Pasta is such a comfort food. It's there through the good times, the poor times, the sick times, the hungover times and if you have a child who is a fussy eater I'm sure you cook pasta many MANY times. I remember my high school boyfriend 'cooking' me pasta, he opened up a jar of Raguletto sauce, heated it up and poured it over some 99 cent Changs noodles. I was TOTALLY impressed and totally hooked...hooked on love and hooked on eating pasta.
Fast forward a bazillion years and I STILL love pasta, its an addiction, yes and when you have the "couldn't be bothereds" I reach for a jar of pasta sauce just like my first love did, not because I want to impress but because I am being lazy, you could also just use a can of crushed tomatoes or a bottle of passata but if you want to skip the chopping and sauteing part then go for the jar of pasta sauce.
We are lucky to live close by to a Mediterranean grocery store that has an isle dedicated to sugos, passatas, pestos and sauces, so the range is pretty impressive and hard not to go a bit nuts - we call it pasta world and of course there is an isle for pasta too- HEAVEN! Now I like to pimp up my pasta sauce, not by showering it with sparkly bling - that would be a choking hazard but by making it slightly fancy and a leeetle bit more nutritious by adding extra veg in there and I like to do this the most easiest way possible which I find is the beloved oven. Also I usually use a wholewheat pasta, there are many brands out there that are making wholewheat pastas that do not taste like cardboard. Spelt based pastas are great too, I just find you don't feel as full as you would with a standard durum wheat pasta plus its a healthier option.
ROASTED RED CAPSICUM AND TOMATO PIMPED OUT PASTA
I roast the tomatoes in the oven using an enamel roasting dish that can be then popped onto the hob to heat up the sauce. you could also use a cast iron french oven or a oven proof frying pan.
serves 4
1 red capsicum, washed
extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed or grated
1 punnet of baby roma tomatoes, halved or 6 large roma tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper
375 gram jar of good quality pasta sauce
375 grams wholewheat spaghetti
1 small handful of basil or parsley leaves.
grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Pre-heat oven to 200C degrees
Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
Pop the capsicum straight onto the top oven rack and roast until blackened approx 15 mins
In an oven/stove top proof dish pour in a few glugs of olive oil and add the tomatoes.
Sprinkle the garlic over the tomatoes and season.
Roast the tomatoes in the oven in the middle rack so any juices from the capsicum go into the dish below for approximately 15 minutes.
Using tongs, carefully remove the blackened capsicum from the oven and place in a plastic bag,
Pop your spaghetti in and cook using packet instructions.
Once pasta is cooked grab a mug and scoop out some of the pasta water to use in the sauce.
Drain pasta and set aside.
Remove tomatoes from the oven, their skins should be slightly roasted and the dish juicy!
Open the plastic bag containing the capsicum being careful of the hot steam and remove the skin. I find tongs helps here.
Roughly chop and add to tomato dish along with the jar of pasta sauce.
Place the dish on the stove top on low-medium heat and gently simmer.
Pour the pasta water into the empty jar so you collect all the remnants and pour about half of it into the simmering sauce.
Add the drained pasta, adding more pasta water if needed.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
serves 4
1 red capsicum, washed
extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed or grated
1 punnet of baby roma tomatoes, halved or 6 large roma tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper
375 gram jar of good quality pasta sauce
375 grams wholewheat spaghetti
1 small handful of basil or parsley leaves.
grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Pre-heat oven to 200C degrees
Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
Pop the capsicum straight onto the top oven rack and roast until blackened approx 15 mins
In an oven/stove top proof dish pour in a few glugs of olive oil and add the tomatoes.
Sprinkle the garlic over the tomatoes and season.
Roast the tomatoes in the oven in the middle rack so any juices from the capsicum go into the dish below for approximately 15 minutes.
Using tongs, carefully remove the blackened capsicum from the oven and place in a plastic bag,
Pop your spaghetti in and cook using packet instructions.
Once pasta is cooked grab a mug and scoop out some of the pasta water to use in the sauce.
Drain pasta and set aside.
Remove tomatoes from the oven, their skins should be slightly roasted and the dish juicy!
Open the plastic bag containing the capsicum being careful of the hot steam and remove the skin. I find tongs helps here.
Roughly chop and add to tomato dish along with the jar of pasta sauce.
Place the dish on the stove top on low-medium heat and gently simmer.
Pour the pasta water into the empty jar so you collect all the remnants and pour about half of it into the simmering sauce.
Add the drained pasta, adding more pasta water if needed.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
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