This simple but delicious pasta sauce doesn’t require too many ingredients – just a bit of patience! Melt some butter and oil in a wide pan and add 1.8kg (4 lbs) of sliced brown onions. Season generously with salt and add 1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Cook over medium…… Continue reading spaghetti with caramelised onion
Category: pasta and noodles
zucchini and spinach pasta
This super green pasta was an unexpected delight. I had some white zucchinis fresh from the garden and was looking for ideas when I stumbled on this recipe by Adam Liaw published in The Sydney Morning Herald’s goodfood section. I used wholemeal (BioNature) linguini – delicious! Sauté 2½ cups of baby spinach leaves in 2-3…… Continue reading zucchini and spinach pasta
vegetarian japchae
Japchae (잡채) is a Korean dish of stir-fried sweet potato glass noodles. Savoury and slightly sweet, it always has vegetables and usually meat. In this version from Seonkyoung Longest, the meat is replaced by marinated shiitake mushrooms. Just delicious! Soak 10 to 12 dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes or until softened. Squeeze all the water out…… Continue reading vegetarian japchae
smoky eggplant ragu
You won’t miss the meat in this deliciously smoky and rich Italian sauce with walnuts added for texture. I served mine with ricotta gnocchi but any pasta or gnocchi will work. Use one large eggplant (aubergine). To get that smoky flavour, prick the skin a few times and blacken all over, either on a barbecue…… Continue reading smoky eggplant ragu
sausage and ricotta pasta bake
This is what I call comfort food! Eve made this from a very popular NYT recipe by Melissa Clark. Heat your oven to 220ºC (425F). Heat some olive oil in an ovenproof pan or skillet over medium-high. Crumble 350g (¾ of a lb) of Italian sausage (we used pork and fennel sausage) into a skillet…… Continue reading sausage and ricotta pasta bake
roast vegetables with orzo and olives
This makes a great meal on it’s own or serve it as part of a larger menu. From the wonderful cookbook MORO easy by Sam and Sam Clarke. Preheat your oven to 220ºC (435)F). In a roasting tray or dish with some depth combine 2 sliced zucchinis (courgettes), 1 quartered and sliced eggplant (aubergine), 1…… Continue reading roast vegetables with orzo and olives
kimchi fried udon
Udon (うどん) are thick wheat flour noodles commonly used in Japanese cuisine. In Korea they’re called udong-myeon (우동면). I bought fresh noodles but there are excellent dry and frozen options available. Kimchi and bacon provide a punch of flavour in this quick and tasty meal from Sue of My Korean Kitchen, First make the sauce…… Continue reading kimchi fried udon
soba noodles
Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made mostly from buckwheat. Brown in colour with a slightly grainy texture, in Japan they are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or hot in a soup. This recipe from Heidi at foodiecrush has plenty of sesame and green onions and can be eaten hot or at room temperature.…… Continue reading soba noodles
pasta e fagioli
Pasta and beans is a classic soup in Italy and can be served thin or thicker as you prefer. This is an adapted version of a recipe from THE RIVER CAFE COOKBOOK by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. Hard to beat. The beans need soaking and cooking first. I used fava beans as I didn’t…… Continue reading pasta e fagioli
seafood japchae
Japchae is amongst the most popular dishes in Korea. It’s a stir-fry of noodles, vegetables and, in my case prawns and squid. The transparent noodles are made of sweet potato starch and have a lovely chewy texture. Soak 6 – 8 whole dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling water for a few hours before you start…… Continue reading seafood japchae
michelle picker cooks 