I love this recipe … as a consultant it is one I sometimes make with new clients at their delivery immediately after we make the veggie stock. By getting the client to make this dish I am able to explain and display many features and benefits of the Thermomix, and at the end the client would have a delicious one-pot meal to enjoy.
It is very easy to adapt this recipe (from the Thermomix Everyday Cookbook) to suit the everyone’s dietary requirements, and everyone loves it as an easy mid-week option when short is time (you can have it on the table within 30 minutes).
Adaptions I have used and work are:
- GLUTEN FREE: use GF pasta … there are so many available these days (I like Barilla brand)
- DAIRY FREE: replace cream with coconut cream … I use Ayam brand and that works beautifully
- VEGGIE: replace salami with one can of drained chicks peas, along with 1 tsp each of ground cumin/coriander/paprika and add at the same time as the pasta
- MEAT OPTIONS: replace salami with finely sliced bacon, ham, raw chicken (thinly sliced thighs work best … use up to 200g), or chorizo (which I pan fry first to reduce fat, or if you already have some cooked in the fridge and left over from another meal use that)
I use more veggies and sauce than the original recipe, and include raw spinach stirred through the hot dish once it is cooked.
Please note that a 300ml container of cream generally weighs 270g to 280g, and the Ayam brand of coconut cream is available in 270g tins … so when using these add in extra water so that the combined cream/water comes to 600g when weighing it into the Thermomix. If you don’t have veggie stock paste, then use any stock of choice to replace the water.
This dish can be prepared in advance and placed into a baking dish, topped with white sauce, sprinkled with sourdough breadcrumbs or parmesan and then baked for 25 to 30 minutes at 180 degrees fan forced until nicely golden on top. It can be made a day ahead and cooked the following night … just ensure you take it out of fridge 30 minutes before baking.
The pasta is also lovely cold the next day so great for lunchboxes (with a little fork to eat it with) … it is definitely one of my family’s favourites!
- 60 to 80g raw baby spinach (about 2 large handfuls)
- 1 medium brown onion, cut into quarters
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 6 sprigs flat leaf parsley
- 1 large red pepper, or 2 small, deseeded and roughly chopped
- 200g zucchini, chopped into chunks
- 50g olive oil
- 450g mini Roma tomatoes, halved or left whole if preferred (or large ripe Romas cut into chunks)
- 300g cream
- 300g filtered water
- 2 tbls veggie stock concentrate
- 300g pasta of choice (penne, shells or spirals work well)
- 150g salami, finely sliced (or one of the other protein options listed)
- Place spinach into Thermoserver and put aside
- Place onion, garlic and parsley into TM bowl and chop 3 seconds / speed 7
- Add capsicum and zucchini and chop 2 seconds / speed 5 (if you prefer it finer then chop for another 1 second / speed 5 ... or until desired consistency is achieved if you are trying to hide veggies ... wink wink!)
- Scrape down sides
- Add oil and sauté 5 minutes / Veroma / speed 1 / MC off
- Add tomatoes, cream, water and veggie stock concentrate and cook 10 minutes / 100 / speed 1
- Add pasta and salami and carefully press them into the sauce (or chick peas and seasoning, or one of the other options) and cook 10 minutes / 100 / reverse / speed soft (check the cooking time of your pasta and go with that, but mine usually says 10 minutes)
- Pour pasta into Thermoserver on top of spinach and stir spinach through with your spatula
- Replace lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving
* GLUTEN FREE: use GF pasta … there are so many available these days
* DAIRY FREE: replace cream with coconut cream … I use Ayam brand and that works beautifully
* VEGGIE: replace salami with one can of drained chicks peas, along with 1 tsp each of ground cumin/coriander/paprika and add at the same time as the pasta
* MEAT OPTIONS: replace salami with finely sliced bacon, ham, raw chicken (thinly sliced thighs work best … use up to 200g), or chorizo (which I pan fry first to reduce fat, or if you already have some cooked in the fridge and left over from another meal use that)
Please note that a 300ml container of cream generally weighs 270g to 280g, and the Ayam brand of coconut cream is available in 270g tins … so when using these add in extra water so that the combined cream/water comes to 600g when weighing it into the Thermomix. If you don't have veggie stock paste, then use any stock of choice to replace the water.
This dish can be prepared in advance and placed into a baking dish, topped with white sauce, sprinkled with sourdough breadcrumbs or parmesan and then baked for 25 to 30 minutes at 180 degrees fan forced until nicely golden on top. It can be made a day ahead and cooked the following night … just ensure you take it out of fridge 30 minutes before baking.
The pasta is also lovely cold the next day so great for lunchboxes (with a little fork to eat it with) ... it is definitely one of my family's favourites!
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