We usually eat pasta twice a week; it's Lady Magnon's evening meal of choice. This is enough for two, and is my bog-standard recipe which I make with my 'eyes-closed'.
100 gms of good minced beef (I use pure Charolais).
1 large clove of garlic.
1 medium sized tomato.
1 teaspoon of capers.
8 black olives (I only allow 4 each).
2 leaves of chard or 4 of spinach (just the green bits) sliced into strips.
A good pinch of dried herbs.
Perhaps a short squirt of tomato purée.
Perhaps a short squirt of tomato purée.
Olive oil, salt, pepper, and two large glasses of red wine (one is for me).
Put a generous amount of olive oil in a pan, add the crushed garlic and the slightly salted minced beef, and fry till well cooked and separated. Add the diced tomato, the chopped chard, the olives, capers, red wine (as required), herbs, and salt-n-pepper, and cook until softened (5 mins), but keeping each element recognisable.
If I intend to use Penné (as I did last night), then I make the sauce quite 'wet', and combine the sauce with the 'well cooked' pasta. If we have spaghetti, then I make the sauce drier, and serve on top . In both cases we eat with a few dashes of chilli sauce and plenty of freshly grated Grano Padano cheese (a bit cheaper than Parmesan).
I can hear you all saying that this is a pretty standard beef/tomato sauce, but it's the simplicity and the addition of the chard which is surprisingly good. I recommend.
I can hear you all saying that this is a pretty standard beef/tomato sauce, but it's the simplicity and the addition of the chard which is surprisingly good. I recommend.
Sounds delicious, like all of your recipes! And simple food is often the best food, in my opinion anyway!
ReplyDeleteOur chard has performed brilliantly this year (thank you for the recommendation). Will have to try this recipe.
ReplyDeleteSo has ours. It also happens to be a favourite.
DeleteI probably should have mentioned above how lucky we are here that we can buy 100% pure beef burgers (100 gms each) at the supermarket. No added onion or breadcrumbs; just pure minced Charolais steak. I freeze these, and have a constant supply. It makes life so easy.
ReplyDeleteI have never eaten chard. Does it have a distinct flavour? I love cooking a minced meat sauce, you can throw anything in it and it always comes out delicious.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it tastes rather like spinach. But unlike spinach, it's quite substantial. Chard is also very good for you; and very easy to grow!
Deletehaving just finished breakfast I now want supper!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is almost exactly what we have just eaten (with Angus mince instead of the Charolais).
ReplyDeleteRegarding your previous post if you are looking for something to send your sister for her next birthday (with a zero on the end) one of those shopping bags would be ideal.
I fear the postage might be ten times the value of the basket.... but who knows!
DeleteI've never tried capers in pasta sauce! Must give it a whirl.
ReplyDeleteI hardly ever eat a pasta sauce without capers. It takes all sorts!
DeleteCapers and chard in pasta sauce - unheard of! But well worth a try - no mushrooms?
ReplyDeleteFancy a spell as a guest chef at my place? Just a short stint, say three years?
ReplyDeleteJust say the word... although I only cook pasta and roast chicken!
DeleteI could just eat some of that. It sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI really do think that simple sauces are best with pasta Cro - it is a simple dish and why go to a lot of trouble tomake fancy things. I agree about Gran Padano too - cheaper than are hardly tasting any different from Parmesan. I shall try the capers though - never thought of that.
ReplyDeleteI would never had thought of adding chard, although I do use spinach. I definitely will take your advice and put some capers in my sauce next time.
ReplyDeleteI love that everyone has a variation on this sauce, and yours sounds especially yummy. And capers! Must try.
ReplyDeleteI'm laughing at my cappuccino-coloured charolais in the paddock and thinking of them as The Best mince.
ReplyDeleteDarling, you are so next.
I never thought to add capers to the sauce, either! I have added all sorts of veggies, depending upon what we had growing in the garden or on hand that needed to be used up.
ReplyDeleteI rarely eat pasta these days, but next time i do, i shall add some capers.