Linguine alla Puttanesca

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
• 4+ cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3+ anchovy fillets
• 1 x 28oz can whole plum San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives (preferably oil cured)
• 2 tbps capers (drained)
• 1/4 tsp or more red pepper flakes to taste
• Sea salt and black pepper to season
• Italian parsley for garnish
• Linguine or other long pasta for two people (~1/2lb dry weight)

Instructions

Place 2 tsbp olive oil in a large saute pan along with the garlic and anchovy. Heat on low until just sizzling, stirring occasionally until the garlic takes on some color.

Add tomatoes and crush with spoon to break apart somewhat. Season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat until bubbling and cook until they break down and the mixture becomes a nice thick sauce, about ten minutes. 

Add the olives, capers and red pepper flakes, reduce heat and put on a lid and leave the sauce simmering.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and transfer to the saute pan along with 1 tbsp olive and stir well to combine with the sauce and cover all the pasta. 

Serve garnished with the parsley.

Split-pea Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

• 6oz green split peas
• 4 oz yellow split peas
• 1 pint vegetable stock
• 1 oz butter
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1lb baby spinach leaves
• 1 clove garlic, crushed/finely chopped
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp nutmeg (1/2 tsp sounds like a lot but works really well)
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper
• Plenty of mashed potato -- make it firmer than usual with just a little butter and milk. Season with salt and white pepper.

Instructions

Rinse the split peas and put them in a saucepan with the stock. Cover and cook 45-60 minutes until soft and all the stock has been absorbed. The filling seems nicest when they are soft, so cook longer if necessary and add more stock if it evaporates before they're done.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the onion, carrot, celery and pepper. Cook until really tender, about 10-15 minutes. 

Add the garlic, oregano, nutmeg and paprika along with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the cooked split peas. If the mixture seems dry at this point add some additional stock.

Spoon the filling into a casserole dish and then spoon the mashed potato on top.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.