Cookery
Quick and simple ways to make mealtimes more satisfying
Harissa lamb and feta shells
This one-tray sauce packs in lots of flavour with just a handful of ingredients.
PREP 5 mins
COOK 35 mins
✱ 400g lamb mince
✱Small red onion, finely sliced
✱Olive oil, for drizzling
✱ 300g pasta shells
✱ 2tbsp harissa (we used rose harissa)
✱Zest and juice 1 lemon
✱ 200g block feta
✱ 200ml chicken stock
✱ 2tbsp toasted pine nuts
✱Handful freshly chopped dill
✱Yogurt, to serve
1 Heat the oven to 200C Fan/Gas 7. Put the mince and red onion in a roomy roasting tin, side by side, and drizzle with a little oil. Break up the mince with a wooden spoon, then brown in the oven for 15 mins.
2 Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, according to the pack instructions. Drain lightly and set aside.
3 Take the mince out of the oven, tip the roasting tin slightly, then spoon off the excess oil and discard. Break up the mince again, combining with the onion, then return to the oven for 5 mins.
4 Mix the harissa with the lemon zest and juice. Drizzle over the meat and onion, and mix. Make a space in the middle and add the block of feta. Cover with foil and return to the oven for 15 mins until softened.
5 Toss the cooked pasta in the tray, breaking up the feta and drizzling in the stock to make a sauce that coats the pasta. Serve from the tin, scattered with the pine nuts, dill and some yogurt.
Creamy asparagus and Parma ham carbonara
We couldn’t resist giving this traditional dish a spring revamp.
PREP 15 mins
COOK 20 mins
✱ 400g pasta shapes – we used penne
✱ 250g asparagus, trimmed
✱ 4 medium free-range eggs
✱ 60ml single cream
✱ 80g Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
✱Finely grated zest ½ lemon
✱ 2tbsp olive oil
✱ 10 slices Parma ham, roughly chopped
✱ 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions, in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain, reserving about 100ml of cooking water.
2 Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to shave half the asparagus into long ribbons, then roughly chop the rest.
3 In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, 60g Parmesan, the lemon zest and plenty of ground black pepper.
4 Heat 1tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry the ham for 5 mins until crisp and golden. Add the crushed garlic and chopped asparagus, and fry for another 1-2 mins.
5 Take off the heat and
