Pastaaaaa

It's been a while. I've been writing my dissertation, having technology-related crises, and zero social life. To fit everything in, I've been making the ultimate student staple - pasta. But not just pasta with sauce-from-a-jar. Proper, interesting, healthy pasta. Here's a few:

Spaghetti with courgettes and prawns

1 serving spaghetti

1/2 pack king prawns

6 courgette ribbons

olive oil

1tbsp chopped parsley

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and black pepper

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan and fry the prawns with salt and pepper. 

When the pasta is cooked, add the lemon juice to the prawns and then the pasta, courgettes, and parsley. Use pasta tongs to distribute the ingredients evenly through the pasta and serve with salad.

Spaghetti with venison meatballs and garlic ciabatta

1 cup venison mince

1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes

fresh thyme

1 serving spaghetti

tomato puree

1 tsp sugar

salt and black pepper

olive oil

Season the mince and shape into balls. Heat a frying pan over a high heat and add a little oil. Fry the meatballs until brown on all sides (approx 3 mins).

Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, puree, sugar, thyme, and seasoning to a sauce pan and cook over a medium heat. When the meatballs are browned, add to the sauce to cook through.

Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Add the spaghetti to the sauce and serve. (Here I made double quantities of sauce so had to mix the pasta and sauce on my plate - it's much better to coat it in the pan though!)

For the garlic ciabatta:

1/2 ciabatta

1 tbsp softened salted butter

1 clove garlic

Oven at 190C. Make slices into the bread, but don't cut the whole way through. 

Crush or finely chop the garlic and add to the butter and mix well (I use a fork to mash them together). Carefully spread the butter between the slices of bread, trying not to tear it. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden (approx 15 mins).

Angel hair pasta with feta, mint, and courgette (from Tessa Kiros)

1 portion angel hair/vermicelli

1/4 block of feta cheese, crumbled

6 courgette ribbons

1/2 tbsp mint leaves, chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 clove garlic

olive oil

salt and black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute before adding the courgette, mint, and lemon juice. Remove from the heat and add the pasta, cheese, and season. Use pasta tongs to mix together, and serve.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Sunday. It just sounds fantastic. My housemates had spent most of the day gardening (I was shopping) and so were ready for a long, relaxing evening of food, friends, and fun...In case you're wondering, on the table there is a pesto risotto, potato salad, and coleslaw.

Sunday - Tomato, Chilli and Prawn Spaghetti

I needed something super-summery, as the weekend had been two days of glorious sunshine and I was feeling ready to give in to the summer (if only I could put away my books already!) This fresh, light, mediterranean pasta dish was a great way to exercise my escapism though, and we continued our 'holiday' theme long into the evening out in the garden - cardigans and  jasmine tea around the fire? Perfect.

1 serving spaghetti

5 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 spring onion, sliced

1/2 pack prawns

1/2 tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 onion, chopped

1/3 red chilli, finely chopped

juice 1/2 lemon

olive oil

salt and black pepper

chopped parsley to serve

Heat a little oil in a pan and add the onion. Cook until clear and add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, and chilli. Cook until you can smell the chilli and garlic, then add the tinned tomatoes and lemon juice.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan of salted water for the pasta.When the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions.

About 1 minute before the pasta is ready, add the prawns to the tomato sauce and cook through. 

Strain the pasta and add to the sauce. Add the spring onion and stir through to completely coat the pasta and then remove from the heat.

To serve, use pasta tongs to transfer to a plate, and sprinkle some parsley on top.