Jamie Oliver's 30-Minute Meals: Jools' Pregnant Pasta (2024)

The irrepressible Jamie Oliver is back with a brand new premise, a brand new recipe book and a brand new show that aims to prove that in just half an hour it is possible to create, not just one fabulous dish but an incredible meal.

We've got a couple of lovely recipes from Jamie so you've not got the excuse to slump in from work, stare blankly in the fridge and complain that you don't have time to cook anything nice because all the recipes in Jamie's 30-Minute Meals are beautifully laid out in an easy-to-read, easy-to-follow fashion and do take about half an hour to prepare (I know, I've tried them!).

Get cooking - we'd love to know how you get on, either leave a comment below or join us on Facebook.

PASTA

4 spring onions

1 carrot

1 stick of celery

1–2 fresh red chillies

1 x 6-pack of good-quality sausages

(approx. 400g)

1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon dried oregano

500g dried penne

4 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

a few sprigs of Greek basil, or regular basil

SALAD

2 red chicory

1 x 100g mixed bag of prewashed rocket and watercress

Parmesan cheese, for shaving over

1 lemon

SEASONINGS

olive oil

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & black pepper

TARTS

6 small deep shortcrust pastry cases

1 egg, preferably free-range or organic

100g ground almonds

100g butter

90g golden caster sugar

1 orange

1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

½ a 350g jar of good-quality raspberry jam

1 x 250g tub of crème fraîche, to serve

TO START Get all your ingredients and equipment ready.

Turn your oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Fill and boil the kettle.

Put a large frying pan on a high heat.

Put the standard blade attachment into the food processor.

PASTA Trim the spring onions, carrot and celery. Roughly chop all the vegetables, then blitz in the food processor with

the chillies (stalks removed). Add the sausages, 1 heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Keep

pulsing until well mixed, then spoon this mixture into the hot frying pan with a lug of olive oil, breaking it up and stirring as you go. Keep checking on it and stirring while you get on with other jobs.

Put a large deep saucepan on a ow heat and fill with boiled water. Fill and reboil the kettle.

TARTS Put the 6 pastry cases on a baking tray. Make a frangipane mixture by cracking the egg into a mixing bowl and adding 100g of almonds, 100g of butter and 90g of golden caster sugar. Grate over the zest of ½ an orange and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste or extract. Use a spoon to mix everything together. Spoon a small teaspoon of jam into each pastry base. Top with a heaped teaspoon of frangipane, add another small teaspoon of jam, then finally another heaped teaspoon of frangipane. Put the tray in the oven on the middle shelf and

set the timer for 18 minutes exactly.

PASTA Top up the saucepan with more boiled water if needed. Season well then add the penne and cook according to packet instructions, with the lid askew.

SALAD Trim off the bases of the chicory, then click apart all the leaves and quarter the heart. Scatter over a platter, then sprinkle the rocket and watercress on top and toss quickly with your hands.

PASTA Crush 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the sausage mixture and stir in 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and the tinned tomatoes. Add a little of the starchy cooking water from the pasta to loosen if needed.

SALAD Speed-peel or shave some of the Parmesan over the chicory salad and take it to the table with a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon wedges for dressing right before eating.

PASTA Drain the pasta, reserving about a wineglass worth of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan of sauce and give it a gentle stir, adding enough of the cooking water to bring it to a silky consistency. Taste, correct the seasoning, then tip into a large serving bowl and take straight to the table with the rest of the Parmesan for grating over. Scatter over a few basil leaves.

TARTS When the little tarts are golden and cooked, turn the oven off and take them out. Serve them warm, with a dollop of crème fraîche on the side.