Pumpkin and Spinach pasta Rotolo

  I watched Jamie Oliver make this a week or so ago. I love his new TV programme, 'Saving with Jamie', in fact I have always liked his casual style of cooking and have quite a few of his recipe books in my library. I have never considered myself a 'fancy' cook, I am more aligned to his style of cooking than Julia Childs!
  His new 'cooking demo place' is in an old rustic looking warehouse type building. You see the odd train sliding past.... And so I find myself checking out the 'bibs and bobs' hanging around in the background - and lose touch with whats going on in his demo, thank goodness for the rewind button!
  This recipe is my kind of dish. Easy to make, using inexpensive ingredients, and very impressive looking to plonk on the table for the family.
  I made it exactly to his specifications, but just added a little water to the tomato sauce the rotolo sat in. Quite rightly I thought it might dry out if the sauce did not come up more than half way.
  I also roasted the pumpkin in  big chunks, so much easier to handle for your filling.
  While aimed at vegetarians, I'm sure you could easily adapt the ingredients to include a bolognaise sauce in the 'roll ups'.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/squash-spinach-pasta-rotolo
   At Jamie's suggestion, I used frozen spinach ( a first for me ) and at about $5.00 a packet it seemed an easier and quicker way to use spinach. Saves all that washing and 'destalking'. I will have it on hand in my freezer from now on.
This dish is easy to reheat the next day too.

I added a little more water and sauce, to come up two thirds of the pasta 'roll ups'

The fried sage on top is an especially nice touch, I love the stuff!

Chicken Tomato Pasta Bake with my glass of wine

I know you can buy a jar to make this dish but for me the best food is what you make yourself from scratch, there is no comparison with the final product. Yes, I am known to use the odd tin of something in my cooking but I prefer to make most of my meals from what I have in my garden, cupboard and/or fridge!
Last week this dish came about at the end of a very busy day when I hadn't organised anything for dinner (not like me at all), I was really hungry and felt like something really nice and tasty to go with the wine we had opened. I lined up everything and this is what resulted. Most homes can have these ingredients in their kitchen and it is easily put together within about 20 minutes. I am sure the little ones will love it too. The recipe made enough for 4-5 adult meals but it can easily be adjusted to feed a smaller or larger crowd.
 Chicken Tomato Pasta Bake
 2 - 3 chicken fillets - sliced to chunks
about 2 -3 cups of wholemeal spiral pasta - cooked to just under al dente and well drained
1 large onion - finely diced

I prefer this pasta to plain

2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1-2 tbsp tomato paste
1 - 3 carrots - grated
1 big handful of fresh oregano - chopped
olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the pasta to instructions, drain and put aside.




Heat a small amount of oil in a fry pan, brown the chicken in batches and place in a large casserole dish.

adjust the sauce quantity with the amount of pasta and chicken

Add the chopped onion to the pan, fry until transparent, add the rest of the sauce ingredients and gently cook for about 5-10 minutes.
Add to the chicken and mix together in casserole dish. Add the cooked pasta and stir to blend all together.
Sprinkle some grated cheese on top and bake uncovered in a moderate oven (about 180 degrees Celcius) until top is brown and chicken is cooked. Serve with a big salad

.

the wine was perfect with the dish!

creations from my fridge

I always feel very proud of myself when taking whatever is in the cupboards and making a fabulous meal. My mother was really good at it,I have many happy memories of her creations with left overs! Today it was a pasta and vege fritatta for lunch, not your usual one but one made from spiral pasta, silver beet, spinach, onion, bits of bacon, zuchinni and fresh eggs we have collected from looking after the neighbours chooks. It was baked in a cake tin and if I say so myself absolutely delicious sliced neatly onto a plate decorated with a roasted tomato and fresh basil (said neighbour left for me!) To be fair I had to adjust a recipe I had on file (I didn't have all the ingredients), but it was so yummy and healthy I have created a new recipe.

Pasta and Vegetable Bake

¾ cup of spiral pasta

2 tsp olive oil

4 slices bacon (you could use ham – but don’t fry it)

1 medium onion

1 medium zucchini

2 cups rinsed silverbeet (stalks removed) and/or spinach

½ cup frozen or canned corn

1/3 c grated parmesan cheese (I use a Microplane zester/grater, if haven’t got one buy one!)

4 medium eggs

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced. Spray a square cake tin (I used a round one) with oil. If you only have a spring-form one make sure there is tinfoil on the rack – it will leak all over your oven! You could also line the sides and base with baking paper.

Cook the pasta in salted water until just tender, drain

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the bacon and cook stirring for 5 mins, remove and drain on paper towel, set to one side. Add the onion to the same pan, cook 3-5 minutes until soft, stirring so it does not burn, add the zucchini and cook for 3 minutes, add the corn (if frozen) spinach/silver beet and cook until wilted. Place all the vegetables into a bowl with the pasta and parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Spoon into the greased cake tin. Lightly beat the eggs in the bowl, add the cooked bacon, season with salt and pepper and pour the mixture over the pasta mixture. Bake about 30 minutes or until set and golden. Serve the frittata cut into squares.

I put the bacon into the eggs as it sits on top and forms more of a crispy layer to the frittata.

creations from my fridge

I always feel very proud of myself when taking whatever is in the cupboards and making a fabulous meal. My mother was really good at it,I have many happy memories of her creations with left overs! Today it was a pasta and vege fritatta for lunch, not your usual one but one made from spiral pasta, silver beet, spinach, onion, bits of bacon, zuchinni and fresh eggs we have collected from looking after the neighbours chooks. It was baked in a cake tin and if I say so myself absolutely delicious sliced neatly onto a plate decorated with a roasted tomato and fresh basil (said neighbour left for me!) To be fair I had to adjust a recipe I had on file (I didn't have all the ingredients), but it was so yummy and healthy I have created a new recipe.

Pasta and Vegetable Bake

¾ cup of spiral pasta

2 tsp olive oil

4 slices bacon (you could use ham – but don’t fry it)

1 medium onion

1 medium zucchini

2 cups rinsed silverbeet (stalks removed) and/or spinach

½ cup frozen or canned corn

1/3 c grated parmesan cheese (I use a Microplane zester/grater, if haven’t got one buy one!)

4 medium eggs

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced. Spray a square cake tin (I used a round one) with oil. If you only have a spring-form one make sure there is tinfoil on the rack – it will leak all over your oven! You could also line the sides and base with baking paper.

Cook the pasta in salted water until just tender, drain

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the bacon and cook stirring for 5 mins, remove and drain on paper towel, set to one side. Add the onion to the same pan, cook 3-5 minutes until soft, stirring so it does not burn, add the zucchini and cook for 3 minutes, add the corn (if frozen) spinach/silver beet and cook until wilted. Place all the vegetables into a bowl with the pasta and parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Spoon into the greased cake tin. Lightly beat the eggs in the bowl, add the cooked bacon, season with salt and pepper and pour the mixture over the pasta mixture. Bake about 30 minutes or until set and golden. Serve the frittata cut into squares.

I put the bacon into the eggs as it sits on top and forms more of a crispy layer to the frittata.