Wednesday 30 July 2014

Penne al Pomodoro

Penne al Pomodoro





We all have days where we have no idea what to make for dinner. Usually for me, that is when the temptation of Dominos pizza, McDonalds, Chinese take-away or  fish and chips becomes too powerful to resist and I have some kind of terribly unhealthy meal, which tastes amazing at the time but fills me with remorse afterwards!
 I am trying to break this cycle, and one thing I find consistently comforting, quick, easy, cheap and healthy (ish) to make is pasta. Last night, I started to prepare some Penne pasta on the hob and then I realised I did not have a jar of pre-made pasta sauce in the cupboard, so I improvised one and it ended up tasting delicious, so I thought  I would share.

Ingredients.

 (Serves 2)

Enough dried Penne pasta to serve two people
A glug of olive oil
Half an onion, peeled and diced
One tin of chopped tomatoes
Two tablespoons of tomato purée
One tablespoon of Italian dried mixed herbs (combo of Basil and Oregano would be fine)
Generous sprinkle of mild chilli powder (less to taste depending how spicy you like your food)
Half a packet of Quorn mince
Salt and Pepper

To serve:
Chopped cherry tomatoes (optional)
Half a mozzarella ball, chopped
Grated cheddar (parmesan would be ideal too)
Garlic bread or ciabatta (optional)

Method.

Pasta:
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Carefully add the dry pasta to the hot water and reduce the heat to a simmer. Monitor the pasta and set it aside when it is ‘al dente’ (slightly hard still) or softer depending how you like it. Ten minutes is a rough guide to cooking time for the pasta. 

Sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then fry the diced onion until soft. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, purée, chilli powder, herbs and Quorn mince to the pan and stir gently (if using frozen mince it will take a few minutes to thaw, so encourage it with a gentle stir here and there) make sure the heat is not too high as the sauce will splatter everywhere! Stir frequently until the sauce is bubbling away nicely and heated all the way through. Taste it regularly and season it to taste with salt and pepper or even an extra dash of chilli powder or another sprinkle of herbs. I added an extra glug (about a tablespoon) of olive oil to the sauce towards the end of cooking and I found that it really enhanced the flavour. Drain the Penne and add it to the pan of sauce. Stir thoroughly and allow to heat through together for another minute or two.
Serve with grated cheese and chopped mozzarella on one side. Top with cherry tomatoes if desired. A few fresh basil leaves would also look lovely shredded over the top of each serving.

A note on wine:
I served this with a Tempranillo red wine, a really full bodied wine from Spain which complimented the rich flavours of the pasta perfectly.


So there we have it, simple, classic and delicious food that speaks straight to the heart. I have to admit, this meal makes me so happy. I am not a chef in any way, but  do love to make hearty, flavoursome food which can be enjoyed with a side order of good company!

Best wishes until next time!
Camille xo


21 comments:

  1. This actually looks sooooo yummy! Will deffo be giving it a try!

    The Velvet Black // UK Style, Beauty and Lifestyle Blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much Alice, pasta is always my go-to for a lazy dinner at home (that is when I manage to resist Dominos pizza!!)

      Have a lovely evening :)

      Camille xo

      Delete
  2. This looks so good, after finding out I'm allergic to the lemon and citric acid in more pre made sauces ive been looking for a home made one. Great help!!

    www.simplysara.co.uk

    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much, I hope that you enjoy it when you make it :)

      Have a great day!

      Camille xo

      Delete
  3. By complete coincidence, my husband is basically making this exact meal, right this second! Looking at your photos makes me want him to hurry up!!

    Owl Girl | A London lifestyle blog

    ReplyDelete
  4. nice! looks yummy :)

    http://sbr-fashion-fashion.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is making me sooo hungry!
    xo
    styleontheside.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow this looks and sounds so yummy!! Need to give this a shot xxx

    www.krystelcouture.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. This looks so delicious, and seems very easy! I'll definitely try it this weekend, when I have more time. :o)
    www.ChicAndAlluring.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Looks really good! thanks!

    <3
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  9. looks good! thanks!

    <3
    DON’T FORGET TO JOIN OUR GIVEAWAY, for a change to win a 14K gold Infinity Ring
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  10. This looks incredibly good. I make pasta every Sunday, so this might be our Sunday dinner this week. And tempranillo, mmmmmmm.

    http://lamentinglizzie.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. This looks absolutely delishious! I think that selfmade pasta sauce is so much better than the premade ones you can buy in store!
    Elina | missblueeyes.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mi fai venire fame :-) in Italia ogni giorno ragu! Ottimo poi col vino!
    Ti ho aggiunta
    http://piubuonepiubelle.blogspot.it/

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  13. I'd like to nominate you for the Liebster Award, if that's okay with you. http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=3207428221&group=0&frame_type=b&blog=12482725&frame=1&click=0&user=0

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  14. Lovely! Gnamm :-D
    Thank you so much for visiting my blog! Would you like to take a look at my last post?

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