Three quick midweek pasta dishes

Butter bean & tomato ravioli and broccoli anchovy pasta, plus a failsafe tomato pasta

When energy levels are depleted at the end of the day and I’m trying to cook dinner in 20 minutes, it’s all about pasta, pasta, pasta.

I could eat it every night and often do fall back on a failsafe tomato pasta (a version of Ed Smith’s recipe which my son loves too). To make enough for four, add two tins of good-quality chopped tomatoes, a whole, halved, peeled onion, a generous knob of butter, three minced garlic cloves, a small bunch of basil, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and 2 tsp sherry vinegar to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down and simmer gently for 15 minutes, while you cook 500g pasta (I always use a whole pack of pasta for four people, I think it’s madness to do anything different). Remove and discard the onion and basil. Toss the pasta in the sauce and serve with Parmesan, if you like.

To mix things up lately, I’ve been trying to pack in extra protein or veg into this midweek staple dinner.

So here are two new ideas to try: a pack of shop-bought ravioli cooked with creamy butter beans, and broccoli and anchovy pasta that makes eating a whole head of broccoli a joy.

Creamy butter bean and tomato ravioli

Serves 2

A knob of butter
150g sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pack of spinach and ricotta ravioli
400g butter beans (if possible use the jarred ones)
50g parmesan or veggie alternative, plus extra to serve
A handful of fresh basil

Bring a pan of salted boiling water to the boil.

Add the butter with a splash of olive oil to a large saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes, until they’ve blistered and broken down.

Season with salt and lots of black pepper. Stir in the liquid from the beans, whisking to emulsify, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the butter beans and warm through.

Cook the pasta in the salted water for 3 minutes or until al dente.

Stir the parmesan into the beans, then use a spider to drain the pasta and toss in the buttery, beany sauce. Serve with fresh basil on top.

Broccoli, new potato and anchovy pasta

Serves 4

75g panko breadcrumbs
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp chilli flakes
300g new potatoes, chopped into 2.5cm pieces
1 head broccoli, roughly chopped
400g pasta
8 anchovies
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

First make the chilli and lemon breadcrumbs. Combine the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and ½ tsp chilli flakes with a sprinkle of sea salt in a small bowl. Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing regularly, until golden brown. Set aside in the bowl and wipe the pan clean with kitchen towel.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the potatoes. Cook for 8 minutes, then add the broccoli and cook for a further 5-7 minutes until everything is tender.

Meanwhile, add a splash of olive oil to the frying pan and add the anchovies, garlic and remaining chilli flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Use a spider to drain the potatoes and broccoli into the pan with the anchovies and leave over a low heat, squishing the broccoli slightly.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the same pan you cooked the broccoli and potatoes in for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with the broccoli and potatoes, adding a splash of the pasta cooking water as needed to create a glossy sauce. Serve with the lemony breadcrumbs.

PS This week I’m loving…

It can be hard to find wholewheat pasta that tastes good, but for a special pasta night treat, I love Northern Pasta Co’s nutty British-made spelt rigatoni.

That’s all for now. Happy pasta eating and hope you’re enjoying the spring sunshine x