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INTRODUCTION TO ITALIAN COOKING PART 2

thespiceman
thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
Hello everybody coming into the time of year that a lot of vegetables become the best.

Talking about Peppers and Zucchinis.  Also Cherry tomatoes.

Just thought share my favourite Vegetable Pasta's using the above Vegetables.

Simple sauces and easy to do.  The original fast food.

Pepper Pasta with Conchiglie

You will need a blender of food processor.
Knife
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Saute Pan or stockpot
Saucepan
Colander
Cup

Sauce 

1 Onion
Garlic to taste fresh or from a jar
Passata Carton 
Peppers Red, Orange, Yellow.  Diced sliced
Tomato Puree a squirt
Tomato Ketchup a squirt
Chilli Powder to taste . I suggested half a tsp.  or less.
Parsley or Basil chopped


Pasta Conchiglie are little pasta shells, either whole meal or white. Choice is up to you 

1. In a Blender or Food processor add Onion, Garlic, Passata, Tomato puree, Ketchup.  Blitz up.

2.  Put Pasta on to packets instructions salted water.  I use boiling water from a kettle helps.  To a large Saucepan.  Add pasta per person.  For one a handful.  Suggestion.

3.  Bring to boil simmer for ten minutes check after eight , test remove a piece.  Remember going in to a sauce so add less time on the packet.

4. Put sauté pan on add Peppers and sear add, sauce.  Portion.  Leave on medium heat for a minute or two.

5. Add in Sink Colander with a cup underneath for draining pasta.  Option two is a bowl with a colander inside to drain pasta using a slotted spoon.  For those who find lifting pans heavy.

6.  Back to sauce taste add seasoning.  Too thick ladle of pasta water. Bring sauce to a boil simmer.

7. Add drained pasta mix. simmer one minute then into a bowl for serving.


Zucchinis and Mushrooms with Farfalle

As with Peppers Zucchini's always seem best this time of year partnered with Mushrooms any.

Zucchinis or courgettes come in two types green and yellow

Farfalle are little bow tie Pasta or Butterfly type of Pasta.  Buy Whole meal or White.

The Chilli sauce I have used for the Peppers is the same one I use for this dish.

Same as above.  Zucchini can be sliced using a food processor slicer.

Mushrooms use any ones available, Chestnut have a good flavour or if available Porcini.  In tubs follow the packet instructions.

1. As above Pasta sauce for Peppers.

2.  Zucchinis sliced food processor  Fry off gently olive oil.

3. Put Pasta on as above as instructions.

4. Add to a pan fry off mushrooms. I do this separately.  Olive oil. Season.

5. To Zucchini Pan add Mushrooms that have been cooked. Add sauce. 

6.  Drained Pasta mix in, sauté medium heat.

7. Simmer taste season serve.
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Comments

  • susan48
    susan48 Community member Posts: 2,221 Disability Gamechanger
    Sounds delicious 
  • fishingmum
    fishingmum Community member Posts: 562 Pioneering
    I grow tomatoes so make my own passatta, but to be honest the seeds dont bother me so I happily make a sauce out of the whole tomato and add in oregano and basil when simmering the sauce.

    If you grow your own garlic, then get oil and peel it and keep it in the oil so you have one ready to take out and use either crushed or diced. You can do the same with peppers, but I roast them first before keeping in oil it flavours the oil as well, but it means you have peppers ready to use without any waste.
    life is too short to let others make you miserable.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @fishingmum Thanks for the information. Do buy garlic and should try to grow it. Talking about doing it in Tubs as long they are deep enough be OK. So great, really marvellous, to comments and tips and tricks.

    Had to buy the garlic already done for you. Need to buy and grow my own. Only bought that one jar because the store had ran out.  Fresh.

    Looking at Chilli's and Onions. Use a lot.

    Also do freeze a lot. This time of year. Start Pasta Sauce making again. Used to do this, still do. Just a excellent way to save money and stored in Zip bags. Easy. Do a lot in Zip bags.

    As I live on my own , forgot or did that sauce, need one. Then defrost boiling kettle in a bowl. Poured over. Leave.

    Sauces are pureed anyway so easy to do. Always add Red wine vinegar to tomato pasta sauce. That is your preservative.  For the freezer.

    Speak soon. Understand do own peppers.  Have no oven.  Myself.

    Learnt can dice them up and into freezer zip bag to freeze.  Then into sauces straight away.
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  • fishingmum
    fishingmum Community member Posts: 562 Pioneering
    where I am the weather is not great so I grow chillis and peppers in the green house but onions grow fine in the ground here. you do not need deep containers for garlic to grow, the do fine in normal pots. If you are freezing the sauce and it will be used within a month you can save money by not adding wine vinegar, freezing preserves it.

    Shame you do not have an oven what cooking facilities do you have?
    life is too short to let others make you miserable.
  • fishingmum
    fishingmum Community member Posts: 562 Pioneering
    @thespicemando you grow chives? they are a great addition to meals and can be used in making soups as well such as leek chive and potato, creamy chive and parsnip or adding into sauces very easy to grow as well.
    life is too short to let others make you miserable.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @fishingmum Thank you may I say for advice. Only been and told to by cooks and chefs who do this.  Besides not a lot to add. Just a dash, gives tomato sauces a twang.

    Chives yes that is an option. Thank you.

    All I have cooking is a microwave for reheating food.

    Use hob designed with me in mind. Got a ceramic one.

    Also have loads of gadgets and kitchen tools to help me.

    Have fingers missing of hands and have standing, chopping, dicing a struggle so adapt all my recipes with gadgets in mind.

    Blender, Food Processor, With slicer attachments for onions mille seconds quick do a batch in a box . Fridge.

    Carrots peel slowly but do it with Swede.  Already diced ready to go. Do ragu with Swede and Potatoes plus Carrots.

    Instead of Solfritto. Carrot, Celery and Onion.

    Hand whisk attachments for eggs, scrambled eggs, omelettes, Frittata's.

    Mini chopper for herbs and chilli's and garlic and anything small diced.

    Also with food processor have cheese grater, blade for fruit and use that a lot sauces.

    All handles easy to lift on pans, knives easy handles but weighted, eat with spoon and fork.

    Knives not good, can use but not good. Have bowls for food not many plates.

    Less is more in bowls. Portion up.

    That is about that really. Never use Oven do not need. Really. Stopped using slow cookers have two but by time done it in morning . Find only easier to do it quicker by hand really if am pushed.

    They are their if ill or not too good.

    Have developed techniques and strategies for doing quick easy meals.

    Ragu good in slow cookers plus other things like Chill's or Curry.

    Understand if I wish to, do Curry or Chilli in a hurry.

    Speak share some more anytime.


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  • fishingmum
    fishingmum Community member Posts: 562 Pioneering
    @thespiceman I would add a splash of wine not wine vinegar, but it depends on your taste preference.

    I can see why this would be difficult for you, I do a lot of bulk cooking and freeze and store foods so it benefits me having an oven. Do you have anyone near you who could maybe bulk chop some veg for you? Or bulk cook a few meals and freeze them?

    I am very lucky my dad had his own restaurants and me and my siblings were all trained to be chefs so food for me is second nature.

    Sounds like it is pretty difficult for you, but well done on the amount you can manage :)
    life is too short to let others make you miserable.

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