New year, new recipes: Try these fast and simple dishes from Jamie Oliver
If your New Year's resolution is to cook at home more, chef and cookbook author Jamie Oliver has just what you need to make your culinary goals a reality.
Oliver's latest title, "Simply Jamie," distills 25 years of his expert tips and tricks into 130 time-saving, flavor-packed recipes across five chapters: Midweek Meals, Weekend Wins, Reliable Roasting Pans, Pantry Love and Delicious Desserts.
The beloved British celebrity chef joined "Good Morning America" on Tuesday with two simple dinner recipes to help bring the joy back to your home cooking.
No-cook pasta sauces
Oliver shared two simple no-cook pasta sauces to help inspire home cooks looking to get a complete meal on the table in under 15 minutes -- just about the same time it takes for most dried pasta to cook. He has seven total in the new book that are all big on flavor and colors to enhance the taste.
Jarred Pepper Pasta
Serves: 4
Cook time: 12 minutes
Ingredients
10 1/2 ounces dried pasta, any shape
1 bunch Italian parsley (1 ounce)
1 clove fresh garlic
16-ounce jar roasted red peppers
2/3 cup blanched almonds
1/2-1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
Generous 1/2 cup cottage cheese
Directions
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
Blitz the parsley (stalks and all) in a blender with enough extra-virgin olive oil to make a vibrant green oil, then pour into a clean glass jar.
Peel the garlic and place in the blender with the roasted red peppers (juice and all), almonds, chili flakes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and half the cottage cheese. Blitz until super-smooth.
Drain the pasta, reserving a cup full of starchy, cooking water, then return it to the saucepan. Pour over the pepper sauce and toss together over the heat, thinning with a splash of water, if needed, then season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper.
Divide between serving plates, dot over the remaining cottage cheese, then drizzle with parsley oil to taste, keeping the rest in the fridge for up to three days, or freezing in an ice cube tray for future meals.
Herb Pea Pasta
Serves: 4
Cook time: 11 minutes
Ingredients
10 1/2 ounces dried fusilli
2 cups frozen peas
12 green olives (with pits)
4 teaspoons capers in brine
1 big bunch of mixed soft herbs (2 ounces) such as basil, chives, Italian parsley, mint, arugula
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
Directions
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, adding the frozen peas the last minute.
Tear the olives in a blender, discarding the pits. Add the capers, tear in the herb leaves, add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and starchy pasta water, and finally, grate in the Parmesan, then blitz until smooth and season to perfection with salt and black pepper.
Drain the pasta and peas, reserving a cup-full of starchy cooking water, then return them to the saucepan. Pour over the green sauce and toss together over the heat, thinning with a splash of cooking water, if needed.
Serve up, finishing with a few extra scrapings of Parmesan, if you like.
Chef's notes:
Oliver said that this dish is great because it's easy to swap ingredients and use up whatever you have on hand:
- The recipe is very flexible depending on what herbs you have available.
- You can use fava beans as a substitute for peas, but peas have a great sweetness and are full of nutrition, as they are frozen quickly after being picked.
- Frozen vegetables also means you can cook in any season.
- Using the starchy pasta water helps loosen the sauce while also making it creamy (without the fat).
- The sauce can be frozen into ice cubes or stored in airtight containers in the fridge for a week.
GMA Kitchen Picks
Cuisinart 4-Piece Cookware Set, 12 Quarts, Chef's Classic Stainless Steel Pasta/Steamer, 77-412P1
- $89.95
- Amazon
