Category Archives: Italian

Tortellini with Roasted Pumpkin and Mushroom

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Tortellini is a ring shape pasta that has a filling.  I added roasted vegetables to this dish and mixed it with pesto.  The pumpkin adds the sweetness, the pesto has a tangy taste and mushroom has an earthy flavour.

Ingredients

4 cups tortellini

500g pumpkin diced

500g mushroom

2 cups spinach

3 tbsp.. olive oil

2 tsp. Italian herbs

Salt to season (optional)

2 tbsp. Nutty Pesto

 

Method 

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Line two baking trays with non stick papers.  Put pumpkins in the bowl add 1 tbsp. of the olive oil and 1 tsp pf the Italian herb and mix.  Place on the tray evenly and place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until  cooked through.

In another bowl add the 1tbsp pf olive oil and the remaining 1 tsp of  Italian herbs and mix.  Place in the oven.  Bake for  20-225 minutes or until browned.

Cook tortellini according to packet instructions.

In a saucepan heat the pesto with the remaining olive oil for a minute or two.  Make sure it doesn’t burn.  Add the pasta, mushroom and pumpkin and mix.  Put the heat off and let it cool.  Serve with spinach.

 

Note

This dish serves 4

Feel free to add other vegetables.

 

Try these pasta  dishes

Pasta with Pesto and Meatballs

Sardines & Chilli Linguine

Rigatoni with Chicken and Broccoli

 

 

 

Lasagne

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I had a  craving for lasagne and I decided to make one without using the white sauce and add some veggies. This dish has layers of meat, lasagne sheets and  a layer of spinach and ricotta  instead of melted cheese.  I didn’t miss the white sauce when I ate it.

Ingredients

To make the meat sauce 

500g mince beef

3 medium tomatoes chopped

213 g  canned tomatoes

40 ml tomato paste (2 tbsp.)

½ an inion’1 crushed garlic

½ a cup beef stock

1 tbsp. basil leaves

1 tbsp.. thyme

tbsp. oregano

tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper for seasoning.

 

To make the Spinach

500g frozen spinach, thawed and remove excess moisture by squeezing.

400g ricotta reduced fat

30g Parmesan cheese

1 egg

 

For the Lasagne

4 fresh lasagne sheets

 

Method

To make Meat Sauce

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic , cook until onion is soft.  Add the beef, remove any lumps, cook until browned.

Add the stock, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until mixture is thick.

Put hear off and add the herbs.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

To make Spinach

Beat egg in a bowl, add spinach ricotta and 15g of the parmesan cheese.  Mix until all is combined.  Set Aside.

 

To Make Lasagne

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Remove lasagne baking dish.  Pour a bit of the meat mixture at the bottom of the dish.  Add the first layer of lasagne sheet.  Pour the mixture over the Lasagne sheet.  Make sure it’s even.  Add another layer of lasagne sheet and pour the meat mixture.  Continue for the rest.

Once you reach the top layer, add the spinach evenly on the lasagne sheet.  Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked.

 

Note

This dish serves 6

If there is remaining spinach, lasagne sheet, sauce and tomatoes make Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Try these Pasta dishes

Rigatoni with Chicken and Broccoli

Sardines & Chilli Linguine

Pasta with Pesto and Meatballs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roast Beef

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After my success with Roast Chicken I tried roast beef.  This time round, I didn’t add Indian spices, placed Italian herbs instead.  It was delicious and enjoyed the process.

Ingredient

I kg beef

1 tbsp..  rosemary leaves

1 tsp. basil leaves

1 tsp. thyme leaves

Salt and pepper for seasoning

1 tbsp. olive oil

 

Method

Mix the herbs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Marinate for 2-4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Place beef in a baking tray and cover with foil.  Add the beef in the oven and cook for 1½ hours or until cooked.  (I prefer my meat well done, therefore it takes longer,  check your meat earlier if you want it rare or medium rare.).

 

Note

Try these dishes

. Roast Chicken

Roasted Pumpkin and Beef

Pumpkin Mash and Steak

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pasta with Pesto and Meatballs

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For  a quick pasta recipe combine pasta with the delicious Nutty Pesto, grilled tomatoes, thyme mushrooms and meatballs mixed with herbs and parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

For the Pasta

Nutty Pesto

120 g Fettuccini Pasta

200 g mushrooms

200 g cherry tomatoes

1 tsp. thyme

 

For the Meatball

500g beef mince

2 tbsp. Almond meal

I tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Italian herbs

1  tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 egg

 

Method

For the pasta

Boil fettucine according to packet instructions,

Preheat oven to 180ºC  fan force oven

Place baking pager on tray.

Place tomatoes on the tray and sprinkle olive oil.  Bake for 15 minutes or until bruised.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and cook mushroom until it is brown.

Once mushroom is done sprinkle thyme and set aside.

In the  same pan add a tablespoon of olive oil and put the pesto and cook gently in the oil for a few minutes.  Make sure Pesto doesn’t burn.

Add the mushroom, cherry tomatoes and pasta in the pesto.

 

For the meatballs

Preheat fan force oven to 200ºC.

Line tray with baking paper.

Add all the ingredients in the mince meat and mix with hands, until well combined.

Roll into balls and place on the trays.  (Make 12-16 balls).

Bake for 25 minutes or to your liking.

Add the meatballs to your pasta.

 

Try these pasta dishes

Rigatoni with Chicken and Broccoli

Poached Chicken Meatballs

Sardines & Chilli Linguine