Chicken Pasta Bake
This is a warm, cheesy, comforting bake that I often turn to.
This bake is exactly the sort of comfort I love — creamy, cheesy, heartwarming, easy to tweak (you could substitute turkey or leftover roast, add mushrooms, etc.)
Ingredients
- 400g penne
- 2 chicken fillets, poached then shredded or diced
- 120g frozen peas
- 120g tinned or frozen sweetcorn
- 5 tbsp breadcrumbs (for topping)
- 4 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
For the sauce
- 100g butter
- 100g plain flour
- 1.5 to 2 litres milk (adjust to sauce thickness)
- 100g mature white Irish cheddar, grated
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 180 °C (fan 160 °C, gas 4). Grease a gratin / lasagne dish with olive oil.
Cook penne according to instructions; reserve around 100 ml of cooking water; drain.
To make the sauce: melt butter, stir in flour (to form roux), then gradually whisk in milk, bring to a loose sauce. Stir in the cheddar, add pasta water if needed to loosen. Season.
In a bowl, mix pasta, cooked chicken, peas and sweetcorn, then pour over the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
Transfer into the gratin dish, sprinkle over breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley.
Bake for around 20 minutes until the top is golden.
Serve hot, ideally with some crisp salad or soft greens.
Serves 4
Aubergine Balls with Orzo and Spinach
Polpette di Melanzane con Orzo
Ingredients
For the polpette
- 2 ½ large aubergines
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 200g breadcrumbs (you may need more or less, depending on the size of the aubergines)
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 125g grated parmesan
- 2 tsp chopped mint
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 egg yolks
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 500ml tomato sauce (see recipe below)
- 250g orzo
- 100g spinach leaves
- Chopped parsley, to garnish
- Parmesan, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
To prepare the polpette, cut the aubergines in half, then rub them with oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place on a baking tray and roast for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop out the flesh and place in a sieve to squeeze out the excess liquid. Mash the garlic with the aubergine flesh.
Combine the breadcrumbs with the grated parmesan, mint, oregano, eggs and nutmeg. Add the aubergine flesh and salt and pepper to taste. Mould the mixture into balls about the size of golf balls.
Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and fry one small ball first to test for the correct seasoning. Fry off the remaining balls in two batches, until golden, turning from time to time and taking care not to crowd the pan. Place on a paper towel to drain.
Pour off the oil from the pan, lower the heat and add the tomato sauce. Add the balls to the sauce and simmer gently in the sauce for 10–15 minutes (or place them in the oven for 15 minutes).
Meanwhile, cook the orzo, as per the instructions on the packaging. Drain.
To assemble, stir the spinach leaves into the orzo and serve with the polpette and tomato sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with shavings of parmesan.
Serves 4-6
Sugo all’arrabbiata
Makes 850ml
Ingredients
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 red chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- 2 x 400g tinned whole plum tomatoes, crushed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sugar, to taste
- 5 fresh basil leaves
Method
To prepare the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and red chillies, cook for about 1 minute on a low heat, until soft. Add the tomato purée and cook for a further 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes along with their juice and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
Adjust the seasoning as necessary and add the basil.The sauce will keep in the fridge for 1 week, and can be frozen for 3 months.
Serves 4-6
Catherine’s Meatball & Tomato Pasta
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 450g pasta (rigatoni, penne or shells)
For the meatballs
- 400g mixed minced beef + pork (or all beef)
- 1 small onion, very finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 30g breadcrumbs soaked in about 40ml milk (to moisten the breadcrumbs)
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- Salt & pepper
For the sauce
- Olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 cans (800g) chopped tomatoes
- 125ml red wine or red wine stock cube
- Fresh basil or parsley
- Optional pinch of sugar (to balance acidity)
- Extra grated Parmesan or pecorino to finish
Method
Mix the meatball ingredients gently (don’t overwork) and shape into small uniform balls (about walnut size).
In a heavy frying pan, heat olive oil and brown meatballs on all sides (don’t crowd them), then remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed and gently sauté onion until soft, then garlic, taking care not to burn.
Add tomatoes (or passata), wine/stock and season. Simmer gently to a sauce, around 15-20 minutes.
Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover and cook gently for another 15 minutes (so the meatballs finish cooking through and absorb flavour).
Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water to al dente, reserving a little cooking water.
Drain pasta, return to the pot or a large bowl, toss with sauce and meatballs, adding a little pasta water if it needs loosening.
Serve with lots of grated cheese and a few shredded basil leaves.
Penne Alla Vodka
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 300g penne
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ red chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 4 tbsp water
- 250ml double cream
- 4 tbsp vodka
- 100g freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan that’s big enough to also hold the cooked pasta. Add the chilies and sauté over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Add the tomato purée and the water.
Simmer over a low heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent it from sticking to the pan and burning. If need be, add more water.
Stir the cream into the chilli and tomato mixture. Add the vodka and simmer for about 3 minutes more.
Drain the pasta and transfer to the pan with the sauce, then add the Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly, taste for seasoning and transfer to a warm bowl.