by Jamie Oliver
Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water. Finely grate the Parmesan into a blender, add the pepper mixture and a splash of boiling water, then whiz until smooth and season with salt and black pepper. Toss the pasta and sauce together, loosening with a splash of reserved cooking water, if needed. Finish with a dusting of pistachios and a fine grating of Parmesan.
Always good with a fresh crunchy herby green salad.
To make vegetarian: swap Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.
As obvious as it sounds, this dish can be made to great effect using red, orange or green peppers, all giving a slightly different expression of colour and flavour.
SILKY COURGETTE BOW-TIES
CHILLI, GARLIC, FENNEL, CREAM & PARMESAN
SERVES 4 | 15 MINUTES
300g dried farfalle
4 cloves of garlic
1 fresh red chilli
olive oil
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
2 mixed-colour courgettes
100ml rosé wine
80ml single cream
40g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water. Meanwhile, peel the garlic and finely chop with the chilli, then place in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil and the fennel seeds. Coarsely grate the courgettes (discard the seedy core), then add to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
Turn the heat up to high, pour in the wine, leave to bubble and cook away, then switch off and add the cream. Grate over the Parmesan, tip in the pasta and toss together, loosening with a splash of reserved cooking water, if needed. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper and finish with a fine grating of Parmesan.
If you want to up your summertime veg, a delicious side salad of lemony-dressed baby spinach and fresh raw peas makes a really good match.
To make vegetarian: swap Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.
Vary the grated veg used in this dish – butternut squash, carrots, fennel, even peppers – for tasty results.
SUMMER TAGLIATELLE
BASIL & ALMOND PESTO, BROKEN POTATOES, DELICATE GREEN VEG
SERVES 4 | 20 MINUTES
1 bunch of fresh basil (30g)
½ a clove of garlic
50g blanched almonds
extra virgin olive oil
25g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
¼ of a lemon
1 Maris Piper potato
125g green beans
300g dried tagliatelle
200g delicate summer veg, such as broad beans, peas, tenderstem broccoli
Pick most of the basil leaves into a pestle and mortar and bash to a paste with a pinch of sea salt. Peel and bash in the garlic, then pound in the almonds until fine. Muddle in 4 tablespoons of oil, finely grate in the Parmesan, then squeeze in the lemon juice. Season to perfection, and tweak to your liking.
Scrub and finely slice the potato, trim just the stalks off the beans, then place both in a pan of boiling salted water with the tagliatelle and cook according to the pasta packet instructions. Prep the delicate summer veg as necessary, adding them to the pan for the last 3 minutes. Drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water, then toss with the pesto, loosening with a splash of reserved cooking water, if needed. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, and finish with the remaining basil and a fine grating of Parmesan. Nice served with a crunchy seasonal salad.
To make vegetarian: swap Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.
I’ve used fresh basil and almonds here, but pretty much any soft herb and unsalted shelled nut combo will deliver very tasty results – whatever you fancy!
MIGHTY MUSHROOM PASTA
SWEET TOMATO & PARMESAN SAUCE, GARLICKY HAZELNUT BREADCRUMBS
SERVES 4 | 20 MINUTES
50g stale breadcrumbs
olive oil
20g blanched hazelnuts
4 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
400g mixed mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 × 400g tin of quality plum tomatoes
300g dried penne
30g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
Tip the breadcrumbs into a medium non-stick frying pan on a low heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Lightly crush the hazelnuts in a pestle and mortar, add to the pan, then peel and finely grate in 2 cloves of garlic and strip in the thyme leaves. Toss regularly throughout the pasta and sauce process, until golden and crisp.
Place a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat, then tear or roughly slice the mushrooms (depending on their size and shape) and dry-fry for 1 minute (this will bring out their nutty flavour). Peel, finely chop and add the remaining garlic, with the chilli flakes and 1 tablespoon of oil, then cook for 3 minutes, tossing regularly. Scrunch in the tomatoes, add 1 tin’s worth of water and leave to tick away. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water.
Finely grate the Parmesan, then toss with the pasta and sauce, loosening with a splash of reserved cooking water, if needed. Season to taste, and top with the toasty hot sprinkle and a fine grating of Parmesan.
To make vegetarian: swap Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.
You can easily add a creamy dimension to the sauce by adding 1 tablespoon of crème fraîche or cream, which is super-delicious and indulgent.
SQUASH GNOCCHI
FRAGRANT PARSLEY & WALNUT PESTO
SERVES 4 | 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES
500g Maris Piper potatoes
500g butternut squash
100g Tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
1 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley (30g)
½ a clove of garlic
50g shelled unsalted walnut halves
extra virgin olive oil
25g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
½ a lemon
Peel the potatoes and squash (deseed, if needed), chop into 3cm chunks and cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 12 minutes, or until tender, then drain and cool. Tip on to a clean tea towel, gather up into a bundle and squeeze out as much liquid as you can, then tip into a bowl. Mash together, then sprinkle over the flour, finely grate over half the nutmeg, season generously with sea salt and black pepper, and mix well. Knead the mixture on a flour-dusted surface for a few minutes until pliable, then divide into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a sausage, about 1.5cm thick. Slice into 1.5cm pieces to create the gnocchi.
Pick the parsley leaves into a pestle and mortar and bash to a paste with a pinch of salt. Peel and bash in the garlic, then pound in the walnuts until fine. Muddle in 4 tablespoons of oil, finely grate in the Parmesan, then squeeze in the lemon juice. Season to perfection and tweak to your liking.
When you’re ready to eat, cook the gnocchi in two batches in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes – as soon as they come up to the surface they’re ready, so remove with a slotted spoon to a plate – they’ll firm up after about 30 seconds. Either toss each batch with half the pesto and a splash of cooking water, or spread the pesto on a plate and serve the steaming gnocchi on top. Finish with an extra grating of Parmesan. Delicious with a seasonal salad.
To make vegetarian: swap Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.
I love having fun with the pesto, so swap the parsley for rocket or a blend of mint and basil. Shop-bought jars are great if you’re short on time, but making your own will give you super-fresh, incomparable flavour.
SALADSPLEASE SELECT A RECIPE
TAP FOR TEXT VERSION
SALADS
ROAST NEW POTATO & PICKLE SALAD
LADY MARMALADE SALAD
DOUBLE CORN SALAD
MY CHOPPE
D FATTOUSH SALAD
SHAVED FENNEL, MELON & MOZZARELLA
FRENCH GARLIC BREAD SALAD
ANGRY BEAN SALAD
VIBRANT BHEL PURI SALAD
SQUASHED CAULI & CHERRY SALAD
EASY THAI-STYLE NOODLE SALAD
WARM GRAPE & RADICCHIO SALAD
ROAST NEW POTATO & PICKLE SALAD
ZINGY LEMON, MUSTARD, LOADSA HERBS & CRUMBLED FETA
SERVES 6 | 1 HOUR
1.2kg new potatoes
olive oil
6 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 cucumber
100g radishes, ideally with leaves
½ a red onion
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ a bunch of fresh dill (15g)
½ a bunch of fresh mint (15g)
40g feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 20 minutes, then drain and steam dry. Tip into a large roasting tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, then add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Bash and add the unpeeled garlic cloves to the tray, then roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, finely grate the lemon zest and pick and finely chop the rosemary. When the time’s up, scatter the lemon zest, rosemary and flour over the potatoes from a height. Toss together, then squash flat with a potato masher and roast for a final 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
Meanwhile, scratch the outside of the cucumber with a fork to create grooves, then finely slice into rounds. Halve and quarter the radishes, peel and very finely slice the onion, then put all this into a bowl with the mustard, vinegar and half the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, pick and add the herb leaves, toss together, then place on top of the hot crispy potatoes, mixing just before serving. Finish with a crumbling of feta, and extra lemon juice, if you like.
I have had some fun making this salad with hasselback potatoes for added texture and crunch – see page 106 for the technique.
LADY MARMALADE SALAD
CHICORY, SWEET SHALLOTS, ORANGE DRESSING & CRUSHED NUTS
SERVES 4 | 25 MINUTES
2 tablespoons mixed shelled unsalted nuts, such as walnut halves, almonds, pistachios
2 large shallots
4 oranges
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
1 heaped teaspoon runny honey
4 mixed-colour chicory
½ a bunch of fresh chervil (15g)
Toast the nuts in a large dry frying pan over a medium heat until golden, then bash in a pestle and mortar until fine. Peel the shallots and slice ½cm thick, then dry-fry for 5 minutes, or until lightly charred, tossing regularly. Juice the oranges, pour into the pan and simmer until syrupy, then remove from the heat. Add the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of oil and the honey, then season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper (it should be slightly too acidic and salty, to make the magic happen).
Halve the chicory, finely slice the base end, then click the leaves apart and place in a salad bowl. Spoon over the warm dressing, pick over the chervil leaves and sprinkle with the crushed nuts, then toss to dress.
Brilliant with goat’s cheese and hot toasts, plus a glass of dry white wine.
Works well with any kind of bitter salad leaves.
DOUBLE CORN SALAD
CRUNCHY ICEBERG LETTUCE & CREAMY CHEESE DRESSING
SERVES 4–6 | 30 MINUTES
rapeseed oil
50g popping corn
chipotle Tabasco sauce
4 corn on the cob
1 iceberg lettuce
4 spring onions
30g mature Cheddar cheese
30g blue cheese
6 tablespoons natural yoghurt
¼ of a clove of garlic
2 teaspoons English mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 sprigs of fresh coriander
Place a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the popping corn and cover with a lid. Once popped, add a few generous shakes of Tabasco, toss together and tip into a large salad bowl. In the same pan, grill the corn until lightly charred all over, turning regularly, then remove.
Trim and roughly chop the lettuce, and trim and finely slice the spring onions, then add to the bowl. Break the cheeses into a blender, and spoon in the yoghurt. Peel and add the garlic, followed by the mustard, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, then blitz until smooth, and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Carefully slice off the corn kernels and add to the bowl. Pour over the dressing, toss together and pick over the coriander leaves, then serve straight away.
Really nice as a tasty lunch served with warm wraps or as part of a bigger spread.
To make vegetarian: use anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce.
Some other things this salad loves for company are: sliced avocado, crumbled feta and halved green grapes – it’s a really fun dish!
MY CHOPPED FATTOUSH SALAD
GRILLED PITTA, RAINBOW CHOPPED SALAD & POMEGRANATE GALORE
SERVES 4 | 20 MINUTES
4 pitta breads
1 pomegranate
1 tablespoon sumac
extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
2 mixed-colour peppers
1 bulb of fennel
½ a cucumber
2 ripe tomatoes
2 spring onions
1 romaine lettuce
1 big bunch of mixed fresh herbs, such as mint, dill, flat-leaf parsley (60g)
Toast the pittas on a griddle pan on a high heat until crisp and bar-marked, then roughly chop and put aside. Halve the pomegranate and, holding each half cut side down in your fingers, bash the back of it with a spoon so all the seeds tumble out into a large salad bowl. Sprinkle over the sumac, then drizzle in 2 tablespoons of oil, squeeze over the lemon juice and add the pomegranate molasses.
Deseed the peppers and finely chop with the fennel, cucumber (discard the watery core) and tomatoes, trim and finely slice the spring onions and lettuce, and add to the bowl. Pick and finely chop the herb leaves, scatter into the bowl with the pitta and toss together. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Amazing with little raw peas when in season, and if you can’t get pomegranate, little cubes of chopped mango are also delicious in the mix.
SHAVED FENNEL, MELON & MOZZARELLA
CRISPY CAPERS, MINT & CHILLI, STICKY BALSAMIC DRESSING
SERVES 4 | 15 MINUTES
olive oil
2 tablespoons baby capers
4 sprigs of fresh mint
1 fresh red chilli
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 super-ripe cantaloupe melon
2 bulbs of fennel
1 small red onion
8 bocconcini mozzarella (150g)
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil into a large non-stick frying pan. Scatter in the capers, pick in the mint leaves, then finely slice and add the chilli. Fry gently on a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until crispy, jiggling the pan regularly. Turn the heat off, remove everything to a little dish with a slotted spoon, then pour the balsamic into the scented warm oil and let it sizzle. Scoop the melon seeds into a sieve and press them to squeeze all the sweet juice into the hot pan, then discard the seeds. Use a teaspoon to remove little nuggets and curls of melon to a bowl.
Trim the fennel, reserving any herby tops, and peel the red onion, then very finely slice both by hand or on a mandolin (use the guard!). Place in icy water for 2 minutes to crisp up, then drain well and pat dry with a clean tea towel (this will stop the dressing getting watered down). Toss with the melon, and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper. Serve the salad on a platter or individual plates, scatter over the mozzarella, crispy mi
nt, capers and chilli, and the reserved herby fennel top, and drizzle over the dressing.
Don’t think about making this unless you have a lovely ripe melon that’s sweet and perfumed.
FRENCH GARLIC BREAD SALAD
DELICATE LEAVES, GRAPES, HERBS & THICK MUSTARDY DRESSING
SERVES 6 | 45 MINUTES PLUS PROVING
1 × 7g sachet of dried yeast
500g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
4 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley (30g)
150g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon runny honey
½ a bunch of fresh chives (15g)
200g mixed-colour grapes
60g shelled unsalted walnut halves
300g delicate salad leaves, such as frisée, rocket, radicchio
Whisk the yeast into 350ml of lukewarm water, leave for 2 minutes, then pour into a large bowl with the flour and a good pinch of sea salt. Mix up as best you can, then knead vigorously on a flour-dusted surface to give you a smooth, elastic dough. Place in the bowl, cover with a clean damp tea towel and prove for 1 hour in a warm place, or until doubled in size. Knock out the air with your fists, then divide into 6, shape into ovals about 1cm thick, and prove on a flour-dusted tray for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 210ºC/425ºF/gas 7.
Meanwhile, make the flavoured butter. Peel the garlic and pick the parsley leaves, then finely chop and scrunch into the butter with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Lightly press small pieces of flavoured butter into the bread, then bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
