I’m Loving

Matt Preston’s vegie pesto pasta.

SO, THE SALAD days of summer are coming to an end and we need to find heartier ways to answer the fast call for dinner, ideas that don’t require pre-planning but ones where you can pick up ingredients, get home and have dinner on the table within a realistic 15-30 minutes. By realistic I mean without those tricks canny cookbook authors use to sneak within this time frame, like assume prepping the veg takes no time at all!

PASTA There’s a reason why pasta is a go-to when it comes to a speedy dinner. There are so many great dishes that can be made in the time it takes to cook a packet of dried pasta. Just pick ingredients that don’t need much time to cook or deliver flavour. Fresh produce such as spring onions, basil and zucchini for a quick pesto, and sliced cherry tomatoes are ideal.

You’ll also find my recipes for mussel puttanesca and 15-minute bolognese, polpettini, leek carbonara (with optional bacon) or prawn and burnt-butter spaghettini at delicious.com.au.

MINUTE STEAKS Whether it’s chicken breast or steak, slice it thinner and beat it out a little to flatten and tenderise and it will cook quicker. Sear thin scallops of beef with a miso-almond butter made from mixing 80g butter, 80g almonds and 50g white miso. Dollop some of the butter on top and serve with seared bok choy. Pour in light soy at the end to caramelise and season.

Grill chicken for tacos with lime juice and avocado or, for something more wintry, grill chicken on a barbecue with thick slices of microwaved onion and zucchini. A couple of minutes of zapping will give you a cooking headstart. Serve both on a smooth, warmed puree of cannellini beans with butter-fried fresh sage to start and a dollop of creme fraiche to finish.

MUSSELS, CHORIZO AND CHICKPEAS I love mussels for a quick dinner as they are so versatile. You could fry chorizo pieces with finely chopped onion and capsicum until the chorizo has rendered some of its fat and the onions have softened. Add smoked paprika, chopped parsley stalks and a few cloves of garlic. Drain and rinse chickpeas, saving the chickpea water to make the best five-second vegan mayonnaise ever (find my recipe on Insta at @lockdownkitchen.com.au and delicious.com.au).

Remove the chorizo and keep warm. Deglaze the pan with sherry then add the chickpeas, a cup of stock and the cleaned mussels. (You can buy them cleaned, otherwise do it yourself while the onion is frying). Keep the lid on until they open. Garnish with the rest of the parsley, chorizo and the zest and juice of an orange or lemon. Add more stock for a soupier version.

FENUGREEK LAMB MEATBALL NAAN WRAPS There are loads of flavour bombs you can throw at core ingredients to make them tastier – anchovies or Worcestershire sauce, bottled sauces like doubanjiang (fermented bean paste), soy, oyster and hoisin, vinegars, gochujang or harissa pasta, canned tomatoes, olives and capers, fresh herbs and spices. My current favourite is dried fenugreek leaves, often labelled kasuri (or kasoori) methi. Sprinkle a little on grilled meats or use these in lamb meatballs.

Combine lamb mince, grated onion, and soaked and squeezed dried breadcrumbs. Add an egg to bind and some light soy to season, ground coriander and lots of dried green fenugreek leaves are a great start. Shape, fry and serve in warmed naan with garlic yoghurt, cucumber slices, coriander leaves and the pickle of your choice. I like a spicy Indian mango pickle but a sweet mango pickle has its place as well. Yes, you can add shredded iceberg, too.

ZUCCHINI PESTO PASTA (COVER RECIPE) SERVES 4-6

“Feel free to play with the herbs in this pesto. Try tarragon and parsley. The pesto can also be used as a dressing for grilled veg, chicken, white fish or even hard-boiled eggs.”

500g dry spaghetti

1 cup (250ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch basil, leaves picked, plus extra leaves to serve

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked

1 cup roasted oily nuts (we used cashews, pine nuts and

macadamias)

150g finely grated parmesan

3 small zucchinis, trimmed – 2 roughly chopped, 1 thinly sliced

on a mandoline

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

30g unsalted butter

2 balls burrata, torn

Place a large saucepan three quarters full of cold salted water over high heat. Bring to the boil and add the pasta. Return to the boil, then simmer for 2 minutes less than packet instructions. The pasta will finish cooking when in the pan.

Meanwhile, to make the pesto, place oil and 1/2 tsp salt in a blender and whiz for 1 minute to froth up the mixture (this helps to retain the colour of the herbs). Add the herbs and whiz to combine. Add the nuts and whiz to finely chop. Add half of the parmesan, 2 chopped zucchini and lemon zest, and whiz until combined. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt. Pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup (250ml) cooking liquid. Return pasta to the saucepan with sliced zucchini, butter and 1/4 cup (60ml) cooking liquid. Spoon in as much pesto as you like and add more cooking liquid to loosen if needed. Toss gently to combine and season to taste. Divide among plates and scatter with extra basil leaves, torn burrata, remaining 75g parmesan and freshly ground black pepper to serve.