Spanish Omelette

We discovered this omelette dish about a year ago and make it once every few weeks. It's quick to pull together and I always work to have the ingredients on hand for an easy meal. We often eat it for dinner on an especially chaotic night because by the time we're ready to sit down to eat, it's cooled to the perfect temperature. Nigella suggests this as a great item for a picnic lunch though as the warmest you want to eat it is room temperature and it's easy to transport.

What I love about it though is the combination of colours and flavours. Simple ingredients highlighted together in an equally simple dish. The sweetness of the peppers, the sharpness of the cheese, the texture of the soft potatoes with vibrant colour of the bright green onions.

Spanish Omelette
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12-15 baby new potatoes, halved and boiled until cooked through
• 5 eggs
• 3/4 of a jar of flame roasted peppers, roughly chopped
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 3/4 cup old cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 tsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Heat an oven-safe, heavy-based frying pan on medium heat
• In a bowl, whisk the eggs, add the peppers, green onions and cheese and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked, drained potatoes
• Heat the butter in frying pan and, when hot, pour in the omelette mix and cook gently for five minutes
• By this time, the bottom of the omelette should be set and, rather than turn it, simply sit the pan under the grill for a few minutes to set the top. It should be a little wobbly in the middle still but it will continue to cook as it cools
• Once cool, slice into wedges and serve at room temperature

Recipe from Nigella Express

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers and Onions

I wrote down this recipe from Giada de Laurentis' Everyday Italian at least two years ago and I'm so glad I've reconnected with it and finally made it. This is a wonderful pasta dish, unlike anything I have ever made, I think. It's rich and flavourful and the addition of the red wine makes it a truly special dish.

It was a little time consuming to make, but worth every minute. To help make this into a weeknight meal, it would be easy to make the sauce ahead and the toss it with pasta when ready to serve. We enjoyed it on a Sunday, which is the day I truly enjoy spending time in the kitchen and I was so happy to sit down and finally enjoy this one. This is definitely one for the regular rotation.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers and Onions
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup Marsala wine
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan.
• Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the red peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and basil and cook for 2 minutes. 
• Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the Marsala, tomatoes with juice and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Bring to a simmer.
• Cut the sausages into 4-6 pieces each. Return the sausages to the pan. Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
• While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta. 
• Drain the pasta and add to the thickened sauce and toss to combine. Spoon into individual serving bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Recipe from Giada de Laurentis' Everyday Italian