:: Fasta Pasta ::

Prawn, Zucchini & Mint Pasta

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: fresh prawn, zucchini & mint pasta ::

This is an incredible Tobie Puttock inspired pasta dish that I came across in a vintage delicious magazine & I have slightly tweaked & made it many, many times. It has beautiful fresh, light flavours & is perfect for a Spring or Summers day.

Now that I have started back at work & I have to think of some meals that are fast, fresh & tasty that the whole family can eat... & my word, this is one of them!

My toddler loves it & tonight even asked for seconds! “Moooooorrrree?” he pleaded, holding up his bowl, very much like the boy from the movie 'Oliver'. “What’s the magic word?” I asked. “Paleeeeeaasse?” he said, pushing the bowl out a little further. “Sure!” I answered excitedly. Usually my food gets thrown across the room, but tonight it was downed in two.

Tobie insists on fresh prawns, but in the world of fast meals, I buy the desired recipe quantities already weighed & still frozen from the fish mongers (kept out the back) so there isn’t any ‘double freezing’. This means I take out the package from the freezer the night before to defrost, ready for my meal the next day! 
Hats off to all the hard working parents out there, I hope you enjoy this delicious fast food as much as my family does.

400g pasta (tagliatelle, fettuccine, chitarra, spaghetti)

Extra virgin olive oil
2 zucchinis (courgettes), sliced lengthways into 3mm wide ribbons

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

400g large, uncooked prawn tails

Zest of 1 lemon

½ tsp crumbled dried chilli
1 anchovy fillets
100 ml dry white wine
45g butter
¼ cup mint leaves, torn
½ cup of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Note: I have allowed for a lot of moisture content to come out the prawns when weighing.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to packet instructions & al dente. Drain.
In the mean time, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes until it is soft & fragrant. Add the prawns, chilli, anchovies & lemon zest & cook for about 1 minute or until the prawns just turn opaque. Add the wine & allow it to evaporate just a little. Add the zucchini ribbons & heat through. Add butter & drained pasta, tossing and stirring to combine all the ingredients. Add the mint and parsley. As soon as dish is completely heated through, remove the pan from the heat.
Season with ground black pepper & if necessary, a little sea salt (remember you have the salt from the anchovies!), & add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Garnish with extra herbs. Serve immediately.

:: make sure to prepare your ingredients in advance ::

Kitchen Notes

:: Prepare all of your ingredients & measurements before you start cooking as it is a fast tempo once you start! The prawns, chilli, anchovies & lemon zest go in at the same time so I place them all in the one bowl.

:: If prawns are not available, use scallops or squid instead.

:: When we have fresh chillies in season, I use 1 red chilli chopped finely in lieu of the dried chilli.

:: If having a dinner party & wanting to impress with this simple dish, Tobie suggests to add zucchini flowers to the dish by tossing the torn zucchini flowers through at the last minute.

:: twirl your plate using tongs to create a tall nest of pasta, then eat!!! ::

Style

:: Whilst placing your pasta onto your plate with tongs, hold the pasta high above the dish, twirling the plate underneath as you slowly move closer to get a nice, high placement of a pasta nest. Finish with a few extra prawns, mint leaves, light zesting of lemon rind & for people who like spice, a little extra chilli.

:: my zyliss julienne peeler- so fast in the kitchen ::

Tools

:: I absolutely love my Zyliss Julienne Peeler. It is perfect for this kind of dish! I usually get two large zucchini’s & peel them with the Zyliss Julienne Peeler, leaving the core, as the seeds really don’t allow it to have enough structure. It is so quick & easy to create a big bowl of evenly sliced vegetables & for $10-$15, it is worth having in the drawer.

:: Note- So far in the world of blogging, I have not recieved any money for product endorsements. I shall continue to make sure that products that are on this blog come from the heart in order to help you at home.

:: the whole family sitting down to eat the one meal = bliss ::

Source

:: Zyliss Julienne Peeler is available from all good kitchenware outlets & online stores. Just a click away? Try Amazon.

:: A Lean Lasagne for People in Need ::

Beef & Vegetable Lasagne

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: a healthy lasagne about to go in the oven for baking ::

“It’s your birthday Megann, what would you like for dinner” Mum would ask every year. “Lasagne please” I would always answer. The dessert would vary between traditional American Lemon Meringue & Caramel Meringue pies. I know mum would continuously be surprised as lasagne is a bit pedestrian to have as a special birthday dish for dinner, but for me, it was my go-to comfort food. “Lasagne it is” she would say, and for about 6 years running, that is what I had.

I now make it a lot in our household. I love it, my husband loves it & most importantly, my toddler son loves it. I have adapted mum’s recipe with my son’s nutritional intake in mind to include as many vegetables as possible that I can pack into it without it tasting vegetarian. I tend to look in the fridge, get out an array of vegetables that need using up which will complement the dish and go to town. Sure, lasagne may take a bit of time but if you make it in large quantities, which I do, you can freeze any leftovers for emergency or toddler meals.

This recipe is also perfect for friends in need. This particular lasagne I made one dreary & rainy day to take over to my friend Heidi’s house just after she had her baby. It would be the perfect new mother’s comfort food, full of nutrition & energy for someone recovering from hospital. Enjoy my cheesy hidden vegetable version!

Bolognaise Sauce

750 grams beef mince

2 Tbs olive oil

1 brown onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 large carrot, grated

1 large zucchini, grated

½ cup diced button mushrooms

½ cup red wine

1½ cups beef stock

1 800 gram tin diced tomatoes

1 jar of passata

salt & pepper to taste

Béchamel Sauce

4 Tbs butter

4 Tbs plain flour

4 cups milk

200 grams cheddar cheese & 50 grams parmesan cheese mix

salt & pepper to taste

Layers

Instant Lasagna Sheets

baby spinach, washed & roughly chopped

Tasty cheddar cheese

:: makes 1 x-large lasagne dish

:: adding the vegetables to the mince ::

:: a lovely, healthy bolognaise sauce ::

Bolognaise Sauce

Heat oil in a deep dish saucepan and add the diced onion. Sauté over a low heat, stirring until just transparent and smelling fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic & cook for another 2-3 minutes. Increase the heat & add the beef mince, browning it & breaking it up to a fine mince as you go. Add the carrot, zucchini & mushrooms & cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine & reduce for 3 minutes. Add beef stock & continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes & also stir through the passata, season, cover, and simmer gently 30-45 minutes. Keep an eye on your moisture levels & check on it, stirring every 10 minutes or so.



:: spinach- full of iron & oh so tastey! ::



Béchamel Sauce

Melt butter into a saucepan over low heat & stir in the flour. It should be a wet, sloppy dough consistency. Stir for about 2-3 minutes or until you get the fragrance of cookies from the flour, this means your flour is cooked & ready. Don’t let it change colour too much. Remove from the stovetop, gradually whisk in some milk until it thickens, then add some more milk and whisk until it re-thickens. Return to low heat. Keep on gradually adding the milk while whisking until you have a smooth, thick creamy mixture. Gradually add the cheese & when the cheese melts, add more. As you get towards the end, I like to taste the “cheesiness” of my sauce to see if I need to add more. Season with salt & pepper.

:: layering the lasagne ::



Assembly

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Pre-prepare a large lasagne dish by lightly greasing it with butter. Place approx ¾ cup of the meat sauce on the base of the dish. Alternate between layers of lasagne sheets, meat sauce, cheese sauce & baby spinach, finishing with a cheese & spinach layer. Your dish should take 4-5 layers. Sprinkle with cheese & bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through. Rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Kitchen Notes

:: You can prepare & assemble your lasagne up to a day in advance as the flavours that are released through the pasta are exceptional!

:: Resting your Lasagne allows excess moisture to seep into the pasta sheets so it holds form to avoid serving a sloppy mess.

:: Any leftover sauce, I freeze for toddler meals.

:: this basic sauce is not only for lasagna, but for other pasta as well ::

For Needy People

:: When I made my lasagne for Heidi, I prepared & assembled the dish in the morning then refrigerated it. When it was our time to visit the baby, I popped it in a travel bag & as soon as I arrived at the house I continued on with the cooking process in the oven. You could also bake it at home for freezing or reheating when needed. It’s a meal for the whole family to enjoy + leftovers!

Source: Freedom Baking Dish: follow this link

I would also love to see your Megann's Kitchen Creations/photos of recipes that you have made on Megann’s Kitchen Facebook!