Are you ever stuck for ideas for a mid-week meal that has minimal effort but maximum taste? Well I might just have found the perfect pasta recipe for you.
There are plenty of one-pot recipes out there, but there has always been a slight scepticism stopping me from doing them. Will it taste OK? Will everything cook properly? I’ve cooked plenty of meat-based stews in one pot as they’re pretty much guaranteed to work, but never ventured into one-pot pasta dishes until recently.
The first one I attempted was a creamy mushroom farfalle combo, which turned out quite well and took minimal effort for the bistro taste that came with it. I thought it might have been a one-off so the only logical solution was to try another one using different ingredients.
I opted for this linguine with roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and brie - one of my favourite cheeses. It’s so easy to make as all the ingredients - bar the brie - go into the pot and cook together for 10 minutes and voila, you’ve got a super-tasty pasta that will impress and last minute guests or the other half as a surprise candle-lit dinner.
What you'll need:
• 350g linguine, broken in half
• Bunch of basil leaves
• 150g of chopped roasted peppers
• 75g sun-dried tomatoes
• 4 pressed garlic cloves
• 600ml water
• 2 tsp of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch of red chilli flakes
• 225g of brie, torn into pieces
• Grated parmesan
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Here's what you'll need to do:
Combine linguine, basil, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in a high-sided frying pan. Add the water, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes and a generous amount of black pepper and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Using tongs, stir and turn the pasta frequently to prevent sticking. Cook until al dente, approximately 9 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. (If there is still a little bit of cooking water pour some, but not all, into a separate bowl.)
Add the brie and toss with tongs until creamy and melted. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. The sauce will naturally thicken up after a couple of minutes. Serve with grated parmesan and a swirl of good olive oil. (If the pasta does seem to need liquid, add back a few splashes of reserved cooking liquid.)
Recipe courtesy of TheKitchn.
(Written by James Donnelly)