Chicken Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo

My sister recently gifted me a packet of dried fettuccine pasta which she lugged back all the way from Italy. Instead of turning to my usual bolognese sauce (which I make by the gazillion and store in the freezer), I thought of making something new for the hub instead. I tried making an alfredo once, it was too creamy and heavy that the hub didn't enjoy it at all. This time round, I cut down on the portion of the diary products and it turned out absolutely delicious! I ain't sure if this is even an authentic alfredo recipe but it sure taste good. 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 portions of fettuccine, penne or spaghetti 

1 packet chicken fillet or chicken breast 

1 packet button mushroom, sliced 

1 small onion, diced 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded 

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tablespoon flour 

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter 

Salt

Pepper

Parsley 

Method:

- Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. 

- Season the chicken fillet or breast with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat. Pan fry the chicken until fully cooked. Slice into bite size and set aside. 

- Using the same skillet, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add in the minced onion and cook until the onion turn transparent. Add in 2 cloves of garlic and stir for a minute or so. 

- Add in the sliced mushroom and fry for another 3 - 4 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Add in 1/2 tablespoon of flour and stir for another minute or so. 

- Add in the sliced chicken and milk. Season with salt and pepper. The sauce will be rather thick which you can thin by adding the reserved pasta water. 

- Mix in the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley and serve with more parmesan cheese if desired. 

Pasta Puttanesca

I first tried this pasta a couple of years back, in a hotel that I was working in. My Italian chef told me that this pasta is also called 'prostitute' pasta as it was made using groceries bought from a particular street (when the market is closed) where the prostitutes work. Made using basic ingredients such as olives, capers, tomatoes and anchovies, this is apparently a true classic recipe from Italy. I had some leftover rocket leaves and so I added them in too. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get fresh parsley and so I substitute it with dried version instead but please do include the former if you have some on hand.

Ingredients:

1 packet                         dried spaghetti
1 can                              crushed or chopped tomatoes
2 fillet                            anchovies
1 tablespoon                  olive oil
2 cloves                         garlic, minced
1/4 cup                          black olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoon                  capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon                  dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon                     dried oregano
1 tablespoon                  dried parsley or 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
                                      parmesan cheese

Method:

Cook the dried spaghetti in salted boiling water according to packet instruction.

Heat a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the minced garlic and anchovies and stir with a spatula, ensuring that the anchovies are fully melted.

Add in the capers, chopped olives, dried red pepper flakes, dried parsley and dried oregano. Stir fry for about 2 to 3 minutes before pouring in the can of chopped tomatoes. Bring to boil and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.

Serve with the cooked spaghetti and parmesan cheese.

Broccoli Spaghetti with Anchovies

As uninteresting as this may seem but trust me, it is so delicious that I cook this more often than the other pasta dishes. Then again, it may also be due to the fact that I am seriously lacking of vegetables in my diet or clearing up the fridge of my leftover broccoli.Whichever the case, I am pretty certain that you will be equally hooked as well. Enjoy the greens!

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 packet                     dried spaghetti
2 cloves                         garlic, minced
1 head                           broccoli, broken into florets
1/2 tablespoon               butter
1/2 teaspoon                  dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon               olive oil
4 fillets                           canned anchovies
                                      parmesan cheese


Method:

Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water according to packet instruction. Add the broccoli into the pasta water one minute before the pasta is cooked. Drain both and set aside.

Heat a saucepan with 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the anchovies and stir until the anchovies have melted.

Add in 1/2 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Fry until the garlic are golden brown in colour.

Switch off the heat. Add in the cooked pasta and broccoli and mix well. Add in some pasta water to loosen the pasta if required. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and serve.

Macaroni and Cheese

One of my favourite comfort food, a good Mac & Cheese isn't exactly THAT difficult. Of all the recipes available, my personal vote goes to the host of Iron Chef America - Alton Brown. This is a more complicated recipe as compared to the rest but the satisfying dish thereafter is definitely worth the extra effort. What you really need in a good Mac & Cheese is a good  block of mature Cheddar cheese in order to create that intense flavour. Please do not ever attempt to subsititute it with packet cheddar cheese slices, those are processed cheese and are in no way suitable for cooking.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

1/2 packet                macaroni
2 tablespoons            butter
1 tablespoon             plain or all purpose flour
1 teaspoon                Dijon mustard
1 cup                        milk
1                              yellow onion, minced
1                               bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon             paprika
1                               egg, beaten
1 cup                        cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup                     breadcrumbs
                                 salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Cook macaroni in salted boiling water for 2 minutes lesser than packet instructions. Drain and set aside.

Heat a pot on low heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add in 1 tablespoon of flour and mix them evenly for about 3 minutes.

Whisk in 1 cup of milk, the minced onion, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of paprika and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pour in the beaten egg, 3/4 cup of the grated cheddar cheese and mix evenly. Add in the cooked macaroni and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

In a separate pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add in breadcrumbs. Toss until the breadcrumbs are coated with the butter.

Cover the macaroni and cheese with the prepared breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Classic Spaghetti Carbonara

A good plate of Spaghetti Carbonara is not as easy as it seems. Lest you think that it's simply just adding cream to it, the actual version uses only egg and cheese to create that much-loved creaminess. The important point to note when cooking the sauce is to ALWAYS remove your pan from the heat before you stir in the eggs and cheese. Trust me, you do not want scrambled egg pasta instead! If you are using the heat retaining induction pan, it's always safer to cool it off for at least half a minute. Ciao!
Serves 1
Ingredients:

100gm                   dried spaghetti
2 pieces                 streaky bacon, cut into smaller pieces
1 clove                   garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon       olive oil
1                           egg, beaten
1/2 cup                  parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon            parsley leaves, chopped
                             ground black pepper
                             salt

Method:

Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Reserve 1/3 cup of the cooked pasta water.

Heat a saucepan with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and add in the chopped bacon. Fry until the bacon is cripsy and its oil released.

Add in 1 clove of minced garlic and fry till fragrant. Switch off the heat, add in the cooked spaghetti and mix well.

Pour in the beaten egg and grated parmesan cheese and mix rapidly, adding some of the reserved pasta water to create the sauce.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and garnish with chopped parsley leaves.

Spaghetti Bolognese

My sincerest apologies for the delay in the recipe posts! Yours truly just simply needed a well-deserved holiday break before I rejoin the working force again. Then again, good things are worth waiting for as I present you my self proclaimed renowned Bolognese recipe. A good bolognese is achieved through slow and patient stewing so turn down your fire and let it simmer away to awesomeness! By the way, since this recipe does take up a lot of time, my word of advice: Cook A LOT as they are good to keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. The next time you crave for a bolognese, all you need to do is to heat it up and serve!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

500g                      minced beef
2 slice                    smoked bacon, diced
2 small                   carrot, chopped finely
2 sticks                  celery, chopped finely
1 large                    yellow onion, chopped finely
3 cloves                  garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon        dried Italian herbs seasoning
3 tablespoons         olive oil
2 can                      chopped or crushed tomatoes (not tomato paste!)
1 cup                      water
                               salt and black pepper

To serve:

1 packet                  dried spaghetti
                                parmesan cheese

Method:

Heat a big stock pot and add in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the diced bacon and fry until the bacon are crispy and the oil released.

Add in the chopped onion, carrot, celery, 1/2 tablespoon of dried italian herb seasoning and lower heat to medium. Cook till the onions are translucent in colour and the other vegetables soften.

Stir in the minced beef and break them up with your spatula. When the beef is browned, pour in 2 cans of chopped or crushed tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours. Stir them occasionally and add in additional water if the sauce starts to dry out.

Serve with boiled spaghetti and a good shaving of parmesan cheese.

Marmite Pasta

Marmite is one of my favourite ingredients and I have no idea how else to finish up that bottle other than with toast, marmite chicken or pork ribs. All thanks to Nigella Lawson, I've found another quick and easy recipe that is ideal for brunch. I am using 2 teaspoons of Marmite for this recipe but you can add on more to taste according to your preference.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 packet                pasta
2 tablespoons        butter, unsalted
2 teaspoons           marmite
4 tablespoons        parmesan cheese, grated
                             salt


Method:

Cook pasta according to its packet instruction with salted boiling water. When it is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water for later use.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan with 2 teaspoons of marmite. Add in the cooked pasta and mix evenly. Loosen the pasta with the reserved pasta water if required. Sprinkle on the grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio

My definition of an instant meal is not cup noodles but a plate of spaghetti aglio olio. Once you get the hang of it, believe me, it can be as easy as cooking a packet of instant noodles. Seriously, the ingredients (I used dried herbs but you are more than welcome to replace it with the fresh stuff) are usually readily available in any decent kitchen. The amusing thing is the fact that my store can be totally depleted of instant noodles but surprisingly NEVER of the ingredients for this. My twist to this dish is the addition of a little chicken powder to enhance the flavour. Authentic it is not, but tasty it surely is!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 packet             dried spaghetti

4 cloves              garlic, minced

2 tablespoons     extra virgin olive oil

50g                     butter

1 teaspoon          dried red pepper

1 tablespoon       dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon       chicken powder                           

                           salt

Method:

Cook the spaghetti  in salted boiling water according to the packet instruction. When it is cooked, remove pasta from the pot and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Heat a saucepan and add in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 50g of butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the minced garlic and fry until they turn golden, not brown!

Add in 1 teaspoon of dried red pepper, the cooked pasta, 1/2 teaspoon of chicken powder and mix evenly. You may wish to include some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the pasta. Sprinkle with chopped or dried parsley and serve.