Spaghetti Arrabiata

I can't really imagine that there are still people out there who have never cooked spaghetti arrabiata and I initially didn't plan to post this (after all VERY simple) recipe, but when I made this the other night I was reminded (once again) what a beautiful dish this is, so here we go. Spaghetti arrabiata is extremely simple to make, requires a very short list of ingredients and is a perfect blend of tastes. The sweetness of the tomatoes is nicely balanced by the chili, add a bit of parmesan and you have a perfect dinner.

Ingredients (serves 4): 

2 cans of peeled tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
2 shallots
1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 red chili
1 handful of fresh cherry tomatoes

Preparation:

1. Peel the shallots and the garlic, chop finely. Cut the chili in rings (depending on how hot the chili is you might want to remove the seeds).

2. Fry the shallots in some olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and the chili and continue to fry for a few more minutes. Then add the tomato concentrate, canned tomatoes, an additional can-filling of water, the sugar and some salt and pepper.

3. Stir well and set to simmer for about 1 hour. I leave the lid on, but tilt it slightly so that some of the steam can escape. After about half an hour add the cherry tomatoes (cut in half).

4. When the hour is up the sauce should have a fairly thick consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar (as needed). The sauce should have a slightly sweet and at the same time spicy flavor.

Spaghetti with bacon and peas

It can be a challenge to find the time to cook proper meals during the week and more often than not we are forced to rely on dishes that are above all quick to prepare. Sadly many people go the easy way and resort to fast food or ready meals. Instead, try a quick recipe like this one. It takes no more than 10 mins to prepare, doesn't require many ingredients and your kids will love it. I promise!

Ingredients (für 2):

200gr spaghetti
150ml single cream
150gr bacon, cut into cubes

1 cup of frozen peas
1 handfull of cherry tomatoes
70ml of white wine or Vermouth (alternatively you can use some chicken or vegetable stock)

Preparation:

1. Cook the pasta according to instructions, making sure to reserve a small cup of the water before draining.


2. While the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon in a pan until starts to go crisp. Add the white wine or Vermouth and allow to reduce by about half. Then add the frozen peas and the tomatoes (halved), some salt (careful though, the bacon already contains quite a lot of salt) and pepper. When the peas start to soften, pour in the cream and allow to thicken slightly (this takes just a few minutes at a gentle boil).

3. Mix the pasta and the sauce and season to taste before serving. In case the sauce is too thick, you can add a bit of the water.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Simple often works best...and this is certainly true for this recipe. I usually make this on Sunday evenings and I always make enough for two meals. This way, I have something ready for a weekday, when it can be more tricky to find the time to cook from scratch. The most important thing to remember when cooking this dish, is that it's essentially a stew, so it needs time to cook slowly. Sounds tedious, but since you can just let the sauce bubble away on the stove, it actually doesn't require all that much attention.

Ingredients for 4-6:

500gr mixed minced meat (half pork, half beef)
2 medium-sized onions
2 carrots
2 sticks of celeriac
2 cloves of garlic
1 large can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of beef stock
2 tbs tomato concentrate
1 tsp sugar
1 glass of red wine
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried Italian herbs (alternatively you can of course also use a bunch of mixed fresh herbs if you've got them handy)

Preparation:

1.Cut the carrots, the celeriac, the bay leaves, and the onion in cubes and slowly fry in a bit of olive oil (without browning). When the onions turn translucent and the carrots have begun to soften (this takes roughly 10mins), add the minced meat. Continue to fry until the meat is cooked through (see picture).

2.  Now add the tomato concentrate and the sugar. Mix well before adding the red wine. Once that has reduced by about half, add the stock, chopped tomatoes, the herbs, a good pinch of salt, pepper, and the garlic. Stir and set to simmer for about an hour. The lid should be on but not fully closed.
3. After 1h, season to taste (you might want to add a bit more sugar to counterbalance the acidity of the wine and the tomato concentrate). In case the sauce is still too liquid, allow to cook for bit longer without the lid on. Normally, however, the half-open lid works well and the sauce will have just the right consistency.


I usually serve this with spaghetti and a green salad. Left-overs can either be served the same way, or you can cook some short pasta, mix with the sauce, place everything in an oven dish and cover with grated cheese before baking in the oven for 20mins at 180°C (I would recommend, however, to cook the pasta VERY al dente for this, otherwise they end up getting too soft).

Pasta with Salmon and Vodka

I had this in a restaurant some years ago and immediately tried to copy it at home. The Vodka in the title might seem like a pretentious way to make a simple salmon-cream sauce sound cooler, but it really makes a difference...so don't leave it out (unless you are cooking for children of course).

Admittedly this recipe is not going to get you on the slimmer-of-the-year short-list, but I figure it's all about quality, not quantity. Plus it's almost Christmas, so who cares!
 

Ingredients (serves 2):

300gr salmon (filet)
Handful of cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate
1 teaspoon sugar
250m cream
1-2 shots of vodka (plus one for the cook?)
250gr fresh tagliatelle
1-2 tablespoons of parsley (chopped finely)

Preparation:

1. Heat the cream in a large pan, bring to the boil and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken the cream slightly. Then add the tomato concentrate, salt, pepper, the halved cherry tomatoes, the sugar, parsley, and, finally, the vodka. Bring to the boil briefly. 

2. In the meantime cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until they are al dente.

3. Cut the salmon in 2cm cubes and add to the sauce. The fish only needs 4-5 minutes to cook through. Make sure you don't leave it too long, otherwise it gets dry and horrible.