Bucatini with Torunska Sausage and Mustard Dressing

Bucatini with Torunska Sausage and Mustard Dressing

Here is another ridiculously easy, super quick and extremely cheap dinner. The bucatini fills you up; the Torunska provides richness and the mustard dressing brings the whole dish to life.

Bucatini is a great pasta, long and cylindrical like spaghetti but heavier and with a hole down the centre like a straw. The hole allows the water to seep into the middle meaning the pasta cooks quickly and evenly.

Torunska is a Polish pork and beef sausage which is smoked for a fabulous rich favour. The smokiness is quite strong and really adds to this dish, as it's smoked it doesn't need to be cooked and can be eaten cold, although I prefer to sear it in a pan and warm it for this meal.

The Dijon mustard dressing brings something a little different and when it hits your tongue, makes your taste buds tingle.

Ingredients

Cooking time: 15 minutes | Serves: 1 (hungry photographer)

- 1 Torunska sausage, about 200g

- 75g Bucatini, cooked al dente

Dressing

- 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

- 1 tbsp Lemon juice

- 3 tbsp Olive oil

- 2 pinches salt

Method

Add the Bucatini to a pan of boiling water and cook until al dente, this is normally 1 - 2 minutes, less than it says on the packet.

Whilst the pasta is cooking, sauté the Torunska in a dry frying pan, you do not need to add any oil to the pan as the sausage will quickly release its own.

Now you have the pasta and sausage cooking you can make the dressing, add the oil, mustard, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and mix together.

Once the pasta is cooked the sausage should have warmed through and be slightly golden, drain the pasta, put back in the pan, cover with the dressing and leave for 4-5 minutes with the lid on.

Now add the sausage to the pasta, toss together and serve. Finish with some freshly ground black pepper to taste and you are ready to eat.

Enjoy

Stuart Webster Photography provide Food, Lifestyle and Commercial photography services throughout Hampshire and the UK.

Penne pasta with porcini and parmesan

Penne pasta with porcini and parmesan

Today's lunch is another quick and ridiculously easy pasta dish, the rich meaty flavour of the porcini mushroom, the salty nuttiness of the parmesan creates a beautiful flavour combination. Grind over some black pepper to give a little bit of bite and you are done.

Ingredients

Cooking time: 15 minute | Serves: 1

- 75g dried Penne pasta, cooked until al dente

- 25p dried Porcini mushrooms, re-hydrate as per packet

- Parmesan cheese, to taste

- 10 - 15ml olive oil

- Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Add the pasta to a medium pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until al dente, normally a couple of minutes less than it says on the packet

Whilst the pasta is cooking re-hydrate the porcini, the instructions will be on the packet.

One the pasta is cooked drain and set a side, add the olive oil to the pan the pasta was cooked in, drain the porcini and add to the oil and warm though for two minutes.

Add the pasta to the oil and porcini and toss thoroughly.

Serve the pasta and grate over the parmesan to taste and finally the pepper.

Fifteen minutes and it's all done and ready to eat, enjoy

Stuart Webster Photography provide Food, Lifestyle and Commercial photography services throughout Hampshire and the UK.

Spaghetti with bacon and peppers

Spaghetti with bacon and peppers

It's been a full on busy day with lots of editing after a whole variety of things yesterday, when I made it into the kitchen and looked there was little to work with. However I was lucky enough to find a a few rashers of bacon, a couple of peppers and I had more than enough pasta in the store which came together to make a filling an tasty dinner.

Ingredients

- Enough spaghetti to fill you up.

- 3 Rashers of smoked bacon

- 2 Peppers

- Olive oil and seasoning

Method

Start by cutting the bacon into 2cm length strips and dry fry until well cooked bordering on crispy, once cooked remove from pan and set aside for later.

Whilst the bacon is cooking dice the peppers into a small dice, once you've removed the bacon from the pan add a glug of olive oil and sauté the peppers until they are thoroughly cooked. Add the bacon back to the pan and heat through.

Whilst the peppers are sautéing cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet. Once everything is cooked toss the bacon, peppers and spaghetti in the frying pan used to cook the peppers bacon.

Serve and garnish with basil leaves

Enjoy

Stuart Webster Photography provide Food, Lifestyle and Commercial photography services throughout Hampshire and the UK.

Spaghetti al fungi

Spaghetti al fungi

Simple, tasty and ready in minutes this dish can be thrown together in minutes and with a reasonably stocked food cupboard is a walk in the park. I chose not to add truffles as I was eating at lunch time and I find the flavours to strong however, would certainly add them if I was cooking this as an evening meal or at the weekend.

Ingredients

- Spaghetti (you know how much you eat), cook as per packet

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 garlic cloves, crushed

- 1 cups quartered portabella mushrooms

- 12g dried porcini mushroom, rehydrate as per packet

- 2 ounces heavy cream

- 1 tablespoon truffle paste

- Salt and pepper

- Parmesan, grated

Method

Cooking time: 20 minutes | Serves: 1

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Do not rinse pasta with cold water.

In a large skillet (frying pan), heat the olive oil, and add the crushed garlic. Heat the garlic in the oil for a few seconds to infuse the flavour of the garlic in the oil. Remove the garlic, and set aside.

Add the porcini & portabella mushrooms to the skillet, and cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the heavy cream, truffle paste (optional), pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and mix all ingredients together.

To serve, plate pasta, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Download you recipe card here

Enjoy

Stuart Webster Photography provide Food, Lifestyle and Commercial photography services throughout Hampshire and the UK.

Tagliatelle with chilli and basil

Tagliatelle with chilli and basil

Still really busy with other things, I promise to get back to some more creative recipes shortly. However, for tonight something easy, tasty, and quick. Cook pasta as per packet instructions, finely chop chilli whilst pasta is cooking, once pasta is ready drain and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil tossing in the chilli. Garnish with basil and freshly ground black pepper.

Enjoy

Stuart Webster Photography provide Food, Lifestyle and Commercial photography services throughout Hampshire and the UK.

Hot-headz Smoked Chilli & Garlic Sauce

Hot-headz Smoked Chilli & Garlic Sauce

Today's dish is also a big shout out for a fabulous sauce I've recently discovered an the most amazing shop I found it in.

Whilst visiting Brighton Marina to see my friend and great photographer Kirstie Blake at Eclectia Gallery I was introduced to Frank Jay and his amazing shop, the Chilli Shop, Frank stocks anything and everything you could possibly think of relating to chillis and lots of that you could never have thought of, more importantly Frank will take time and make a real effort to understand exactly what you are looking for, will help with ideas on how to use his products and generally help out.

There dozens of tasters out so you can try before you buy and with many of the locally sourced products frank can give you full provenance, you'd be amazed how many chilli based products are made in the South of England

Smoked Chilli & Garlic Hot Sauce from Hot Headz is a medium strength, smoky sauce which can be served a condiment, it will add a healthy but not over powering kick to chicken, fish, pasta or even eggs. With a good helping of garlic it creates a great rich, rounded flavour and certainly brought my dish of chicken breast with spaghetti and fried peppers to life. The flavour is long and deep, probably because of the smokiness and lingers in the mouth for a while, it's lovely and warming especially on a cod evening like we had in Southampton.

I'd certainly suggest this as a a great sauce for anyone who likes a kick to their meal and wants to bring a simple dish of chicken and pasta to life.

Suppliers

Smoked Chilli & Garlic Hot Sauce - Chilli Shop

Chicken, pasta & peppers - Tesco

Ingredients

- 1 large chicken breast, oven roasted

- 2 peppers, medium diced

- 75g spaghetti

- 1/4 jar of smoked chilli & garlic hot sauce

Method

Rub the chicken breast with a little oil and season with salt and pepper, place on baking tray on in a small roasting pan and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with a healthy layer of sauce and cook for a further 5 - 7 minutes.

Whilst the chicken is cooking boil your pasta as per the instructions on packet, once cooked to taste drain and place in a large bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp of sauce an toss until all the pasta is covered with sauce.

Whilst pasta and chicken are cooking dice the peppers and fry in a small amount of oil until soft and golden, season with salt to taste.

Once the chicken (slice and check its cooked through) is ready plate up/p>

Download your recipe card here

Enjoy

Roast chicken with beans and salad

Roast chicken with beans and salad

A great Sunday spent with the kids meant little time to cook so I cheated a little but hey the kids loved lunch. A roast chicken from the hot counter at the grocery store, home made pasta salad with sweet corn, crispy bacon and mayo with beans on the side. All done in under 20 minutes and it went down a treat.

I love cooking and photography but some things are more important.

Enjoy the photos more tasty treats tomorrow.

Pasta with pepper steak

Pasta with pepper steak

Tonight's dish uses up the remaining piece of steak I have after last nights Beef Pho and is something completely different. A tangy blend of Dijon Mustard, Worcestershire Sauce and Pepper made into a smooth creamy sauce, it tastes fabulous and clings to the pasta and steak to create a truly delicious dish.

Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 1

Ingredients

- 100g spaghetti / tagliatelli or other long pasta

- 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil

- 50g unsalted butter

- 125g rump or sirloin steak, trimmed

- 1/4 onion, halved, thinly sliced

- 1 dessert spoon green peppercorns in brine

- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

- 50g button mushrooms, thinly sliced

- 100ml dry white wine

- 1 tsp Dijon mustard

- 1 dessert spoon Worcestershire sauce

- 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream

- 1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, then drain.

Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Heat butter and remaining oil in a large frying pan over very high heat, add steak and cook for 1-2 minutes each side, remove and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add the drained peppercorns, garlic, mushrooms and wine, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add mustard, Worcestershire sauce, stock and cream, season well, then allow to simmer for 2 minutes.

Slice the steak thinly and add to the pan with the pasta and parsley, then toss gently to combine.

Download your recipe card here

Enjoy