Pasta and noodles – the name changes with the country of origin – are made from flour mixed with a liquid, usually egg or water. The dough is kneaded, rolled, cut, maybe stuffed, then boiled, steamed, baked or fried, and served with a sauce or broth. Asian noodles have become increasingly popular in recent years, but to judge by the number of pasta shops and restaurants, pasta now almost seems to be our national dish. The noodle dishes of central and eastern Europe and the Middle East are less well known, but perhaps our enthusiasm for pasta will eventually extend to some of these excellent dishes. In Asian cities you never have to go far to find a vendor offering steaming appetising bowls of noodles served in broth or with a sauce.
European pasta
Types of pasta and cooking methods
Italian pasta
Ribbons, sticks, tubes, shells, twists, small shapes for soup and other more fanciful forms of pasta can be bought fresh or dried.
Ravioli, capelletti, agnolotti and all the other regional Italian-named shapes for stuffed pasta can be bought fresh, but it is easy to make your own fillings, and you can buy sheets of fresh pasta if you don’t want to make the dough yourself.
Pasta should be cooked in a large pan with plenty of boiling water. For up to 500g of pasta, 4 litres of salted water is the right amount; there should be plenty of room for the pasta to move around in the pan. For larger quantities use two pans. The pan should be no more than three-quarters full to ensure it doesn’t spill over when you add the pasta. Put in the pasta all at once, stir with a wooden fork, bring the pan back to the boil and stir occasionally to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick to the pan.
Italians cook pasta al dente; that means it should still be slightly chewy, with a bite. It should not be soggy and limp, nor tough and hard when it will have a raw taste. Cooking times vary with the freshness and thickness of the pasta. Homemade pasta cooks in a couple of minutes, bought fresh pasta takes a little longer; dried pasta takes 5–15 minutes, depending on the type. Use the instructions on the packet as a guideline only; they tend to produce overcooked pasta. Taste a piece or two before the recommended cooking time is up.
As soon as the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander and immediately turn it into a sauce, if using one, or coat it with olive oil or butter and Parmesan cheese. Stuffed pasta rises to the surface and balloons slightly when ready. It is better to scoop the shapes out with a large slotted spoon than to tip them into a colander. Do not rinse pasta under cold water.
Central European pasta
Noodle dishes can be made with flat ribbons or vermicelli, and stuffed shapes such as Jewish kreplach or Polish pierogi can be made using a flour and egg pasta dough or sheets of bought pasta. The cooking methods and times are the same as for Italian pasta. Noodles are often served to accompany meat or poultry.
Quantities
Appetites for pasta vary greatly but, as a guideline, allow 80g of fresh or 50g of dried pasta per person for a first course and 1½ or 2 times as much for a main course. If the sauce is substantial you may need less pasta.
In the recipes which follow, the servings given are for a main course, since that is how we tend to serve pasta.
Making pasta
Basic proportions for making pasta are 100g flour to 1 egg, but the exact amount will vary according to the flour and the size and freshness of the eggs. Italian 00 flour, a soft wheat flour, is recommended by many cooks, but I find a mixture of soft flour with durum, hard wheat flour, more successful; the texture and taste of the pasta are improved. Strong white bread flour combined with unbleached plain flour can also be used.
Basic pasta recipe
This recipe will make 475–500g pasta dough.
Enough for a main course for 4
150g durum or white bread flour
150g 00 or unbleached plain flour
1 tsp salt
3 medium eggs
Sift the flours and salt together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. Mix with a fork or your fingers, drawing the flour into the egg a little at a time to produce a thick mass. If it feels very sticky add a little more flour, if it is dry add a little water. Draw the dough together and knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until the dough is silky and elastic (see p. 443 for notes on kneading). Form it into a ball, cover with clingfilm or a cloth and leave to rest for an hour. If you want to leave it longer, put the covered dough in the refrigerator, but allow it to come back to room temperature before working with it.
If you prefer to make the pasta in a food processor, put the flour and salt in the machine and process briefly to blend. Lightly beat the eggs in a jug and pour in the egg, a little at a time, through the feeder tube. Process until the mixture forms a compact ball. Knead briefly by hand, then cover and leave the dough to rest.
Flavoured pasta
Mix the flavouring with the eggs before drawing in the flour.
Green pasta: for each egg add 100g spinach, cooked, squeezed dry and chopped.
Red pasta: for each egg add 1 tbs tomato purée.
Herb pasta: for each egg add 50g blanched chopped herbs: basil, lovage, marjoram, parsley and rocket are all suitable.
Rolling and cutting pasta with a machine
Cut the dough into 6 pieces, keep all but the one you are working with covered. Flatten the piece a little, flour it lightly, set the space between the machine’s rollers as wide as possible and pass the dough through. Do not stretch or pull it. Fold the strip in three, turn it through 90 degrees and roll it again. Repeat this 4 or 5 times. Reduce the space by one notch and roll the dough again. Do not fold this time. Repeat this pattern, each time reducing the width of the rollers by one notch until you have a long thin sheet of pasta. Flour it lightly and hang it over the back of a chair or a clean garden cane supported at either end. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
Leave the pasta to dry for about 10 minutes. It should still be supple but not sticky, and should not be allowed to dry so much that it starts to crack. Pass the pasta sheets through the machine on the thinnest setting of the rollers, to cut broad or narrow ribbons as you need.
Rolling and cutting pasta by hand
Divide the dough in three, keep two pieces covered and lightly knead the third into a disc. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, turning it at intervals to produce a round sheet. Do not push down on the rolling pin, but press the dough away from you, always rolling in one direction. When you can see the surface through the dough, it is ready. Put it over the back of a chair or on a dry tea towel to dry for about 20 minutes, until it looks dull and leathery. Repeat with the other pieces. Rolling pasta is more tricky than rolling pastry, but with practice you will get the hang of it.
To cut the pasta into ribbons, roll up the sheet of dough loosely and cut across with a sharp knife to the width you want.
Keeping pasta
Fresh pasta can be cooked straight away. To use later in the day, spread out the ribbons on a tea towel. Pasta can also be left to dry in small nests on a lightly floured tea towel. After 24 hours, store it in an airtight container.
Sauces for pasta
The proportion of sauce to pasta must be judged carefully. Non-Italians tend to serve too much; the sauce is intended to coat the pasta, not to turn it into soup. Less is more, in the case of pasta sauces. In Italy you are served a helping of spaghetti with a small ladleful of sauce in the centre, in which you then toss your pasta.
There are some basic rules about the type of sauce to serve with different types of pasta. Long thin pasta is suited to oil-based and light purées and seafood sauces because the strands hold the sauce well when twirled around a fork. Flat ribbons are well paired with sauces based on cream, butter or cheese which coat them well. Tubular pasta, coils and rounded shapes are best dressed with a chunkier meat or vegetable-based sauce. With this in mind, use the pasta you prefer in the recipes.
Several sauces in Sauces, Salsas and Marinades can be used with pasta: pesto and its variations (p. 366), uncooked passata (tomato coulis) (p. 366), and other tomato sauces (pp. 377–80) and Bolognese sauce (p. 379).
Spaghetti aglio e olio
This is one of the simplest pasta dishes: spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and chillies. Use dried pasta.
For 5–6
500g dried spaghetti
120ml extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 tbs chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
Cook the spaghetti al dente and drain thoroughly. While it is cooking, heat the oil gently and add the garlic. When it starts to colour, add the chilli flakes and parsley, and season. Cook a minute or two longer and remove the pan from the heat. Turn the spaghetti into a warm serving bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve at once.
Spaghetti alla carbonara
This is a Roman dish that has become popular worldwide.
For 5–6
500g dried spaghetti
30g butter
150g streaky bacon or pancetta*, chopped
4 eggs
100g grated Parmesan, or half Parmesan and half Pecorino
salt and freshly ground pepper
Cook the spaghetti al dente and drain well. While it is cooking, heat the butter and fry the bacon until lightly coloured. Take the pan from the heat and keep warm. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and stir in three-quarters of the cheese. Season well with pepper and a little salt. Return the spaghetti to the pan (off the heat), add the egg and cheese mixture and toss to coat the spaghetti with the sauce. Add the bacon and the remaining cheese, toss once more and serve at once.
Spaghetti alla puttanesca
Whether this dish is named for the whores of Naples or Rome seems to be in dispute, but either way it is well-flavoured and easy.
For 5–6
6 tbs olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
¼ tsp chilli flakes
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
500g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano or ½ tsp dried
120g black olives, stoned and sliced
1 tbs capers
salt and freshly ground pepper
500g dried spaghetti
Put the oil in a pan with the garlic, chilli flakes and anchovies, and fry gently, stirring and mashing the anchovies to a paste. Add the tomatoes, oregano, olives and capers, season with pepper and taste to see whether salt is needed. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, partially covered, and meanwhile cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain thoroughly, turn into a warmed bowl and toss with the sauce.
Linguine with herbs
Only make this if you have good fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil. The texture of the herbs will be much better if you chop them by hand rather than in a food processor.
For 4–5
4 sprigs basil
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
3 sprigs marjoram
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig sage
100ml extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 shallot, peeled and chopped finely
3–4 tbs fresh breadcrumbs
600g fresh or 400g dried linguine
Discard the large stalks from the herbs and chop the leaves and small stalks. Infuse them with all but 30ml of the oil in a large serving bowl and season with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil and sauté the shallot and the breadcrumbs over moderately high heat until the breadcrumbs are crisp. Cook the linguine al dente and drain thoroughly. Toss the pasta in the oil and herb mixture, scatter over the shallot and breadcrumbs and serve.
Linguine with mussels
This is a Neapolitan dish which can also be made with clams.
For 5–6
1kg mussels
4 tbs white wine or water
3 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
350ml passata (p. 378, or bought)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
3 tbs chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
750g fresh or 500g dried linguine
Clean the mussels and remove the beards (p. 259), discarding any that are open or broken. Put them in a heavy pan with the wine or water, cover and steam over high heat, until the mussels open (discard any that don’t). Shake the pan occasionally. Scoop the mussels from the pan with a slotted spoon and remove the shells. Strain the cooking liquor through a fine sieve lined with muslin (p. 528) into a clean pan, then reduce by a third over high heat. Heat the oil in a heavy pan, lightly fry the garlic, stir in the passata, bay leaf, thyme, half the parsley and the mussel liquor, and season with salt and pepper. Partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Cook the linguine al dente and drain thoroughly. Just before the pasta is ready, add the mussels to the sauce and keep it over very low heat so they just warm through. Remove the thyme and bay leaf.
To serve, put the linguine into a warmed serving bowl, toss with the sauce and scatter over the remaining parsley.
Fettuccine with mushroom ragoût
For 5–6
750g fresh fettuccine
mushroom ragoût (p. 144)
Have the mushroom ragoût ready; if it seems a little dry, add 1–2 more tbs cream. Cook the fettuccine al dente, toss with the ragoût and serve.
Tagliatelle with leeks and walnuts
For 5–6
1kg leeks (to give about 600g cleaned)
3 tbs olive oil
1 red pepper, cut in small squares
salt and freshly ground pepper
100g walnuts, broken into small pieces
150ml single cream
600g fresh tagliatelle
Remove the outer layers, clean and slice the leeks thickly and cook them slowly in the oil in a covered pan for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally and if they start to stick add a little water. Add the red pepper and cook for another 10 minutes. Season well. There should be only a few tablespoons of liquid in the pan; if there is too much, leave off the lid and turn up the heat to reduce it. Add the nuts and the cream. Simmer until the cream has heated through, then keep warm on the side of the cooker or over a heat diffuser while cooking the tagliatelle al dente. Drain the pasta well, turn into a warmed bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve with grated Parmesan.
Tagliatelle with chicken livers
I have tried several chicken liver sauces for pasta, but the one I always come back to is this simple one with tomato and red pepper. Duck livers can also be used.
For 2
150g chicken livers
1 tbs olive oil
50g pancetta*, diced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped finely
1 small red pepper, cut in small squares
salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ tsp chilli flakes
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
250g fresh tagliatelle
Clean the livers, removing any green or stringy bits, and cut them in pieces. Heat the oil and lightly fry the pancetta until it starts to colour, then add the garlic and red pepper and cook over low heat for 6–8 minutes. Add the chicken livers, season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat. Cook the tagliatelle al dente and drain thoroughly. Turn the pasta into a warm dish, toss with the sauce and serve at once.
Riccioli with peas, watercress and prosciutto
This is a lovely dish to make in the summer with young fresh peas; at other times, frozen petits pois would be better than big peas. Use small pasta shapes or twirls; ribbons will not hold the sauce. The sauce is also good without the prosciutto if you prefer.
For 2
bunch watercress
1 tbs olive oil or 15g butter
2 slices prosciutto, cut in thin strips
2 spring onions, sliced finely
125g shelled peas (about 400g in the pod)
125ml crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground pepper
200g fresh pasta
Remove tough stalks, ageing leaves and whiskers from the watercress and chop the rest coarsely. Heat the oil or butter and lightly fry the prosciutto and spring onions for 2–3 minutes. Add the peas and 2 tbs water. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the watercress and cook 3–4 minutes longer. Stir in the crème fraîche, season and simmer very gently a few minutes more.
Cook the pasta al dente and drain well. Turn into a warm bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve at once. The dish will keep its fresh taste better without added Parmesan.
Farfalle with broad beans and asparagus
For 5–6
400g shelled small broad beans (about 1.8kg in the pod)
600g asparagus
500g farfalle
90ml olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
150g pancetta*, chopped
400g tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
salt and freshly ground pepper
basil leaves
3–4 tbs grated Pecorino
Boil the beans for 6–8 minutes, depending on their size, and drain. Trim the asparagus and parboil them in salted water for 2–5 minutes (depending on thickness). They should remain crisp. Drain, and cut into 2cm lengths. Put on the farfalle to cook al dente and drain thoroughly.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil and lightly fry the onion and pancetta.
Add the asparagus, beans and tomatoes. Taste for seasoning and simmer for 3–4 minutes until the tomatoes are lightly cooked. Turn the pasta into a warm bowl, toss with the sauce and top with torn basil leaves and Pecorino cheese.
Fusilli with ragù
For 4–5
400g fusilli
ragù (p. 379)
The quantity of ragù in the recipe is sufficient for this quantity of pasta. Cook the pasta al dente and serve tossed with the sauce.
Penne with courgettes and pesto
For 4–5
400g penne
400g courgettes, cut in batons
salt and freshly ground pepper
pesto (p. 366)
Cook the penne al dente and drain thoroughly. While they are cooking, cook the courgettes in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain them. They should remain crisp. Toss the pasta with the courgettes and pesto, season and serve with grated Parmesan.
Penne with four cheeses
This is a classic well-flavoured dish best made with a firm pasta such as penne, macaroni or rigatoni. Other cheeses can be used, but try to maintain a balance of sharp and mild flavours.
For 5–6
500g penne
80ml single cream
100g Fontina, cut in small cubes
100g mozzarella, cut in small cubes
100g Gorgonzola, cut in small cubes
100g grated Parmesan
freshly ground pepper
Ravioli filled with ricotta and walnuts
For 5–6
250g ricotta
100g grated Parmesan
1 egg yolk
100g walnuts, chopped fairly finely
salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ tsp cinnamon
fresh pasta, made with 200g flour and 2 eggs (p. 209) or an equivalent amount of bought fresh pasta
100ml extra virgin olive oil or quick Italian tomato sauce (p. 378)
handful of basil leaves
Soften the ricotta with a wooden spoon and add the Parmesan, egg yolk and walnuts. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon.
Make the pasta, keep most of it wrapped in clingfilm while rolling one piece. When it has been through the machine on the thinnest setting, put it on a lightly floured surface and cut it into rounds of about 6–7cm diameter (around the rim of a small cup, or with a pastry cutter) – it will make 60 rounds. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of one piece. With your finger or a pastry brush moisten the edges of the pasta and put another round over the top. Press the edges together to make sure they are sealed. Repeat with the remaining pasta and filling. Put the ravioli on a tray lined with silicone paper so they are not touching each other. They can be made up to 6 hours in advance of being cooked and kept in a cool, dry place.
If you are using olive oil, heat it; otherwise, have the tomato sauce ready and keep it warm.
To cook the ravioli, bring 4 litres of water to the boil, add salt and cook the ravioli. They will be ready when they rise to the surface and puff up a little, 5–8 minutes. Test the sealed edge of one to see that it is al dente. Drain carefully with a slotted spoon and transfer the ravioli to a warm serving platter. Spoon over the oil or tomato sauce, top with the basil leaves and serve hot.
Spinach and mushroom lasagne
For 6–8
25g dried porcini (p. 143)
4 tbs olive oil
500g fresh mushrooms, sliced
1kg spinach
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
400ml passata (p. 378, or bought)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp rubbed dry thyme (p. 517)
salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh pasta made with 400g flour and 4 eggs (p. 209), or an equivalent amount of bought fresh pasta
150ml double cream
30g grated Parmesan
Soak the dried porcini in 250ml warm water for 20 minutes. Heat 2 tbs oil and sauté the fresh mushrooms for 4–5 minutes and set them aside. Wash the spinach, removing any large stalks and blanch it for 1 minute in plenty of boiling water, refresh in cold water and squeeze dry. When ready, remove the porcini from the soaking liquid, which should be retained, and slice or chop them. Strain the liquid through a muslin-lined (p. 528) sieve.
To make the sauce, fry the shallots and garlic in the remaining oil. When they are lightly coloured, add the passata, the porcini and most of their reserved soaking liquid, and the herbs; season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes, partly covered. The sauce should be of a thick pouring consistency, so if necessary add more mushroom liquid. Remove the bay leaf before using the sauce.
Roll out the pasta as thinly as possible and cut into strips 12–15cm wide. Cook the strips, two or three at a time, in at least 4 litres of boiling salted water. They will only take 2–3 minutes and should be quite firmly al dente. Drop the sheets into a bowl of cold water, then drain on tea towels.
Heat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, gas 5. Lightly oil a rectangular ovenproof dish and smear a little of the tomato sauce over the bottom. Cover with a layer of pasta followed by a layer of mushrooms, another layer of pasta and a layer of sauce. Make another layer of pasta, spread the spinach over it and top with the remaining sauce. Make the top layer of pasta and cover this with the cream. Scatter over the Parmesan.
Bake the lasagne for about 30 minutes until the top is browned. Remove it from the oven and leave for 5 minutes before serving.
Fettuccine baked with crab and fennel
The flavours of fennel and crab complement each other well in this rich dish. Add a few fennel seeds if you like, to emphasize the clear fennel taste. Have the velouté sauce ready before you start on the dish.
For 4–5
2 shallots
2 fennel bulbs
2 tbs olive oil
juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp fennel seeds (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper
300g crab meat, flaked
a few drops of Tabasco sauce
2 tbs chopped parsley
½ quantity of velouté sauce (p. 372), made with fish or vegetable stock (p. 6, p. 4)
100ml crème fraîche or double cream
500g fresh fettuccine
Heat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6. Peel and chop the shallots; strip the outer layers from the fennel, cut the remainder in vertical slices and then in strips. Fry the shallots in the oil until just coloured. Add the fennel and fry for 2–3 minutes more, then pour over the lemon juice, season with fennel seeds, salt and pepper, cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the crab meat, Tabasco and parsley.
Combine the velouté sauce and cream and simmer for 2–3 minutes, then add to the fennel and crab. Cook the fettuccine until just al dente, drain thoroughly and add to the sauce. Butter a large gratin dish, turn the pasta mixture into it and bake for 15–20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Baked shells with chard and ricotta
For 4
400g pasta shells
200g chard leaves
300g ricotta
125ml crème fraîche
½ tsp ground cinnamon
salt and freshly ground pepper
20g butter
3 tbs grated Parmesan
Heat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, gas 5. Cook the pasta shells almost al dente and drain well. While they are cooking, blanch the chard in boiling water for 1 minute, refresh in cold water and squeeze dry. Put the chard in a food processor with the ricotta, crème fraîche and seasonings and purée. Mix the cooked shells with the chard purée and turn into a buttered gratin dish. Dot with the butter and sprinkle over the Parmesan. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and return to the oven to brown for 5 minutes.
Goat’s cheese macaroni
A new version of an old dish.
For 4
1 garlic clove, peeled
80ml single cream
250g goat’s cheese
350g macaroni
freshly ground pepper
3 tbs chopped parsley
1 tbs olive oil
Pound the garlic to a paste in a mortar, if necessary with a little salt, and stir it into the cream. Cut half the cheese into small cubes and add them to the cream. Cook the macaroni al dente and drain well. Toss it with the garlic and cheese cream, a good grinding of pepper and 2 tbs parsley. Heat the grill. Turn the macaroni into a shallow ovenproof dish, slice the remaining goat’s cheese and arrange it over the pasta. Grind over a little more pepper, sprinkle over the olive oil and grill, not too near to the heat source, for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and turning golden here and there. Scatter over the remaining parsley and serve at once.
Pastitsio
This Greek pasta dish is usually made with a meat sauce and a white sauce, rather like lasagne alla Bolognese. I find both of those dishes rather heavy and prefer this vegetable pastitsio based on a recipe in Anna Thomas’s Vegetarian Epicure.
For 8
3 tbs olive oil
50g butter
2 onions, peeled and chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 large aubergine, cut into small cubes
3 courgettes, cut into small cubes
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp chopped rosemary
½ tsp rubbed dried oregano (p. 517)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1kg tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 2x400g cans
2 tbs sun-dried tomato paste
100g cooked chick peas (p. 80)
500g penne
100g grated Parmesan
béchamel sauce made with:
40g butter
3 tbs flour
600ml milk
3 eggs
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy pan and fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, aubergine and courgettes, the cinnamon and herbs, salt and pepper and stir to mix. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and chick peas and simmer for another 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. The sauce should be thick, but if it is too thick or is sticking to the pan, add a little water.
Heat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6 and butter an ovenproof casserole or rectangular dish. Cook the penne until just al dente and drain well. Make a layer with half the penne in the dish, sprinkle with a third of the Parmesan and cover with half the vegetable sauce. Repeat the layers. You can make the dish to this point if you wish and refrigerate it until later.
Make the béchamel as on p. 370. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and pour the béchamel over them, whisking all the time. Pour this sauce over the pastitsio. It should drain all the way through to the bottom; if necessary, make a few slits with a knife to allow it to dribble through. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Cover the dish and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the cover for the last 10 minutes to brown the top. Serve hot.
Asian noodles
Types of noodles and cooking methods
Asian rice noodles
Rice noodles, rice sticks and rice vermicelli are used in southern China and throughout south-east Asia; most are available dried, and a few fresh, from oriental shops. They can be boiled in unsalted water or deep-fried.
Fresh rice noodles are briefly soaked in hot water and then boiled in a large quantity of unsalted water for 1–2 minutes. Dried rice noodles are soaked in warm or hot water for up to 15 minutes so that they soften, and then rinsed in cold water. Vermicelli can then be deep-fried, stir-fried or added to soups straightaway. Thicker noodles are cooked for 2–6 minutes and thoroughly rinsed in cold water. They should remain al dente.
Chinese wheat noodles
Noodles from the north of China are usually made with wheat flour and egg, and can be bought fresh or dried from oriental shops. Fresh noodles are rinsed in warm water for 3–4 minutes and then boiled as Italian pasta in 4 litres of boiling water – do not add salt. Fresh noodles cook quickly, and can be ready in 1–4 minutes, depending on their thickness; dried noodles take a little longer, about 4 minutes for thin noodles to 10 minutes for thick ones. Taste before the recommended cooking time is reached and do not overcook. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain again thoroughly to get rid of starch. They can now either be used immediately or left to be eaten cold. If they are to be kept for some time, put the well-drained noodles into a bowl and toss with 1 tbs oriental sesame oil to coat the strands and keep them separate. To reheat noodles, dip them briefly into a pan of boiling water or pour boiling water over them in a colander.
Japanese noodles
Noodles are Japanese fast food. Every village has its noodle shops and their dishes have been introduced to Britain in recent years by chains of noodle restaurants, providing nourishing, quick and inexpensive food. In the south of Japan, wheat flour noodles, called udon, are most widely used; they are either ribbon-like or round. Somen are fine wheat noodles used in soups. Ramen are similar to Chinese wheat noodles. Soba noodles, made with buckwheat flour, are popular in Tokyo and the northern part of the country; Korea, too, has buckwheat noodles. Buckwheat noodles are brown-grey in colour and firm textured.
The Japanese have a different method for cooking their noodles: they keep adding cold water to the pan and bringing it back to the boil. Add noodles gradually to 4 litres of boiling water so that the water stays at the boil and stir to prevent them sticking to the pan. When the water returns to a rolling boil add a little cold water and bring back to the boil again. Repeat this process a few times, depending on the type of noodle being cooked. Dried soba (buckwheat) noodles usually need 3 additions of water and can be left to soak for 8–10 minutes after the last boiling. Udon (wheat) noodles need 3–4 additions and are then left to soak for about 15 minutes. Somen (wheat) noodles cook very quickly; after one addition of water they are likely to be ready when the water returns to the boil. Taste the noodles frequently to check progress.
If you find this process too much hassle, Japanese noodles can be cooked in the way described above for Chinese wheat noodles.
Whichever cooking method you use, once the noodles are al dente, drain them and rinse well to rid them of starch. They can be reheated by dipping in boiling water.
Cellophane or beanthread noodles
Noodles made from vegetable starch, usually mung bean starch, are soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften them. Drained and added to other dishes, they soak up flavours and can be braised for up to 20 minutes without losing their texture. Alternatively, they can be quickly deep-fried so that they puff up and become crunchy. Noodles to be served separately may need cooking for 1–5 minutes. Cellophane noodles turn transparent when they are ready.
Quantities
120–150g fresh or 80–100g dried wheat, buckwheat or rice noodles would serve as individual helpings. For cellophane (beanthread) noodles, allow 50–70g per serving for a main course. If the noodles are to be added to a soup or another dish, 20–30g per person should be enough.
Singapore noodles
Singapore has a great variety of noodle dishes that draw on the food traditions of the Chinese, Malay and Indonesian inhabitants. This is a Malay dish of fried rice vermicelli, prawns and pork or chicken.
For 4
300g dried rice vermicelli
4 red chillies, seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
4 shallots, peeled and chopped
4 tbs sunflower oil
200g pork fillet, cut in very thin strips
3 tbs light soy sauce
200g small cooked prawns, shelled weight
200g bean sprouts, tails trimmed off
150ml water
salt to taste
Soak the rice vermicelli in warm water until soft, about 15–20 minutes, then drain them and set aside. Pound the chillies, garlic and shallots to a paste in a food processor, or by using a pestle and mortar. Heat a wok or frying pan and when it is hot, add the oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides. Cook the chilli paste until lightly coloured; do not let it get too dark or it will taste burnt. Add the pork and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and toss for 1 minute, then put in the prawns and the bean sprouts, toss briefly and add the noodles. Toss to coat them with the oil and paste, then add the water and salt. Toss until everything is well mixed. Serve at once.
Thai crisp noodles (Mee krob)
This is a spectacular dish of rice vermicelli puffed up by deep-frying and then stir-fried with pork, chicken, prawns and egg.
For 5–6
200g dried rice vermicelli
oil for deep-frying
2 tbs lime juice
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs fish sauce (p. 520)
2 tsp grated unwaxed lime rind
2 tbs dark brown sugar
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2–4 red chillies, seeded and sliced finely
200g pork fillet, cut into thin strips
1 large chicken breast, skinned, boned and cut into thin strips
100g small prawns, cooked or raw
4 eggs, beaten
100g bean sprouts, tails trimmed
2 spring onions, sliced finely
3 tbs chopped coriander leaves
The vermicelli need to be separated into handfuls before frying. The easiest way to do this is in a large plastic bag, otherwise they fly all over the kitchen. In a wide heavy pan or wok heat 5–6cm oil. The oil must be very hot, or the noodles will be tough. When a strand of vermicelli puffs up instantly when dropped into the oil, it is hot enough. Fry the noodles a handful at a time. As they puff up, turn them over, pushing the noodle ‘cake’ into the oil. It will take only 30–40 seconds for the noodles to become crisp and pale golden. Drain on paper towels and repeat the frying with the remaining batches. Pour off all but about 3 tbs oil from the pan.
Combine the lime juice, vinegar, soy and fish sauces, grated rind and sugar, then set aside.
In the oil remaining in the pan, stir-fry the onion, garlic and chilli until softened, then add the pork and brown it lightly. Add the chicken and continue to stir-fry for 3–4 minutes. Lower the heat, add the prawns and the lime juice mixture. Toss and stir for another minute or until the prawns, if raw, turn pink.
Make a hole in the middle of the ingredients and pour in the eggs. Turn up the heat a little to set them lightly, then stir to distribute them. Add the bean sprouts and fried noodles, a batch at a time, tossing to coat them lightly with the sauce. The noodles are very brittle, take care they don’t break up too much. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with the spring onion and coriander.
Variation
• For a vegetarian version, replace the pork, chicken and prawns by 200g tofu cut in cubes and deep-fried and 150g sliced fresh shiitake or oyster mushrooms. You can omit the fish sauce too.
Laksa
This is another Malay dish that has started to appear on menus in Britain in recent years. Laksa has wonderfully clean fresh flavours backed up by a spicy bite. It is always served very hot. Thick rice noodles, spices, coconut milk, chicken or seafood are the main ingredients, and there are dozens of regional variations of this popular dish throughout Malaysia and Singapore. Seafood versions invariably use prawns and often ready-prepared fish balls or fish cakes. They can be bought from Chinese shops (use 2 fish cakes, sliced, or 16–20 fish balls), or you can use fish fillet as I have done here.
Candlenuts are hard, oily nuts that taste slightly bitter. They are used as a thickening agent in Indonesian and Malay cooking; macadamia nuts can be substituted.
For 6–8
3 stalks lemon grass*
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4cm ginger, peeled, or galangal*, chopped coarsely
2–3 red chillies, seeded
½ tsp turmeric
8 shallots, peeled and sliced
2cm slice dried shrimp paste (p. 513)
5 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
500g dried thick rice noodles
300g bean sprouts, tails trimmed
3 tbs sunflower oil
800ml fish or vegetable stock (p. 6, p. 4)
800ml coconut milk
500g white fish fillet cut into 3cm pieces
400g cooked small prawns
salt
juice of 1 lime
3 spring onions, sliced finely
½ cucumber, seeded and cut in strips
mint leaves
Discard the outer layer of the lemon grass and, using the bottom third only, slice it finely. Purée the first 8 ingredients to a coarse paste in a food processor or using a pestle and mortar. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, put in the noodles, bring it back to the boil and cook for about 6 minutes until they are tender. Drain, rinse thoroughly in cold water. Blanch the bean sprouts for 1 minute, drain and rinse – it helps keep them crisp.
Heat a large pan or wok, add oil, swirling it to coat the base and sides. Add the spice paste and fry, stirring briskly, until the paste is fragrant and the oil separates from the solids. Add the stock and bring to the boil, stirring to blend it with the paste. Lower the heat, add the coconut milk and simmer for 2–3 minutes, then add the fish and simmer until the fish is almost done. Add the prawns. Stir in salt to taste and the lime juice.
Serve laksa in deep bowls. Put a helping of noodles in the bottom, topped with bean sprouts and pour over some of the broth and seafood. Garnish with spring onion, cucumber and mint.
Noodles with broccoli and beef
This Thai dish is quick and easy. Pork or chicken can replace the beef.
For 4
300g egg noodles
250g lean beef, cut in thin strips
200ml meat or vegetable stock (p. 5, p. 4)
2 tbs sunflower oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
250g broccoli cut into small pieces
2 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs oyster sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper
Cook the noodles until just tender in plenty of boiling water. Drain and rinse them under cold water. Simmer the beef in the stock until lightly cooked. Heat a wok and when it is hot, put in the oil and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Fry the garlic until golden, add the broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the noodles and toss for 2 minutes, then add the beef and its stock. Let it come to the boil, put in the fish sauce and oyster sauce, season and serve with rice.
Vegetable chow mein
Chow mein means stir-fried noodles, and the dish can be made with meat or seafood, or with vegetables as here. Dried Chinese shiitake mushrooms, sometimes sold as black mushrooms, are available from oriental shops and some supermarkets.
For 4
6 dried Chinese shiitake mushrooms
250g dried egg noodles
2 tbs sunflower oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3cm ginger, peeled and chopped finely
4 spring onions, sliced finely, diagonally
60g bamboo shoots, cut in thin strips
60g celery, sliced finely, diagonally
60g carrots, peeled and cut in thin strips
6 water chestnuts, sliced thinly
2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs mirin* or sherry
80g bean sprouts, tails trimmed
Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes, drain them, discard the stalks and cut the caps in thin slices. Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water until tender, then drain and rinse them with cold water.
Heat a wok and add the oil, swirling it to coat the bottom and sides. Fry the garlic and ginger for 20 seconds, add all the vegetables and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes. Add the well-drained noodles, soy sauce and mirin, toss and stir for 2 minutes until they are heated through and the vegetables and noodles are well mixed. Stir in the bean sprouts, toss once more and turn into a warm serving dish.
Noodles with chicken
This is a simple Japanese dish which can be made with soba (buckwheat) or udon (wheat) noodles. Japanese noodle broth is based on dashi, a stock made with dried bonito flakes and kelp (konbu). You can buy dashi powder or granules in oriental shops which will give a reasonable stock, although not as good as the real thing. Alternatively use a well-flavoured chicken stock. Seven spice powder (shichimi togarashi) is a popular Japanese spice mixture used both in cooking and as a table condiment to flavour soups, noodles and grilled meats. It is available from Japanese shops and some supermarkets.
For 4
350g dried soba or udon noodles
350g chicken breast, skinned and boned
1 litre dashi or chicken stock (p. 4)
2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs dark soy sauce
2 tbs mirin* or sherry
6 spring onions
seven spice powder
Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water until tender, drain and rinse in cold water. Fill the pan with water again and put it to boil. Cut the chicken into small pieces. Put the dashi or chicken stock, soy sauces and mirin into another pan and bring to the boil. Add the chicken pieces and simmer gently until cooked, about 8 minutes. Split the spring onions lengthways and cut across into 4cm lengths. Add the onions to the pan and simmer 1 minute more. Remove from the heat.
Reheat the noodles by immersing them in boiling water until just hot. Drain, and divide them among 4 large warmed bowls. Ladle over the stock and arrange the chicken and onions on top. Sprinkle over seven spice powder and serve.
Ramen noodles with vegetables
Ramen are the Japanese equivalent of Chinese egg noodles (which can be used as a substitute). The vegetables can be varied according to what is in season.
For 4
300g dried ramen noodles
1 litre vegetable stock (p. 4)
2 small leeks, quartered lengthways and cut into short lengths
2 courgettes, cut in thin strips
250g mange-tout, trimmed
4 oyster mushrooms, sliced thinly
200g baby spinach
3 spring onions, sliced finely diagonally
Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water until tender, drain and rinse in cold water. Heat the stock and simmer the vegetables until softened: start with the leeks, courgettes and mange-tout, add the mushrooms after 3–4 minutes and the spinach 2–3 minutes later. They will then need only 1 minute more. Scoop out the vegetables, bring the stock back to the boil and add the noodles. Let them heat through for 1 minute, then put the noodles into 4 deep warmed bowls, ladle over the broth, arrange the vegetables on top and scatter over the spring onion.
Variation
• Instead of cooking the vegetables in stock, stir-fry them in 2 tbs oil, adding them to the wok or pan in the order given, and finish with 1 tbs light soy sauce. Serve as in the main recipe.