Pasta Recipes | RecipeTin Eats

Calabrian Fish Ragu Pasta

Nagi — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 05:09:15 +0000

This is a fish pasta in a richly flavoured fish ragu pasta sauce. It’s a great recipe to stretch fish further and cook it in a unique way that’s outrageously delicious with big, bold Italian Calabrian spices!

Calabrian Fish Ragu Pasta

I feel like the name of today’s recipe requires explanation.

I’m calling this a ragu because it’s stewy and braisy and has beautiful depth of flavour even though it hasn’t been slow cooked for hours like my Shredded Beef Ragu. Because, NEWSFLASH, it doesn’t have to be slow cooked for hours to be called a ragu!

As for the Calabrian part of the name? It’s because the seasoning is inspired by the flavours of Calabria: chillies and particularly nduja, the intensely-flavoured salami paste from the region that’s rising in popularity in the foodie world. Stuffed in focaccias, dolloped on pizzas, mixed into pasta sauces, this fiery spread has big, bold flavours and a little bit goes a long way.

So, as you might have guessed, this is a fish pasta that is big on flavour. I love that it tastes exotic and restaurant-y but it’s economical and easy!

Fish tossed in a bold Calabrian spice mix

Ingredients in this Fish Ragu Pasta

Here’s what you need to make this.

1. The fish

Key to this pasta is the spice mix for the fish. As mentioned earlier, the flavours in this fish pasta are based on the seasoning on nduja which is a type of salami. So, think – fennel and paprika with a hit of spiciness. Bold is the word that comes to mind!

Best fish for this pasta

Any firm white fish fillets (skinless and boneless) can be used in this recipe. Here are some suggestions: snapper, John or Silver dory, barramundi, bream, tilapia, pollock, cod, flathead, perch, ling, bass, basa, hake, hoki, monkfish (pricey here, so I reserve for other uses like this recipe). If using frozen, thaw thoroughly and pat dry before using.

I recommend avoiding:

Fish that dry out easily when cooked – Like swordfish, tuna, bonito, kingfish, marlin.
Delicate and thin-filleted fish – Like flounder, sole, plaice, turbot, whiting. The texture of the flesh is a bit too delicate for this type of cooking.
Oily fish – Like sardines or mackerel. A bit too overwhelming, flavours don’t quite match.

The Calabrian spices

Whole fennel and black peppercorns – These are toasted then ground, for maximum flavour impact. I would not ask you to make the effort to toast and grind if I really didn’t believe it was worth it. It is! However, I have substitutions in the recipe notes for ground fennel and pepper, if that’s all you have.
More spices – Nutmeg, paprika, chilli flakes (red pepper flakes). Feel free to dial back the chilli if you’re concerned about spicineess.

2. In the pasta and the sauce

Pasta – Any long strand thinnish pasta is ideal here. I use fettuccine.
Tomato passata – This is pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. It costs around the same as canned tomato.
Passata is excellent for making thick, smooth sauces and soups without a long simmer time like required to break down crushed tomato. A regular in my recipes! More on tomato passata here.
Tomato paste – A boost of tomatoey flavour and to help thicken the sauce.
Garlic – Because, garlic. Rarely do savoury recipes happen around here without garlic!
Parsley and parmesan – garnishes. I know parmesan isn’t strictly traditional in Italian fish and seafood pastas. But, it works. We’re not after loads of parmesan cheesiness. It just adds saltiness.

3. pangrattato

Pangrattato is an Italian chunky breadcrumb topping that adds an addictive crunch and flavor to pasta dishes and salads. I particularly like it with this fish ragu as it adds great texture and is a terrific contrast to the soft fish.

Bread – Use a denser bread like sourdough, ciabatta etc which have structure and go really crunchy when toasted. Lightweight sandwich bread is a little too delicate and kind of just dissolves into powder, bypassing the crunch completely. BUT – if sandwich bread is all you have, I’d still go ahead! Or, substitute with panko breadcrumbs.
Oil and salt – To make it crunchy and salty.

How to make fish ragu

As mentioned earlier, this is a ragu but it doesn’t have to be slow cooked for hours! In fact, if you can multi-task, you’ll get this on the table in just over 20 minutes.

1. pangrattato first

Get the pangrattato in the oven first. Toss the bread in olive oil and salt, then bake in a 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced) oven for 10 minutes until crisp all the way through.

2. CALABRIAN SPICED FISH NEXT

Next up, toast the spices and coat the fish in the tasty flavours.

Toast the fennel and black peppercorns for a couple of minutes until it smells fragrant and you can see the fennel is lightly browned. Use a large deep skillet or pot, something large enough to toss the pasta with the sauce later. No oil required at this stage.
Grind the spices using a mortar and pestle, or a grinder.
Coat the fish with the ground fennel and peppercorns, nutmeg, chilli flakes, sugar, salt, olive oil plus the tomato paste.
Once coated, set aside while you prep the other ingredients. No need to marinate.

3. MAKING THE PASTA

The pasta sauce takes around the same time to cook as the pasta so you can make both at the same time.

Boil pasta for the time per the packet directions minus 1 minute. It should be al dente – cooked through but still a slight firm but. It will soften more as it cooks through more when tossed with the pasta sauce.
Scoop out about 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water. We will need this for the pasta tossing at the end.
Cook fish – Sauté the garlic until golden, then add the fish (scrape out every bit of the paste!) and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato passata and simmer for 5 minutes.
The fish ragu sauce – This is what it looks like before the tossing process starts. Notice how the fish pieces are still whole at this stage. Some of the pieces will flake and break when we toss with the pasta, some will stay mostly whole. I find that texture the most appealing for me.
What we don’t want is for all the fish to disintegrate. It’s so much nicer to have fish chunks so you know you’re eating fish rather than unidentifiable mush!

Add reserved pasta cooking water and simmer for a further 2 minutes. The pasta cooking water has starch in it which makes the sauce thicken so it clings to the pasta strand. You will see in the next step!
Toss with pasta – Then add the pasta and most of the parlsey. Toss, still on the stove, for 1 minute or until the pasta strands are stained red and all the fish ragu is clinging to the pasta strands rather than pooled in the pan.
If the pasta gets too thick (excessively enthusiastic tossing, heat too high are typical causes), just add a splash of extra pasta cooking water to thin it out and give it another good toss!

Now, it’s ready for serving. Twirl into bowls and cover liberally with a shower of the crunchy pangrattato and finish with parmesan!

Matters of serving fish ragu

As with any pasta, this fish ragu is best served and eaten piping hot and fresh, straight out of the pan while the pasta is sticky and slippery and saucy. As it sits around, the pasta continues to absorb the liquid, drying it out so it’s thick and stodgy.

So, whenever you are making any pasta, be sure to have the hungry hoards at the table, ready to twirl and slurp the moment you bring the pasta bowls to the table, for maximum enjoyment!

Really hope you love this as much as I do. The fish ragu is divine as it is. But with that crunchy pangrattato? It’s sheer perfection. Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Calabrian Fish Ragu

Recipe video above. This is a fish pasta in a richly spiced fish ragu pasta sauce. The spice mix is based on njuda, the bold flavoured spreadable Calabrian salami paste that's rising in popularity in the restaurant scene! It's a great way to make fish stretch further, cooked in a unique way that's outrageously delicious with big, bold Southern Italian flavours.

No stale bread? Use panko instead. See notes. 3 servings? I know it's a little odd, but the spice mix didn't scale down neatly to make pasta for 2! (3/8 tsp nutmeg?!). Leftovers are always delicious.

Course Mains

Cuisine Italian-esque

Keyword fish pasta, fish ragu

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings

Calories 714cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Calabrian spiced fish:

250g/ 8 oz firm white fish fillets , skinless, boneless, cut into 2 cm / 0.8″ cubes (barramundi, snapper, cod – Note 1)
3/4 tsp black peppercorns (Note 2 for ground option)
1 tsp fennel seeds (Note 2 for ground option)
1 tbsp smoked paprika (sub ordinary paprika)
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), feel free to reduce/omit
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp caster / superfine sugar
3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste

Pasta:

250g/8 oz linguine pasta (or fettuccine, spaghetti)
1 tbsp cooking / kosher salt , for pasta water
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves , finely minced
3/4 cup tomato passata (US: tomato puree, Note 3)

Garnish:

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Parmesan cheese , finely grated, for serving

Pangrattato

1 cup stale bread like sourdough, ciabatta , crusts removed, torn/chopped into irregular 1cm/0.4" pieces (Note 4)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch cooking / kosher salt

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Toast & grind – Preheat a large deep skillet or pot over medium heat (Note 5), no oil. Toast black peppercorn and fennel for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until it smells fragrant and the fennel is lightly browned. Transfer to a mortar and use a pestle and grind to a powder while still hot.
Coat fish – Transfer to a medium bowl with remaining Calabrian spiced fish ingredients. Stir well with a spatula until combined. Set aside.
Cook pasta – Boil 3 litres of water with the cooking salt. Cook pasta per packet directions minus 1 minute. Just before draining, scoop out 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water. Then drain in a colander and leave until ready to use.
Calabrian fish ragu – While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in the same skillet you used to toast the fennel on medium high. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the fish. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Add tomato passata. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and simmer for 2 minutes.
Toss pasta – Add pasta and 3/4 of the parsley. Toss for 1 minute to coat the pasta with the sauce. Most of the fish will break up into flakes but some will remain in larger chunks – this is good! We don't want disintegrated mush, nor giant chunks. Once the pasta turns red and the sauce and fish bits are clinging to the pasta straws, remove from heat and divide between bowls immediately.
Serve – Sprinkle with pasta, pangrattato and parmesan. Eat immediately!

Pangrattato:

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced).
Toss bread, oil and salt in a small bowl. Spread on a tray and bake for 10 minutes, tossing at the 5 minute mark, or until light golden and fully crisp.

Notes

1. Firm white fish fillets – Works best with fairly firm white fish fillets that are not too thick. Some suggestions: snapper, John or Silver dory, barramundi, bream, tilapia, pollock, cod, flathead, perch, ling, bass, basa, hake, hoki. If using frozen, thaw thoroughly and pat dry before using.

I recommend avoiding:

Fish that dry out easily when cooked – Like swordfish, tuna, bonito, kingfish, marlin.
Delicate and thin-filleted fish – Like flounder, sole, plaice, turbot, whiting. The texture of the flesh is a bit too delicate for this type of cooking.
Oily fish – Like sardines or mackerel. A bit too overwhelming, flavours don’t quite match.

2. Grinding whole spices will give the best flavour in this recipe, it really makes a difference here. I only emphasise this when it matters, I will use pre-ground whenever I can! But you can use pre-ground if that’s all you’ve got. 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper and 1/2 tsp fennel powder. No toasting, just mix in with other spices.

3. Tomato passata – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). Readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. Excellent for making thick, smooth sauces. More on tomato passata here.

4. Back up – use 1/2 cup panko instead, toast for shorter time. If the bread isn’t stale that’s fine too, it’ll take a little longer to go crunchy and is a little harder to cut into small pieces.

5. Cooking vessel needs to be large enough to toss the sauce with the pasta.

6. Recipe reference – inspired by this recipe torn out from the Delicious magazine during a flight. Though, my resulting recipe is very different. Much saucier (good thing), faster (also a good thing) with bolder flavours (that’s just how I roll!).

7. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Warm in microwave with a splash of water and toss well. Store pangrattato in the pantry.

Nutrition per serving assuming 3 servings.

Nutrition

More things to make with fish!

Chilli Lime Fish

Fish Tacos

Sizzling Ginger Steamed Fish

Goan Fish Curry (Indian)

Fish Seasoning (great all-rounder)

Thai Fish Cakes

Homemade Filet-O-Fish (BAKED!!)

Fish Cakes

Fish Fingers recipe

Fish recipes

Life of Dozer

My house needed a major air-out over the weekend after a particularly intense week of spice-heavy cooking, so I left all the doors open all day to create a nice breezeway.

Dozer was put on front door guard duty. I felt totally safe.

The post Calabrian Fish Ragu Pasta appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

One pot creamy tomato beef pasta

Nagi — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 06:00:00 +0000

This is a beef pasta cooked with Italian seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. The epitome of easy homemade comfort food with the convenience of one-pot cooking!

One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta

I’m quite selective about one-pot pasta recipes. I only use it for saucy pastas, like today’s. It just doesn’t work properly with less saucy pastas, like Puttanesca and pesto pasta, because there’s not enough liquid to cook the pasta evenly.

So, any one-pot pasta recipe you see here on my website is saucy and oozy.

I’ve never heard any complaints. Everybody loves sauce!

Today’s is a beef pasta that comes with a creamy tomato sauce. It’s essentially a variation of Bolognese, with Italian seasonings plus a dash of cream. Total crowd pleaser!

Proof of ooziness:

Ingredients in this One Pot Beef Pasta

Following on from my introduction about the sauciness of one pot pastas, it will be no surprise when I say that the key to cooking one pot pasta recipes is to have plenty of liquid that the pasta can absorb! Dried pasta absorbs more than double its own weight in liquid as it cooks. Today, we use 4 cups of stock plus a can of tomato for 360g/12 ounces of pasta.

Beef mince (ground beef) – I use lean here (90% or 95%) but any fat % will do. Actually, the fattier the beef, the beefier the flavour – because fat is where all the flavour is! If you mix, say, lamb fat into very lean beef mince and cook it up, you’d swear you’re eating lamb.
Chicken stock/broth – The cooking liquid of choice. Tastier than water! I use the liquid cartons regularly in my cooking so I stock up when it’s on sale. For an economical option, I recommend using Vegeta stock powder or Chinese chicken stock powder (Knorr) plus water. I prefer the flavour of these over other Western stock powders.
Pasta type – I used the spirals (fusilli), but other similar sized short pastas will work just fine too. Penne, ziti, elbow macaroni, shells. Avoid the really small pastas like risoni/orzo, tiny stars etc. If using long pasta, it’s easiest to break in half. You can also use a little more – increase up to about 400g/14oz.
Cream – Just 3/4 cup, stirred in right at the end transforms a normal tomato sauce into a creamy tomato sauce! You really do only need 3/4 cup to get the flavour and colour impact of the creaminess.
Garlic and onion – Essential flavour base.
Tomato paste and canned tomato – Tomato paste gives a boost to the tomato flavour as well as thickening the sauce a touch.
Italian herbs – Seasoning! I use a store bought mix, it’s a staple in the dried herbs and spices aisle at any grocery store and doesn’t cost any more than other dried herbs. If you don’t have it, use any mix of dried oregano, basil and parsley. Or, a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Just something to add flavour.
Red pepper flakes (chilli flakes) – 100% optional. I like to add a tiny touch of warmth into this to keep things interest but you can just leave it out if you prefer!

How to make One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta

Don’t be alarmed by how saucy it is at the end as you take it off the stove, that’s exactly what you want. Pasta absorbs liquid really quickly, so by the time you ladle into bowls, garnish with parmesan, put the bowls on the table, yell at everyone to sit down then start eating, the pasta will go from a little bit too soupy to the perfect level of ooziness.

Cook beef – Sauté the garlic and onion. Then add the beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red.
Toast seasoning – Add the Italian herbs then cook for 30 seconds. This really brings out the flavour of the herbs and spices, and improves the flavour by toasting it. Then add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. This cooks out the rawness and also improves the flavour.

Add liquids and pasta – Add the stock, canned tomato, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir, then add the pasta.
Cook 15 minutes – Once the liquid comes back up to a simmer, cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is just about cooked. Stir every couple of minutes at the start then more regularly towards the end to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the base of the pot. As you cook, the liquid will reduce and thicken but should still be soupier than you’d expect.

Cream it! Stir in the cream, bring it back up to a simmer then keep cooking for another minute until the pasta is fully cooked. It should still be slightly soupier than you think!
Serving – Remove from the stove, then give it a good stir and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan and a little parsley if using, then devour!
As noted at above, pasta absorbs liquid quite quickly so it will go from a little too soupy to perfect ooziness in the time it takes between taking it off the stove and eating it. In any case, saucier is better than dry. Nobody wants a mound of gluey, stodgy pasta!!!

YUM. That’s a bowl of food that is 100% me. It’s not fancy. It’s fuss free to make. It’s hearty and cosy and easy and rustic and full of flavour.

I know it’s a cliche to say “it’s me on a plate”, but it really is. (Well, bowl).

Love to know what you think if you try it! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

One pot creamy tomato beef pasta

Recipe video above. This is a beefy pasta cooked with Italian seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. Epitome of homemade comfort food with the convenience of one-pot cooking! Love how the pasta absorbs the flavour of the sauce.

For more, see the full One Pot Pasta recipe collection.

Course Mains

Cuisine Italian, Western

Keyword beef pasta, creamy tomato beef pasta, easy pasta dinner, One Pot Pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings – 5 people

Calories 610cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves , finely minced
1 onion , finely chopped
500g/ 1 lb beef mince / ground beef
2 tsp Italian herbs (Note 1)
2 tbsp tomato paste
400g/ 14 oz can crushed tomatoes (or tomato passata)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (chilli flakes, optional)
1 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups (1 L) chicken stock/broth , low sodium (Note 2)
350g/ 12oz fusilli, penne, elbow macaroni or other short pasta (Note 3)
3/4 cups thickened / heavy cream

Serving:

Parmesan cheese , finely grated
Parsley , finely chopped, optional

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Sauté – Heat the oil on high heat in a large heavy-based pot. Cook garlic and onion for 1 1/2 minutes.
Cook beef & seasonings – Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you can no longer see red meat. Add the Italian herbs and cook for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw flavour.
All in – Add crushed tomato, chicken stock, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir, then add the pasta.
Cook 15 min – Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes then more frequently towards the end (ensure pasta doesn't stick to base) until the pasta is just about cooked.
Creamy – Add cream, then simmer for a further 1 to 2 minutes. It will still be quite saucy – this is what you want! Pasta absorbs liquid quickly, so it will still be nice and oozy when you start eating.
Serve – Remove from the stove. Give it a good stir then ladle into bowls. Serve with parmesan and parsley.

Notes

1. Italian Herbs – Just a store bought mix, very common at grocery stores. If you don’t have any, just use a mix of dried oregano, parsley, basil. Or sub with a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.

2. Chicken stock/broth – Tastier than water! I stock up when on sale. Economical alternative – I recommend using Vegeta stock powder (info here – I use it regularly) or Chinese chicken stock powder (Knorr) plus water. I prefer the flavour of these over other Western stock powders.

3. Any short pasta will work here, like macaroni, penne etc but not tiny ones like risoni/orzo. If using long pasta, easiest to break in half and you can cook about 400g/14oz (a little more than short pasta).

4. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings using 90% lean beef.

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

I caught him snuffling a tub of rice in the pantry so he was made to walk around with a sticker of shame. (Raw rice grains. I think there was a smear of sauce on the tub. It can surely be the only explanation).

The post One pot creamy tomato beef pasta appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Risoni/Orzo Salad with Crispy Salami Bits

Nagi — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Risoni /orzo salad, filled with an unapologetically generous amount of your new favourite garnish – crispy salami bits! There’s a good stack of bright fresh vegetables in here too, all tossed up in a tasty Italian Dressing. A new big, bold, statement pasta salad to fall in love with!

The crispy salami bits!

Meet the star player in today’s line up – crispy salami. Literally just chopped up salami, fried in a pan until crisp. Think, bacon. With even more flavour!

Wait – what do you mean you’ve never fried up salami before??!!

OK, truthfully, I hadn’t either until I started down this “I want to make an interesting pasta salad!” warpath. A familiar state I find myself in pursuit of this (delicious!) life I have chosen sharing recipes with the world.

I had a vision of a pasta salad version of my Mega Italian Salad. I wanted big, I wanted statement, and I wanted something different to the usual “just add an Italian dressing and then you can call it an Italian pasta salad”.

Multiple iterations later – “mm, I mean, it’s fine but it’s just pretty ordinary, ya know?” – I arrived at today’s version. The crispy salami bits was the clincher!

Just briefly – orzo vs risoni

The little rice shaped pasta bits of pasta are a firm favourite. My pantry is never without multiple boxes! Called risoni here in Australia and orzo in most of the rest of the world (UK, US, Canada). But risoni is actually the correct name used in Italy because orzo means barley in Italian. And risoni is not made from barley, it’s made from flour like normal pasta!

So there you have it. Here in Australia, it’s labelled risoni in the mainstream grocery stores but in speciality grocers and Italian stores, I’ve also seen it labelled as orzo.

What you need for risoni / orzo salad

This is a big orzo / risoni salad filled with a medley of fresh vegetables, a handful of cheese, then tossed with an Italian dressing and the crispy salami bits.

1. Risoni / orzo

Find risoni /orzo in the pasta aisle, usually sold in small boxes. It costs around the same as spaghetti. Suggestions for alternatives below.

Substitute with cooked rice of choice (use 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice) – white, brown, basmati, jasmine – or quinoa (directions here). Other little pasta will work too – like ditalini, the really small macaroni or the novelty shapes for kids (dinosaurs! alphabet!).

2. The add-ins

The add-ins for this recipe are inspired by everybody’s favourite Mega Italian Salad. But there’s lots of alternatives – go wild with salad add-ins of your choice! Even the crispy salami bits, as much as I harp on and on about them, can be substituted with bacon, ham, prosciutto, or anything else that’s crispy/salty. Or nuts!

Salami – I use the deli pre-sliced rounds because I’m lazy and it means less chopping for me because the job is half done. Else, slice your own salami stick!
Substitutes – As noted above, anything fryable that goes crispy will work great as a substitute. And if you prefer no meat, add a handful of roughly chopped pistachios, pine nuts, or sunflower or pepitas.
Tomato – I like using cherry tomatoes because they hold up better if keeping this for a few days. However, you can use 3 large tomatoes instead. Scoop out watery middle then dice the flesh.
Rocket/arugula – My leafy greens of choice for ease of use (grab handfuls and rip into smaller pieces) and also because it holds up best in leftovers. But other leafy greens will work fine, chop into small(ish) pieces.
Capsicum/bell peppers – For crunch! Cucumbers would make a great sub. Oh, and you don’t HAVE to use green capsicum! Yellow or red will be fine too….
Red onion – Substitute with something similar for oniony freshness. 1 large green onion stem finely chopped, or 1 eschallot (US: shallot ie the baby onions), or 1/2 a white onion.
Olives – I like using sliced olives here for better dispersion, though I was tempted to use whole ones so you can big meaty bites of olives. You choose!
Substitute with other briny things. I’m thinking: pickles, artichokes, fire roasted capsicum, other pickled veg. Just want something with tang to balance out everything else going on in this salad!
Cheese – What, you’ve never added a handful of shredded cheese into “rubble” type salads before? It’s so good! Instant flavour uplift. I used colby – a great all-rounder that works for melting in cheesy sauces (Mac & Cheese), on things (pasta bakes), on tacos, in burritos, in salads!
Substitute with cheddar, monteray jack, pepper jack, gruyere, swiss etc. Not mozzarella (not enough flavour) and not parmesan (too much flavour!).

3. Italian dressing

This is the same dressing from my Mega Italian Salad, minus the parmesan cheese – because we’re using a big handful of shredded cheese instead.

Extra virgin olive oil – The better the quality, the better your salad!
Red wine vinegar – Substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Dried basil and oregano – Substitute with an Italian herb mix or dried parsley.
Chilli flakes – Optional, for the tiniest hint of warmth.
Sugar – Just 1/2 teaspoon. Cuts through the vinegar so you can get away with using less oil.
Garlic – Fresh please! Jarred stuff barely resembles the real deal, and is also weirdly sour. So wrong!

How to make risoni/orzo salad

Dressing – Shake the dressing ingredients in a jar. Always my preferred method to make dressings because it really combines the ingredients well. Plus, useful storage!
Risoni / orzo – Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water per packet directions. Drain, rinse then toss in a little oil (to keep it from clumping) then cool.

Crispy salami – Chop the salami into small pieces. Then cook it in a non-stick pan like you do bacon until it’s crispy. No oil needed, it will fry up in its own fat!
Drain on paper towels. It will get crispier as it cools. To preserve crispiness, keep it separate until just before serving.

Toss 1 – Toss all the salad ingredients together first without the dressing.
Dress then toss again – Then pour the dressing over and toss again. Why I do this: because otherwise if you pour straight onto certain ingredients, like leafy greens, they tend to hog more than their fair share of the dressing. I’m looking at YOU, rocket!
Tumble everything into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with reserved salami then eat!

Practical matters of Italian risoni/orzo salad

Some final words on this pasta salad!

Making ahead – If I’m making ahead intentionally (eg taking to a gathering), I’ll keep the components separate so it’s fresh and perky for serving. Especially the crispy salami! It does soften once it’s mixed through so keep it separate to preserve crispiness.
Shelf life once dressed – Still very good after 2 hours, good after 3 days. If I know I’m keeping it, I usually dial up the dressing slightly, and hold a little back so I can freshen it up with a little extra dressing.
Gluten free – As suggested above in the ingredients chatter section, switch the pasta for rice to make this gluten free. It’s literally perfect – similar size and shape.
Serve at room temp – If you made ahead or have leftovers, bring to room temp before eating. You’ll taste everything better than when fridge cold.
Eat with a spoon – Perhaps a strange point to finish on but this is a characteristic of this pasta salad that really appeals to me!! For some reason, I find it really satisfying that I can eat this pasta salad with a spoon. Convenience (eg multi-tasking: eat without taking your eyes off the TV, or in my case, moving around the kitchen while cooking something else) and the ability to scoop up and eat big mouthfuls of it.

Are you judging me? 😂

Love to know what you think if you try this recipe. Especially, of course, the crispy salami bits!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Italian Orzo Salad (Risoni) with Crispy Salami Bits

Recipe video above. The crispy salami bits are the hero here. The better bacon. Why aren't we putting crispy salami in everything??!

Tossed through a risoni/orzo salad inspired by my favourite Mega Italian Salad with lots of fresh vegetables and a good handful of cheese to keep things tasty. Excellent packed lunch, keeps well for days, love that you can eat it with a spoon. Serves 4 – 5 as a meal. Make this today, find another pasta salad for next week here!

Course cold pasta salad, Main

Cuisine Western

Keyword chicken pasta salad, orzo salad, risoni salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Cooling time 30

Servings

Calories 612cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

250g / 8oz risoni / orzo pasta – 1 1/4 cups (Note 1)
2 tsp salt , for cooking pasta
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Salad add-ins (Note 2):

250g/ 8 oz salami slices , chopped into 1.25 cm / 1/2" squares (Note 2)
1 cup sliced kalamata olives (1 x 220g/7oz jar) – or other olives or briny things (Note 4)
2 tightly packed cups baby rocket / arugula , torn by hand
400g/ 14oz cherry tomatoes , quartered (2 1/2 cups)
1 large green capsicum , cut into 1.25cm / 1/2″ squares
1/2 red onion , finely diced
1 1/2 cups (tightly packed) colby cheese , shredded into short strands (Note 5)

Italian dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar, sub apple cider vinegar)
1 garlic clove , crushed using garlic press or grated using microplane
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Cook pasta – Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add salt and risoni/orzo, then cook per packet directions (usually ~10 minutes). Drain in colander, rinse, shake off excess water well. Transfer to large bowl. Toss with the olive oil then let cool.
Dressing – Shake in a jar.
Crispy salami – Put salami in cold large non-stick pan, with no oil. Turn onto medium high – as the pan heats up, the fat will melt so it cooks in its own fat. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until light golden. Drain on paper towels. It will crisp as it cools.
Toss – Set aside 1/3 of the salami for topping. Put all remaining salad ingredients in with the risoni. Toss. Pour over dressing. Toss, toss, toss!
Serve! Tumble into serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining salami. Divide between bowls. Eat with spoon! Best eaten at room temp, not fridge cold (can taste flavours better).

Notes

1. Orzo/risoni – Little rice shaped pasta! Substitute with cooked rice of choice (use 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice) – white, brown, basmati, jasmine – or quinoa (directions here). Other little pasta will work too.

2. Salami – I use the deli pre-sliced rounds because I’m lazy and it means less chopping for me because the job is half done. Else, slice your own salami stick!

Substitutes – Anything fryable that goes crispy, like bacon, ham bits, prosciutto. Prefer no meat? Add a handful of roughly chopped pistachios, pine nuts, or sunflower or pepitas.

3. Vegetable notes:
– Tomato: sub with 3 large tomatoes, scoop out watery middle then dice the flesh
– Rocket/arugula: holds up best it keeping leftovers, I find. But other leafy greens will work fine, chop into small(ish) pieces.
– Capsicum/bell peppers: cucumber could be substituted. Oh, and you don’t HAVE to use green Yellow or red will be fine too!
– Red onion: Sub 1 large green onion stem finely chopped. Or 1 eschallot (US: shallot ie the baby onions), or 1/2 white onion.

4. Olives – Sub with other briny things. I’m thinking: pickles, artichokes, fire roasted capsicum, other pickled veg. Just want something with tang to balance out everything else going on in this salad!

5. Cheese – Sub with cheddar, monteray jack, pepper jack, gruyere, swiss etc. Not mozzarella (not enough flavour) and not parmesan (too much flavour!). Try to grate short rather than long strands – you get more pieces to litter throughout!

6. Leftovers keeps well for 2 to 3 days. If intentionally making ahead, keep all components separate then toss and dress just before serving. In particular, the salami softens once tossed through so preserve crispiness by keeping it separate!!

Nutrition per serving assuming 5 servings.

Nutrition

More cold pasta salad recipes

Chicken Pasta Salad

MARINATED Vegetarian Pasta Salad!

The most amazing avocado pasta salad

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad

Greek Lemon Orzo Salad (Risoni)

Pesto pasta salad

Macaroni Salad

Prawn Mango Avocado Summer Salad

Pasta and Rice Salads

Life of Dozer

Somebody get Prince Edward Dozer Maehashi I some sunnies, stat! The morning sun is blinding him!

The post Risoni/Orzo Salad with Crispy Salami Bits appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Chicken pasta bake

Nagi — Wed, 03 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

A nice change from the usual creamy versions, this chicken pasta bake is made with a tomato pasta sauce. Filled with bacon, sizzling seasoned chicken and generous on the cheese, it’s cosy and hearty and thrifty and just so, so delicious! Excellent complete meal for making ahead and freezing.

Chicken pasta bake

If you can cut a pasta bake like cake – I’m talking straight vertical walls with sharp edges – that is not a good thing. It just screams dry pasta bake!

Nope. Not in my world. Pasta bakes should be saucy and juicy, molten and oozy! Generously loaded with add-ins, if you’re going for a dinner pasta bake (as opposed to a side dish like Mac and Cheese).

This one ticks all those boxes. Proof by picture – juicy / saucy:

Tasty add-ins – sizzling seasoned chicken! Love the smell when the chicken hits the pan.

So if that sounds good to you, read on so you can see how to make your new favourite chicken pasta bake!

Ingredients in chicken pasta bake

You’ll be able to get everything from your local grocery store. Nothing pricey on the list!

Sizzling seasoned chicken

The pasta bake starts with sizzling chicken that’s been tossed in a simple, tasty seasoning. Here’s what you need:

Chicken – I like using chicken thighs as they stay juicier in dishes like pasta bakes where they are twice cooked (ie before adding into sauce then in the oven with the pasta).
Seasoning – Using a store bought Italian herb mix is a great shortcut here. I always like to add an extra spice, garlic in this paste, for extra flavour oomph.

Tomato pasta sauce for the pasta bake

A good tomato-based pasta bake needs a good tomato pasta sauce! No shortcuts here – I tried and just found it too bland. So here’s what we need:

Pasta type – I like the substantialness of rigatoni, there’s something extra cosy and satisfying about it in pasta bakes. However, feel free to use other short pastas like macaroni, penne, ziti, shells etc.
Tomato passata – for a thick, smooth sauce with better tomato flavour and red colour, use passata instead of crushed or diced tomato. It’s just pureed plain tomato! Readily available here in Australia in the pasta or canned tomato aisle and costs around the same as canned tomato. More on passata here.
Tomato paste – for sauce thickening and extra tomato flavour.
Garlic and onion – essential flavour base!
Oregano – for earthy flavour.
Chilli flakes / red pepper flakes – for a hum of warmth!
Wine – secret ingredient! Simmered rapidly to reduce and cook out the alcohol and winey flavour, just leaving behind tasty flavour. My favourite white wine for cooking is chardonnay which adds superior flavour compared to more neutral whites like sauvignon blanc. Substitute with low sodium chicken stock/broth.

Chicken pasta bake add-ins & topping

Lots of add-in options, but here’s what I’ve gone with!

Bacon – cooked first until crisp, chopped, and tossed through the pasta bake. Then we use the bacon fat left in the pan to cooke the chicken. Free flavour not to be wasted! Substitute with ham bits or chopped ham.
Tomato – adds lovely juicy chunks of tomato in the pasta bake as well as filling it out and increasing the vegetable quota.
Baby spinach – for more hidden greens as well as adding nice streaks of green into the pasta bake.
Cheese – mozzarella for stretch and melting qualities, parmesan for flavour! (Because mozzarella actually does not have much flavour).

Feel free to substitute the tomato and baby spinach with other add-ins of choice.

How to make chicken pasta bake

There’s a time and a place for quick, low-effort one-pot pasta bakes. Then there’s all those times when you want a really good pasta bake so you’ll do it properly. Crisp the bacon, sear the chicken, simmer the sauce, then bring it all together into one big bubbling pasta bake.

Today is one of those days!

1. Crisp bacon (no oil)

First, cook the bacon in a non-stick pan until golden and crisp. You won’t need any oil to do this as the fat in the bacon will melt and release fat into the pan. So it cooks in its own fat!
Drain on paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan (we will use this to cook the chicken). The bacon will go crispy when it cools, then chop into pieces.

2. Making the pasta bake

Toss the chicken in the Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Sear – Using a very big pan or a large pot (because we’re mixing the sauce with pasta in this pan), sear the chicken until light golden in the reserved bacon fat.
Don’t worry whether it’s cooked through inside, it will finish cooking in the sauce and oven. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl, leaving the tasty chicken/bacon fat in the pan (you see all this flavour building going on, right??!)

Sauté the onion and garlic with the chilli flakes and dried oregano – good trick for bringing out extra flavour from dried herbs! Then add the wine and simmer rapidly to mostly reduce – this cooks out the alcohol and removes the winey flavour, just leaving behind tasty flavour which adds a little something-something into the sauce.
Sauce – Next, cook off the tomato paste. Similar to toasting the herbs, this improves the flavour of tomato paste, taking off the sour edge, intensifying the tomato flavour and sweetening it. Good Cheffy tip!
Then we add all the liquids – the tomato passata, water (use it to rinse out the bottle) – salt and pepper for seasoning.
Simmer – Then stir in the chicken – don’t forget to add all the juices pooled in the bowl! Simmer for 5 minutes to bring the flavours together – this is when the magic happens so don’t skip or shortcut this step. I tried – to speed things up – but the sauce just lacked flavour.
Add-ins – Add the baby spinach, tomato, cooked pasta and bacon in that order, so the heavier add-ins weigh down the considerable volume of baby spinach.
Oh! If you remember, you can hold back a bit of bacon for sprinkling on at the end. But to be honest, I usually forget.

Mix well – Give it all a good stir to mix it all together. You DID use a big pan, right?? 🙂 If you didn’t, this is the part where you’ll start crying or cursing – been there, done that!
Baking pan – Transfer to a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ pan and level the surface.

Cheese it! Top with mozzarella then parmesan cheese. Doing it in this order gives the surface a lovely golden crust thanks to the parmesan, but it’s not the end of the world if you do it the other way.
Bake for just 25 minutes until the cheese is melted with some lovely golden spots. Rest for 5 minutes, just to let it settle so the sauce clings to the pasta a bit better. Then serve!

Make-ahead / freezing tip

Most pasta bakes are terrific make-ahead-bake-later options, and this chicken pasta bake is no exception!

The best way to make ahead is to cook the sauce and pasta separately, allow both to cool completely. Then toss together and assemble the pasta bake – including topping with cheese. Cover well with cling wrap and refrigerate 3 days or freeze up to 3 months (thaw thoroughly). Then bake covered for 20 minutes then uncovered for 20 minutes. It will take longer for the centre to get hot if you’re baking from fridge-cold but the cheese will get too brown if you leave it uncovered for this full baking time.

Complete meal – veg, starch, protein!

It is not often I get to tell you that a pasta dish is a complete meal, so let me enjoy the moment. This one’s got it all! Starch, protein and plenty of vegetables – the tomato passata (yes it’s a vegetable!), chunks of fresh tomato and a good amount of baby spinach too.

Which means – unlike most of my creamy pasta bakes – no need to make a salad for the side to round out the meal. Always a bonus when it comes to choosing what to make for dinner tonight, right?? – Nagi x

PS Having just made that statement, I just realised the photo above has a side salad in it. 😂 It’s the rocket salad (arugula) with balsamic dressing minus the parmesan shavings (because I figured there was enough cheese in the pasta bake!). It was already made for another recipe I was shooting so I just grabbed it as a background prop for the photo!

PPS Despite saying this is a complete meal, a side of garlic bread would certainly take dinner to another level!

Watch how to make it

Chicken pasta bake

Recipe video above. Everything a chicken pasta bake should be – big, juicy, bubbly, cosy, with loads of extra tasty sauce, sizzling seasoned chicken, bacon and plenty of cheese. Nice change from the usual creamy pasta bakes!

This is a complete meal with starch, protein and veg so you won't need a side salad for this. Love the juicy chunks of tomato!

Course Main

Cuisine Italian-esque, Western

Keyword Chicken Pasta Bake, pasta bake, tomato sauce for pasta bake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Servings – 6 people

Calories 567cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Seasoned Chicken

500g / 1 lb chicken thighs , cut into small bite size pieces (Note 1)
1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Italian herb mix , any store bought type

Pasta bake

300g/10oz rigatoni (or penne, elbow macaroni, shells or similar)
2 tsp salt , for cooking pasta
5 slices streaky bacon
1/2 onion , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (Note 2)
2 tbsp tomato paste
700g / 24oz tomato passata (Note 3)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tomatoes , cut into 8 wedges then halved
2 big handfuls baby spinach (or bite size kale)
2 cups mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup (tightly packed) parmesan, finely shredded

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
Cook pasta per packet directions, using boiling water seasoned with the 2 teaspoons of salt. Drain, rinse briefly under tap water, then set aside to cool while making the sauce.
Season chicken – Toss together Seasoned Chicken ingredients in a bowl.
Crisp bacon – Put bacon in an unheated very large non-stick pan (Note 2). Turn stove on medium high. The fat will melt so the bacon cooks in its own fat. Cook until light golden, remove onto paper towels, leaving fat in the pan. Once cool, cut into 1cm / 1/3" pieces.
Sizzle chicken – Top up bacon fat with olive oil if you don’t have at least 1 tbsp. Increase heat to high. Cook chicken for 3 minutes until light golden on the outside but still raw inside. Remove into a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Sauce – In the same pan, cook garlic and onion for 1 minute, then add chilli flakes and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent. Add wine and rapidly simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until mostly evaporated. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to concentrate and improve flavour. Add passata, then use the water to rinse out the bottle. Add salt, pepper, chicken (including all juices on the plate). Mix, then simmer for 5 minutes on medium.
Toss – Add baby spinach, tomato, pasta and bacon. Toss well.
Assemble – Transfer to 23 x 33cm/9 x 13" pan. Top with mozzarella then parmesan. Bake 25 minutes until melted with some golden spots.
Serve – Stand for 5 minutes then serve!

Notes

1. Chicken thighs hold up best in pasta bakes as they stay juicy through the double/triple cook. However, breast will also work though I’d cut it a little larger so it stays juicier.

2. Wine is a secret ingredient for tastier sauces – no winey flavour remaining, I promise! I like using chardonnay as it adds more flavour than neutral whites like sauvignon blanc. Sub low-sodium chicken stock/broth

3. Tomato passata – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. Passata is excellent for making thick, smooth sauces. More on tomato passata here.

4. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge or freezer for 3 months.

Make-ahead – Best way is to cool down the sauce and pasta before combining. Assemble pasta bake – including topping with cheese – wrap tightly in cling wrap then fridge 3 days or freezer 3 months (thaw completely). Bake covered for 20 minutes then uncovered 20 minutes.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings. It’s a pretty hearty pasta bake thanks to all the add-ins so it should be enough for 6 standard servings.

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

Sunset walk. Such a beautiful part of Sydney! (It’s Bayview dog park in Sydney’s northern beaches).

The post Chicken pasta bake appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.