It is Friday again and I have received a bumper number of entries for this  week’s PPN.    Happily for those of us in the Northern hemisphere there are some salads and for those in the depths of winter a pasta bake or two!

In order of receipt!

Margaret from Tea and Scones made Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic and White Beans.

Nupur from One Hot Stove has avoided her stove being too hot by making a raw sauce or salsa curda for her pasta.  Delicious and super healthy.

Liz at Cooking the Vegan Books, also used white beans, this time with courgettes and homemade vegan feta.

Val from More than Burnt Toast has a glut of courgettes so used some up in her Rigatoni with Zucchini Pistou.

More courgettes, from Abby of Eat the Right Stuff.  This time they are paired with parma ham & tagliatelle.

Sarah from What Smells so Good? Sent summery low fat cacio pepe – lemon pasta with brocolli.

Mary the Food Floozie made a salad for a sweltering summer’s day with noodles beef and lots of bits and pieces from her kitchen with a delicious end result.

Deb who has a Hawaiian beach kitchen (Kahakai Kitchen) made a chicken piccata pasta salad.  Perfect for the beach!

Girlichef Heather made a Mark Bittman recipe of pasta with bacon which she believes to be the perfect pairing.

More courgettes from Joanne, who Eats Well With Others  and made Linguine with Zucchini, Capers, Pinenuts, Lemon and Herbs.  Impressively she made the pasta from scratch and as usual wrote a fantastic post with it.

Sabiha from Cooking Escapades and Delights made a delicious looking Baked Schiaffoni stuffed with herbed vegetables.

Apu of Annarasa: Essence of Food sent me a quick macaroni with black olives and pinenuts, which is perfect either hot or cold.

Photo to come!

Once Upon a Feast’s Ruth is suffering from the heat wave but sent a maple smoked salmon pasta salad. Maple smoked salmon sounds divine Ruth!

More courgettes and tales of renovation of her French house from Katie at Thyme for Cooking who made a warm courgette pasta salad with peanut and ginger dressing.

Jeanne at Cook Sister was sent a hamper of smoked salmon to review (I am somewhat jealous!) made a beautifully summery Smoked Salmon and Pea Pasta with it.

Pam at Sidewalk Shoes sent the second bacon pasta of the week – Pasta all’Amatriciana.

More bacon and another salad from Kait at Plots and Pots – Tomato, Bacon, Bean & Pasta Salad.

Johanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe had a sick child at home and so needed fortifying food so made a bake of spaghetti, pumpkin ricotta and facon. I like that the recipe was inspired by a London blogger and is has come back to a London blog for the round up!

Lastly the 3rd London recipe of the week and more courgettes, Niamh at  Eat Like a Girl made Courgette and Truffle Carbonara and gave me the welcome news that good pasta cooked al dente is in fact low GI!

I have failed to get an entry in, but I did have a pasta night this week where a lucky  group of UK food bloggers were  cooked for by Gennaro Contaldo!  Gennaro has been working with Bertolli to produce a new range of pasta sauces.    There is a full write up coming, but these sauces are amazing, I really cannot believe that they came from a jar – amazingly the jarred sauce tasted every bit as good as the sauce cooked from scratch.  They are perfect for having on hand for when it is too hot or too late or you are too tired to cook.

Next week’s host is Pam at Sidewalk Shoes – the full hosting list is here look forward to seeing the round up next week! Thanks for taking part in PPN # 171.

It has been some months since I lasted hosted Presto Pasta Nights and I am delighted to be hosting PPN #171 next Friday 9th July.  If you have not had your friday supper yet, this friday’s round up, hosted by the event’s founder Ruth at Once Upon a Feast should give you lots of ideas.

Just cook some pasta (or noodles), write a post, mention Presto Pasta Nights and Fuss Free Flavours (with links), and e-mail the link to your post to me (helen (at) fussfreeflavours (dot) com) and copy (ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com).

I know Ruth is looking for some hosts for late summer, so do get in touch with her if you are interested.   I look forward to seeing your pasta recipes this week.

Sometimes the most simple dishes can be the most delicious.   This simple pasta contains only 4 ingredients which come together to make a delicious whole.    It is also fantastic cold, but I think that I would use broccoli in place of the pak choy. ( Whilst writing this up I discovered that pak choy and bok choi are different names for the same thing it is also know as Peking cabbage).

I have been putting soy sauce with my pasta for years; as a child I remember that my mother would make risotto with long grain rice*, which she would serve with  grated cheddar cheese and soy sauce.      Even now if I make an underwhelming risotto my first instinct is to reach for the soy sauce or tamari.

The spelt pasta, soy sauce and olive oil used were all review samples from Clearsping  given to me at the Allergy and Gluten Free show.    I love the semi whole spelt pasta, it has a subtle nutty flavour and because it is made using traditional bronze moulds has a rough texture that the sauce clings to.  I tried some cold at the show and it would be great in salads and for packed lunches.   The tamari is wheat free and double strength and intensely delicious.     The extra virgin olive oil was also delicious, fruity and peppery without being too strong.   All Clearspring  products are vegan and  GMO free and the majority are fully organic.   The company has a commitment to ethical trade and supports sustainable farming practices that help local communities.

I am sending this to  for this Friday’s Presto Pasta Night hosted by The Sweet Kitchen unbelievably this week it is PPN number 168!

* Risotto rice was not to be found easily or cheaply in the UK in the 1970s.  I also remember that one of my Uncles and Aunts used to go to Paxos every year bringing back cans of olive oil which were given as Christmas presents, the contents of which we carefully rationed to last the entire year.   I can still picture the golden can printed in green, black and white with its precious contents within.   Similarly to the risotto rice, olive oil was not readily available and most likely to be found in a pharmacy.

Asian Pasta with Pak Choy (serves 2)

Pasta for 2 – I use about 3oz / 75 g each
Good glug olive oil
Good glug soy sauce or tamari
1 head pak choy

Start cooking the pasta.   Whilst it is boiling roughly chop the pak choy and place in a sieve.    Pour a kettle of boiling water over it to wilt it.    When pasta is done, drain and return to the pan with the pak choy and olive oil.   Add the soy sauce / tamari to taste.   I sprinkled some chilli flake on mine.

This week Ruth’s Presto Pasta Nights is hosted by Katie at Thyme for Cooking. Ever since I made  my five greens pasta last week I have become mildly obsessed with greens and my fridge is bursting at the seams with them.

My submission this week is a frittata; using pasta in place of the more traditional potatoes, with purple sprouting broccoli, spring greens and soft goat’s cheese.  I used fusilli in my frittata.  Liking alliteration I really wanted to make the Fuss Free Flavour’s Fusilli & Farfalle Frittata, which I imagine would be interesting to try and say after a few glasses of wine!

The amounts are a guideline only – just use whatever ingredients you have;  my 6 egg mix filled my 8″ frying pan.   Remember to use a pan with a heat proof handle as it will be going under the grill.    This was delicious freshly cooked and warm, but unlike a potato based frittata not so good cold the next day.

Greens, Goat’s Cheese and Pasta Frittata (serves 4)

3oz / 75g Pasta (I used fusilli)
6 Free Range Eggs
Handful of spring greens and purple sprouting broccoli
3 – 4 oz / 75 – 100g soft goat’s cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Put the pasta on to cook.   Meanwhile prepare the greens by shredding the leaves and cutting the broccoli stalks lengthwise.    Place in a colander and rinse, then wilt by pouring a kettle of boiling water over them.    Crack the eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk, add pepper and salt to taste.    When the pasta is cooked drain, cool by rinsing in water, return to the saucepan and add a little oil and stir well (this prevents it sticking together).   Add the pasta, greens (reserving some broccoli stalks), 2/3 of the cheese to the eggs and stir well.

Warm a frying pan,  add a glug of olive oil,  pour in the egg mixture and cook slowly over a low heat without stirring.   Arrange the remaining broccoli and goat’s cheese on top of the egg mix.     Leave to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until the eggs start to solidify.   Finish cooking under the grill.    When cooked the fritatta will have puffed up and have started to brown.

Leave to set for a few minutes and then carefully slide onto a plate.    Serve warm.

Ever since Kathryn wrote about her Greens with Tahini I have been craving some greens  (as well as being jealous of the greens she has been getting in her veggie box).

On Sunday a friend and I went to Osterley Park and had a picnic, long walk and enjoyed the sun.  It really was surprisingly warm for mid April.    Osterley is situated on the Heathrow approach path anddue to the volcanic ash cloud it was very very odd indeed not to hear any planes.    I have woken up early the last few days because there is no noise and its absence does feel quite strange, even though I live far enough East of Heathrow not to be disturbed by the planes.    My first flat in London was above the circle line and the only time I ever really noticed the tubes was by their absence on strike days.

However there is a farm shop at Osterley which had a vast array of greens and more types of cabbages that I have ever seen.  I bought a beautiful purple tinged January King cabbage along with a pointed hispi, large bags of purple sprouting broccoli and spring greens and 3 leeks for £4.40.   I was utterly delighted with my greens and was keen to get home and cook them.

This is also my submission for Ruth’s ever popular Presto Pasta Night #160 hosted by Cynthia from The Kitchen Slave.

5 Greens Pasta Inspired by Kathryn Elliott

2 large handfuls of mixed shredded greens per person.   I used a mix of:
January King Cabbage
Hispi Cabbage
Spring Greens
Purple sprouting broccoli
Spinach

Good glug olive oil
Smaller glug sesame oil
1 heaped tsp tahini
1 clove garlic – finely chopped
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs soy sauce

However much pasta you usually eat.

Mixed seeds to serve

Start cooking the pasta, once it is cooking wash all your shredded greens well, pour a kettle of boiling water over them to wilt them.   Put both oils, tahini and garlic in a large frying pan or wok and gently cook the garlic.  When the pasta is about 1 minute off being done turn the heat under the wok right up and add the greens and cook for about a minute.    Drain the pasta and add it to the wok along with the soy sauce and lemon juice.   Sprinkle the seeds over and add salt and pepper to taste.

This was so so good and impossibly healthy too.

We rarely eat meat and animal products these days, my body seems to work better on a near vegan diet, on the occasions that we do eat meat and diary I prefer to eat organic, free range products and know exactly where they have come from.    Consequently I was somewhat taken aback by an odd craving that took me a while to identify as being for chicken livers.

Like much offal chicken livers are relatively cheap, full of flavour and vitamins and minerals, the bad news is that they are high in cholesterol, but I reckon that we had about 50g each of liver, and our diets are cholesterol free for the majority of the time.

I slowly cooked the livers in a tomato sauce with mushrooms, balsamic vinegar adds some depth and the knob of butter makes the sauce far smoother, it does need a long cook, after half an hour the flavours suddenly gel and work together   This is my submission for Ruth’s Presto Pasta Nights hosted this week by Graziana of Erbe in Cucina.

Pasta with Chicken Liver, Tomato & Mushroom Sauce (Serves 4)

2 small onions  – finely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
8oz / 200g Chicken livers (please buy free range) – roughly chopped
4oz / 100g mushrooms (sliced)
1x 12oz  tin plum tomatos
1 Espresso cup white wine or white vermouth
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs fresh oregano  – roughly chopped
1/2 oz butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Finely chop the onions and fry in the olive oil with a pinch of salt until translucent and turning golden.   Add the garlic, chicken livers (I cut them into 1 – 2 cm pieces using scissors) and mushrooms, fry for several minutes.   Add all the other ingredients, stir and allow to simmer with the lid ajar for at least 40 minutes.

Serve with the pasta of your choice.

Notes: The longer this cooks the better it will be, next time I make it I am going to use passata rather than the tinned tomatos and cook it for several hours in the slow cooker.

I am not sure what it is called, or where I found the recipe originally, it is basically a tomatoless Puttenesca – or “Whore’s Style” a dish that originated in Naples.

I adore anchovies and always have a jar of them in the fridge. I enjoy their robust salty strong flavour and they are useful in a number of dishes. The wonderful thing about anchovies is that if you fry them in some good olive oil over a low heat they magically melt into a lovely paste that will coat pasta or stir into a sauce. Add some other flavours and you have a sublime but very simple base of a dish.

Anchovy, Chilli and Caper Pasta

For one person:

“Melt” a few (or if you are me rather more) anchovy fillets in good olive oil in a small frying pan, keep the pan on a low heat, I use my smallest gas burner on the lowest heat and also use the diffuser. Nudge the anchovies with a wooden spoon and move them around, they will soon start to disintegrate and melt into the oil, this takes some minutes. Meanwhile boil the kettle and put the pasta on to boil.

When the anchovies are melted add capers, chopped chillis (I used very lazy), garlic (again very lazy) and a snipped up pickled green chilli, and stir in to make the sauce.

For variation here you can add tinned tuna, sweetcorn, olives, preserved lemons, white wine. My secret food shame is that I sometimes used chopped up and fried hot dog sausages in place of the anchovies. I know that frankfurters are not meant to be nice, but I do rather like them from time to time……

When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into the pan with the anchovy, chilli, caper etc mixture in, quickly stir, sprinkle with Parmesan (I grate loads at once and freeze in a large Tupperware box), chilli flakes and S&P; to taste.

Simple food but so so good and the perfect quick Saturday lunch.

Other recipes with capers include
Asparagus & Tofu Salad with Charred Caper & Mustard Dressing
Pepper & Caper Salad