I don't know about you, but when I get home after a hard day's work, the first thing Ido – after putting on the kettle, obviously – is look in the fridge to see what there is to eat. Problem is, there's often very little in my fridge at all; and even if there is, it's usually in such astate that it would be better off in the compost bin than inthe cooking pot.
It's at times such as these that the store cupboard comes into its own, especially when you're looking for something tasty but quick. Idon't mean beans-on-toast quick(though they have their place); I mean pasta. Well, of course I do: I'm half Italian.
The first two recipes this week are two of my go-to quick pasta mainstays, and neither requires asauce that's had to bubble away onthe stove-top for hours. The first uses ingredients I've almost always got at home; the second involves a little pre-planning, because it stars that great bitter veg cime di rapa (the dish also works with sprouting broccoli or kale instead, by the way) – even so, it, too, takes very little time to cook, and the other ingredients are store cupboard staples (well, they are in my house, anyway). Thisweek's final recipe, meanwhile, is the sort of easy fish supper I'd make on those rare evenings when Ido remember to stop off at the shopson the way home.
Tagliatelle with walnut pesto
Serves two hungry mouths as a main meal. As a general rule, I serve 75-100g of driedpasta per person fora first course and 150-190g for a main. Butthen, I'm greedy – if the amount of pasta here seems too much to you, just reduce it to suit your appetite.
Salt and pepper
370g dried tagliatelle
2 cloves garlic, peeled
100g shelled walnuts
25g pine nuts
200g grated parmesan
Olive oil
6 picked mint leaves
1 handful picked flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the tagliatelle and cookas per the instructions on the packet. This could be anywhere from six to nine minutes, but err on the side of caution: there is nothing worse than soggy, overcooked pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, put thegarlic, walnuts and pine nuts ina food processor and pulse until blended, but not too much – you want the sauce to have a nutty bite to it. Tip the nut mix into a large serving bowl, then stir in the parmesan and enough olive oil to bring it all together into a paste. Season to taste – you won't need much salt, because the cheese is pretty salty – and set aside.
When the pasta is cooked, drain, tip into the bowl and toss to coat with the sauce. Chop the herbs (don't do this any earlier, or the mint will go a nasty shade of black), scatter on the top, and serve immediately, with a dusting of parmesan, if you like that kind of thing.
Penne with cime di rapa
Serves two (again, if need be, reduce the amount of pasta to suit your appetite). If you can't get cime di rapa, kale and sprouting broccoli make good substitutes, though the kale leaves will need to be torn off their tough stalks and a longer blanching time.
Salt and pepper
300g cime di rapa
370g dried penne
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
1 pinch dried chilliflakes
2 tbsp creme fraiche
Pecorino, grated, to serve
Bring a large pot of salted water to aboil. Drop in the cime di rapa, blanch for 30 seconds, then use tongs to transfer from the pot to asieve, to drain. Keep the boiling water, because you're going to use itto cook the pasta.
Add the penne to the boiling water and cook as per the instructions on the packet – about 10-13 minutes, usually, though again err on the sideof caution.
In a large, heavy-based saute pan or similar, heat two tablespoons ofolive oil over a medium flame. Whenhot, add the garlic and chilli, and fry gently until the garlic has softened but not taken on any colour. Stir in the cime di rapa, saute for a minute more, then remove from the heat.
When the pasta is ready, drain andadd to the pan with the cime di rapa. Stir in the creme fraiche, add alittle grated pecorino and toss to coat thepasta. Serve at once with abowl of grated pecorino alongside, to add to taste.
Bream with sprouting broccoli and anchovy
The broccoli here acts as a kind ofwarm side salad. Serves two.
Olive oil
2 sea bream, descaled and cleaned
2 lemons, cut into slices
1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated and slightly bashed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 small sprigs fresh thyme
4 small sprigs fresh rosemary
600g sprouting broccoli
1 tin salted anchovies, rinsed
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Pour a glug of olive oil into alarge ovenproof dish. Cut three orfour deep diagonal slashes in bothsides of each fish, and stuff thecavities with all but two slices oflemon, a few garlic cloves and acouple of sprigs each of thyme androsemary. Lay the fish in the prepared dish and drizzle all over with olive oil. Seasonand roast for about 15 minutes, until cooked through – it's worth checking if the fish is done after about 12 minutes, just to be on the safe side.
A few minutes before the fish is done, blanch the broccoli in a pot ofsalted boiling water for a minute or so, then drain and toss in a bowl with the chopped anchovies. Squeeze over the lemon and set aside while you plate up.
Remove the fish from the oven, transfer to plates and serve with thesprouting broccoli and some crusty country bread.
