Pumpkin and veal carbonara (serves 4)
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp butter
- 200g veal bacon, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 300g pumpkin, cubed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 400g pasta, cooked and drained but cooking water reserved
- 4 eggs, whisked
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- Parmesan and basil, to serve
1. In a large sauté pan, warm the olive oil and butter over a medium-high heat. Working in batches, lay rashers of bacon down in the pan. Fry gently on both sides until just lightly browned, remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cool, tear into bite-sized pieces. Reserve oil in the pan.
2. Add the vegetables and garlic to the same pan and sauté until they are coated with the oil. Spread them in the pan to make an even layer. Season with salt and pepper and let them cook until they begin to brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Mix together the eggs, Parmesan and lemon zest.
4. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir until well mixed with the vegetables. Pour in the egg mixture and stir constantly until the egg is cooked.
5. Add some of the reserved liquid from the pasta if the pasta begins to look a bit dry. Add the cooked bacon and basil and stir for a minute.
6. Garnish with Parmesan and basil and serve immediately.
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Seafood paella (serves 8)
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 300g extra-large prawns in the shell, heads on
- 250g squid, cleaned and cut into 2.5cm pieces
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 100g mangetout
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 1 small onion, minced
- 10 threads saffron, crushed and soaked in 4 tbsp hot water for 15 mins
- 2 litres chicken stock
- 2 1/2 cups short-grain rice, preferably Valencia or Bomba
- 500g small clams, cleaned
1. Heat oil in a 40 x 46cm paella pan over a medium-high heat. Add prawns, some salt, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Add squid, paprika, tomatoes, garlic, mangetout, pepper and onion to pan and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 6 minutes.
3. Add saffron mixture and stock, season with salt, and bring to a boil over a high heat.
4. Sprinkle in rice, distribute evenly with a spoon, and cook, without stirring, until rice has absorbed most of the liquid, 10–12 minutes. (If your pan is larger than the cooker burner, rotate it every two minutes so different parts are over the heat and the rice cooks evenly.)
5. Reduce heat to low, add prawns and nestle in clams, hinge side down. Cook, without stirring, until clams have opened and rice has absorbed the liquid and is al dente, 5-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with aluminium foil, and let paella rest for 5 minutes before serving.
