Naughty, naughty Qantas Pasta

Let’s start the new week on a naughty note.

I very rarely make cream sauces – they’re a little hard on the digestion and extremely hard on the diet, so overall, I don’t use cream when I cook. I make one exception once in a blue moon though.

Three years ago, our family went on a spectacular trip to Australia. Part of our one month down under involved flying around the very large country. The flights were up to three hours long, so when the cabin crew would hand out “food”, which was usually a very pink meat sandwich, I would always decline. On one flight, an insistent flight attendant persuaded me to try the vegetarian option. In spite of my policy to avoid airplane food whenever possible for obvious reasons, I agreed. So imagine my surprise when I started eating my vegetarian airplane pasta and discovered that it tasted really good. I was almost embarrassed to admit to my family that I had eaten food on a plane that I really liked and wanted to eat again!

The dish I was eating had roasted pumpkin, peas and spinach with pasta. I knew that when I got home I’d have to try to replicate it. Eventually, when we returned home from the other side of the planet, I went out and bought what I thought should be the ingredients. I came up with a rather similar version of the dish, which I dubbed Qantas Pasta, as a homage to the airline that managed to serve a dish that not only was edible but also replication-worthy.

QANTAS PASTA OR PASTA WITH ROASTED PUMPKIN, PEAS AND SPINACH

500g (1 lb) fettuccine or penne noodles

Pasta with Roasted Pumpkin, Peas and Spinach

Olive oil

About 400g (14 0z) pumpkin cut into large cubes (about 6-7 cm/3 inches)

About 300g (10 oz) fresh spinach leaves washed and chopped

1 cup frozen peas

4-5 clove garlic thinly sliced or roughly chopped

250 ml (8.5 fl oz) sweet cream (avoid using non-dairy cream as it’s usually sweetened and this will make the dish too sweet.)

½ tablespoon cornflour

¼ cup milk

Nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

How to do it

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F)

2. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and lightly grease with some olive oil. Place the pumpkin cubes on the tray and bake for up to an hour or until the pumpkin is cooked through (don’t overcook or it will get too mushy in the sauce) Allow to cool and cut into smaller cubes.

3. Place the spinach in an ungreased large wok or skillet and add some freshly grated nutmeg and wilt over medium heat for about a minute, until just soft. Remove and set aside.

4. Add some olive oil to the wok and on a medium flame, saute the garlic until it just starts to get golden. Add the cream, salt and pepper, turn up the heat and allow to start bubbling. While the cream is heating up, mix the cornflour in the milk until it dissolves completely. When the cream starts bubbling, add the cornflour liquid while stirring the cream. The sauce will start to thicken slightly. Add the vegetables and allow them to just heat through in the sauce on medium heat (about 4-5 minutes) and then remove from the flame and set aside covered.

5. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

6. Combine the sauce and the pasta and grate some Parmesan cheese over the top before serving. (Try to cook the pasta at the same time as the sauce so the sauce doesn’t get cold and require reheating. If you can’t, then give the sauce a quick reheat before combining with the pasta.)

Serves about 6.

Traditional Mac and Cheese for these Cold Rainy Days

It’s been raining virtually non-stop in Israel this winter. I can’t remember a winter where it rained this much. On days like today, when the rain is incessant and it’s cold and nasty outside, all I can think about is feeding myself and my family on some hot, creamy macaroni and cheese. As comfort food goes, it’s way up there with the greats like minestrone soup and beef stew. Only my quick version takes a lot less time and makes everyone happy because how can you go wrong with pasta and cheese?

For the traditionalists, I do make a proper version, with a béchamel sauce base. This version is more work (by that I mean stirring) and includes butter, which I don’t use in my quick version. For those with keen taste buds, the béchamel sauce version is definitely superior and tastes wonderful. On the other hand, my quick version is yummy, filling and I’m still waiting for the first complaint. When I have the energy, I make the proper version, and I’m always glad when I do. But don’t feel bad about taking the short cut.

TRADITIONAL MAC AND CHEESE 

Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb) noodles (macaroni, mini penne, or elbow)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard

Salt

For the béchamel version: 4 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons flour…or

For the quick version: 2 tablespoons corn flour and about ¼ cup of cold milk

About 2 cups breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons oil

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

How to do it

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C (320°F)

2. Cook the pasta according to the directions.

Melt the grated cheese in the sauce

3a. For the  béchamel version: In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, then slowly stir in the flour and mix together for a 3 minutes until smooth and light brown in color. Very slowly, start adding the milk, while stirring. Keep stirring over low heat until the mixture thickens (this will take about 5 minutes, be patient and don’t stop stirring). Once the mixture thickens, add the garlic, salt and mustard and mix well. Then add the grated cheddar, mix till melted and remove from the heat.

3b. For the quick version: Heat the milk over medium heat in a saucepan, adding the salt, garlic powder and mustard. In a small bowl or cup, mix the cornflour into the cold milk until it has dissolved and there are no thick bits at the bottom. When the milk starts coming to a boil, add the cornflour while stirring. The mixture will thicken up very quickly. Turn the heat down to low and allow the mixture to bubble for about a minute. Add the grated cheddar, mix till melted and remove from the heat.

4. Drain the pasta and mix the sauce into the pasta. Pour the mixture into a large greased oven-proof dish.

5. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and the oil, and if desired, the Parmesan cheese (recommended). Sprinkle evenly across the top of the dish. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top starts browning.

Makes 6-8 servings.

As promised: Spinach Lasagna

When vegetarians come to visit, I have several favorites that I haul out of the cobwebs from my own vegetarian days, which came to an end at the end of the previous century.

I’ve been making this vegetarian lasagna for years. Besides my substitution for her rather complex tomato sauce, it’s mostly from the classic Mollie Katzen vegetarian recipe bible The Moosewood Cookbook. While it was first published in 1977, many of her recipes have stood the test of time, and if they ain’t broke, why fix them?

For years, before my eldest son agreed to eat spinach, I made this with the cheese and sauce only, and it was delicious. Now I add the spinach – fresh only – and it’s even better.

VEGETARIAN SPINACH LASAGNA

Ingredients 

Lasagna out of the oven

1 batch basic tomato sauce without the onion

18-20 lasagna noodles (the ones that don’t require pre-cooking – I use Barilla)

300-400 g (10-14 oz) fresh spinach

Ground nutmeg

250 g (12 oz) ricotta cheese

2 eggs

Salt and ground black pepper

400 g (14 oz) grated mozzarella cheese

100 g (3.5 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

How to do it

1. Prepare the tomato sauce as per the recipe, including the red wine but omitting the onion

2. Wash and chop the spinach and wilt it in a dry hot wok pan or large skillet, adding a few pinches of ground nutmeg, and drain any excess water.

Wilted spinach

3. Beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl and add the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper and mix till smooth. Add the spinach and mix.

4. Grease a large Pyrex lasagna pan.

5. Spread about 4-5 tablespoons of tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish, just barely covering the whole surface.

6. Arrange one layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce (make sure there are no spaces). Break up one of the noodles to fill any gaps.

7. Carefully spread half the ricotta mixture over the noodles, making sure the noodles don’t shift (use your fingers if you need to shift them back in place), and then spread one third of the tomato sauce on top of the ricotta. Sprinkle just under half of the mozzarella over the sauce.

8. Then another layer of noodles, the rest of the ricotta mixture and another one third of the tomato sauce, followed by most of the remaining mozzarella – leaving about half a cup for the top.

Last sprinkling of cheese

9. Add the last layer of noodles and cover with the rest of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.

10. Place the lasagna in a pre-heated 180°C (350°F) oven for 30-40 minutes (or until the cheese on top is golden – don’t let it burn).

This serves about 8.

Spinach Lasagna - up close and personal