Pasta with ‘posh pesto’

My friend Gemma made a huge bowl of this insanely delicious pasta with - as she called it - ‘posh pesto’ for our book club the other night.

A few things …. firstly our book club is really a ‘food and wine club’ with added (optional) book! It’s so much fun, always always a great night. The host chooses the book and we then all eat and drink and try to remember to discuss the book at some point in the evening.

If you’re interested, Gemma's book choice was as good as her food - it’s also very short and can be read in one sitting. It’s The Yellow Wallpaper and I’m just going to copy and paste from one of the editions available on Amazon UK:

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER is a story by the American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 in The New England Magazine. It is regarded as an important early work of American feminist literature, illustrating attitudes in the 19th century toward women's health, both physical and mental.

I think we talked about this book more than we’ve talked about any book yet!

---

Back to the pasta though … we had it that night with tagliatelle but I’ve since made it twice with spaghetti.

If you’d like the original recipe, you can find it HERE.

I have to say I loved it so much I asked for the recipe whilst still eating my first bowlful!

---

To make this the way I did for two people, you’ll need:

200g spaghetti (every time I make spaghetti I weigh it by how it feels in my hand, I never trust it but when I then weigh it to check it is always EXACTLY the right amount!)

a pack of fresh basil (the actual recipe says 50g for two people but I only had one 15g bag and it was still delicious, so entirely up to you if you want to use more)

1 small garlic clove

a small handful of shelled pistachios (it should have been 50g but I didn’t weigh them and just guessed it might be about a small handful)

1 small red bird eye chilli (this was still quite hot, so of course adjust how much chilli to your own taste or use a milder chilli)

zest of half a lemon

juice of half - one lemon (to taste)

olive oil

---

Put a pan of water on to boil and add a good big pinch of salt (maybe a teaspoon).

While it’s coming to the boil, start making the pesto by first finely chopping the basil. I did this separately to the other chopped ingredients to stop it going mushy.

Put the chopped basil into a big bowl or serving dish and then start to finely chop the garlic, pistachios, chilli and lemon zest.

This is really easy with a big flat knife, so you can squash the ingredients and then chop, but if you don’t have a cleaver-style knife then (a) put one on your next birthday list - it is SUCH a useful knife to have and (b) use any knife you like but the bigger the easier I find.

Oh! The water is probably boiling by now so add in your pasta and cook according to the pack instructions, or to your liking, or for nine minutes (as I did).

Once everything is chopped finely, add back the basil and chop it all together again, just for that last bit of fineness and also to make the basil really part of the mix.

Tip it all back into the bowl and add lemon juice - start with the juice of half a lemon but taste and add more if needed (mine did).

Add a good slug of a good olive oil and a little salt.

Stir it all together and taste again to make sure you’re happy with it or you want to make any adjustments.

When the pasta is done, remove a ladle of the pasta water into a mug, then drain the spaghetti and add to the bowl of pesto.

Stir and mix thoroughly, adding a little of that reserved pasta water if it needs loosening at all.

Serve. As is.

Personally, I don’t think this needs anything else to go with it, except for good company and a glass of red wine …

---

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE …

Parmesan cauliflower ‘steak’

I’m a little bit obsessed with cauliflower ‘steak’ right now and I’m pretty sure you will be too once you try it.

You just need a nice fat slice of cauliflower, cut from the middle of the head so you have the whole piece, including the stalk, although do remove any leaves etc.

I always find on cutting my ‘steak’ piece that several florets kind of want to be a part of things too, so I just add them to the pan and have them later in a stir fry or salad (or straight from the pan after eating my steak if I’m feeling extra greedy).

Rub the steak on both sides with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Plus add whatever herbs or spices you like.

I love adding ground cumin.

You could try paprika. Or curry powder. Or chilli flakes. Or oregano. Just try it and see if you like it.

You can cook the cauliflower on a hot griddle pan for maybe ten minutes or so each side, but it gets so hot and smoky that I find roasting it in the oven easiest.

I put the cauliflower onto an oven dish and cook in a medium hot oven for 15 minutes or so and then turn for 15 minutes on the other side.

It’ll probably need a bit longer to be slightly blackened and soft and at perfect deliciousness so see what you think.

I added a handful of grated Parmesan to the top of the cauliflower for a last ten minutes cooking.

Cheddar or mozzarella would also be good.

Oh yum or how about blue cheese? Even bacon?

Or just keep it plain.

Have your cauliflower steak with salad or with stir-fried veg.

I’ve had it with steak steak (beef) and I’ve had it on noodles with charred little gem lettuce.

I think it would make an amazing burger too …. if you want another idea for a vegetarian burger, here’s my watermelon burger.

Perhaps try it with a curry sauce and rice.

Just do, do try it ….

---

---

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE …

Delhi-style green beans with ginger + green chilli (and noodles)

I’ve been getting so inspired this weekend reading Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Easy Vegetarian and really wanted to try these green beans.

It’s a side dish really but I couldn’t wait to make it as part of a bigger meal, so cooked it this morning and had with noodles for brunch … and loved it.

I think it works perfectly on it’s own like this with noodles or with rice and it’s really simple too.

I adapted slightly (eg I didn’t have any asofoetida and I was making a much smaller quantity) so if you’re just making a portion for you to have with noodles too, here’s how I made mine.

You’ll need

most of the beans from a packet (mine was 220g and I had all but a few that I want for a salad later

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1-2 green chilies, finely chopped

2 teaspoons or so of freshly peeled and grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

a tablespoon or two of water

Put a pan of water on to boil whilst you top and tail the beans and cut into smaller pieces. I actually didn’t top and tail mine but just topped because I like how the little curly tails look!

When the water’s boiling drop in the beans and boil rapidly for five minutes, then strain and set aside.

Put a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the oil, swirl to cover the pan.

When it’s hot, drop in the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds.

Take the pan off the heat and add the chillies and ginger - this will sizzle! Stir a few times then add the beans, salt, coriander and water.

Put back on the heat and turn it down low. Cook the beans very gently for another five minutes, stirring now and then.

While the beans were cooking gently I made my noodles and then just stirred them in when the beans were done.

So simple and so good.

---

---

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE …

Lovely lentil soup

My mum used to make the most delicious lentil soup.

It came into my mind recently - thinking about this soup she used to make maybe 27 years ago ... it was garlicky and yummy and bubbling away on the AGA with French bread warming in the oven to have with it.

I forgot to look for the recipe in her great big falling-apart book of written recipes and tucked in hand-written ones from others and yet more torn from magazines and newspapers too.

Next time I'm there and I remember, I'll look for it, but I wanted to make something like it today, and so made this.

My version will definitely be quicker as I'm using a tin of green lentils and I know my mum would have used red lentils from the jar, dried red lentils that would have needed soaking overnight before cooking for a long time.

So, here's my super-simple version - and I find this so nurturing, nourishing, comforting and all round GOOD at this time of year, when the leaves are falling and the nights drawing in.

And here's what you'll need to make two bowlfuls (either two bowls for one, or one each for two people - cook's choice!).

1 smallish brown onion

1 medium carrot

1 stick of celery 

2-3 cloves of garlic (mine were small so I had three)

cooking oil (I use a spray oil like THIS one)

tin (265g) of green lentils, drained and rinsed in cold water

500ml vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

ideas to garnish to to serve: crispy bacon pieces, Greek yogurt, slices of red chilli, fresh chopped parsley leaves, more black pepper

You want to chop the onion, carrot and celery very finely - the easiest way is to use a food processor.

Then finely chop the garlic and add to the other vegetables.

Put a little oil (I use 20 sprays of my spray cooking oil) into a saucepan, add the vegetables and cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time so it doesn't stick or burn - add a tiny splash of water if it does look like it will.

Then add the lentils, vegetable stock and herbs, stir and bring to the boil.

Add a lid (slightly ajar), reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir and check to see if it needs a little more water, and then cover and simmer again for another 15 minutes.

At the end of this time, remove the lid, stir again, add a little more water if it needs it - or you like a thinner soup - and simmer again on the lowest heat for a final 15 minutes. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can then serve it as it is or blend it first. I prefer it blended and I also like to add a spoonful of yogurt at this stage.

Garnish with whatever you choose! I had another dollop of Greek yogurt, a couple of slices of red chilli and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.

Serve as it is or make more of a meal with it by having with some warm crusty baguette and a green salad too.

---

OK! I need to make this again as my mum said her savoury secret was adding 1/4 - 1/5 teaspoon Marmite to the soup! 

---

---

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE ...

Coconut cauliflower chicken/mushroom soup

Simple, quick and delicious - my favourite sort of recipe!

And especially on a rainy grey day, I love the sort of soothing-ness that comes from creamy coconut matched with a little spice, and the cauliflower is the perfect texture - soft but with a little bite.

I used chicken stock and some cooked chicken, but it's a lovely vegetarian/vegan recipe made with vegetable stock and mushrooms instead.

---

For two bowls, you'll need

1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

a big handful of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced and/or some cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

300ml stock - I used half a Knorr chicken stock cube, but vegetable is good too 

200ml (half a tin) coconut milk

1 garlic clove, squashed and finely chopped (you can leave this out though, I think I might try it without next time I make it)

1 couple of lime leaves, crumpled and torn to release the scent would be perfect - but I didn't have any so used the zest of one lime

a piece of ginger, probably an inch or so, peeled and grated

If you have a stalk of lemongrass (I didn't), add it! Just remove the outer tough layers, give it a bash with a rolling pin and throw it in 

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1-2 red bird eye chillies, quantity to your own taste, sliced

the juice of half a lime

coriander leaves to serve (if liked)

---

Prepare the vegetables and chicken (if using) so they're ready to add later.

Then put the stock, coconut milk, garlic (if using), lime leaves or lime zest, ginger, lemongrass (if using), soy sauce and sugar plus the cauliflower, mushrooms and/or chicken into a saucepan and gently heat to bring to the boil.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the cauliflower is soft but a little al dente (definitely not mush!) and remove from heat.

Stir in the chillies and lime juice and serve with coriander, if liked - I wish I'd had some as think it would have looked prettier with some greenery on there!

Oh, you could remove any lime leaves and lemongrass before serving if you want - or just take them out when you come to them in the bowl ...

So simple and so good.

---

---

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE ...

Soy/sesame oil/ginger/garlic: Asian-style grilled mushrooms

These are so good!

(And so easy too).

I've made them as a light main meal with rice and also as a side dish to accompany a bigger dinner - and have plans to slice them and use in a stir fry with rice noodles (pics to follow).

Just lovely ... do try.

For one as a main, or two as a side, you'll need:

2 flat Portobello mushrooms, peeled and stalk removed

Approx 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (about one clove)

Approx 2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

A scant 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Cooked rice and / or other dishes, to serve.

Peel the mushrooms and remove the stalks.

Mince the garlic and ginger and put in a bowl. Add the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil and mix all to combine well.

Switch the grill on to high. Turn the mushrooms upside down and spray a couple of times each with 1-cal spray oil, or just a drop or two of olive oil.

Cook for 5-6 minutes. These huge mushrooms take so much longer than I always think they will to cook!

Turn the mushrooms, add the garlic/ginger/soy/sesame oil mixture over them and grill for another 5-6 minutes.

Careful not to lose the delicious sauce when you transfer them from the grill to plates! 

I love this easy, tasty recipe - and hope you do too.

---

---