What a week, Southwark Council Environmental Health came to check out my market stall (tense, tense, tense) and it was passed into the top tier for Health & Hygiene Standards – phew- when I get that certificate I shall be displaying it 😀 Funny the things we worry about, I knew there was nothing to worry about and still I worried – such a wally 😀
Annnnyway ……
Here we are again with a gem for ‘Meatless Monday’.
This one is a little more that the usual store cupboard recipes that I try to blog (for the sake of our health and wealth).
I have added Mozzarella as my daughter loves it this way, but it is perfectly delicious without and is then (of course) a Vegan recipe.
I also think that this one is great for when you are having good friends over for a supper and no one wants anything too stiff and long lasting and the conversation is silly and company are happy to lean on each other and have a good old belly laugh.
Again, it is super quick to make – 25 minutes from start to finish, all fresh and bright straight from your kitchen and we are all in need of a little fresh and bright (it is freezing here in England).
It is a rich and rounded flavourful dish – a delight.
Enjoy!!
Slightly Special Spaghetti with Pine nuts and Avocado
Parsley,
1 large onion
5 cloves of garlic
2 tbsps of mild olive oil
250g / 8 oz bag of spinach
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar (any vinegar will do, but balsamic have more flavour notes)
60g / 2 oz Pine nuts (toasted if you can)
2 Ripe Avocados
125 ml / 1/4pt water or stock or noodle water
120g / 4 oz Mozzarella (drained) Obviously leave this out if you want to make this Vegan
500g / 1 lb spaghetti
2 oz Good olive oil
1 lemon juiced
Roughly chop the parsley.
Peel the onions and garlic. And slice them but not too thinly.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan and over a medium heat saute the onions until they start to soften and turn translucent. Add the garlic and the balsamic vinegar, turn the heat to it’s lowest setting.
Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of water to boiling, as that is happening wash the spinach.
Then pop it onto your board and give it a rough chop, leave the leaves fairly large (just run the knife through he mass maybe 5 times) and pop into straight into the pan, put the lid on. Leave it over that high heat for maybe 1 minute.
That is it, give it a good drain, but don’t squeeze it. Leave it to one side.
In the middle of all that get a pan of salty water on the boil. (Follow the instructions on the pack for how to cook them. If they are ready before the main part then just drain them, run cold water through them for the count of 5. Shake as they drain and then pour another tablespoon or two of oil over them and stir through to stop them sticking).
Add a ladle of the pasta water into the onion and garlic mix.
Heat a small frying pan. Pop in those lovely pine nuts.
Now stay with them and shake the pan over the heat as they start to toast.
Keep shaking or they will burn. Tip them into a dish and leave them to one side.
If you are using Mozzarella, then drain it now.
Split the avocados, discard the stone and then run your knife through the flesh (whilst it is still in it’s peel) in a criss cross manner.
Everything should now be good to go.
So transfer the onion sauce mix into the now empty pasta pan. Add the lemon juice, the good oil and let it get hot again.
Add in the pasta. Good stir.
Add the spinach. Good stir.
Use a spoon to scoop the avocado in to the pasta. Good stir.
Tear the mozzarella, add it. Good stir.
(At this point I feel like one of Shakespeare’s Witches over my cauldron)
Add half the parsley and half the pinenuts and give it the final stir and tip it into the serving bowls
Sprinkle the last of the pine nuts and parsley and dig in
😀
email me scarletrositafood@btinternet.com
phone or text 0792 310 9170
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ScarletRosita
or follow me on Twitter
Come and see me on Saturdays’ at Bermondsey Square Farmers Market in Southwark. It’s just off Tower Bridge Road, a short walk from The White Cube, Southbank and Borough Market.
All new customers will get a lovely washable cotton shopper as a ‘Thank you and please come again next week’ (Whie stocks last!)
Every Friday at about 6 pm GMT I publish photos of the items I have cooked for market. Have a look at the Facebook page.
scarlet rosita 