I make no apologies for it . . . when it comes to my every day cooking, I can be rather lazy. I don't like a lot of fiddle faddle and faffing about. I like to just get on with it. I also don't like to eat out of tins, so I try find a compromise somewhere in the middle. A middle place where I can cook from scratch, but where the cooking is quick, easy and simple.
Don't get me wrong . . . I do enjoy a challenge and will rise to it on occasion . . . but occasion is the key word here, and every day cooking isn't an occasion. Which doesn't mean that the food isn't tasty or delicious or exciting. It just means that it doesn't take a lot of work to create it.
That's why I like to keep a well stocked store cupboard and larder of essentials such as pasta, tinned tomatoes, fresh lemons and herbs, cheese and dairy, amongst other things. Those are things you will always find in my house and having them means I always have a tasty and quick meal at my fingertips.
Over the next three weeks The Sunday Times is publishing a pull out Ultimate Cookbook as part of the Incredible Edibles Food Series, dedicated to food and dining. This weeks focus is Quick Eats, and you can get your copy of The Sunday Times Ultimate Cookbook: Quick Eats this weekend, on Sunday the 24th November, featuring no less than twelveof the finest, tastiest and quickest recipes brought to you by twelve different celebrity chef's.
As you can see there are some very nice names there . . . and you will find amongst the twelve a delicious recipe for Tom Kitchin's Pork Chops with Tomato Compote and James Martin's (The King of Desserts) Marshmallow Whiskey Ice Cream, not to mention a signature pudding from "The Ivy" restaurant in London. Who says quick eats have to be un-exciting!
I could not wait to get stuck into the recipes and since I had some lovely De Cecco Linquine pasta in the cupboard and a lovely bowl of fresh un-waxed lemons I decided to make Nigella Lawsons delicious sounding Lemon Linquine. The pasta hater was out for the day, so I did not make the whole recipe. Happily I was able to successfully reduce it to serve just one.
It used simple ingredients . . . liguine, fresh lemon, cream, parmesan cheese . . . some seasoning, fresh parsley as a garnish . . .
It went together lickety split . . . in the time it took to cook the pasta . . . it was basically done and I was indulging myself in a delicious carb fest . . .
Which made me very . . . very . . . VERY happy indeed! As I sat there munching away on this lemony, creamy, buttery deliciousness with a big smile on my face . . . I had to ask myself the question . . . why aren't more things in life this quick, delicious and easy?
*Nigella's Lemon Linguine*
Serves 4Printable Recipe
A deliciously simple pasta dish, with a sauce that's low of effort, but high on flavour!
900g linquine (scant 2 pounds)2 large free range egg yolks160ml of double cream (2/3 cup heavy cream)8 TBS freshly grated Parmesan Cheesethe zest of one un-waxed lemon, plus the juice of half the lemon(more as needed)fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper60g unsalted butter (4 TBS)2 to 3 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Add the linguine and give it a good stir to separate the strands. Cook according to the package directions, stirring it occasionally and cooking it at a slow boil.
While the pasta is cooking, whisk the egg yolks, cream, cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice with a fork just to blend. Have ready the remainder of ingredients.
When the pasta is done, remove 1 cup of the cooking water and quickly drain the remainder in a sieve. Toss it back into the empty pot and stir in the butter, swirling it about to make sure each strand is coated with butter. Add the egg mixture, tossing it together with the pasta to coat, adding some of the cooking water only if the pasta seems dry, and only about 2 TBS or so. Pour into a large serving bowl, and scatter the parsley on top. Serve immediately.
Note: I served extra Parmesan cheese to grate over the individual servings at the table.
Get your copy of The Sunday Times Ultimate Cookbook: Quick Eats this weekend, on Sunday the 24th November, the second in a four-part series. Featuring a selection of the finest recipes of the celebrity chef era. The Ultimate Cookbook is part of The Incredible Edibles Food Series dedicated to food and dining. Upcomng editions in the series are Brunch & Baking on Sunday December 1st and Dinner Party on Sunday December 8.
Visit thesundaytimes.co.uk to subscribe and to find out more details about exclusive Times + chef events hosted at some of the country's best restaurants.
