Midweek meals: Five easy pasta dishes to whip up in minutes 

Quick and comforting pasta dishes to throw together on cold Autumn evenings 

Easy pasta dishes

David Tanis’s Pasta Cacio e Pepe

This delicious version of Cacio e Pepe, one of my all-time favourite pasta dishes comes from one of my all-time favourite cooks David Tanis

Servings

2

Cooking Time

 12 mins

Total Time

 12 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 225g linguine

• 2 tbsp butter

• ½ tsp coarse ground black pepper

• 175g pecorino 

Method

1. Cook the linguine extra al dente (this is crucial) in well-salted water.

2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the black pepper.

3. Drain the pasta and add to the pan, along with 110ml (4fl oz) of pasta water and a good pinch of salt. Stir constantly, keeping the liquid at a rapid simmer; the pasta will begin to wilt in the sauce and absorb liquid. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Turn off the heat,add the grated pecorino, and stir until the pasta is coated with the creamy sauce. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Enjoy immediately...

Wholewheat pasta with Ricotta and walnuts

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

This recipe is also an ode to simplicity, leftovers and humble eating, with crunchy walnuts, delicate cheeses and notes of lemon zest for enhanced flavour

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 60g walnuts

• 120g Ricotta

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• juice of ½ lemon

• zest of 1 lemon

• sea salt and black pepper

• 60g Parmesan, grated

• 400g wholewheat pasta

• 60ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Cook the wholewheat pasta as per packet instructions in boiling salted water.

3. Line a baking tray with parchment, scatter over the walnuts and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes until slightly toasted. Turn them halfway through cooking. When toasted, take them out of the oven and leave to cool.

4. In a pestle and mortar, crush the walnuts with the garlic cloves, salt and pepper until very well pulverised and becoming almost cream like. Scoop out of the mortar and in a bowl, vigorously combine the walnut/garlic mix with the Ricotta, lemon juice, zest and olive oil. Lastly mix in the Parmesan and check the seasoning, a good crack of black pepper is always welcome. 

5. Combine with the wholewheat pasta, which can either be freshly cooked and hot or else left cold, this dish works well both ways. If you leave the pasta to cool, make sure you drizzle the pasta with olive oil to prevent sticking together. 

Spaghetti with nduja, lemon and fennel

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

This is a simple sauce to prepare, if you get your ingredients ready in advance you will be able to cook it up in the ten minutes it takes to cook the spaghetti

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 300g cherry tomatoes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 50g nduja

• 1 lemon

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 40g freshly grated Parmesan

• 2 tbsp cream cheese

• A handful of fresh basil

• 160-200g dried spaghetti

• Salt and ground black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. While you are waiting for it to boil, cut the cherry tomatoes into halves, lightly toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan and peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves. Add the spaghetti to the pan of boiling water and cook it for eight to ten minutes, until it still has just a little bite. While it is cooking you can prepare the sauce. Grate half of the parmesan and set aside. You will use the rest just before serving. I use a vegetable peeler to shave the rest of the parmesan into curls which taste and look great on top of the finished dish. You can do that just before serving it up.

2. Heat a heavy based frying pan over a high heat, add the olive oil and when it is hot and shimmering, the chopped cherry tomatoes. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the tomatoes for three to four minutes until they soften and begin to break down just a little. Add the sliced garlic and cook it for another minute or two. Lightly crush the fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, and sir them in. Add the juice of the lemon and a good grind of black pepper. Pick about half of the basil leaves and set them aside. Chop the rest of the basil, including the stalks and stir the chopped herbs into the sauce. Cut up the nduja and add that to the pan. Stir it in, keeping the heat low, you just want to simmer the sauce so that the nduja cooks down.

3. By now your spaghetti should be almost cooked, so dip a mug into the pan and scoop out some of the starchy pasta water and set it aside.

4. Add the cream cheese to the sauce and stir until it is well combined. Check your pasta now, it should be ready. Drain it and return it to the pan. Add a little splash of olive oil and toss the pasta to stop it getting sticky. Add the grated parmesan cheese to the sauce, stir it in and if it is getting as little too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to the pan, stirring it in until you get the correct consistency. Taste the sauce and now add more salt if needed. Toss the spaghetti in the sauce and serve it up on pasta bowls or plates, with the rest of the basil leaves and the parmesan shavings scattered on top.

Aglio e Olio: Spagetti with garlic and chilli

Perhaps the ultimate store cupboard recipe, this is the perfect example of how great ingredients need little work to make them shine

Servings

4

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 400g spaghetti

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes

• Parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Cook the spaghetti two minutes less than the packet instructions say and drain, reserving one mug of pasta water. 

2. Five minutes before it is due to be cooked, put the olive oil and garlic in a cold pan, bring to a medium heat and cook until it is golden but not brown. 

3. Add the chill flakes and cook for another thirty seconds. 

4. Stir in the pasta and three tablespoons of cooking water, adding more if it appears too dry. 

5. Serve with plenty of Parmesan.

Penne alla vodka

Created in Italy or New York City, this dish is an instant classic

Servings

4

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• 1 onion, finely sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes (more if you wish)

• 4 tbsp vodka

• 1 tin cherry tomatoes

• 150ml double cream

• 350g penne

• Parmesan, grated

• Basil, to serve

•  

Method

1. In a heavy-based saucepan, fry the onion, garlic and chilli over a low heat for five minutes until softened. Stir in the vodka and bring to a boil. 

2. Once reduced by half, stir in the cherry tomatoes, smashing the tomatoes with your spoon. At this point, put your pasta on to boil. Stir in your double cream, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer, cooking slowly for ten minutes. Before serving, add a tablespoon of pasta water to your sauce and toss the pasta through. 

3. Serve with Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.