PEA, ZUCCHINI & ONION PASTA

This is a simple and delicious pasta recipe.  Just like traditional Italian pasta dishes, it is not complicated but has great flavour – especially if you use good quality ingredients.  It is perfect for a mid-week meal or even something you could serve to friends or family.  My husband made this recipe up so all credit to him for this one (and that is why there are no step-by-step pictures... sorry)!

Serves 2

What you need

250 grams of fresh fettuccine, or your pasta of choice

¾ cup peas (frozen is fine)

2 onions, chopped in half and then finely sliced into half-rings

1 zucchini sliced into ribbons

1 cup of vegetable stock

1 tablespoon basil pesto

½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly ripped or chopped

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

1 knob of butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

Parmesan cheese, grated to serve

How to make it

Gently melt the butter and a good drizzle of olive oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic.  On a low heat, cook the onions until soft and cooked through.  This will take a little bit of time.  Don’t rush this part, as you don’t want the onions to burn, but to caramalise.  It might take up to 10 minutes.  Stir regularly.

Boil your pasta water with a good pinch of salt in it.  When the water boils, add your pasta.  If you are using fresh pasta, it won’t take long to cook so make sure you have the sauce ready for when the pasta is cooked.  You will need to combine the two immediately.

Add the zucchini and a tablespoon of pesto (or more if you like) and a good pinch of salt.  Stir gently for a couple of minutes.

Add about ¾ of a cup of vegetable stock or some water from the pasta pot to the sauce.  When the pasta is just about ready add the peas to the sauce.

Reduce or turn off the heat on your sauce.  

When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce mix.  I just transfer the pasta from the water straight into the pan.  Add your chopped parsley and stir to combine.

Serve with grated Parmesan, parsley and cracked black pepper.

Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

I thought it was time to share a recipe that wasn’t cake or soup!  So, here is a vegetarian lasagna recipe I created.  You can use whatever vegetables you like for this recipe.  As a guide, however, I have listed what I used when I made it.  This dish takes about 2 hours to make from beginning to serving.  It is perfect for a weekend dinner when you have a bit more time and it lasts very well in the fridge for leftovers during the week (if there are any!).

 

What you will need

Approximately 300gm lasagna sheets (homemade or fresh is always better, but I am using dried today).

Napoli Sauce

Olive oil

1 onion

1 – 2 cloves of crushed garlic

700gm passata (or 2 tins diced tomatoes)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ cup water

Vegetables

¼ of a butternut pumpkin

1 sweet potato

2 medium sized mushrooms

1 zucchini

1 eggplant

2 good handfuls of baby spinach

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Béchamel Sauce

4 cups milk

4 tablespoons plain flour

80gm butter

¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Extra parmesan and some mozzarella to grate on top of lasagna

How to make it

Vegetables

I recommend you prepare the vegetables first because they take the longest.

Slice your vegetables and lay on oven trays.  For sweet potato and pumpkin, peel these first.

Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables, along with some salt and pepper.  Place in 180-200 degree oven.  You can pretty much leave these to cook now, but I recommend keeping an eye on them every 10mins and flip them over to ensure they cook evenly and don’t stick to your tray.

They should take around 30 – 40mins.

Napoli sauce

While your vegetables are cooking, prepare the napoli sauce.

Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan and add onion and garlic.  Cook until onion is soft and lightly browned.

Add passata and tomato paste.  I also add ¼ cup of water to the empty passata jar, replace the lid, shake and then add to the sauce.   

Stir and add salt and pepper.  Leave to simmer on a low heat, stirring occasionally (at least 20mins so the sauce thickens and reduces).

Béchamel sauce

In a medium sized saucepan on low heat, melt the butter.

Add the flour and whisk until combined to a paste.

Add a cup of milk at a time, whisking each cup in. 

Once the milk is all added, whisk occasionally until the sauce thickens. 

Add parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Continue to whisk until the cheese has melted. 

Turn off heat.

Putting it all together

To “build” the lasagna, I start with a layer of sweet potato and cover it with Napoli sauce.  Then add lasagna sheets to cover.  

Then add a layer of béchamel sauce and a layer of another vegetable, then pasta.  Continue in this order so you finish with béchamel on the top.  

You should get about 4 layers of Napoli so try to divide it into 4 when you are using it. 

Finish the top of the lasagna with grated parmesan, mozzarella, salt and pepper.

Put the lasagna in 180 oven for approximately 30 - 40mins or until the top is golden and the pasta feels cooked when you insert a knife into it.

You can pre-make this dish and just re-heat it in the oven (covered with foil).

Delicious served with an leafy salad (with fresh Italian herbs such as parsley, basil and oregano).

Enjoy!