Beat the leftover blues! You’ll go nuts for this delicious pasta
One thing you can always guarantee about Christmas is that there will be lots of food leftover!
Blue Cheese and Walnut Tagliatelle
Ingredients (serves 4 500g tagliatelle nests Extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 150g walnut pieces, chopped 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves Few sage leaves, finely shredded 150g blue cheese, crumbled, plus extra to taste for finishing Method Cook tagliatelle in a large pan of boiling slightly salted water with a dash of olive oil added, till its just al dente.
While pasta is cooking, heat a good splash of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and add garlic and walnuts.
Cook very gently over low heat till the walnuts are just lightly brown, stirring. Add herbs and season. Remove from heat and reserve.
When the pasta is ready, drain well. Return to pan.
Add cheese to walnut mix and pour over the hot pasta.
Toss with two forks to coat the pasta in the sauce.
Spoon into warmed bowls and scatter over some extra crumbled cheese to finish.
Ingredients (serves 6- 8) 225g sugar 225g butter 25g cocoa powder 30g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted 4 large free range eggs, beaten 225g self raising flour sifted with 1 tsp baking powder splash of milk For the filling:
100g butter 200g icing sugar, sifted 1 tsp cocoa powder 25g dark chocolate, (70% coca solids) melted 4 tbsp raspberry conserve For the Ganache:
150mls cream 225g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped To finish:
50g white chocolate Fresh raspberries White and milk chocolate stars Method Whisk sugar and butter till pale and fluffy.
Whisk in cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
Whisk in the eggs, a little at a time, with alternate spoonfuls of flour mix.
When all eggs are incorporated, fold in remaining flour. Add a splash of milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
Grease two 20cm sandwich tins with butter and line the bases.
Divide cake mix between two tins, even out and smooth surface. Tap gently on worktop to knock out air bubbles.
Bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 4 350F 180C for 15 minutes, or until the sponges are risen and firm to touch.
Remove from oven and cool slightly in tins. Lift out of the tins and cool on a wire rack.
For the filling, whisk the butter with the icing sugar till combined.
Add the cocoa powder and melted chocolate and whisk again. Add a drop of milk if necessary to make it spreadable.
Spread chocolate buttercream over one side of each cake.
Spread raspberry jam over this.
Sandwich together and smooth round the sides of the cake with a palette knife.
For the ganache, heat the cream to just below boiling. Remove from heat.
Stir in chocolate till melted, glossy and smooth.
Cool slightly then spread over the top and sides of the cake.
Decorate with grated white chocolate, raspberries and chocolate stars. Leave to set
Although this is a light pasta dish, the flavours are intense. So I’m recommending a red which will handle the tastes of the cheese and herbs.
Lidl’s Merlot Reserve Privada 2022 from Chile is a great choice. The Merlot grape can produce wines which are subtle and soft, but here the result is packed is full of ripe damson, mulberry and dark plum fruit, with bright ripe cherry notes and a smooth voluptuous ripeness to wrap around all the flavours in the dish.
This wine works well here, and also would match a vintage cheddar or a ripe Brie or Camembert on the cheeseboard.
Find it at Lidl stores now, as part of the huge Christmas wine selection, at just €8.99 a bottle.
A handy screw cap also means you don’t have to go hunting for the cork screw!
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