I love pasta. I love cheese. It’s no wonder that I’m obese.
Cheesy.
I have cooked mac and cheese many times, each time using a different recipe. For this version, I used (shock and horror to both my waistline and tender heart) full fat cream. Sigh.
So instead of making bechamel sauce for this mac and cheese recipe, I poured cream in a saucepan, added two different kinds of cheeses (cheddar and emmantel), a bit of dijon mustard, salt and white pepper. Pour that over boiled macaroni in a casserole dish and top with gourmet breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven and enjoy! Totally creamy, totally fattening and totally satisfying.
I like cream but it’s expensive. Then one day at Mustafa I saw this big pack at less than $4…
Because The Hubby was hungry and the lamb refused to defrost in time(the microwave oven’s still spoilt), I remembered my friend who makes wonderful tuna pasta. And, also at Mustafa, I saw the brand of tuna she uses – Heinz’ Starkist. In my fridge were leftover boiled pasta from yesterday’s pasta chicken soup so all I did was sautee garlic, add in the cream, tuna, cherry tomatoes, pasta, black pepper, salt and to cut the creaminess, a few sprinkles of Tabasco’s Habanero sauce. Voila! To serve, a sprinkle of black pepper and parmesan cheese. So delicious and fattening. This dish needs to be eaten IMMEDIATELY because once a bit cold, the cream will harden.
I had spiral pasta but you can use any pasta you like.The tuna wasn't fishy at all. Very good, this brand.
I was excited when I saw a bottle of sparkling apple juice at my NTUC. Excited because a colleague had recently told me that she used this in lieu of white wine. No wonder, because using just plain water always makes my spaghetti insipid (if not using a tomato-based recipe).
Since I had that bottle, this morning I thought I’d make Spaghetti Vongole using ‘white wine’. Har har. Of course to Non-Muslims, using real white wine would be better but I stick to my dietary restrictions the best way possible. Being a teetotaler (like, duh), I had no idea initially how to open the bottle. Then, when I finally figured it out, realised that once you’ve opened the cork, there is no way to cork the bottle back. Ha ha! I was never really good at concepts. Anyway, using the sparkling apple juice really made a huge difference to the dish.
I used frozen ready boiled clams just because they weren’t selling fresh clams at the supermarket this morning. Also, I added a couple of prawns. And loads of fresh coriander. The result was really good. Oh, and fresh super-sweet baby tomatoes. I had the best dish because after I’ve cooked it, I ate it straightaway. Lazy, I didn’t separate the noodles from the wonderful broth so by the time The Hubby ate the dish, all the liquid had absorbed into the spaghetti. Hee hee. Next time, I’ll separate and make individual portions.
Imported from Spain.
In olive oil, add garlic till browned, a dash of chilli flakes, then in goes the tomatoes and then the prawns. Since the clams are already cooked, add them last.
Add the sparkling apple juice.Add the clams and chopped fresh coriander. Add salt. At this point, keep. Don't add the spaghetti in, like what I did. Separate them. If someone wants to eat a plate, in a pan, add some of the broth and then saute with some spaghetti.To serve, add a sprig of fresh coriander and grated parmesan cheese.Another look at the broth. I loved them clams. I'm so going to make clam chowder when I get the chance.
I like the black pepper spaghetti my school canteen sells. Sometimes, the cook uses macaroni or pasta. I asked how she cooked it one day, and she said it’s a hodgepodge of small amounts of this and that. The this and that I found out from another colleague was simply oyster sauce, sambal tumis or regular chilli paste, ketchup, soya sauce, salt and black pepper. Basically, whatever bottled sauce you have at hand.
I used to grumble because although the pasta is always tasty, it would be tastier if she added some real chicken slices instead of thinly sliced frankfurters or fishcake. Ironically, for dinner tonight, I had nothing at hand except for frankfurters and surimi slices. Sigh. I decided to make the dish anyway. I think I’ll try it again tomorrow with spaghetti and add in chicken slices and yellow peppers.
Heat up olive oil, add minced garlic and then meat (or processed food) of choice.
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Add black pepper (lots), sambal tumis, ketchup, oyster sauce, soya sauce...whatever sauce you think might add on to the flavour.
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Unfortunately, The Hubby didn’t like it. I doubt he’d like the one served in my workplace either. Maybe I’ll cook something else tomorrow.
Just now for dinner, my daughter asked for pasta. I boiled some penne and while the penne was boiling, I played again with my new toy. I used the grater contraption and it was so amazingly fast that I really feel like taking orders from people who would like their cheese or vegetables grated. Maybe I could open my own vegetable business selling freshly grated carrots, cabbage etc, mandolin sliced root vegetables… I love my food processor!Â
A whole block of parmesan grated in less than ten seconds!
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Freshly Grated Parmesan 😀
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Cheese Sauce: Butter, Cream, Parmesan, Salt, Black Pepper
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Stir in boiled penne.
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Make sure you add a lot of parmesan (about two large handfuls here) or it’ll be really bland. I sprinkled chilli flakes and parsley flakes for the adults. It was yummy as testified by The Hubby and The Domestic Helper. Â The Daughter, which the dish was meant for, ate a measly four forkfuls and proclaimed she was full. Sheesh.
The Occasional Cook 