Theo Michaels' 'Naked Pastitsio' and Pasta Hacks
Check out these delicious pasta dishes using Theo's 'passive cooking' hack!
1) Naked Pastitsio
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
320g spaghetti
250g pork mince
60ml olive oil
2 onions, diced
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 vine tomato, grated
1 chicken stock cube
METHOD:
1) Boil a saucepan of water and place spaghetti into it with one chicken stock, and keep on the heat for 2 minutes. Then, take it off the heat and leave the spaghetti to ‘passively cook’ for 8-10 minutes (lid on)
2) Fry the diced onion in olive oil on low heat until it is soft and caramelised – this should take about 10minutes.
3) Stir in the pork mince, cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon
4) Grate your tomato stir it into the mince mixture cook for a 4-5 more minutes.**
5) Drain your pasta and serve up with your mince mixture
6) Lastly, season generously with salt and pepper and lots of freshly chopped parsley.
**Grated Tomato Hack - Use a large vine tomato - keep the stalk in the palm of your hand and you grate the tomato with a cheese grater from the bottom. This way you get the flesh of the tomato grated yet the skin stays intact
2) Rigatoni with Halloumi (Vegetarian Alternative)
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
360g pasta (penne/rigatoni)
1 chicken stock cubes (use vegetable stock for true vegetarian dish).
250g Greek halloumi
Sprigs fresh mint ripped
1 lemon (optional)
60 ml olive oil
METHOD:
1) Boil water in a saucepan and place the rigatoni into it with chicken stock or a vegetarian stock cube, and keep on the heat for 2 minutes. Then, take it off the heat and leave the pasta to ‘passively cook’ for 8-10 minutes
2) Drain pasta and pour just enough of the cooking liquid to cover the base of each the bowl you are going to serve the dish in by an inch – this is to give the dish moisture.
3) Add the pasta and finely grate a generous portion of halloumi over each dish.
4) Garnish with ripped mint leaves, squeeze lemon, drizzle olive oil and cracked black pepper.
**Hack - For pasta on the go - place your pasta into an insulated coffee cup, slightly undercooked, with some of the pasta water. Place the lid back on and this will continue to cook until you are ready to eat!
