Happy greens season! It’s that time of year when all the foodie instagrams, newspaper articles and veg boxes are talking about the stinky green leaves of wild garlic (known in the US as ramps).

The cynic in me notices the apparent trendiness and members-club-feel of foraged greens. My more charitable side wants to justify the excitement.

These are the first edible, native plants that we are seeing and it’s easy to get over-enthusiastic. It’s been a long winter of potatoes, carrots and Chilean vegetables that have traveled further than I ever have. (Future post: are your veggies better traveled than you?)

I’m going choose to be excited – and run with it. This is a recipe for wild garlic pesto made entirely with British produce. From the hard cheese to the oil… everything in it can be grown, harvested or produced within the UK.

I was directed to a hard sheep’s cheese at Androuet in Spitalfields, London. I think it’s even tastier than Parmesan(!). Instead of citrus I use cider vinegar, and I lightened the garlickiness with steamed kale.

A big inspiration for this whole recipe came from a recent event where a professor of food policy insisted Britain should grow more nuts. I went for hazelnuts – unfortunately of mixed origins.

As with any pesto, you can swirl it into pasta, mix it into cream cheese and make a dip, add it to mashed potatoes or toss some roasted vegetables in it. Or just eat wild garlic pesto straight out of the bowl. Your choice.

I have never tried to make this with US produce, but with it being the largest exporter of walnuts in the world, and the existence of the California olive oil industry – I’m sure it’s can be done. If you are in the US and take on the challenge… please let me know!

British pesto

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

On the Counter

• 50 g kale, after being stripped from stems
• 30 g wild garlic
• 15 g hazelnuts
• 10 g hard sheep's cheese
• 2.5 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt, and more to taste (Cornish sea salt if you want to go all out)

What to Do

• Steam the kale for 5 minutes
• Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
• In a food processor, or mortar and pestle, break up the hazelnuts even more, then add kale and wild garlic in bunches, pulsing between.
• Add in the oil, vinegar and salt.
• The last step is to add in the cheese.
• If you're freezing the pesto, convention says you should freeze it without the cheese and just add it when you serve it. I freeze it with cheese and haven't noticed a change in quality.
• Break the cheese into small pieces (or pre-grate it), and add it to the food processor/mortar.

7.8.1.2

20

https://www.onmykitchencounter.com/2016/04/18/british-wild-garlic-pesto-hazelnuts-kale/

Christmas is in the air… and on TV … and in the stores… and in the town centers. I have to admit that I’m one of those people who likes the season. Back home I always loved driving through neighborhoods searching for great Christmas light displays, though now I have to be content with the big displays around London. Not that I’m complaining…

Covent Garden is completely decked out for Christmas

One of London’s many Christmas trees, larger than life!

This year, when I went home to the US for Thanksgiving, we got some early-season snow, and that plus the Christmas trees and decorations going up around the towns really put me into the Christmas mood.

Nothing like snowy New Jersey woods to get you into the winter spirit

Of course, with all this festivity comes the realization that you might have to bring something (or cook everything) for a holiday dinner sooner than you’re willing to admit. These Brussels sprouts with lots of lovely things should help make that a lot easier. You just have to be sure to claim them first!

I didn’t think I was a big fan of Brussels sprouts for a long time. I don’t really like cabbage, and I just equated them with tiny cabbages. However, they are a lot lighter tasting than cabbage, and they are perfect for roasting and pan frying. Plus, once you add bacon and garlic, how can they not be good?

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots

On the Counter

1 lb/500 g Brussels sprouts
1 long shallot or 2 small round shallots, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 bacon rashers (4 slices of American bacon) cut into small pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

baking sheet or roasting tray

What to Do

Heat your oven to 220C (425F). Quarter the Brussels sprouts, and toss with all other ingredients. Spread out in one layer on a baking sheet, foil-lined if you want less clean up later on.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing them around with a wooden spoon about halfway through. Once the Brussels sprouts look soft and browned, and the shallots and bacon are cooked, they are ready to go.

Serve!

If you somehow end up with leftovers, you can turn them into a quick and easy pasta dish for the next day. If you don’t eat pasta, bake a few chicken drumsticks and you’ll have a mini-roast lunch.  

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Bacon with Pasta

On the Counter

Leftover bacon and shallot Brussels sprouts
Dried penne, ziti or mafalda corta (85 g/3 oz per serving)
A heap of grated parmesan cheese
Juice from 1/4 to 1/6 lemon

What to Do

In a salted pot of boiling water, cook as much pasta as you need for your leftovers, about 85 g/3 oz dried per person.

Meanwhile, heat up the leftover Brussels sprouts.

When your pasta is ready, reserve about 120 mL (1/2 cup) of pasta water.

Drain the pasta and toss in reserved pasta water, 1/2 the parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Stir well to combine. Then toss in the sprouts and gently combine.

Serve, with the remaining parmesan on top.

I think, as time goes on, I’ve becoming more of a homebody. I love having people over, or visitings a friend’s place, for dinner and drinks, and spending time having great conversation around a home-cooked meal (or homemade cocktails) has become more appealing than it ever was before. It’s also a good excuse to have something you wouldn’t necessarily make on a regular basis, like, say … a big bowl of gooey mac and cheese loaded with chorizo.

Serve mac and cheese with garlicky greens to make it… slightly… less decadent.

When making mac & cheese with friends, the number one rule is to use as many utensils for mixing as there are people, so everyone can lick the spoon – and the host gets first dibs on the pan.

Thanks to fellow food blogger Amanda at My Jersey Kitchen for suggesting I write up this recipe!

A crunchy cheese topping is a must.

On the Counter

75 g/3 oz Spanish spicy chorizo, diced
1 tsp olive oil
100 g smoked Gouda
100 g mature cheddar
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green chili, diced [optional]
350 g/3/4
lb shell pasta (conchiglietti)
115 mL / 1/2 cup room temperature milk
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
dash of salt
a few grinds of white (or black) pepper

Equipment

whisk
bowl for mixing topping
spoon for stirring
spoon for tasting
saucepan big enough to cook pasta
buttered casserole dish, around 26 cm (10 in) long

What to Do

In the olive oil, sauté the onions until they’re just softening, then add the garlic, green chili and chorizo. You shouldn’t need any more oil, as the chorizo will give off plenty. Fry until the chorizo starts to darken, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta in heavily salted water, for about 3 minutes less than the package requests. Just before or at al dente is ideal. Once it’s cooked, rinse it with water and set aside. Give the pot a quick rinse.

Set the chorizo aside, and start your cheese sauce.

Heat the butter in your pasta pot until it’s melted and bubbly, add flour bit by bit and whisk together until you get doughy strings. It should take less than a minute.

Off the heat, slowly add in the room temperature milk. Put it back on very low heat (nearly as low as you can get it) and keep whisking until the bechamel (white sauce) thickens. You will notice a difference in the texture, and it should take about 3 or 4 minutes of whisking.

Preheat your oven to 180 C/350 F.

At that point, slowly pour the cheese into the white sauce, and keep stirring until all the cheese is melted. At this point, if you need a little more milk, adding it should not be a problem.

Add in the paprika, the garlic/chorizo/onion/chili, and some salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and then add the pasta in, mixing thoroughly to coat.

Spoon the cheesy macaroni into a buttered casserole dish, and smooth it flat. Top with cheesy panko topping. (below)

Bake for 25 minutes. Then, move to the broil/grill for 5 minutes to toast the topping.

Cheesy Panko Topping

1/2 cup (30 g) Panko bread crumbs
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (50 g) grated cheddar and Gouda

Stir to combine.

PS: Check out My Kitchen Counter on instagram, where you can get a preview of things that will show up on the blog, plus a few other things that don’t quite make the recipe list.

I think I’m a little late with this post! I meant to share it about a month ago and apparently I had blog-amnesia, as I completely forgot to. So while this post is a little tardy, maybe it’s still worth putting out there.

There’s a mysterious vegetable in the US that gets the farmers market shoppers all riled up in April and May. It’s not asparagus (but talk about an amazing spring veggie), it’s ramps.

Ramps are, in effect, tiny wild onions. The UK equivalent of these lovely, fresh and slightly pungent greens are wild garlic. The main difference is that you can buy ramps with the bulbs still attached, while wild garlic will get to you as long, plain leaves that feel kind of silky.

It’s a super limited time veggie, and while it’s not the most amazing thing you’ll ever eat in your life (ramps OR wild garlic), it’s pretty darn good.

Not as strong as garlic on its own, but with a beautiful green color and a lovely, fresh flavor… there was really only one thing that I could do with my bounty. Turn it into pesto.

Pesto is absurdly easy, and it’s almost impossible to mess up the taste, since you can trial it along the way. You can make it from a variety of ingredients, and I’ve definitely had my fair share of pesto variations. I intend to share a few more pesto types that I make, with recipes and ideas on how to use them.

I also love that pesto is freezable. I’ve read recommendations that you freeze it without cheese, but I’ve never had a problem with the taste, as long as you use it within 3 months and you’ve sealed it well. Add a little bit of lemon juice to help it keep its vibrant green color (to help prevent oxidation). It’s spring in a plastic baggie.

Tip: Pulse, taste, tweak, pulse, taste, tweak … until you’re happy with the flavor.

On the Counter

100g (about 1/2 cup or 2 big handfuls) of wild garlic leaves, or ramps, roughly chopped
200ml (about 1 cup) extra virgin olive oil
50g (1/3 cup) pine nuts or walnuts
50g (1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese (or Grana Padano), grated
1/2 tsp chilli (red pepper) flakes
salt to taste

What to Do

In a food processor, add the wild garlic leaves (or ramps) and nuts.

Pulse for about 5 seconds to combine.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, pulsing to combine. (If you can’t do this, just add 1/3 of the olive oil, pulse, another 1/3, pulse, and the rest.

Add in the parmesan and chili flakes and blitz to combine.

Taste, add salt if needed, briefly pulse.

I suggest that if you’re having it with pasta, try orichiette or shells for little pockets of garlicky pesto. You could also have it on a steak, mixed into mashed potatoes… or on anything you can dream up.

Spring is in the air, and it’s finally time for local asparagus again! As a kid, I didn’t get asparagus. I didn’t like the taste and I thought it looked weird. Just not interested, thanks. I was a really picky eater as a kid though – my mom still calls me out on the things I wouldn’t even sample that I now can’t get enough of. As an adult, though, I can’t really think of any other vegetables that make me excited about spring. And now I’m the kind of person who gets excited about vegetables, come to think of it. How times change.

It is worth remembering that sometimes kids with the least adventurous appetite can grow up to like asparagus, sweet potatoes and even spinach. There’s hope for the future of picky young people.

Back to the asparagus. Now that it’s finally asparagus season, I’m going to be eating as much of it as possible.  I think the easiest ways are the best ways, and this is a pretty easy way to enjoy asparagus. It’s not as straightforward as cooking everything and plopping it on a plate, but it’s pretty close.

If you like asparagus even half as much as I do, this recipe will make you happy.

Tagliatelle with Asparagus, Pine Nuts and Lemon

On the Counter

Serves: 2
5 oz., (150 g) tagliatelle (broken in half)
6 asparagus stalks (3 per serving)
1 tsp lemon zest (about one lemon’s worth)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano for veggies) cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili/red pepper flakes
pine nuts
lemon wedge

What to Do

Salt 1.5 liters of water and bring it to the boil in a tiered pot with a steamer. While the water is coming to a boil, snap off the tough ends of the asparagus (thanks to food guru Alton Brown for this tip) and cut the spears into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces.

Steam the asparagus for 5-7 minutes, depending on thickness.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet over low heat, toast the pine nuts. Put the pine nuts into the pan with no oil and agitate them frequently. It should take about 5 minutes for golden toasted nuts.

Once the nuts are finished, set them aside and heat the olive oil.

Set aside the steamed asparagus, steamer top and add the pasta into the boiling water.

Into shimmering olive oil, add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add chilli flakes and asparagus and toss to coat in the oil. After a few minutes, add 3 tablespoons of pasta water to the asparagus. Add in the pine nuts and lemon zest, and coat.

Drain the pasta when it’s al dente (cooked for about 6-7 minutes) and add to asparagus and oil. Top with cheese and combine until thoroughly coated.

Am I a bad blogger? I don’t always have my camera ready for meals, and when I’m hungry, it’s really hard to convince myself to stop, take photos, get the best lighting and take more photos.

Plus there’s the matter of forgetting until everything is finished cooking that I should probably have documented the process.

This meal came from what we had in the freezer and the gentleman’s request for pasta with courgettes. I don’t normally server pasta as a side for fish, usually the fish is mixed in or there’s no pasta at all. It worked pretty well, and I might have to start doing the fish/pasta combination more often.

Also, even though it’s technically 2 recipes in 1, it didn’t take long at all – 15 minutes of cooking time and about 15 minutes of preparation.

We just got back from a series of “aways” for the holidays, including an extended New Year’s at a friend’s house outside of London. This was the first real meal of the year at home, and the first attempt to get back to more sensible eating. (No more buttery garlic bread and cheese for lunch.)

This time of year it’s easy to fall into the trap of making really ambitious resolutions that are almost impossible to live up to, but in the midst of thinking about wanting to buy fewer things, eat healthier, exercise more and learn something new – I’ll stick with the goal of having my camera nearby whenever I cook.

What’s your new year’s resolution?

Serves: 2

Roasted Dover Sole

On the Counter: 
2 filets dover sole
1 large clove garlic, minced
3-4 sprigs dill, chopped
1 lemon wedge (for serving)
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

What to do: 
Generously season filets with salt and pepper, let rest for 5-10 minutes on an oiled roasting tray.

Preheat oven to 355 F (180C). Brush some more olive oil on top of the filets. Top with garlic and dill.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and squeeze lemon juice on top. One 1/4 lemon wedge should be enough for 2 filets.

Zucchini and Tomato Pasta

On the counter:
1/2 cup (120 g) whole wheat pasta, Mafalda corta or penne
1  medium or 1/2 large zucchini, cut into chunks
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp (set aside)
1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes
1 tbsp fresh herbs (parsley, chives, dill) chopped
1 lemon wedge
fresh parmesan, grated (optional)

What to do:
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan until shimmering.

In a salted, boiling pot of water, add pasta and cook for 7-9 minutes, until al dente.

Meanwhile, add onions to hot oil and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in zucchini and cook for 4-5 minutes, until zucchini softens slightly and changes color. Add tomato chunks, chili flakes and 1 tsp olive oil, stir to integrate. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until pasta is done.

Drain pasta and add to sauté pan, add fresh herbs and the juice from 1 lemon wedge. Toss to combine.

Serve alongside sole and top the pasta with parmesan.

It has been hot, hot, hot here in London this weekend. Being from the northeast US, I’m thrilled with these hot, sunny days and hope we get a few months of it. It’s still less humid than back home, so I really can’t complain. Plus, there are loads of summer vegetables to eat, and finding ways to prepare them is a fun challenge.

Yesterday the gentleman and I spent the day in Whitstable, a really nice seaside town. One of my favorite things about it (besides the peaceful beaches and the delicious local oysters and lobster we had for dinner) was how focused the town seemed on “staying local”. The high street was full of locally owned shops and restaurants selling local products. Sometimes it can seem like a losing battle when most high streets are full of chain restaurants and Wetherspoon pubs. Whitstable was a very pleasant surprise.

One of our Whitstable oysters came with its own oyster-handle.

Speaking of local, pretty much all the vegetables from this recipe came from our Riverford box – the only thing that didn’t was the garlic and the canned tomatoes. I’ve gotten a bit more adventurous thanks to these boxes. You might not consider an eggplant (aubergine) particularly remarkable, but I’m not a big fan, so being forced to cook them sometimes has challenged my creativity and even changed my mind about a few vegetables.

Recipe note: Some people are vehemently against adding sugar to their tomato sauces. And while I fully admit it’s a short-cut, it’s one I’m happy to take – especially when I want tomato sauce NOW and not in 3 hours. Simplicity works well for the lasagne, as the veggies do a lot of heavy lifting and you don’t want the sauce to overpower all those fresh veg.

On the Counter

Sauce:
2 cans whole plum tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup red wine (chianti)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper (chili) flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp demerara sugar (1.5 tsp if using white granulated)
salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Lasagne:
6-8 no-boil lasagne sheets
1/2 cup mild white cheddar, shredded/grated
2 medium zucchinis (courgettes), sliced and quartered
1 eggplant (aubergine), sliced
10 chestnut mushrooms, sliced
salt to taste
fresh basil, shredded

What to Do

Sauce: In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add chopped onions, cook until nearly translucent. (If your onions are browning too quickly, add just a tiny bit of water to regulate the temperature of the pan and stir with a wooden spoon.)

When the onions are just about there, add chopped garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes, until garlic is soft but not brown. Meanwhile, chop or squish the tomatoes in their cans. 

Deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes, breaking up any bigger pieces. 

Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Add in sugar, oregano, basil and chili flakes. Taste and add salt (or a bit more sugar) as needed. 

Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. 

The Rest: 

While the sauce is simmering, sprinkle salt on all sliced vegetables. If you’re using lasagne sheets that need to be pre-boiled, start them now. Cook them for about 2 minutes less than the package says, as they’ll soak up some liquid during baking. 

Lay down a single layer of 3-4 sheets at the bottom of a wide baking dish. Spoon on a thin coating of sauce.

Add a layer of vegetables, no more than 2 deep. Add another layer of lasagne sheets. Continue until the dish is full, ending with a layer of vegetables.

Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. 

Bake at 180C for 40-45 minutes until bubbly with golden cheese. 

I hope you’ve had a chance to enjoy the summer while it lasts!

I know, another pasta-based recipe, but it’s summer! For me, warm weather and fresh vegetables means as little time and effort as possible and as much tasty fresh vegetable goodness as I can get. Plus, today was the perfect day for a light and easy pasta lunch.

The gentleman and I spent the first half of today, a perfectly amazing example of summer, swimming, bobbing and sunning at an outdoor pool.

It might have looked like this…

After a few hours in the pool, lunch had to be the right combination of filling but not too heavy. Swimming works up quite an appetite, but I was interested in spending as little time as possible near the stove.

A quick dig around in the fridge and I had a pile of mushrooms and some green onions. Paired with fresh basil, fresh pasta and some parmesan cheese, we were in the running for lunch. I’d like to try this with some walnut pieces tossed in, but unfortunately there weren’t any at home so … next time.

If you’re using fresh pasta, sauteeing the mushrooms and cooking the pasta will take the same amount of time. If not, start the pasta, and with about 5 minutes left, start heating up the oil. The whole thing, including chopping, should take about 10-15 minutes.

After lunch it was time for some homemade iced coffee and the Wimbledon final. I may not be from the UK, but it’s not hard to get swept up in the Andy Murray fever, and to watch Britain win its first men’s Wimbledon final in 77(!) years.  Pretty exciting, especially when paired with caffeine.

It’s quite possible that I wrote this sitting on the balcony; the smell of basil, the sounds of the neighborhood and the touch of a gentle breeze made this one of the most pleasurable posts to write. Days like this just don’t happen often enough.

Serves: 2

On the Counter

7 oz (200 g) fresh tagliatelle
4 medium portobello mushrooms, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 green onions (scallions), sliced, separated into 2 piles
1/2 tsp red pepper (chili) flakes
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly grated parmesan, (optional) to taste

What to Do

Heat a skillet or cast iron pan with 2 tbsp olive oil to medium-high heat. Once it’s shimmering (but not yet smoking!) add 1/2 of the green onions and mushrooms. Salt lightly and stir.

Meanwhile, add the tagliatelle to a pot of salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes (or less depending on pasta) until al dente.

After 2 minutes of cooking the mushrooms, add in garlic and chili flakes, turn down the heat to medium. Stir until the mushrooms have darkened and softened, but not turned mushy.

Drain the pasta and mix with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and the mushrooms. Top with basil, toss and onto the plate with it. Top with parmesan if desired.

(And also use a jam jar for drinking because all the glasses are in the dishwasher.)

I don’t think this needs any meat, especially since the mushrooms do a lot of that hearty umami work in this meal, and I just don’t like heavy lunches on hot days. And… without the parmesan, it’s vegan. If you’re skipping the parmesan, I might add a tiny bit of sea salt at the end, just for  bit of texture and some of the seasoning that the parmesan offers.

It’s been a while since my last post. In the process of moving in with the gentleman, a few trips and lots of packing and unpacking (and trying to eat my way through a pantry and freezer full of food), I just kind of lost the opportunity to sit down, edit photos and write up a post. Now that I finally feel like I’m getting back into a routine, I think I can start writing again. I have about 10 meals photographed and ready, so there might be a bit of a backlog coming up!

This is one of the first meals that I made living in the temporarily new place, (yep more moving to come), and I think it does a pretty good job of celebrating the season.

Just today I finished reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which I was a few years overdue on picking up. In the process of reading, I’ve decided to try even harder to focus on local, seasonal food with a good provenance. Right now, I can afford to make the extra effort and take the time to really consider what I eat and cook with, and if my choices have any effect on what the supermarkets stock, or the success of my local CSA, even better.

Speaking of the CSA, all of the veggies in this recipe came from our weekly vegetable box. Unfortunately there aren’t any shrimp deliveries, so I had to make do on that one. This recipe works well with any combo of seasonal veggies that you’re happy with, and it makes a great (and quick) dinner for a warm spring evening.

(Oh yeah, and if you leave out the shrimp, this is vegan!) I learned a great trick about getting butter-style emulsified sauces without the butter from Serious Eats, one of my favorite places for food know-how. It’s a great trick to keep a simple pasta dish dairy-free without sacrificing the sauciness. And everyone needs a bit of sauciness now and again.

On the Counter

1/2 lb (225 g) whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large or 2 small zucchini (courgettes), halved lengthways into quarters and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped (and peeled if you’re feeling ambitious)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp corn starch (corn flour)
(reserve) 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
10-12 raw shrimp (prawns), peeled (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Fresh thyme leaves, off the stem
1/2 tsp red pepper (chili) flakes
salt and pepper to taste

What to Do

Start the pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in skillet/frying pan. Add onion, toss and sauté until slightly translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add zucchini, garlic and bell pepper to the pan, and sauté  for 5 minutes or until the zucchini are nearly softened. Add corn starch and reserved pasta water, stir to dissolve corn starch and turn up the heat.

Add tomatoes, shrimp, red pepper flakes and thyme. Sauté until shrimp are just cooked and tomatoes soften (about 3 minutes).

Add lemon juice and toss the pasta in the hot skillet.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Because asparagus are finally in season here, I steamed some with a bit of garlic to serve on the side – which is why you’ll see their cameo appearance above. I love asparagus in pasta too, but that is certainly a matter of preference.

I’m moving in three weeks. Ack. My kitchen is definitely not ready for this. For a few months, I’ll be sharing a two-person flat with two other people before moving into more spacious terrain. This doesn’t leave me much space for my rather healthy supply of frozen meat and veg, nor my well-stocked cupboard.

The next few weeks are going to be pretty busy, but whenever I can squeeze one in, I’ll be making kitchen-cleaning meals. I’m excited for the move, but daunted about what exactly I’m going to do with all of my stuff. (Finding room for all my shoes and dresses should be an interesting challenge.)

This lasagne-style pasta bowl definitely helped in the quest to reduce my cupboard’s inventory. Hopefully if you’re ever in need of a quick, easy and hearty meal (or if you’re moving out soon), this will help you, too. I have a stock of whole wheat mafalda corta, which look like tiny versions of the curly lasagne sheets and they work perfectly for this. If that’s not an option, fusilli (corkscrew shape) or farfalle (bowties) would work well, too.

4

Lasagne-Style Pasta Bowl

5 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

35 minTotal Time

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

On the Counter

• 1 16 oz (400g) can plum tomatoes
• 1/2 lb (250 g) lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb (250 g) pasta (I used mafalda corta)
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
• 1 tsp salt
• optional: freshly grated parmesan, fresh parsley, basil or chives, chopped

What to Do

• In large saute pan, brown ground beef on medium heat. When nearly cooked, add sliced garlic, and cook until beef is browned. Add in canned tomatoes, squashing them with a wooden spoon. I try to get the rest of the tomato out with about 3-4 teaspoons of water.
• Add in tomato paste, basil, oregano and salt and drop heat to low.
• Cook until sauce thickens and flavors infuse, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water. Drain.
• Lower heat to nearly off, and add in cream cheese. Stir until fully combined. Taste for seasoning. Add in cooked pasta and toss.
• Optionally, top with freshly grated parmesan and fresh parsley, chives or basil.

7.8.1.2

24

https://www.onmykitchencounter.com/2013/05/06/lasagne-style-pasta-bowl/