Jan Bilton: Pasta a winner in all shapes and sizes (+recipes)

Bolognese Conchiglioni

A craving for pasta hits me at least once a week. It's comfort food and oh so easy to prepare. Fifteen minutes and it can be on the table. With so many different shapes and sizes, one is spoilt for choice. Pastas with holes or ridges are best for chunky sauces while lengths like spaghetti and linguine are suitable for smoother sauces.

However, as spaghetti is New Zealand's favourite shape, it tends to be an all-purpose pasta.

Conchiglie is derived from the Italian word for seashell (conchiglia). It is a common form of "shell" pasta and its shape and ridges encourage sauce to adhere to it. There are miniature shells (conchigliette), medium-size shells and very large - perfect for stuffing.

Linguine is a cross between spaghetti and fettuccine - wider than spaghetti but thinner than fettuccine - flat and about 4mm wide. Linguine (little tongues) originated in Genoa and the Liguria region of Italy, where it is traditionally served with clams or pesto.

Lasagne is wide and flat, is possibly one of the original pastas and is traditionally credited to the city of Naples. Available fresh in sheets, it also comes dried in short and long lengths, straight or curly, wide or extra wide. The word "lasagne" also refers to a dish made with several layers of lasagne sheets alternated with sauces and assorted ingredients. And this I love because, although time-consuming to concoct, it's a wonderful prepare-ahead dish for the freezer. There are various trade names attached to pasta shapes, such as Trivelle, a variation on rotini (spirals), twisted so it holds pieces of meat, vegetable or cheese, but is also attractive in salads.

Other pasta shapes I love include: orecchiette (little ears) - great in pasta bakes, with creamy sauces and in salads; pappardelle - large, broad noodles that are a fashionable accompaniment for game stews; farfalle - like little bow ties or butterflies, perfect with hearty sauces or in salads.

RECIPES

BOLOGNESE CONCHIGLIONI

Rigata refers to the ridges on the outside of the shells.

2 tsp salt
24 (250g) large conchiglioni rigata (pasta shells)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
400g lean minced beef
525g jar tomato and basil pasta sauce
1/4 cup water

75g fresh bocconcini or mozzarella, sliced

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the salt and slowly add the pasta shells.
Lightly oil a 27cm x 21cm baking dish suitable for the microwave.

Heat the remainder of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and saute until soft. Add garlic then mince in batches. Use a fork to break up the meat. Cook until well-coloured.

Add three-quarters of the pasta sauce and a 1/4 cup of water. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, until cooked.

Drain the cooked shells and cool a little.

Let the meat cool then spoon into the pasta shells. Place in the oiled baking dish. Drizzle with the remaining pasta sauce and top with the bocconcini.

Cover and microwave on high for about 5 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with basil or parsley leaves. - Serves 4.

ROASTED CAPSICUM LINGUINE

Yummy! Looks like tomato sauce but certainly doesn't taste like it. Fettuccine could replace the linguine.

250g dried linguine
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
400g jar roasted red capsicums, drained and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
flaky sea salt and freshly ground back pepper to taste
1/2 cup shaved parmesan
1/4 cup sour cream

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Saute the onion until soft. Add the garlic, capsicums and oregano and simmer for two to three minutes. Place in a blender and puree until smooth.

Drain the pasta well, stir in the rest of the oil and add the capsicum puree. Season well. Stir in half the parmesan, then the sour cream and heat gently.

Serve topped with the remaining parmesan. Garnish with chopped flatleaf parsley, if preferred. - Serves 4.

SMOKED FISH & BACON TRIVELLE

The secret ingredient is the ranch dressing.

2 cups trivelle pasta
3 rashers bacon
1 each: small onion, small green capsicum, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
400g can diced tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced cavolo nero or spinach
200g skinned and boned smoked fish, flaked
1/2 cup each: cream, light ranch dressing
2 cups shredded tasty cheese

Set the oven to 180C. Lightly oil a 22cm square baking dish.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain well.

Meanwhile, pan-fry or microwave the bacon, until crisp. Drain and chop.

Saute the onion and capsicum in the olive oil, until tender. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bacon and cavolo nero. Simmer until the cavolo nero is tender.

Carefully stir in the smoked fish and combine with the pasta.

Combine the cream, ranch dressing and half the cheese in a saucepan on low heat, stirring until the cheese melts. Add to the pasta mixture.

Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, until hot. - Serves 4.

LASAGNE LAMB ROLL-UPS

The roll-ups should fit neatly into the baking dish so they support each other.

700g lean minced lamb
4 tsp pure olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp each: dried basil, oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
12 long lengths dried, curly-edged, wide lasagne
250g frozen spinach, thawed
1 cup grated mozzarella
2 cups tomato pasta sauce

Stir-fry the lamb in 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large frying pan, until coloured, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, basil and oregano. Season.

Meanwhile, bring a large frying pan of water to the boil. Add the remaining oil. Cook the lasagne in batches, until tender. Drain, then rinse in cold water. Drain well.

Squeeze the spinach to remove excess moisture. Combine with the cheese, minced lamb and a 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce.

Set the oven to 180C. Lightly oil an 18cm-20cm round baking dish or similar.
Spread about 1/2 a cup of the meat mixture along each length of lasagne. Roll up and stand in a circle in the baking dish, ends towards the centre to prevent unrolling.
Pour the remaining pasta sauce over the top.

Cover and bake for about 30 minutes. - Serves 4-6.