Pass the pasta
Yes, home-made pasta is the sourdough of 2021, but when you need your comfort fast, you need Phillippa Cheifitz’s stovetop mac ’n cheese, tray-bake gnocchi or one-pot wondrous chicken and penne
LINGUINE WITH CALAMARI
“I find that quickly roasting the calamari keeps it tender. Tuscan kale, when available, is less bitter than curly-leafed kale, but you could also use Swiss chard. If you have some good fish or seafood stock, use it instead of the pasta water for loosening.”
Serves 4
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 20 minutes
frozen calamari 500–600 g linguine 400 g kale (Tuscan if available) 1 bunch, washed and trimmed (remove the ribs) olive oil ½ cup, plus extra for frying garlic 6 cloves, crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Italian parsley 15 g, finely chopped lemon wedges, for serving
1 Thaw the calamari in the fridge overnight in a colander placed over a bowl. Before using, dry well and bring to room temperature. 2 Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Steam the kale over the boiling pasta water until just limp. Shred finely.
Cook gently, covered, in 2–3 T olive oil for 5 minutes, or until just cooked. Season lightly. Drain the pasta, reserving the water. 3 Preheat the oven to as hot as it can go: 230–250°C. Heat a roasting pan in the oven for about 5 minutes. Mix the olive oil with the garlic and seasoning, then with the well-dried calamari. 4 Turn the calamari into the hot roasting pan, spreading it into a single layer. Roast for 5–10 minutes, or until just cooked, tender and starting to colour. 5 Mix the pasta with the calamari, gradually stirring in about ½ cup pasta water. Add the kale and toss, adding a little more pasta water to loosen. Check the seasoning and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
WINE: Woolworths Delaire Graff White Rock Sauvignon Blanc
CONCHIGLIE WITH ROAST TOMATO-ANDMUSHROOM SAUCE
“This chunky, robust tomato-and-mushroom sauce works well with a sturdy pasta like conchiglie – the shell-like shape of the pasta holds the sauce perfectly.”
Serves 4
EASY
Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 30 minutes
whole peeled tomatoes 1 x 800 g can whole portabellini mushrooms
500 g, cleaned basil 15 g olive oil 1/3 cup, plus extra for greasing garlic 3–4 cloves, crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste vegetable stock 1/2 cup conchiglie, cooked al dente, for serving pecorino 50 g, shaved, for serving basil-infused olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 230°C and grease a large baking tray. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the liquid, then turn into the baking tray. Smash the tomatoes with
“Quickly roasting the calamari keeps it tender”
a potato masher. 2 Add the mushrooms to the tray and tuck in half the basil leaves. Mix the olive oil with the garlic and seasoning, then spoon over the mushrooms. Roast for 20 minutes, or until starting to catch. 3 Mix the reserved tomato juice with the stock and spoon over the vegetables. Reduce the heat to 150°C and cook for a further 10 minutes. Check the seasoning and add the remaining basil leaves. 4 Spoon over the pasta, top with the pecorino and drizzle with basil-infused olive oil. MEAT-FREE
WINE: Woolworths House Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot
ONE-POT HERBED CHICKEN WITH PENNE
“I’m prudent when it comes to the number of saucepans needed for a single recipe, so when I can, I’ll go for one-pot recipes like this one.”
Serves 4
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 40–50 minutes
weak chicken stock 4 cups onion ½ celery 1 stick, roughly chopped free-range chicken thighs 500 g penne 250 g fine green beans 150 g, trimmed Italian parsley 25 g, finely chopped chives 15 g, finely chopped garlic 1 clove, crushed lemon 1, zested sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Parmesan, grated, for sprinkling olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
1 Pour the stock into a suitable saucepan. Add the onion, celery and chicken. Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30–40 minutes.
2 Strain and return the stock to the clean saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then add the penne and green beans. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the penne and beans are just cooked, about 10–12 minutes. 3 Meanwhile skin, debone and shred the chicken. Mix the herbs, garlic and lemon zest. 4 When the pasta is cooked, remove from the heat and add the shredded chicken. Allow to stand for a few minutes to warm through. Check the seasoning, then stir in the mixed herbs, garlic and lemon zest. 5 Sprinkle with Parmesan and drizzle with olive oil at the table.
WINE: Ashbourne Sauvignon Blanc/ Chardonnay
BRAISED ROSEMARY LAMB WITH FUSILLI
“Always a favourite, braised lamb plus pasta makes for a satisfying dish that’s well worth the fairly long cooking time.”
Serves 3 to 4
EASY
Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 2 hours
free-range lamb knuckles
750 g, at room temperature olive oil, for frying onion 1, finely chopped celery 1 stick, finely chopped carrot 1, finely chopped tomato paste 70 g dry red wine 1 cup lamb or chicken stock 3 cups garlic ½ head rosemary a few sprigs fusilli 250 g sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste fusilli 250 g lightly dressed rocket, for serving Parmesan, finely grated, for sprinkling
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C. Brown the lamb in 1–2 T oil in a large, heavy-based casserole. Remove and set aside. Season lightly and pour off any excess fat. 2 In the same casserole, gently soften the vegetables, adding a little more olive oil. Stir in the tomato paste and wine and allow to bubble and reduce slightly. 3 Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Return the lamb to the casserole, submerging it in the liquid. Add the garlic and rosemary. Place baking paper directly onto the surface and cover with a tightly fitting lid. Bake for 1½–2 hours, or until meltingly tender. Remove the rosemary and discard. Mash in the garlic. 4 Cook the fusilli in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and immediately mix with the hot lamb. Check the seasoning. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve with the rocket. WINE: Woolworths La Motte
Grand Rouge
TRAY-BAKE GNOCCHI WITH VENISON SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI
“This recipe stars Woolies’ Italian potato gnocchi and venison sausage, which has a wonderful rich flavour. It’s as good as it gets for an easy weekday supper.”
Serves 3 to 4
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 25 minutes
Woolworths Italian potato gnocchi 500 g Woolworths venison sausage 400 g broccoli 400 g rosemary sprigs 5g olive oil 6T garlic 2 cloves, crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste red pepper flakes a pinch
Parmesan, coarsely grated, for sprinkling rocket, lightly dressed with oil and vinegar, for serving
1 Preheat the oven to 230°C. Turn the gnocchi into a large, well-oiled baking tray, spreading it into a single layer. Cut the sausage into 2–5 cm chunks and add to the tray. 2 Trim the broccoli stems, then separate into florets and add to the tray. Tuck in the rosemary sprigs. 3 Mix the olive oil with the garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Spoon over the gnocchi and broccoli, then bake for 15 minutes.
Stir and return to the oven for 5–10 minutes until everything is cooked and starting to catch. Check the seasoning. Add a liberal sprinkling of Parmesan at the table and serve with the rocket. HEALTH-CONSCIOUS
WINE: Kanonkop Kadette
STOVETOP MAC ’N CHEESE
“Comfort food doesn’t come any faster than this family favourite.”
Serves 2 to 3
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 15 minutes
macaroni 250 g cream ½ cup mature Cheddar 165 g, grated mustard powder 1t fresh nutmeg a grating cayenne pepper a pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste smoked paprika, for sprinkling (optional) tomato salad, for serving
1 Cook the macaroni in salted water until just cooked. Drain and set aside.
2 In the same saucepan, heat the cream and simmer for 1–2 minutes until well reduced. Stir in the cheese until melted, then add the pasta, mixing well. 3 Stir in the mustard, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary and a twist or two of pepper. Serve immediately with the tomato salad. If you like, dust with smoked paprika. MEAT-FREE
WINE: Woolworths Jordan Unoaked Chardonnay
SPICED BRINJAL WITH YELLOW LENTIL PASTA
“This vegetarian pasta is packed with Mediterranean flavours, perfect for warming yourself up in the heart of winter.”
Serves 4
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 40 minutes brinjals 500 g olive oil, for frying onion 1, finely chopped garlic 1 clove, crushed ground cumin 2t ground coriander 1t crushed chilli flakes ¼t dried oregano 1t peeled and diced tomatoes 1 x 400 g can vegetable stock ½ cup sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste fresh oregano or wild rocket, to garnish Woolworths yellow lentil pasta, cooked al dente, for serving
1 Peel and dice the brinjals. Heat 2 T oil in a pan. Add the onion, cover and cook gently until softened, adding a little more oil if necessary. Stir in the garlic, spices and oregano. Add 3 T oil and stir in the brinjal. 2 Stir until well coated with oil. Increase the heat slightly and fry the brinjal for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Season lightly. Add the tomatoes and stock. Cover and cook gently for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the brinjal is tender and the sauce reduced. Check the seasoning. Serve with the pasta, garnished as you like. DAIRY-FREE, PLANT-BASED,
WHEAT- AND GLUTEN-FREE
WINE: Marras Piekenierskloof
Chenin Blanc
“This warming veg pasta is packed with Mediterranean flavours”