Rachel Allen - Rachel’s Food for Living

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes (or 8 fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped)

1 litre (1¾ pints) chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

250g (9oz) spinach, destalked and finely chopped, or baby spinach leaves left whole

1Place the olive oil in a large saucepan on the heat and add the diced chorizo. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the chorizo releases its oils, then add the chopped onion, celery and garlic. Cook on a gentle heat with the lid on until the onion is completely cooked, about 10 minutes, then remove the lid and turn up the heat and cook for a minute to slightly brown the onion.

2Add the chickpeas and their liquid, chopped tomatoes and the stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring up to the boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the chickpeas have absorbed all the flavours. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

3While the mixture is still simmering, add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is soft. Serve in big, warm bowls.

I love this soup – it’s rich, smooth and velvety. This makes a lovely meal on its own with some crusty bread on the side, or serve as a starter for a wintery dinner party.

SERVES 4–6

VEGETARIAN

25g (1oz) butter

2 leeks (about 300g/12oz), dark green tops removed, white bits thinly sliced

2 potatoes (about 175g/6oz), peeled and chopped

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 litre (1¾ pints) light vegetable or chicken stock

75ml (2½fl oz) single cream

100–150g (4–5oz) blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue, Stilton, Gorgonzola or Roquefort, crumbled (see handy tip), plus 25g (1oz) for serving

1Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan, add the leeks, potatoes and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and cover. Turn the heat down to low and let the vegetables sweat for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then to ensure they don’t burn (see also the handy tip below).

2After 10 minutes add the stock, increase the heat and simmer for a further 8–10 minutes until the potatoes and leeks are soft. Remove the bay leaves, add the cream and the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to a liquidiser. Whiz the soup until it is smooth and velvety. Return to the saucepan to re-heat, tasting and seasoning if necessary.

3To serve, pour the soup into warm bowls and sprinkle with the extra crumbled blue cheese.

If making this soup with a strong blue cheese like Roquefort or Gorgonzola, I only add 100g (4oz), but if you are using a milder blue cheese like Cashel Blue, you might need 125–150g (4½–5oz).

When sweating onions or other vegetables for a long time, I like to cover them with a butter wrapper or a piece of greaseproof paper as well as the saucepan lid. This helps to retain the moisture and makes sure they don’t burn.

This recipe was inspired by a conversation I had with the great Italian chef Aldo Zilli. He told me a wonderful story about his mother using light pancakes as an alternative to pasta in certain dishes, and I’ve discovered they work wonderfully with rich tomato sauces. This recipe uses the pancakes in place of lasagne sheets, which adds a fluffiness to the dish. I love the way it comes out of the oven, sizzling and bubbling to the table. It’s a perfect family dinner.

SERVES 4–6 VEGETARIAN

FOR THE PANCAKE BATTER (MAKES 8)

125g (5oz) flour

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

125ml (4fl oz) milk

125ml (4fl oz) water

15g (½oz) butter, melted

Sunflower oil, for oiling the frying pan

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or grated

Salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes or 900g (2lb) fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3 tbsp torn fresh basil leaves

FOR THE FILLING

300g (11oz) fresh mozzarella, grated

100g (4oz) ricotta

25g (1oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus a bit extra for sprinkling

1First make the pancakes. Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and drop in the eggs. Start to whisk, gradually add in the milk and water, whisking all the time, until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. Add in the melted butter and set aside. The batter can sit like this in the fridge for 24 hours.

2Next make the tomato sauce. Place the olive oil in a wide saucepan, add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then cover and cook on a low heat until the onions are completely soft. Add the tomatoes and half the basil, leave uncovered and cook for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the sauce has thickened. Add the remaining herbs and season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.

3While the tomato sauce is cooking, you can make the pancakes. Place a medium-sized frying pan on a high heat and allow to become very hot. Pour the batter into a jug for easy pouring. Wipe the frying pan with an oiled piece of kitchen paper. Pour in just enough batter to cover the base of the pan – it will start to cook as soon as it hits the pan so swirl it around the base immediately.

4Cook on a high heat for 30 seconds–1 minute until the pancake is golden brown around the edge. Using a fish slice or palette knife, carefully but quickly flip the pancake over (you might need to take the pan off the heat while you do this) and cook the other side for another 30 seconds–1 minute until golden brown. Remove to a plate and cook the remaining pancakes in the same way. You will need a total of eight pancakes.

5Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.

6Mix the cheeses together in a bowl, to make a spreadable paste.

7To assemble the dish, place a pancake on the bottom of a 25cm (10in) square or round ovenproof dish, spread with a thin layer of the cheese mixture, top with another pancake and continue assembling, alternative seven layers of pancake and filling. Finish with a top layer of pancake. Pour the tomato sauce over the top, sprinkle with the remaining 25g (1oz) grated Parmesan.

8Place in the oven (though it can also be stored in the fridge overnight or frozen at this stage). Bake for 30–40 minutes until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the centre feels hot when a skewer is inserted. Take out of the oven, cut into wedges and serve with a lovely green salad.

This is one of my all-time favourite comfort foods. It’s surprisingly refreshing for a pasta dish due to the fresh flavours of the lemon, courgette and basil, but the mascarpone and cream cheese are warmly satisfying.

SERVES 4

VEGETARIAN

450g (1lb) rigatoni or other pasta shapes

2 tbsp olive oil

4 small or 2 medium courgettes, halved lengthways, seeds removed and thinly sliced at an angle