Nigella's Curly Pasta with Feta, Spinach & Pine Nuts

I love a simple pasta recipe (don't we all) and this is another successful addition to my weeknight easy dinners rota. When I first came across it in Nigella Kitchen I wasn't sure what to expect and wasn't convinced it was a dish that would have a huge amount of flavour. I'm pleased to report that I was most definitely wrong on that score and it's certainly a recipe worth trying.

The big plus is that I almost always have all of the ingredients to hand so it doesn't require much in the way of forward planning. The allspice might seem a bit of an unusual addition and it does smell quite strong when you add it to the pan, however by the time the dish is ready that strength disappears and you're just left with a savoury hint in the background.

As I've halved the original recipe you only need to use half a pack of feta. If you don't have any plans for the rest of it then Jamie Oliver's Greek Chicken or Jo Pratt's Bulgar Wheat Salad are two fetatastic recipes. You can find them here.

Curly Pasta with Feta, Spinach & Pine Nuts
(adapted from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson)

25g pine nuts
1 tablespoon garlic oil
1/2 onion, peeled and sliced (tip - chop up the rest, wrap in cling film and keep it in the freezer for another time. You can fry it straight from the freezer)
250g curly pasta or other short pasta of your choice
1/8 teaspoon allspice
250g frozen spinach
100g feta cheese, crumbled
2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1) Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta

2) Toast the pine nuts in a hot, dry pan (you can use the same one for the sauce later) until golden, then remove to a cold plate

3) Heat the garlic oil in the pan and add the onion slices (although if you've just used the pan for the pine nuts you might want to leave it to cool down a bit first to avoid burning the onions). Cook on a lowish heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft. If they look like they're getting too brown, sprinkle with a little salt to help draw out the water and slow down browning.

4) When the water comes to the boil, add salt and the pasta.

5) When the onion is ready add the allspice. Then add the frozen spinach. Keep stirring to help the spinach melt consistently.

6) Just before you drain the pasta, scoop out a small cupful of the cooking water and add to the spinach sauce.

7) Crumble the feta into the spinach sauce, stirring as the feta gradually melts. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of the parmesan and the taste to see if you need to add any more (unless, like me, you follow the can't-have-too-much-parmesan school of though, in which case you'll probably just throw it all in at once. And then add some more).

8) Drain the pasta and toss into the feta spinach sauce to mix, the season to taste. Add the pine nuts and mix through.

Serves 2 (this is half of the original recipe which was supposed to serve 6 so I guess you could split it between 3 of you. If you really wanted to. We didn't)

Fusilli with Glorious Green Spinach Sauce

Look at this for a colourful dinner! I was trying to decide what to do with a tub of mascarpone that was speeding towards its use-by date when I came across this recipe that I'd pulled out of an edition of Good Food Magazine some years ago.

Now I've made it I don't why I waited so long as this is a lovely dish. I guess the sound of a green spinach sauce isn't particularly appetising but don't be put off.  There's enough mascarpone to make a really creamy sauce that isn't overpowered by the spinach (although if you really hate the stuff this may not be the dish for you) and the parmesan adds it's usual cheesy flavour.  It's surprisingly child-friendly too, considering the colour - I had one complete plate-clearance and one half finished which, for a new dish, is pretty good going!

And, of course, it's easy to make.  As you can see from the instructions below, it's just a two-step job with minimal chopping and faffing involved.

Fusilli with Glorious Green Spinach Sauce
(from BBC Good Food Magazine)

400g/14oz fusilli pasta
225g/8oz bag baby spinach
1 garlic clove
250g tub mascarpone
juice of 1/2 large lemon
30g/1oz grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
55g/2oz pine nuts, lightly toasted

1) Cook the pasta according to the instruction.  Meanwhile, put half the spinach in a food processor with the garlic, mascarpone, lemon juice and parmesan, then whizz to a smooth sauce.

2) Drain the pasta thoroughly and return to the pan over a low heat.  Stir in the sauce, pine nuts and remaining spinach, until the spinach has just wilted. Season and serve with extra parmesan.

Serves 4

Sausage Pasta Bake

I've been meaning to write about this recipe for positively ages as it's my most favourite pasta bake but until this weekend I haven't been able to get a picture of it. This time, though, I was determined to get a couple of snaps before it was all devoured and, as you can see, I succeeded.

I've always loved sausagey pasta sauces and this one works particularly well with the addition of a layer of cheesy white sauce. The sauce itself has bags of flavour thanks to the addition of red wine and tomato puree, and the inclusion of carrot and spinach make for a pretty well balanced meal.

This isn't a one-pot meal by any means as there are a number of steps involved but it's perfectly fine to prepare it a few hours in advance and leave it covered up until you're ready to put it in the oven. The sausage sauce could also be made in advance and either frozen or kept in the fridge for a couple of days.

I found this recipe in the BBC Good Food Magazine many years ago and have made it over and over since then. The perfect Sunday night dinner!

Sausage Pasta Bake

(taken from BBC Good Food Magazine long ago)

For the sausage sauce

400g good quality pork sausages

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 large carrot, grated

150ml red wine

300ml vegetable stock

3 tbsp tomato puree

For the white sauce

50g butter

50g plain flour

600ml milk

freshly grated nutmeg

500g rigatoni or penne

200g fresh spinach

140g mature cheddar, grated

1) Slit the sausages and remove them from their skins, then chop them into small pieces. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Stir in the sausages and fry until lightly coloured. Add the carrot, then stir in the wine, stock, tomato puree and season. Bring the sauce to the boil, the simmer uncovered, for about 15 minutes until thickened. Taste and season then set aside.

2) To make the white sauce put the butter, flour and milk in a pan. Gently heat, whisking, until thickened and smooth. Add a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg, season, then simmer for 2 minutes.

3) Preheat the oven to 190c/gas 5/fan 170c. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta, stir well then cook until tender. Remove from the heat, stir in the spinach and, when just wilted, drain well.

4) Tip half the pasta into a shallow ovenproof dish, about 2.2 litres/4 pints, and level. Spoon over the sausage sauce, then cover with the remaining pasta. Pour the white sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle with cheddar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Leave for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

Blue Cheese Macaroni Gratin

This recipe for Blue Cheese Macaroni Gratin comes from Jo Pratt's In the Mood for Entertaining. I love Macaroni Cheese, both the traditional version and varieties with a bit of twist. This definitely falls into the latter category with the inclusion of blue cheese, wine, roasted peppers and spinach.

In her recipe notes Jo describes this dish as not being too stodgy or rich. Hmm.....I'm not sure you can say that about any dish that includes pasta (and plenty of it), cheese and cream. Not that I'm complaining mind - if you're looking for a hearty, warming dinner then this definitely ticks all the right boxes. It provides the comforting carb-richness of your usual macaroni cheese but with an extra hit of flavour from the blue cheese and pepper and a bit of balancing greenery from the spinach. For me it didn't quite beat the 5 star fabulousness of Delia's Souffled Macaroni Cheese but I still enjoyed it very much and will definitely make it again.

Blue Cheese Macaroni Gratin

(adapted from In the Mood for Entertaining by Jo Pratt)

250g macaroni

20g butter

1 bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced

1 sprig of thyme

20g plain flour

200ml white wine

125ml single cream

150g blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue, Gorgonzola, Danish Blue or Stilton

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 roasted red pepper (from a jar), cut into strips

2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves

olive oil, for drizzling

1) Start by cooking the macaroni until tender. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the spring onions and sprig of thyme. Cook for a couple of minutes until the spring onions are softened. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so, stirring most of the time so the flour doesn't burn.

2) Gradually pour in the white wine, stirring continuously. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Remove the sprig of thyme.

3) Thinly slice half the blue cheese and keep to one side. Crumble, break or chop the rest and stir into the sauce. Season with a small pinch of salt and a good twist of black pepper. Cook until the cheese has melted.

4) Drain the macaroni well and mix into the sauce. Finally, stir in the red pepper and spinach leaves. Spoon the mixture into two individual shallow gratin dishes or one larger one to share. Lay the sliced blue cheese on top, add a twist of black pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over the surface.

5) Heat the grill to the highest setting. Place the dish or dishes on a baking sheet and grill for about 5 minutes until the top is lightly golden and bubbling. Serve straight away just as it is or with a nice green salad.

This dish can be made ahead of time. Just place the dish/dishes in the fridge and when you're ready to eat, bake in the oven (180c/fan 160c/gas mark 4) for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Serves 2

Vegetable Enchilladas

Oh dear, poor neglected blog. I can't believe it's almost a month since my last post. I've been stuck in a bit of a cooking rut of late but I've had a good rifle through some of my cookbooks and earmarked a few ideas to help me rediscover my cooking mojo.

This recipe is one of my stock recipes and is a great way of fitting in a few of your five-a-day without too much trouble. It's another one of those recipes-that's-hardly-a-recipe but worthy of mention nonetheless. It's very straigtforward to assemble and you can adapt it to whatever you have in the fridge or garden. What I've listed below is my standard recipe but you could add anything you like...courgettes, peas etc.

Vegetable Enchilladas

(origin unknown)

1-2 red or yellow peppers

1-2 leeks

1-2 cloves of garlic

Handful of mushrooms

1/2 - 1 cup of sweetcorn, tinned or frozen

Large handful of spinach

6-8 tortillas

Jar of Tomato & Chargrilled Veg Pasta sauce

Grated cheese

1) Preheat the oven to 180c

2) Slice or chop up the veg into bite sized pieces. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan and add the veg. Cook, stirring regularly, until softened.

3) Pile a spoonful of veg onto a one of the tortillas and fold up (I put the veg on the top half, fold up the bottom of the tortilla then fold in the sides). Place the parcel in a large baking dish and repeat until all the vegetables are used up (6 tortillas are usually enough to fill my large oval baking dish).

4) Spoon the pasta sauce over the top of the tortillas and top with grated cheese. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Serves 2-3

Fragrant Chicken & Spinach Curry

Ever since I dug out my copy of Bill Grainger's Everyday and lavished a bit of attention on it as part of my Unloved Cookbooks project I've been promising myself that I would come back to it at some point and try out the other recipes that caught my eye.

So the next recipe on the list was Bill's Fragrant Chicken and Spinach Curry. This recipe was fairly simple and straightforward and the result was everything I've come to expect from Bill Grainger - fresh, light and healthy but with good flavour - an ideal weeknight supper.

Fragrant Chicken & Spinach Curry

adapted from Everyday by Bill Grainger

Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

pinch cayenne pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

750g/1lb 10 oz boneless chicken thighs, cubed

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

90g/3 1/4 oz baby English spinach, chopped

Large handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped

1) Heat the oil, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the spices, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.

2) Add the chicken and increase heat to medium-heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is browned.

3) Stir in the tomatoes and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

4) Add the sugar, lime juice and spinach and stir until the spinach has just wilted. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with coriander and serve with steamed rice.

A Blue Cheese Tart

It's been a long time since I last paid a visit to one of my very favourite foodie places. Too long. I am, of course, referring to the fabulous, wish-I-lived-in-London, cookbook lovers dream, Books for Cooks in Notting Hill. For those of you who don't know, Books for Cooks is a shop entirely devoted to selling Cook Books. I know....I come over all funny just thinking about it! Aswell as selling books they also have a little test kitchen at the back of the shop where they try out two or three recipes every day, plus a selection of cakes. These are then served up to the lucky few who manage to find a seat at the handful of tables until it's all gone. They also host a variety of worskshops throughout the year. I haven't managed to attend one yet but this year I'm determined to schedule one in somewhere!

Aswell as selling other people's books, Books for Cooks also produce their own books which contain collections of the best-tasting recipes made in the test kitchen over the past year and as you might expect, these are a veritable treasure-trove of varied and wonderful recipes.

It was in one of these books that I found the following recipe. I was in a tart-making sort of mood and this was the one that appealed to me most.

Blue Cheese and Spinach Tart with Caramelised Onions

(adapted from A Taste of Australia - The Bathers Pavilion Cookbook by Victoria Alexander and Genevieve Harris. Brought to me via Books for Cooks Favourite Recipes from Books 1,2 and 3)

4 onions, finely sliced

90g/3oz butter

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp brown sugar

black pepper

125g/40z spinach leaves

175g/6oz blue cheese (Roquefort or Gorgonzola) crumbled

6 tbsp mascarpone

1 organic egg, beaten

24cm (91/2 inch) shortcrust pastry case, baked blind

(175g/6oz flour, pinch of salt, 90g/30z cold butter, 1 organic egg yolk)

1) Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan over a low heat, stir in the onions, salt and sugar and cook gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meltingly soft and deep golden brown. Season to taste.

2) Prepare the spinach by stripping the leaves of their stalks, then rolling up the leaves and slicing them into thin strips.

3) Mix together the mascarpone, blue cheese and egg until fairly smooth.

4) Spread the caramelised onions over the bottom of the pastry case, then press the spinach gently on to the top. Pour over the mascarpone mixture and spread it as evenly over the tart as possible so that the spinach is well covered and does not scorch.

5) Bake the tart at 190c/375f/Gas 5 until the mascarpone topping is puffed and golden (about 30 minutes).

Serves 4-6