Spaghetti with Rhubarb and Fresh Dill

This is another savoury recipe with rhubarb that turned out to be one of the best pasta dishes I've ever tasted ..... and no, I'm not pregnant, which is what most people asked me when I made it! :)

Spaghetti with Rhubarb and Fresh Dill

Ingredients

1 bunch of rhubarb
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbs evaporated milk
1 tbs creme fraiche
1 leek - thinly sliced
125g butter (I have to think about how to reduce this amount)
3 tbs pine-nuts - roughly chopped
3 tbs sultanas, soaked in warm water 10 minutes, then drained
2 small bunches fresh dill - finely chopped


Please note:

1. It would probably be easier to replace the evaporated milk and creme fraiche with single cream instead .... I just used what was in the fridge!
2. The amount of butter is rather a lot, so I will think about what to do to reduce this!

Cut each rhubarb stalk crosswise into 3 pieces, then thinly slice lengthwise. In a large saucepan, combine wine, evaporated milk, creme fraiche, leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes. Add rhubarb and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, pine nuts and sultanas. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and the flavours have combined, about 2 minutes. Stir in dill and cook a few minutes more. Remove from heat.

Cook pasta in boiling water until tender. Reserving 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta. Mix pasta with the cooking liquid, pine nut mixture and rhubarb mixture.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Bolognese Sauce

While I don't like to eat a lot of red meat, what I do like is a good bolognese sauce.  I do a nice vegetarian style one with lentils, but tonight was a a good night for a meaty-mushroom style one.

Ingredients

Olive Oil
1 x large onion, chopped
4 x cloves garlic, crushed
2 x sticks celery, finely sliced
1 x large carrot, finely diced
6 x rashers smokey bacon, chopped
500g x lean beef mince
Plain flour
400g (approx.) large brown mushrooms, roughly chopped
Sherry
400g can chopped tomatoes
1-1/2 (approx. ) cups beef stock
Tomato puree
Dried oregano
Bay leaves


Fry the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and bacon in a large pan until the veggies are tender and the bacon is nicely cooked.

Add the beef mince and a good shake (approx. 1 large tablespoon) of flour.  Stir well and cook (still stirring) until the beef has browned.

Throw in the mushrooms and continue to stir through until they start to release their juices.  Pour in a large dash of sherry and stir well, scraping up the stickiness from the bottom of the pan.

Pour in the tomatoes and beef stock.  (I used an organic stock cube this time, because I'd run out of home-made stock).  Stir well and add a good squeeze of tomato puree, a good shake of oregano and a couple of bay leaves.

Bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer and cover the pan with a lid.

Leave it to simmer and thicken, while going to pick up your daughter from ballet, after asking your sons to check it and give it an occasional stir while you're out.

When you get back, give it another stir, scraping up the bits at the bottom of the pan again because your sons didn't stir it for you while you were out!

Adjust the seasoning and pour sauce over your cooked pasta of choice.  Add parmesan shavings and enjoy!

If there is any over, this is really nice on toast (although that's only ever happened once before in this house)! :)

Cheers,
Caryl ♥