Spaghetti with broccoli cream pesto

Ingredients

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup boiled spaghetti

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. of ground pepper and red chili flakes

1 tbsp. of herbs

4 tbsp. heavy cream

A handful of grated cheese

Method

Boil the spaghetti as mentioned in the cooking instructions on the pasta packet. Drain and reserve the pasta cooking water.

Once the broccoli florets are chopped, par boil until tender

In a cooking vessel, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat and add onion. Sauté onions until tender and pink for about 5-7 minutes

To this, add garlic and cook for another two minutes. Toss in broccoli, salt and other seasoning to heat on a medium-high

Add cream and let the mixture cook for a minute

Cool the broccoli mixture and blend it till it’s grainy with a little sauce

Add the blended pesto sauce back to the vessel with the boiled spaghetti and a splash of pasta water. Cook over medium-high for about 2 minutes, tossing the mixture so that pasta is evenly coated

Add more water, if required to loosen the sauce

Season the pasta with herbs and pepper

Finally, sprinkle grated cheese generously and serve hot

Lemon Tart

Ingredients

For the tart shell

1 cup butter

1 ½ cup plain flour

1 tbsp icing sugar

1tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp extra

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 egg

For the filling

2 eggs

1 cup icing sugar + extra for dusting

2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest

Juice from 4 lemons

1 ½ cup cream

Method

In a large bowl, rub the butter into the flour until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar and baking powder

To this mix, stir in the oil, egg yolk and 1½-2 tbsp water until the dough comes together. Knead well, gather into a ball

Take the tart tin, ease the dough into the tin and then trim the edges by using your fingers

Once the tart dough is evenly laid, lightly prick the base with a fork, and then chill for about 10 to 15 minutes

Heat the oven to 190C and bake the tart shell for 20 minutes and let it cool

To make the filling, beat the eggs for 5 minutes. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the lemon zest and the juice.

Beat in the cream in the lemon mix until well blended

Pour the mix into the tart case. Place in the oven with the oven, reduce the heat to 150C and bake for about 25-30 minutes until the lemon mix is set with a slight wobble in the middle

Cool for about an hour and then serve