Jamie Oliver 30 minute meals - Sausage pasta

Jamie Oliver has a new show - well it's been on for a few weeks now, but I've only got around to watching the episodes I've Sky+ed.

So far it looks good. The concept being you can cook a meal pretty much from scratch for 6 in 30 minutes. Great concept but some of his ingredients are very pricey. He did a lovely "roast beef" dinner in 30 mins but the piece of fillet of beef he used must have cost a fortune !

One of the ones that took my fancy was the "Pregnant Jools pasta" which is basically a sausage pasta, a little salad and some frangipane tarts (one of the Husband's favourite puds). I thought I'd give it a try for Sunday lunch and apart from anything else the kids are guaranteed to eat pasta in almost any shape or form. I was also interested to see if I could do it in 30 mins. I consider myself quite an accomplished cook so I was up for the challenge.

My ingredients all assembled ! Time on the clock 13.00...

PREGNANT JOOLS PASTA, CRUNCHY CHICORY SALAD & LITTLE FRANGIPANE TARTS

SERVES 6

4 spring onions

1 stick celery

1 carrot

1 red chilli (I deseeded this as the kids were eating too)

400g good quality sausages

1 heaped tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp oregano

500g dried penne (I used fusilli)

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 cloves garlic

1x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

basil leaves - a small handful chopped and leaves to garnish

for the salad

1 bag prewashed rocket & watercress

2 red chicory

lemon

olive oil

parmesan shavings

for the frangipane

6 deep or 8 shallow shortcrust pastry cases

1/2 jar decent raspberry jam

1 egg

100g butter

100g ground almonds

90g golden caster sugar

ice cream to serve

TO START Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Turn your oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Fill and boil the kettle. Put a large frying pan on a high heat. Put the standard blade attachment into the food processor.

PASTA Trim the spring onions, carrot and celery. Roughly chop all the vegetables, then blitz in the food processor with the chillies (stalks removed). Add the sausages, 1 heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Keep pulsing until well mixed, then spoon this mixture into the hot frying pan with a lug of olive oil, breaking it up and stirring as you go. Keep checking on it and stirring while you get on with other jobs. Put a large deep saucepan on a low heat and fill with boiled water. Fill and reboil the kettle.

TARTS Put the 6 pastry cases on a baking tray. Make a frangipane mixture by cracking the egg into a mixing bowl and adding 100g of almonds, 100g of butter and 90g of golden caster sugar. Grate over the zest of ½ an orange and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste or extract. Use a spoon to mix everything together. Spoon a small teaspoon of jam into each pastry base. Top with a heaped teaspoon of frangipane, add another small teaspoon of jam, then finally another heaped teaspoon of frangipane. Put the tray in the oven on the middle shelf and set the timer for 18 minutes exactly.

PASTA Top up the saucepan with more boiled water if needed. Season well then add the penne and cook according to packet instructions, with the lid askew.

SALAD Trim off the bases of the chicory, then click apart all the leaves and quarter the heart. Scatter over a platter, then sprinkle the rocket and watercress on top and toss quickly with your hands.

PASTA Crush 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the sausage mixture and stir in 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and the tinned tomatoes. Add a little of the starchy cooking water from the pasta to loosen if needed.

SALAD Speed-peel or shave some of the Parmesan over the chicory salad and take it to the table with a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon wedges for dressing right before eating.

PASTA Drain the pasta, reserving about a wineglass worth of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan of sauce and give it a gentle stir, adding the basil and enough of the cooking water to bring it to a silky consistency. Taste, correct the seasoning, then tip into a large serving bowl and take straight to the table with the rest of the Parmesan for grating over. Scatter over a few basil leaves.

TARTS When the little tarts are golden and cooked, turn the oven off and take them out. Serve them warm, with a dollop of ice cream on the side.

the end result

pudding

the time on the clock ? 13.40.

It was a rather frantic 40 minutes. If I'd not made the puds then I'd have easily made it in 30 mins. I may have to have another go - son no 1 has already asked if I can cook it again ! It was very easy and very very tasty.

Aubergine parmigiana

Finally my cooking mojo seems to have returned. Over the last few weeks I've had problems summing up the enthusiasm to cook anything new. Don't know why but I'm guessing it's something to do with the nightmare we've had over the past month. Latest drama is son no2 devloping chicken pox on possibly the worst week he could have done. Thank goodness for my Mum and some great friends who've helped us out on the childcare front though.

So, my mission over the next few weeks is to try some new recipes. The Husband doesn't consider a meal a meal unless it comes with a slab of animal protein, he'll just about tolerate fish with some protestations. So, I'm trying to increase my veggie repetoire. Something I've never really had to cook as all our friends are pretty carnivorous.

This is a fantastic veggie recipe that I've made several times. This serves 6 (apparently !) and there is always leftovers which I freeze and whizz up to a pasta sauce for the kids - minus the topping. Tonight I served it with simple lemon and garlic roast chicken but it's also lovely with steak and a side salad.

Sadly I can't take the credit for this, it's from Jamie's Italy, but I have done a few little tweaks. Best of all, it's one of the only things I've ever cooked which comes out of the oven looking almost identical to the pic in the book !

AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA
Serves 6

3 large firm aubergines sliced into 1cm rounds
Olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
2x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
Red wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Seasoning
Large handful basil chopped
2 handfuls grated parmesan
Large handful dried breadcrumbs
A little fresh oregano chopped
1 ball mozzarella

Firstly brush the aubergine slices with oil and cook on a griddle pan for a few minutes each side
Set aside
Heat some olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic, onion and dried oregano
Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes until the onion is soft
Add the tomatoes and sugar and cook for 15 mins until reduced
Add some seasoning, basil and a splash of vinegar
Put a smear of sauce in the bottom of a large earthenware dish, sprinkle over some parmesan and then lay over the aubergine
Repeat the layers finishing with a layer of sauce
Toss the breadcrumbs with the oregano and some olive oil
Lay the sliced mozzarella over the top and then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs
Bake at 200C for 30 mins until crisp and golden.

Say mmmmmmmmmmm lots !

Simple tomato sauce

For years now I've been trying to perfect something as simple as a basic tomato sauce. A base for so many things but I haven't been able to crack it.

Both little ones will eat pasta until it's coming out of their ears, so it's one of the staples. While son no1 loves his "squidgy pasta" aka spinach and ricotta tortelloni, I do balk a little at paying nearly £2 for a pot of napoletana sauce.

So after trial and error, I think I've cracked it. I tend to make it in bulk and freeze so there is always a quick tea in the freezer. It also works well as a pizza sauce and has the added benefit of extra veggies.

The sugar may seem an odd addition but it really brings out the sweetness and gives another note to the sauce.

MY BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions chopped
4 cloves of garlic (I do so love my garlic !) crushed
2 sticks of celery finely diced
2 carrots finely diced
1 tbsp dried oregano
3x 400g canned tomatoes
a hefty squeeze tomato puree
1tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pan.
Add all the veg and sweat slowly until just soft
Then add the oregano and cook for a few minutes
Add the tomatoes and about a can of water, then add the tomato puree, sugar and seasoning
Simmer slowly until thick and rich.

Tonight I served this with shredded chicken and cooked pasta, nice and simple but quick and healthy too !

Roasted vegetable pasta with mozzarella

I don't think I'm very good at this - I start a brand new blog and then fail to update it for ages. My only excuse is early pregnancy, the tiredness is shocking and I never seem to know what I want to eat (which is MOST unlike me). I am either too tired to cook anything new, don't know what I fancy or just feel too sick - delightful !

Anyway the following is the one recipe I have done recently, and probably the only one worth posting as we've been living off easy meals the last week.

ROASTED VEGGIE PASTA WITH MOZZARELLA
serves 3-4



Mixture of veggies suitable for roasting to your preference, I used a mix of red onions, mushrooms, carrot, courgette, red pepper, garlic cloves in the skins.
1 small punnet of cherry tomatoes
Olive oil and chilli oil, seasoning
Balsamic vinegar
Pasta - approx 80g per person
1 ball mozzarella cheese torn
Fresh torn basil and a little parmesan for serving

Heat the oven to about 200C (fan oven) and prepare the veggies
Add all the veggies to a large roasting pan except the tomatoes and add the oils, vinegar and seasoning
Roast on a high heat for about 20 mins and then add the tomatoes and roast for another 10-15 mins
Meanwhile cook the pasta and drain
When the tomatoes look a little squashy squeeze the garlic from the skins and mash against the side of the tin and stir through
Add the mozzarella and stir through - mix with the pasta and add the basil and parmesan
Serve and enjoy !