Category Archives: pasta

Lasagne with added veggie-power

Posted on by

No, this isn’t a vegetarian recipe…not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’m aiming to get more veggies into my meals though, and so I came up with this layered lasagne that replaces some of the pasta with zucchini and eggplant.

Serves 4-8 (depending on your preferred serving size)

500g lean beef mince
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
400g jar of pasta sauce (I like Paul Newman’s classic bolognese)
1 sachet (50g) tomato paste
1 cup water
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 medium zucchini, sliced thinly
1 medium eggplant, sliced thinly*
4 large sheets of pasta (instant)
200g ricotta
2 tbs finely grated parmesan

Heat a large non-stick pan and add half the oil. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes or until onion becomes transparent. Add the mince and stir, breaking up any lumps, until browned. Add pasta sauce, tomato paste, water and basil, stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is a good consistency (not too runny, not too dry).

While the sauce is reducing, heat a griddle/grill plate (or another non-stick pan if you don’t have one) and brush it with the extra olive oil. Grill the sliced zucchini and eggplant on both sides till lightly browned and cooked through. You can do this on a BBQ too.

Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the base of a rectangular baking dish, about 28cm x 18cm. Top with two sheets of pasta, then a third of the remaining sauce. Top with the eggplant slices, then a third of the sauce, then two more sheets of pasta and the remaining sauce. Place the zucchini slices over the top, then spread the ricotta as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake at 180C for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.

Stats for one-eighth of the whole kaboodle:

Calories: 302
Protein: 21g
Carbohydrate: 22g
Fat: 13g

*If your eggplant is large, you will need to salt it before cooking, to remove any bitterness. Something like this. Allow extra time for this, it needs about 20 minutes or so.

Chicken meatballs with spicy tomato sauce

Posted on by

chicken meatballs with spicy tomato sauce

Serves 3-4

400g lean chicken mince (or use beef, kangaroo or turkey)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
½ tsp crushed garlic
20g pine nuts
Chilli flakes to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
A big handful of continental parsley, chopped
1 tbs grated parmesan
A squeeze of lemon juice
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Mix onion and chicken mince in a bowl. Place all other ingredients except egg white into the bowl of a food processor and process until a coarse paste is formed. Add to the chicken mince and mix through, using hands for best results. Add about ½ the egg white, mixing well. You can add more if need be, but don’t make the mixture too sloppy.

Heat a non-stick pan and add two teaspoons of olive oil. Take heaped teaspoons of the mixture and form into balls, then fry in batches, turning frequently until browned on all sides and cooked through. Serve with tomato sauce (over pasta or not, as you prefer) and a salad.

Tomato sauce

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion
1 tsp crushed garlic
400g can of chopped tomatoes
2 small roasted capsicums, chopped (you can use the kind you buy in jars or from the deli)
½ cup red wine
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
About 4 medium mushrooms, sliced

Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add onion, garlic and chilli and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until onion is soft. Add capsicum and cook for a minute or two more. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook a further 10 minutes uncovered.

Creamy chicken & bacon fettucine

Posted on by

Today, I have a guest recipe writer! Shelley sent me this one a few weeks ago, and it’s become one of my favourites. It’s simple, it’s loaded with veggies, and it’ll feed a family, or make enough individual serves to keep you going for a few meals.

Serves 6

500 g raw asparagus spears, cut into 3-4 pieces
120 g raw onions, cut into thin wedges
300 g baby spinach
400 g raw mushrooms, sliced
400 g raw red capsicum, sliced
350 g primo 97% fat free bacon, diced
300 g raw chicken breast, cut into thin strips
112 g dry Sapore fettuccine
100 g Philadelphia cream cheese (extra light)
50 g Perfect Italiano grated parmesan

Cook the bacon and chicken in a wok, then set aside. Cook all veges except baby spinach, adding that just at the end. Boil the fettuccine. Whack the chicken and bacon and fettuccine (when cooked) back in. Stir through the cream cheese. Serve, add parmesan.

If you don’t happen to be a figure competitor, you might want to use more fettucine and/or divvy this up into only four serves ….your call.

pasta with chicken, tomato, olive and chilli

Posted on by

This one is a “cheat” recipe, since it’s not all home-made. But it’s great for a weeknight dinner because it’s quick and tasty.


Serves 1

1 cup cooked pasta
200g chicken breast, diced
1/2 an onion, diced
2-3 tablespoons of Leggo’s stir-through sauce: Tomato, olive and chilli
3 largish button mushrooms
4 or 5 sundried tomato halves, sliced finely*
Big handful of washed baby spinach leaves
Some crushed chilli out of a jar, if you like some heat

Heat a non-stick pan and add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil. Add the chicken, chilli and onion and stir till browned and the chicken is cooked through. Chuck in the mushrooms and stir for about a minute. Add the sauce, sundried tomatoes and mushrooms, with a little water if it looks like it needs it. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the spinach. Continue to simmer until spinach is wilted, adding more water if needed.

Serve over hot pasta (obviously, you cook the pasta and the sauce at the same time….) with a tablespoon of grated parmesan and a salad on the side.

You can add other things to the sauce, such as halved Kalamata olives or diced fresh tomato, some capsicum….whatever you have handy.

* Not the ones packed in oil. I usually get Great Lakes brand – they’re in the fruit & veg section, in a plastic container.

Linguine Marinara

Posted on by

I saw a great-looking marinara mix at the supermarket fish counter the other day, and had a hankering for a pasta dish. So I made this recipe up as I went. You could buy shellfish and white fish fillets separately if you like and make up your own mix.

Serves 2

400g good-quality marinara mix
4-6 green king prawns, shelled but with tails left on
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely, chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
400g can crushed tomatoes
4-6 sun-dried tomatoes finely sliced (not the ones packed in oil)
A handful of chopped basil
Linguine or other pasta
Extra torn basil leaves for garnish
Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and cook the onion, garlic and chilli until onion is tender. Add canned tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and basil, stir and bring to the boil. Add 1/2 a cup or so of water. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until slightly reduced, then add the seafood. Cover and simmer for a further 5-8 minutes or so, turning the prawns and other shellfish to make sure they cook evenly. When prawns are pink, it’s ready to serve. Have some water boiling and cook the pasta while the sauce is simmering.

Place 1 cup of the cooked pasta in each bowl and divide the sauce between them. Make sure the prawns are on top so it looks posh. :o ) Sprinkle extra basil over the top and add a teaspoon or two of grated parmesan and some black pepper.