It’s Official I am the Leftover Queen.

It’s official I am the Leftover Queen. Move over Jenn. Look at her web site here
I rather overdid the amount of meatballs in the Tyler Florence Spag and Meatball recipe (look in my previous blog.) So…there were a lot of leftovers.

Lunch on Saturday
I popped 8 or so of them into a casserole with the remainder of the spaghetti and sauce and added a slosh of beef stock.
Covered it with grated cheese and baked in 180C oven about 25 minutes just enough to heat through and melt the cheese.

Very tasty. There was still more meatballs left so they went into the freezer.
There is more to come keep reading.
These next two recipes I thought would sit well in Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights event that she holds every week. This week PPN is hosted by Abby of Eat the Right Stuff have a look at her site
She has the round up. Loads of excellent pasta dishes from all over the world.

I have been reading “Angela Hartnett’s Cucina” she’s so inspirational.
She has been on Food TV quite a lot lately. Looks like a warm and friendly lady.
One of Britain’s Michelin Star Chefs, trained by Gordon Ramsay, she runs The Connaught Hotel and Dining Room receiving her 1st Michelin Star in her first year.
Pretty outstanding. This cookbook is about her Italian roots.
Inspired by her family. It is an excellent book and I thought it was about time
I made some pasta, It’s been a while since I last attempted pasta. I borrowed my daughter Katie’s pasta machine quite a while ago and it has been down in the laundry hiding away.
I always have Italian 00 flour in the pantry to use for bread and it is also the flour necessary for good homemade pasta.

I used Angela’s recipe below (I only used half the ingredients seeing as there is only the two of us)

400gms 00 pasta flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix the flour and salt together and tip onto a your bench.
Make a well in the centre.

Mix together the eggs and oil and pour 2/3 thirds into the well reserving the rest
Start from the outside work the flour onto the liquid until a dough forms
The dough is conditioned by it
S environment, so depending on the warmth of you kitchen and hands you may need to the remaining egg mixture if the dough doesn’t come together.
I certainly had to add the extra.
Knead until it is smooth and firm and elastic (this will take 5-10 minutes)
Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 1 hour before using.
The dough will keep for up to 24 hours in the fridge wrapped tightly,in cling wrap.
It was very successful. Very smooth and lovely in the mouth.
I will make it again. Just hope the pasta machine doesn’t have to go back. Mind you I could always buy one!

I decided to make ravioli.
I had some lovely fresh ricotta made by Zany Zeus
This is delicious, the company comes from Wellington and I source this product at my local greengrocer/deli in Gladstone Rd, Parnell F.A.V. They have an excellent selection of deli foods.
It is hard to get nice ricotta, and I highly recommend this if you can find it.
Nice little filling
Once again Leeks and Parmesan.
Slice 1 x leek finely
Sauté in a little olive oil
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add to 1/2 cup ricotta
2-3 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
Mix well.

Take pasta from fridge and cut off a block
Flatten with your hand and run it through the pasta machine
Start on the widest setting
Run it through twice
Rub with flour if it gets too sticky
Reduce the size of the notch and continue to run it through
the machine till you get to the narrowest notch.

When it rolled to the thickness you require
Lay on bench place little spoonfuls onto the sheet
Brush around each blob of filling with egg wash so that the top sheet will stick

Cover with the 2nd sheet
Cut out with your favourite cutter

Press around the edge to seal and remove any air bubbles.

When completed prepare to cook
Bring a big pot of salted water to the boil – allow 1 tablespoon salt per large pan water
Add a dash of oil to help it from sticking to one another.
Lower the past into the boiling water stir immediately and then leave it alone
Always cook it till it becomes al dente. Only a few minutes.
Drain it well.

Don’t rinse it at all this will wash off the starch, which is what you need for the sauce and the pasta to amalgamate.

I would normally make a hot sage butter sauce to serve with this
Good grind of freshly ground black pepper on top and
Grate a little Parmesan.
BUT this night I served it as an accompaniment to a little roast rump of lamb.
I used to juices of the lamb to drizzle over the pasta.
Little unconventional but we liked it.


Now back to the leftovers.
Of course I had too much pasta and too much filling so they went into the fridge till the next day.
Guess what there was also the leftover meatballs.
Lasagna sprung to mind. Layered with tomato and meat sauce and ricotta leeks and cheese.
Covered with a ricotta and cheese topping.
Very nice.

Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion finely chopped 1 can tomatoes 1 clove garlic crushed and chopped White wine Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 leftover meatballs broken up and mashed with a fork to resemble friend hamburger mince


Sauté onion in olive oil until softened
Add tomatoes and garlic
Mash down to break up tomatoes
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add slosh of white wine
Boil for a couple of minutes
Add meat
Mix well and simmer till reduced about 15 minutes.
Ricotta Layer 1
You will need about 1 cup
Take ricotta leek and cheese mix Add 1 egg and mix well.

There was of course plain ricotta left over in the fridge
Ricotta Layer 2 1cup ricotta 1 egg beaten 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Freshly ground black pepper
Probably won’t need salt as the cheeses are quite salty
Mix well together

Now to assemble
Grease a gratin dish
Add 1 layer pasta
Spread with 1/2 tomato/meat mixture
More pasta

Ricotta layer 1 Pasta

Rest of meat mix
Pasta
To top it - Ricotta layer 2
Into pre-heated180C oven
Bake about 30-40 minutes
The egg will make the top puff up and look gorgeous

It was really good
Of course even better the next day.
More Leftovers!!!