g, fibre 2g, sugar 2g, salt 0.86 g

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Almond and Basil Pesto with Linguini

May 29

Posted by the editor in maltese, pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“A different approach to pesto, more like a rampage in the kitchen gone right”

  • large handful of fresh basil
  • 30 g almond slivers, toasted
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • splash of lemon juice
  • 100 ml soya cream
  • 350 g linguini

Boil the linguini in salted water.  Meanwhile, pulse the ingredients in a food processor.  Once the pasta is ready add the sauce and toss in a warm pan.

Source : Julian Borg Barthet

Servings/Yield : 2 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Ready in 15 minutes

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Pasta Norma

May 29

Posted by silli in italian, pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | 1 Comment

“This Sicilian staple of pasta with golden aubergines makes a special, but budget-friendly, supper”

  • 1 small aubergine , cut into 1cm discs and sliced like fries
  • olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
  • large pinch chilli flakes
  • 400g chopped tomatoes (polpa)
  • ½ small bunch basil , shredded
  • 200g linguine (any pasta will do)
  • 50g pecorino , parmesan or feta, grated

Cut the discs across so you end up with little matchsticks of aubergine. Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the aubergine in batches, and fry on a fairly high heat until really tender and golden. You want it to be melt-in-the-mouth with no rubberiness left. Season and tip out onto a plate.

Wipe out the pan then add another tbsp oil and cook the garlic for a minute. Add the chilli flakes and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Cook the linguine following packet instructions. Stir the basil and aubergine into the sauce and heat through. Toss with the drained linguine and finish with the grated cheese.

Source : Olive Magazine : May 2010 (Slightly changed by Silli)

Servings/Yield : 2 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 10 mins Cook 20 mins

Nutritional notes : Per serving : 575 kcalories, protein 25.1g, carbohydrate 81.4g, fat 18.8 g, saturated fat 6.2g, fibre 6.7g, salt 0.99 g

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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Asparagus, Basil, and Balsamic Glaze Pasta

May 15

Posted by the editor in pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“An interesting combination of flavours, that are rich, spicy, with a hit of balsamic”

  • 450 g pasta
  • 5 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
  • 300 g asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1 medium red onion, sliced (about 1½ cups)
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup shaved parmesan
  • balsamic vinegar glaze
  • salt

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain and return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke.

Add asparagus, onion, black pepper, pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir to combine; cook, without stirring, until asparagus begins to brown, about 1 minute, then stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is tender-crisp, about 4 minutes longer.

Add asparagus mixture, basil, lemon juice, ½ cup cheese, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil to pasta in stockpot; toss to combine.

Serve immediately, drizzling 1 to 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze over individual servings and passing remaining ½ cup cheese separately.

Source : Different Sources

Servings/Yield : 2 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Quick courgette lasagne

May 15

Posted by the editor in pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“This comforting midweek meal is on the table in under an hour, and it’s sure to keep veggies and meat-eaters happy”

  • olive oil
  • 2 large courgettes , grated
  • 1 clove garlic , crushed
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • ½ 250g tub ricotta
  • 3 tbsp parmesan , grated
  • 300ml home made tomato sauce
  • 6 sheets fresh lasagne

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Cook the courgette, garlic and chilli until soft. Add the ricotta and 2 tbsp of parmesan, season and mix well.

Put a layer of the mix in the bottom of a small dish. Add a quarter of the sauce then cover with 2 sheets of lasagne. Repeat twice, ending with lasagne. Spoon over the last 1/4 of tomato sauce and sprinkle over the parmesan. Bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbling.

Source : Olive Magazine : June 2010

Servings/Yield : 2 Servings

Difficulty : Surprisingly Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 15 mins Cook 30 mins

Nutritional notes : per serving : 573 kcalories, protein 25.4g, carbohydrate 57.8g, fat 28.3 g, saturated fat 9.2g, fibre 5.2g, salt 2.39 g

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Granola Bars

May 1

Posted by the editor in breakfast, desserts, snacks, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“A health snack that you can make at home”

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or regular butter), for greasing the baking tray
  • 100 g pecans, chopped
  • 100 g almond flakes
  • 125 g (1 1/4 cups) rolled oats
  • 90 g shredded coconut, loosely packed (I used unsweetened)
  • 330 g (1 cup) brown rice syrup (or use honey)
  • 50 g (1/4 cup) natural cane sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground espresso beans (or ground coffee)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Butter an 20×30cm baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, pecans, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned (around 7 minutes). Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Combine the rice syrup (we used clearsprings organic), sugar, salt, espresso, and vanilla in a small saucepanover medium heat and stir constantly as it comes to a boil and thickens just a bit, about 4 minutes. Pour the syrup over the oat mixture and stir until it is evenly incorporated.

Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and press it in (wet fingers and/or a silicon spatula work great for this) until the mixture is packed as tightly as possible.

Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares — your best serrated knife is great for this.

You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or two, as you would cookies, however, I prefer to store mine in the freezer. I find that they stay the most crisp this way as all granola tends to soften at room temperature after a day or more.

Notes : We used a tray with separated compartments that worked a treat.  You can find all the ingredients including the Rice Syrup at the health food store such as Good Earth in Balutta for our Maltese readers.

Source : 101 cookbooks and smitten kitchen combination (101 cookbooks have a great video on her site)

Servings/Yield : Makes 12 to 16 granola bars

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Snack

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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10-minute couscous salad

Apr 29

Posted by silli in salad, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“This makes a great lunchbox filler for a day out and is equally good at home from the fridge”

  • 100g couscous
  • 200ml hot low salt vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 red pepper
  • ½ cucumber
  • 50g feta cheese , cubed
  • 2 tbsp pesto
  • 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Tip couscous into a large bowl, pour over stock. Cover, then leave for 10 mins, until fluffy and all the stock has been absorbed. Meanwhile, slice the onions and pepper and dice the cucumber. Add these to the couscous, fork through pesto, crumble in feta, then sprinkle over pine nuts to serve.

Notes : Be very careful with the couscous to stock ratio, when we made this the couscous came out too watery so we ended up making couscous without stock  instead.  We’ll try a little less stock next time and make it properly.  Secondly we would dice the peppers instead of slicing them.

Source : Good Food August 2009

Servings/Yield : 2 servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Salad

Preparation Times : Prep : 10 mins

Nutritional notes : Per Serving: 327 kcalories, protein 13g, carbohydrate 33g, fat 17 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 2g, sugar 7g, salt 0.88 g

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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