Martha's One Pan Wonder Pasta

I’m constantly searching for interesting recipes to cook and experiment with and every now and then I come across a recipe that stops me in my tracks. This recipe blows my mind. It is just impossible. Martha Stewart’s one pan wonder-pasta has got the internet buzzing, mainly because it is prepared in just 10 minutes but mostly because it goes against everything you and I have ever been told about cooking pasta. Here’s why:

ONE:The pasta is cooked in a wide, shallow pan not a tall, big pot.

TWO: The raw pasta is covered with cold water. (Sorry, what? Cold water? Yes, you read right – no boiling, salted water here.)

THREE: All the ingredients are cooked together, the pasta, everything in one go.

I was beginning to think Martha might have lost her mind. But Martha Stewart is one of my favourite food icons, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt and put the recipe to the test and I hate to say it, but this is pretty good. While it’s presence in the world is probably insulting every Italian out there, I must admit it’s an amazingly quick, delicious meal. Dinner on the table in 10 minutes? Yes please! 
Just make sure you don't invite any Italians over when you serve it!  

One pan wonder-pasta

Recipe by Martha Stewart

Serves 4

340g linguine

340g cherry tomatoes, halved

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

4 1/2 cups water

Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red chilli flakes, basil, oil, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and water in a large pan.

Bring to a boil over high heat and boil the mixture, stirring and turning the pasta frequently with tongs, until the pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among 4 bowls and garnish with basil.

Serve with olive oil and Parmesan. 

Quick boerewors sausage saute

I love grocery shopping – probably more than the next person, but we’ve all experienced those annoying people who sneak a peek into your trolley. Well, that’s me. When I’m at the supermarket, I look into your trolley. Sometimes I am inspired (a healthy trolley will have me ashamedly putting back the chips), sometimes I’m appalled at what I see (for instance, do you really need all those instant MSG-laced sauces?). Occasionally I am jealous (when I spot a Lindt slab poking out of your groceries, but I’m on a diet) and quite often I am reminded of something I almost forgot to buy myself. Other people’s shopping just fascinates me. You can tell so much from a person from what they stock up on – I will take a guess at your cooking skills, your marital status, whether or not you have kids, how old those kids are, your eating habits, how often you go shopping, which brands you favour, your plans for that evening and what you’re going to be making for dinner. More often than not, this is the best part – to guess what you’re going to whip up for dinner with those ingredients. So often, this gives me a great idea and I promptly change my own dinner for the evening. Which is precisely what happened to this recipe. What started out as bacon and tomato pasta sauce in my basket, quickly turned in to this boerewors creation when I spotted the sausage poking out of a fellow shoppers trolley and made a dash to the meat section. So, enjoy this delicious recipe, and don’t pretend you wouldn’t sneak a peak into my trolley if you had the chance!

Photography by Christelle Botha for Zone magazine

Quick boerewors sausage saute

Serves 4

1/2 packet streaky bacon

1 x punnet boerewors

¼ bottle of red wine

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

1 x tin tomato, onion and garlic mix

Handful dried mushrooms, rehydrated with 1 cup boiling water

4-5 slices white bread (preferably stale or day-old), torn in pieces

¼ cup melted butter or oil

Heat a large cast iron pan over medium coals or a gas stove. Snip the bacon into bits using a pair of kitchen scissors and fry the bacon in the pan until golden. Add the boerewors and cook for a few minutes before turning, until golden. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and allow to simmer until almost evaporated before adding the herbs and tomato mix. Add the reconstituted mushrooms along with any liquid and allow to reduce until thickened. Toss the torn bread pieces in the melted butter or oil and arrange over the top of the boerewors. Cover with a lid, placing a few coals on top of the lid, and allow to bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bread is crisp and golden before serving.