Pass the pasta

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CW food writer Libby Kimber is serving up a fan-favourite and all-round crowd pleaser this week. With meat or without, you can’t go past pasta.

Adam Liaw’s creamy pepper steak spaghetti

Recipe and image courtesy of Australian Beef | australianbeef.com.au

Serves: 4

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 25 mins

  • 400g rump steak
  • 1 tsp olive oil, plus 2 Tbsp extra, to serve
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper, plus extra, to serve
  • Salt, to season
  • 5 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 500g dried spaghetti
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 3/4 cup beef stock
  • 200ml thickened cream
  • 2 Tbsp finely shredded parsley
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Place the steak on a tray, seasoning well with salt and pepper, pressing them into the surface of the steak. Heat a large frying pan over high heat until very hot, then add the olive oil. Place the steak in the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the steak to your liking, adding in the thyme and butter at the last minute, basting the butter over the steak. Remove the steak and thyme from the pan and set aside to rest.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente.

Return the pan to a low-medium heat and add the extra 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and fry for roughly 3 minutes until softened. Add the stock and cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer for roughly 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced and creamy.

Slice your steak into thin strips. When the pasta is cooked, transfer it to the sauce along with 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and any juices collected from the rested steak. Mix well to coat the pasta in the sauce before stirring through the sliced steak, thyme, parsley and extra black pepper. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese.


Pappardelle with broccolini pesto

Recipe and image courtesy of Perfection Fresh.

Serves: 4

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 20 mins

  • 2 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 2 small garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 bunch broccolini, washed
  • 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
  • 400g pappardelle pasta

Put the parsley, garlic, lemon rind and 2 tablespoons of pine nuts into a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, add 1/4 cup of olive oil, parmesan and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Season and set aside.

Preheat a chargrill pan over high heat. Brush the broccolini with remaining olive oil and season well. Chargrill, turning for 6-8 minutes or until tender and just charred. Cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Return the pasta to the saucepan with most of the pesto. Add enough reserved liquid to adjust the consistency, toss over low heat to combine.

Divide pasta between serving plates, top with broccolini, scatter over remaining pine nuts and extra parmesan. Serve with remaining pesto.

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