Ultimate comfort food - three easy pastas
Pasta is a classic comfort food. A perfect way to feel full and warm after a cold day in Lincoln. These recipes are all super tasty and easy to make and because they use similar ingredients it means you only have to brave the cold to go to the shops once! They are all vegetarian and also vegan if you use dairy free cheese, or omit the cheese from the recipe.
Easy Tomato and Spinach Tagliatelle
This pasta dish is quick and easy. It can be made with as little as 4 ingredients but it’s easy to add extra salad or vegetables you might have lurking in the bottom of your fridge. The dish is tastier when made with fresh tagliatelle (which can be bought from most supermarkets) however, fresh tagliatelle does contain eggs so if you are following a vegan diet you will need to substitute this for the dried kind, also available from most supermarkets. This pasta works well with feta cheese (vegan Greek style cheese is available on order at Green’s wholefoods or in Sainsburys) and also black olives but you can omit these ingredients or change them for something more suited to your taste.
Serves one:
1-2 Handfuls of tagliatelle
1 Handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 Handfuls of spinach
5 Black olives sliced (optional)
30g Feta cheese, cut into small chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Follow the instructions on the pasta packet, the fresh kind will cook quicker. Drain the pasta and place back into the pan on a medium heat. Quickly stir in the olive oil, tomatoes and spinach. Keep stirring until all the spinach has wilted then add the cheese. Cook until the cheese is just starting to melt slightly then take off the heat and add the olives. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Garlic, chilli and broccoli pasta
The trick to this pasta is the twice cooked broccoli, it gives the dish a slightly creamy texture without adding any extra calories. The garlic is also good for fighting off those winter colds. We’ve used whole-wheat pasta because it’s higher in protein and provides B vitamins, but any pasta will work just as well. We’ve also used Greek style vegan cheese but you don’t need to add cheese or you can choose pretty much any kind you have in your fridge.
Serves one:
1 ½ Handfuls of pasta
1-2 Handfuls of broccoli florets
1 clove of garlic, very finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 Tomato chopped
1 tsp of chilli flakes (you could use chopped fresh chilli or add less if you’re not a fan of spice)
30g Cheese, cut into chunks (optional)
5 Black olives, sliced (optional)
Follow the instructions on the pasta packet to cook the pasta. At the same time place your broccoli in slightly salted boiling water for around 7 minutes. Drain the broccoli and set aside. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic. Add the broccoli and the chilli. Fry for a few minutes until the garlic has browned and the broccoli is starting to break up a little. Stir in the tomato and drained pasta. Once this is thoroughly mixed serve with cheese and olives sprinkled over the top.
When cooking the garlic you could also add a chopped onion and any other veg you need to use up, mushrooms also go well with this dish.
Traffic light Pasta
Whether you are studying, working or partying it can be difficult to find time to eat 5 portions of fruit or veg a day. This recipe gets 4 different veg in your system without too much hard work. It’s important to get a variety of colours in your vegetables to provide different nutrients so this recipe is a good one if you haven’t been eating properly. This recipe is also designed to give you a good portion of leftovers to take to work or the library the next day.
Serves 3:
3 handfuls of dry pasta
2 Grated carrots (or half a bag of ready prepared)
1 Handful of kale
1 handful of chopped green beans
1 chopped tomato (or about 10 quartered cherry tomatoes)
1 medium potato (chopped into very small cubes)
2 tbsp olive oil
Follow the instructions on the pasta packet and add the diced potato into the water at the same time. Bring another pan of water to the boil and add the green beans, cook for 4 minutes and then add the Kale and carrot, reduce heat and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain the veg and pasta, combine both in a frying pan with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and fry on a high heat for about 4 minutes. Serve hot and keep and leftovers sealed in the fridge.
