Weekend foodie: A comforting, luxurious pasta you can make in 15 minutes

Sat, 07 Dec, 2024 - 07:10

We’ve hit the spot in December when it’s time to get serious about Christmas shopping.

As we edge into the second week of the month, if you’re not one of those people who has done all their gift buying in October, you’re probably now wishing you had! I know I am.

But fear not. With shops now operating in full festive mode for their opening hours, weekend and late-night shopping is a bonus for those of us who are behind ourselves with the preparations.

Everyday cooking has to be a fast and furious event in December because there isn’t much time to spend in the kitchen.

So this weekend, I’ve got a pasta dish which makes the most of best quality fresh and convenient ingredients and has a touch of sophistication as well!

My tagliatelle with truffle pesto may be fast to make, but it has a taste of luxury about it- and can be made in less than 15 minutes.

Truffles are a big favourite in Italy, a cousin of the humble mushroom but with a much more intense and nuttier flavour.

They grow wild in Italian forests and are revered and are sought after for all sorts of dishes.

The pesto used here is made by Donnybrook Fair and is available in selected Supervalu stores.

So when you arrive home after shopping, you can put this meal on the table in super quick time - and with its secret luxury ingredient, everyone will think you’ve spent hours at the stove!

We are gearing up for a few weeks where fancy desserts are going to play a big part in the Christmas feasting. There is no need to go overboard with the sweet things in this run-up to the big day.

This weekend, I’ve stuck to a seasonal fruit salad that gives a boost of vits after the running around, but still has that sweet touch we sometimes crave after the main meal.

A bowl of fresh goodness you can enjoy with your feet up in front of the telly.

Recipe

Main course:Truffle pesto tagliatelle with spinach and feta

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g fresh egg tagliatelle
1 x 135g jar truffle pesto
100mls cream
2 good handfuls baby spinach leaves, rinsed and shaken dry
75g Feta cheese

Method

Cook tagliatelle in a large pan of lightly salted boiling for three to four minutes or until water till just al dente.
Drain and return to pan.
Spoon over pesto and add cream. Stir through the pasta gently over medium heat.
Add spinach and cook for a minute or until just wilted, stirring gently.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Crumble feta over and stir through.
Serve in warmed bowls with a little extra feta sprinkled on top.

Dessert:Clementine, pomegranate and melon salad

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 Clementines, peeled and segmented
Half a ripe Galia or Canteloupe melon
1 pomegranate
2-3 tbsp maple syrup juice and strips of zest of a lime

Method

Peel and segment the clementines and place in a serving bowl.
Remove seeds from melon and halve.
Peel each piece.
Cut flesh into thin wedges and add to clementines.
Halve the pomegranate and scrape the seeds from each half into the salad.
Add maple syrup and lime juice and zest to bowl.
Toss everything together and leave to infuse for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

The weekend gargle

This pasta dish calls for a red wine to accompany it.

I’m choosing a red based on the Merlot grape, which can have a very approachable character for casual drinking.

Dunnes Stores wine selection includes Les Deux Pin Merlot from Southern France, where the grapes are grown and ripened in sunshine.

Merlot has a soft and gentle character, with lots of deep plum and damson fruit to its name.

These flavours are ideal for this supper of pasta dressed with truffle pesto and with the added tang of feta cheese.

This lovely red wine needs to be served at room temperature, to allow all those soft fruit flavours to come to the fore. It's a great wine with cheese as well, so one to keep in mind for the cheeseboard nibbles throughout the festive feasting. Find it at Dunnes Stores, at €8.00 a bottle until 3/01/25.

Receipt

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