Sugar et al

Because Life is a blend of flavours...

Chicken, Roasted Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta

5|01|2014

Breaking trends at the beginning of the year, I recently went on a chocolate and cheese shopping spree. With all the hard work I had done a week ago to clean up my refrigerator on account of the house move, I decided to buy myself some New Year presents. When was the last time I had seen an empty refrigerator! It took me no time to fill it up.

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Mascarpone has always been my favourite. Other than the various interpretations of Tiramisu that I keep trying out from time to time, my favourite way of using it is by dolloping it on grilled fruits. And adding it to pasta. The flavour and creaminess that it adds is like none other. So with a handful of ingredients I made this very quick pasta meal for our lunch.

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I have used store bought smoked chicken breast to reduce work. It can be substituted with leftover barbecued chicken, canned Tuna, Prosciutto, Bacon, Smoked salmon or even home cooked chicken breasts. If you are using fresh chicken breast fillets, season them and shallow fry them 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Then slice into pieces.

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Chicken, Roasted Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta (adapted with variation from this recipe)
Serves 4

500 g cherry tomatoes, halved (keep a few aside for garnish)
2 garlic cloves sliced
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves chopped
salt and pepper, to season
2 tbsp. olive oil
300 g Fettucine /tagliatelle/spaghetti (I have used fettucine)
200 g mascarpone cheese
1 store bought smoked chicken breast, sliced into pieces
1 cup baby spinach leaves
a few cherry tomatoes, to serve
flat leaf parsley, to serve
shaved parmesan, to serve
cracked pepper to serve

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Place the tomatoes (leaving aside a handful for garnish) in a roasting pan with the garlic and rosemary. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, drizzle with the oil and roast for 15-20 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling, salted water according to the packet instructions. Reserve half a cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta and return to the saucepan.

Gently combine the roasted tomatoes and the mascarpone in a large bowl to make a creamy sauce. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss well. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add the reserved cooking liquid. Then gently fold through the chicken and baby spinach until just wilted. Scatter over the remaining Cherry tomatoes and parsley leaves. Garnish with the shaved parmesan and sprinkle with cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

Garlic and Chilli Prawn Spaghetti

8|12|2013

I could eat cookies for all meals and still have an appetite for more. But in a house full of boys that may not be the ideal scenario. They are on the look out for ‘real food’ and sadly cookies don’t fit into that category. So a tiny little break from Cookies!

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By now, you already know how much we love noodles and such things. Whether in Asian recipes or in its Italian form…noodles/pasta are a staple in our house. Though personally I prefer the fettuccine or pappardelle over spaghetti, it is the most obvious choice for kids. So we have a kid friendly version of this recipe minus the chillies and really hot one with lots of dry chilli flakes for the adults.
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This is again a recipe that is ready under 15 minutes and yet filling and full of flavour. And this dish just confirm the fact that you don’t need a lot of ingredients to come up with a tasty meal. Substitute the prawns with your favourite meat if you want to and adjust the heat to your liking. You could use fresh red chillies too. I like to add dried chilli flakes for texture and I find it easier to include it in a meal at the last-minute.

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Garlic and Chilli Prawn Spaghetti
(adapted with variation from Donna Hay, Fast, Fresh, Simple)
Serves 2-3

200g spaghetti, angel hair or linguine
1tbsp butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
10-15 small uncooked prawns (fresh or frozen), cleaned
1 tbsp. lemon juice (optional)
2 tbsp. tomato puree or passata
a few flat leaf parsley leaves, roughly torn
salt and cracked pepper for seasoning

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil and cook until butter has melted. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for two minutes. Add the prawns and cook, stirring for 3 minutes or until prawns are tender. Add the tomato puree, pasta, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the pan and toss to combine. Serve warm.