Cheat's carbonara

Very easy, and much lower in fat than the traditional creamy version. Use turkey rashers if you want to reduce the fat further, or Quorn to make it vegetarian - or add extra vegetables if you wish. I add mushrooms but you can skip them if you prefer. Tastes good with or without the works!

Makes: as many portions as you want, just increase the quantities accordingly
Takes: 15 minutes

Ingredients (per person)

1 serving of spaghetti
spray oil
2 rashers bacon
a few button or closed cup mushrooms (optional)
50g extra low-fat cream cheese (such as Philadelphia)
freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
2. Spritz a non-stick pan with spray oil and heat. Trim the fat from the bacon and cut it into small pieces, then trim and slice the mushrooms. Fry both over a medium heat till golden brown.
3. Stir in the cream cheese and add a little of the cooking liquid to thin the sauce - you want a coating consistency.
4. Add the spaghetti to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Season to taste.

If you want to add any other vegetables, cut them into bite-sized pieces and fry gently in spray oil till softened, then add to the pan at the end of step 2.

Linguine with prawns and lemon

Lovely fresh flavours, ideal for summer. The chilli isn't at all strong but adds a little interest.

Makes: 2 generous servings
Takes: 15 minutes

Ingredients

200g linguine
about 12 cherry tomatoes
salt
1 clove garlic
1/2 red chilli
1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
175g king prawns (cooked)

Method

1. Cook the linguine in boiling water according to the instructions on the packet.
2. Halve the tomatoes and place into a small bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt.
3. Peel and chop the garlic. Remove the seeds of the chilli and chop it finely. Crush the garlic and chilli with a pestle and mortar then add to the tomatoes.
4. Finely grate the zest of the lemon and squeeze the juice, then add zest and juice to the tomatoes with the olive oil. Add the prawns and stir well.
5. Drain the pasta then return to the pan with the prawn mixture. Warm through gently over a low heat.

Tuna Pasta Bake

At its best served hot, but also good cold as a snack or for a packed lunch :-)

Makes: 2 servings
Takes: 15 minutes + 40 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

spray oil
3 1/2 oz dried pasta (I use spirali)
3 1/2 oz broccoli
185g tin of tuna (canned in brine or water)
2 eggs
1/4 pint skimmed milk
black pepper
herbs (eg parsley) if desired
1 1/2 oz mature Cheddar cheese (I use the reduced fat version)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190oC/Gas Mark 5 and spritz an ovenproof dish with oil.
2. Cook the pasta shapes in boiling water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut or break the broccoli into florets and add these to the pasta for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time.
3. Drain the pasta and broccoli and return to the saucepan. Drain and flake the tuna and mix with the pasta and broccoli then tip into the ovenproof dish.
4. Beat together the eggs and milk and season with black pepper (if using tuna in brine you won't need any additional salt). You could also add some fresh or dried herbs. Pour over the pasta mixture.
5. Grate the cheese and sprinkle over the top then bake for 35-40 minutes, till set and golden on top.

Good served with a side salad of your choice!

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Tagliatelle

It sounds really decadent but it isn't really too bad as a treat now and then - and you can buy packs of smoked salmon scraps quite cheaply which makes this dish even more affordable. It works fine without the spinach if you prefer.

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Tagliatelle

Makes: 2 portions
Takes: 10 minutes + 10 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

200g dried tagliatelle (approximately - enough to serve two people)
150 ml creme fraiche (I use the reduced fat variety)
125g smoked salmon (again, approximately! The scraps come in a 120g pack and this is fine)
Two good handfuls baby spinach (about 50g)
Lemon juice
Black pepper

Method

1. Cook and drain the pasta and return to the pan.
2. Stir in the creme fraiche then cut the salmon into small pieces and add.
3. Rinse the spinach and drain. Add to the pasta mixture and stir well.
4. Heat through gently until the spinach wilts (5 minutes should be plenty). Season with a squeeze of lemon juice - about 1 tsp - and plenty of black pepper.

Nice for a special dinner, without needing loads of preparation (though I like that kind of recipe sometimes too...)

Tomato Sauce

I make this mainly for pasta, with or without various extras (see below), but it's also great as a pizza topping. The long cooking time and the addition of butter at the end makes the tomatoes sweet without any harshness or bitterness. While it's not a quick recipe, it is extremely easy and preparation is very quick - it's just that it needs to cook for a while!

Tomato Sauce

Makes: 4 portions of pasta sauce, or topping for 8 individual pizzas
Takes: 5 minutes + 1 hour cooking time

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped (I use a small amount from a jar of ready-prepared garlic)
2 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes
1 tbsp butter
a few basil leaves (optional)


Method

1. Heat the oil and add the garlic, then cook until the garlic is softened but not browned.
2. Add the tomatoes and break them up with a wooden spoon.
3. Bring to the boil then turn right down to simmering point, cover, and cook gently for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
4. The sauce should be quite thick, without any 'liquid' layer at the top. Take the pan off the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter melts. Add the basil, torn into pieces, if desired.

Other herbs, dried or fresh, could be added - basil should only go in at the end but other herbs could be added with the tomatoes.

Other variations might be: Add finely chopped onion with the garlic and cook until translucent before adding the tomatoes; fry sliced some mushrooms with the garlic till golden; add small pieces of bacon, fried until crispy (I like this better if you cook the bacon separately and add it after cooking the sauce); any of your own ideas!

The Boy likes this as is, with fusilli pasta. The Doctor and I are more likely to have it with fresh filled pasta, such as ravioli or tortellini. A sprinkling of grated cheese on top is also yummy ;-)