Rachel Allen - Easy Meals Text Only

* Drain the spaghetti, reserving some of the cooking liquid, then add to the anchovy mixture with a few tablespoons of the liquid. Tip in the chopped parsley, stir to mix, then add the lemon juice. Taste, adding a further squeeze of lemon if you like. Add a grinding of black pepper and serve immediately.

Fusilli with tuna, capers and cream

A tin of tuna and some pasta are enough to make a meal, though for added interest I’ve included capers and garlic. You can also stir in a few chopped olives, if you wish.

Serves 4

PREPARATION TIME

5 minutes

COOKING TIME

10–12 minutes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

350g (12oz) dried fusilli, or other pasta shape such as penne or farfalle

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated

3 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

100ml (3½fl oz) single or regular cream

2 x 185g tins of tuna, drained and broken into chunks

3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced at an angle

* Fill a large saucepan with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Add the fusilli and cook for 10–12 minutes or according to the instructions on the packet, until al dente.

* While the fusilli is cooking, mix together the other ingredients in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, then stir into the tuna mixture and serve.

Tinned-tomato pasta

This is a classic tomato sauce using tinned tomatoes with zingy additional flavour from garlic, olives and capers. Adding sugar is important as tinned tomatoes don’t have the sweetness of fresh tomatoes in summer.

Serves 4

PREPARATION TIME

5 minutes

COOKING TIME

10–12 minutes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

300g (11oz) dried pasta, such as spaghetti, fusilli, penne, tagliatelle or linguine

6 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated

4 tsp chopped capers

About 10 black olives, pitted and chopped (optional)

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

2 tsp granulated or caster sugar

50g (2oz) Parmesan cheese, grated

* Fill a large saucepan with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10–12 minutes or according to the instructions on the packet, until al dente.

* Meanwhile, place another saucepan on a medium heat. (The pan should be large enough to hold all the pasta once it is cooked.) Add the olive oil, followed by the onions and garlic, then season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes or until the onions are softened and lightly coloured.

* Stir in the capers and olives (if using), cook for a further minute, then stir in the chopped tomatoes and sugar. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes, then drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce. Mix together, then divide between bowls and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Tagliatelle with bacon, peas and mint

Long thin pastas are perfect for creamy sauces, with each strand evenly coated. Spaghetti works here, too, but for this dish I prefer the texture and slightly chunkier shape of tagliatelle.

Serves 4

PREPARATION TIME

5 minutes

COOKING TIME

10–12 minutes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

350g (12oz) dried tagliatelle or other pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine

2 tbsp olive oil

200g (7oz) streaky bacon (about 8 rashers), rind removed and cut into 2cm (¾in) dice

300ml (½ pint) single or regular cream

200g (7oz) frozen peas

2 tbsp chopped mint

50g (2oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated

* Fill a large saucepan with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook for 10–12 minutes or according to the instructions on the packet, until al dente.

* While the pasta is cooking, pour the olive oil into a large saucepan on a medium–high heat and, when hot, add the bacon. (The pan should be large enough to hold the tagliatelle when it is cooked.) Fry for about 5 minutes or until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden and crispy.

* Stir in the cream and allow to bubble for a couple of minutes, then stir in the peas and keep cooking for a minute or two more or until they are just tender. Remove from the heat, then drain the tagliatelle and add to the sauce, stirring it in along with the chopped mint.

* Taste for seasoning and serve with the Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.

Chicken and bacon pilaf

With just a little fried onion and some stock you can transform boiled rice into a really tasty dish. The chicken and bacon makes this a substantial meal. If you have some fresh herbs, stir them in for extra flavour.

Serves 4–6

PREPARATION TIME

10 minutes

COOKING TIME

30–35 minutes

4 tbsp olive oil

300g (11oz) streaky bacon (in the piece or about 10 rashers), rind removed and cut into 2cm (¾in) dice

25g (1oz) butter

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

300g (11oz) basmati rice

800ml (1 pint 9fl oz) chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

200g (7oz) frozen peas

300g (11oz) cooked chicken (or see tip), cut into bite-sized pieces

* Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the bacon and fry for 6–8 minutes or until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden and crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside, retaining any oil left in the pan.

* Melt the butter in the saucepan with the bacon fat, then add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes or until soft and lightly browned.

* Next, add the rice and stock, season with salt and pepper, then bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 14 minutes or until the rice is soft and fluffy. Stir in the peas, fried bacon and chicken and cook for a further minute, then taste for seasoning and serve.

Rachel’s tips

Butchers and some supermarkets will sell bacon ‘in the piece’. This is often better for cooking with than rashers, because rather than thin pieces you can get nice juicy chunks.

If you don’t have leftover cooked chicken, then just poach some in the stock – it hardly takes any time. Cut an uncooked skinless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan, then season with salt and pepper and add the chicken to the pan. Bring back up to the boil and poach for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is opaque all the way through. Remove the chicken, then use the stock to cook the rice as above, before stirring in the cooked chicken with the peas and bacon.

Bacon and potato gratin

A bubbling, golden crispy potato ‘lid’ hides more layers of soft and creamy potato beneath. This comforting dish is so simple to put together that it’s a great example of how just a few ingredients can combine to produce something really special.

Serves 6–8

PREPARATION TIME

15 minutes

COOKING TIME

1½ hours

2 tbsp olive oil

375g (13oz) bacon (in the piece or about 10 rashers), cut into 1–2cm (½–¾in) dice

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1kg (2lb 3oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm (¼in) thick slices

300ml (½ pint) single or regular cream

50g (2oz) Gruyère or Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

2 litre (3½ pint) gratin or ovenproof dish

* Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6.

* Pour the olive oil into a frying pan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the bacon and fry for about 5 minutes or until crispy. Stir in the onion, garlic and thyme, season with salt and pepper (bearing in mind that the bacon is quite salty) and cook for a further 6–8 minutes or until the onion is soft and a little golden.