Pasta Dishes

There’s something about pasta: life just isn’t quite the same without it. Like bread, pasta is one of those things that pre-allergies will (probably) have been a major part of your diet. Post-allergies you will probably find it hard to find a pasta that’s tasty. We’ve tried all the alternative varieties, but the only one we have found that tastes—and behaves—like normal pasta, is spelt; we now always eat spelt out of preference. If you are gluten intolerant use millet. So welcome back to the world of pasta! All our pasta dishes can be pulled together in under half an hour, making them the ultimate fast food—in fact just what fast food should be: quick, tasty, filling, and nutritious.

Warm Pasta, Spicy Olive Oil, and Salty Cheese Salad

ALTHOUGH Luke would never dream of eating this salad, he was the one who came up with it. This is a very simple dish—herbs, cheese, olive oil, and spicy chili with pasta. Serve with a Green Salad for a light meal.

1 pound spelt or organic wheat pasta

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

4 scallions, peeled and chopped

½ tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

4 chunks organic cheese of your choice (we use feta)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons Harissa (page 167)

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, so it retains some bite, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the garlic, scallions, and herbs. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until it is all soft and golden, but not yet browning. Leave to one side while the pasta finishes cooking.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain it, return to the heat and toss with the sauce.
• Remove from the heat, crumble through the cheese, season generously with salt and pepper, and allow to marinate for a few minutes. Now add the Harissa, if you’re using it.
• Serve on 4 plates, generously seasoned, with a drizzle of seasoned olive oil.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Zucchini Pasta

HAVING despised zucchini for years, we tried this recipe and now know what we were missing! Pay very close attention the first time you cook this recipe—the zucchini have a tendency to be happily cooking, and then wham they are ready and you need to get them off the heat quickly. The leftovers are also wonderful as a cold salad the next day or as an evening snack.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 zucchini, sliced into slim rounds

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ pound spelt or organic wheat pasta

3 scallions, chopped

1 large clove garlic, peeled and chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley and basil, torn

a piece of lemon

• Take a large frying pan, place over medium heat, and add half the olive oil.
• When the oil has warmed up, add the zucchini, a pinch of salt, and a few shakes of black pepper. The zucchini need frequent stirring to prevent scorching.
• Once the zucchini have been on for 7 minutes and are starting to soften, put the pasta on. The zucchini are cooked after another 5 minutes or so, when they’re starting to turn pale golden brown and look caramelized.
• Now add the scallions, garlic, and tomatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes more or until the tomato is perfectly soft, then add the cooked and drained pasta and the herbs. Squeeze the piece of lemon over it all.
• Serve at once or allow to cool and eat as a salad.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Spaghetti Bolognese

SPAGHETTI Bolognese makes a good, filling meal, perfect for feeding empty people. It is also idiot proof, just cook it thoroughly. It is very simple for the times when you need to cook on autopilot. If you are vegetarian or vegan, replace the organic chopped beef with the same weight organic tofu, for an equally gorgeous Bolognese.

2 onions, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ pound organic chopped beef

2 8-ounce cans tomatoes, chopped

½ tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spelt or organic wheat pasta

sprinkle of cheese (optional)

• Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil for 5-6 minutes, until the onion becomes soft and transparent. Add the beef and mix around to coat in the oil. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 more minutes or until the beef is lightly browned.
• Chuck in the tomatoes, basil, and another dash of olive oil. Season generously. Mix it all together and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
• After the sauce has been on for 15 minutes, start the pasta. Cook the pasta in a saucepan full of boiling water on a simmering heat. The pasta and sauce will both finish cooking at around the same time; use your judgment, but the pasta will take about 8-10 minutes.
• Drain the pasta and serve immediately with the sauce on top, perhaps with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of cheese.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Spicy Spaghetti Bolognese

We love Spaghetti Bolognese as it is but Luke disagrees; apparently it’s too wimpy! If, like Luke, you prefer your food to bite back, try adding ½ teaspoon chili or cayenne powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and ½ teaspoon ground coriander to the above recipe when you add the beef.

Bacon Sauce with Pasta

BACON sauce is for those who cannot resist having some form of meat in everything they eat. This dish is a hot and spicy tummy warmer.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 slices of bacon, cut into strips

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

4-5 scallions, chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 8-ounce cans of tomatoes, chopped

1 large tomato, roughly chopped

6-8 leaves fresh basil

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 pound spelt or organic wheat pasta

a sprinkle of cheese for garnish

• Put a pan onto a medium heat and add a splash of olive oil to the bottom. Throw in the bacon, stir, and season generously with salt and pepper.
• After 2-3 minutes, add the garlic, scallions, and onion. Cook for 5-6 more minutes over medium heat. Then add the canned tomatoes, tomato, basil, chili powder, and ground turmeric. Stir, put the lid on the pan, and let cook for 10 minutes. While the sauce cooks, put the pasta on.
• Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the pasta, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Drain the pasta and take the sauce off the heat. Put the pasta on a plate and add the sauce.
• Season well and serve at once with a sprinkle of cheese.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

YOU know those days when you just have to have something cream-laden? So here we present a Green Spaghetti alia Carbonara. As with a lot of our recipes, this is a classic dish Green-ified, with a gorgeous, creamy sauce and salty bacon strips. Serve with a Green Salad to cut through the creamy pasta. Or not...

1 pound spelt or organic wheat pasta

5 slices bacon

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

yolks of 2 free-range eggs

½ cup organic bio-live natural yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh basil and parsley, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

½ cup organic cheddar cheese or feta

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Cook the pasta in a large saucepan with lots of boiling water and a pinch of salt. As the pasta will take about 10 minutes over medium heat, you have plenty of time to prepare the sauce.
• Start by frying the bacon with a splash of olive oil for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile make the saucy part—a version of mayonnaise.
• Start by adding a drop of olive oil to the egg yolks, gently mixing it into the yolks with a small whisk. Add the second drop, then mix in again. Always make sure to combine the last drop of oil before adding the next. Slowly increase the amount of oil, but be careful or the mixture will curdle. Once the egg yolks have absorbed all the oil, leave to one side while you get the pasta.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain it, then return to the saucepan. Add a splash of olive oil and “dry-out” most of the wet, for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat.
• Add the mayo to the pasta and stir to coat the pasta. Whatever you do, don’t turn your back on the heat, you don’t want scrambled eggs!
• Now cut the bacon into thin strips and add the yogurt, basil, parsley, cooked bacon, cheese, and 2 cloves of peeled, crushed garlic. Stir again and season generously.
• Serve immediately, with a Green Salad.

Green Basil Pesto with Pasta

PESTO from jars is so nasty it’s worth making your own just to see what it should taste like. Pasta with Pesto is a classic combination, a simple, sophisticated dinner that will take ten minutes to prepare. Or if you happen to have a jar of our wonderful Green Basil Pesto (page 172) pre-made, then this will take only as long as the pasta needs to cook. To save time, you don’t have to toast the pine nuts, though considering it’s going to take the pasta time to cook, you might as well.

1 cup pine nuts

1 pound spelt or organic wheat pasta

2-4 handfuls fresh basil

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 large lump feta cheese

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Spread the pine nuts out on a baking sheet and pop into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until it’s al dente, say 8-10 minutes.
• Continue with the pesto. You have a choice for making the pesto: a blender, or a mortar and pestle. If using a mortar and pestle, chop up the basil then chuck in and crush all the ingredients except the cheese in your mortar. If using a blender, mix the ingredients together. The consistency is up to you—we prefer to use a mortar and pestle, as you get a rougher, chunkier pesto, but some people prefer a smoother, more store-bought consistency. Try both, see what you prefer.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain and mix pesto and cheese in a large serving bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Spelt Pasta with Fava Beans, Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese

IF you have ever read Sophie Grigson’s Organics, a truly wonderful cookbook, you might be surprised by how similar this recipe is to one of hers. Purely accidental! Chupi was starving one day and spotted fava beans, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and pasta in the kitchen. She made this dish by flinging them together. Months later she was shocked to discover an almost identical recipe in Organics. Thus, this gorgeous, quick, tasty recipe had better be dedicated to Sophie Grigson.

1 pound spelt or organic wheat pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound shelled fava beans

20-25 “Sun”-dried Tomatoes (page 47)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

¼-½ cup organic soft goat cheese

1 tablespoon each fresh basil and parsley, finely chopped

• Put a large pan of water on to boil, and when the water is boiling add the pasta. Leave to cook for 8-10 minutes, until al dente.
• Meanwhile, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the beans and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 5-6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook for another minute, then remove from the heat until the pasta is ready.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pan. Add the bean mixture, cheese, and herbs.
• Warm up on a gentle heat and serve with a Green Salad.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Classic Tomato and Basil Sauce with Pasta

THIS uncomplicated and tasty meal can be pulled together In minutes. Everyone loves pasta with a classic tomato sauce, but it’s very hard to find a decent version of it. A lot of people just use sauce out of a jar. You might as well use tomato ketchup—unhealthy and not very tasty. Proper tomato sauce is so simple, it’s worth making your own. Many cooks believe you should add sugar to all tomato dishes, but there’s no need; tomatoes are very sweet, they just have to be cooked properly. This is perfect summer fodder, served with a Green Salad and perhaps a nice bottle of booze if allowed!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 8-ounce cans of tomatoes, chopped

1 cup tomato passata

1 tablespoon fresh basil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spelt or organic wheat pasta

sprinkle of cheese

• Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato passata, and basil. Season generously with salt and pepper and let cook for another 15-20 minutes.
• The pasta should go on 10 minutes before you expect the sauce to be cooked. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente.
• When both the pasta and sauce are cooked, drain the pasta, return to the pan, and allow to dry out for about 30 seconds.
• Chuck in the tomato sauce, toss together, and serve immediately on 4 plates with a sprinkle of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS