London - Let's talk about dinner.
In these food-fashionable times, it’s easy to think that everyone (but you) is sitting down to some effortless concoction of artisanal morsels picked up at the farmers’ market or in the more recherché aisles of the supermarket.
Meanwhile, in the real world, we’re all just doing our best. Any meal you don’t eat standing up, illuminated by the cruel light of an open fridge door, has to count as a success.
If, between chucking your coat on the hall chair and hurling yourself into bed, you manage to spoon something into your mouth, that’s both delicious and nutritious, you’re winning.
I feel like this even though it’s my job to create and test recipes.
This recipe is not at all dictatorial, because really, who has time for all that? Trust your own tastes and judgement. Use what you have and love. I’m not the boss of you.
Don’t have Gruyère for the pasta? Use cheddar – even tired, old bits of cheese, diligently grated, really will do. No one will cry. And if they do, and they’re over 12, let them make their own damn dinner.
Lazy meatball pasta
Transforming well-seasoned sausages into meatballs is one of my favourite week night shortcuts, as the butcher has already done a lot of the work for you. Whichever is your favourite sausage at the local butchery will do.
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 15 mins
Serves 4-6
4 well-flavoured sausages (about 400g)
20g butter
Handful breadcrumbs (about 30g)
Salt
350g pasta (see method)
1 Tbsp olive oil
300g broccoli, ends trimmed and halved
150g Gruyère cheese, grated
Large bunch of parsley (about 25g), tough stalks removed, chopped
Good pinch chilli flakes
Black pepper
Instructions
* Remove the sausages from their skins and break each into four pieces. Roll into small meatballs.
* Warm the butter in a frying pan and fry the breadcrumbs until just golden. Tip them on to kitchen paper to drain.
* Boil a large pan of salted water and cook the pasta (I used casareccia, but any smallish shape would do) according to the packet instructions – usually about 9 to 12 minutes.
* While the pasta is cooking, warm the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the meatballs, rattling the pan so they brown evenly.
* After 7 to 8 minutes, toss in the broccoli and stir for a minute. Add a ladle of the cooking liquid from the pasta and stir until it has almost evaporated and the broccoli is tender.
* Drain the pasta and toss with the meatballs, broccoli, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, chilli and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve in warmed bowls.
The Independent