We are now into receipe 2 of our cook our way through Jamie Oliver’s 30 Minute Meals Book and we have another winner. We are beginning to wonder, will they all be this good!
 
What is nice about this book is that there is a whole spread of food, a main, a side or two and on most occasions a dessert, what more can you ask for. All the hard work is done for you. There are no short cuts on quality and taste is amazing. Portion sizes have so far proved very generous and on most occasions I have had some left overs for lunch the next day.
 
Ben and I are enjoying the time in the kitchen together, while he does the main I do the sides and dessert, with a glass of wine we can chat about our day and unwind. Then we all sit around the table as a family and enjoy the food and quality time together as a family.
 
Well 2 down, 48 to go.
 
Buon appetito
 
(Picture taken of Hubby in Tuscany – Easter 2010)

PASTA
• 4 spring onions
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick of celery
• 1–2 fresh red chillies
• 1 x 6-pack of good-quality sausages
(approx• 400g)
• 1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 500g dried penne
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• a few sprigs of Greek basil, or
• regular basil

SALAD
• 2 red chicory, hubby brought green chicory, but it was just as lovely.
• 1 x 100g mixed bag of prewashed rocket and watercress
• Parmesan cheese, for shaving over
• 1 lemon

SEASONINGS
• olive oil
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt & black pepper

TARTS
• 6 small deep shortcrust pastry cases, hubby brought a lump of pastry by mistake, so I just made one large one, worked just as well. I just cooked the pastry blind for 10 minutes with baking paper and beads on, removed the paper/beads and cooked for a further 5 minutes, then followed Jamie’s instructions as below. There is always away round these things.
• 1 egg
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g butter
• 90g golden caster sugar
• 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
• ½ a 350g jar of good-quality raspberry jam
• 1 x 250g tub of crème fraîche, to serve, we had ours with gorgeous Cornish Ice Cream & ate the tarts really hot, straight from the oven. A good quality vanilla ice cream or any cream that takes your fancy would work just as well here.

 
I have also wondered if you could add pear halves, cherries or raspberries if you were making a large tart like I did, I will have to give it a try and get back to you.
 
Serves 6
 
Turn your oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.

PASTA
Trim the spring onions, carrot and celery. Roughly chop all the vegetables, then blitz in the food processor with the chillies (stalks removed). Add the sausages, 1 heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Keep pulsing until well mixed, then spoon this mixture into the hot frying pan with a lug of olive oil, breaking it up and stirring as you go. Keep checking on it and stirring while you get on with other jobs. Put a large deep saucepan on a low heat and fill with boiled water. Fill and reboil the kettle.

TARTS Put the 6 pastry cases on a baking tray. Make a frangipane mixture by cracking the egg into a mixing bowl and adding 100g of almonds, 100g of butter and 90g of golden caster sugar. Grate over the zest of ½ an orange and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste or extract. Use a spoon to mix everything together. Spoon a small teaspoon of jam into each pastry base. Top with a heaped teaspoon of frangipane, add another small teaspoon of jam, then finally another heaped teaspoon of frangipane. Put the tray in the oven on the middle shelf and set the timer for 18 minutes exactly.

PASTA Top up the saucepan with more boiled water if needed. Season well then add the penne and cook according to packet instructions, with the lid askew.

SALAD
Trim off the bases of the chicory, then click apart all the leaves and quarter the heart. Scatter over a platter, then sprinkle the rocket and watercress on top and toss quickly with your hands.

PASTA Crush 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the sausage mixture and stir in 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and the tinned tomatoes. Add a little of the starchy cooking water from the pasta to loosen if needed.

SALAD Speed-peel or shave some of the Parmesan over the chicory salad and take it to the table with a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon wedges for dressing right before eating.

PASTA Drain the pasta, reserving about a wineglass worth of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan of sauce and give it a gentle stir, adding enough of the cooking water to bring it to a silky consistency. Taste, correct the seasoning, then tip into a large serving bowl
and take straight to the table with the rest of the Parmesan for grating over. Scatter over a few basil leaves.

TARTS When the little tarts are golden and cooked, turn the oven off and take them out. Serve them warm, with a dollop of crème fraîche on the side.

 
I have typed this one up for you in order of preparation like Jamie does in his book, not sure if its easier to follow or not, but I suppose it works and if you are only make the one dish you can jump to the parts you need.