The Happy Pear’s recipes never fail to get our mouths watering and our tummies rumbling … and their Summer 2020 offerings were no exception to that rule! Read on below to feast your eyes on their recipes for a gorgeous pasta all’arrabbiatta and a chocolate and salted caramel tart.
Indulgence Done Right
Treat yourself to a gorgeous dinner and dessert
by David and Stephen Flynn
Quick and Easy Pasta all’arrabbiata
A dish apparently native to Rome, its name refers to the “angry” spice of the chilli-loaded tomato sauce. This is a simple, quick and satisfyingly spicy supper using store cupboard ingredients. It may seem too easy to be delicious, but its simplicity is its elegance!
Serves 2
Takes 15 mins
Ingredients
200g of pasta of choice (we used mezze maniche rigate AKA half sleeves )
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp chilli flakes or powder or ½ fresh chilli (use more if you prefer)
400g good quality tinned chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato purée
¼ tsp red wine vinegar/ balsamic vinegar
Handful of fresh basil to serve
Salt and ground black pepper to serve
Instructions:
Peel and finely chop the garlic.
Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions, ensuring that you salt the water so that the pasta is seasoned from within. Cook the pasta until it’s slightly al dente, then drain and rinse, keeping a little of the cooked pasta water.
Heat a saucepan on medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the chilli and heat until it starts to go slightly yellow and red (this takes approximately one minute). Add the chopped garlic and cook for one minute until it starts to turn golden (ensure not to over-cook, to the extent that it starts to blacken, as this will add a burnt, bitter note to the dish).
Next, add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato purée, mixing well.
Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the vinegar and season with salt and ground black pepper to your liking.
Add the pasta and cook until the sauce coats each piece of pasta. Divide up into equal servings and add a little drizzle of olive oil to serve, along with a few basil leaves. Enjoy!
Healthy Chocolate and Salted Caramel Tart
Definitely one of our favourite dessert recipes! This cake is rocking, and will leave you looking for more. The salted caramel is made from dates, almond butter and coconut oil … and it tastes so good. If you are going to make any cake, this is the one to start with. If you would like to make this a raw cake, simply top it with a raw chocolate.
This recipe makes a 24 cm (9 inch) springform tart, and takes 20-30 minutes.
Base layer
150g raw walnut
150g raw almonds
100g pitted dates
1 ½ tablespoons vanilla essence
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Caramel layer
300g pitted dates
150g almond or cashew or peanut butter
10-12 tablespoons water
10 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large pinch of salt (add more if you like it)
Chocolate layer
300g dark chocolate
Base layer:
In a food processor, blend the walnuts and almonds into a flour like consistency. Then add the dates, vanilla essence and the coconut oil, and blend until you reach a breadcrumb-like texture.
With the sides on your spring form cake tin, compact the base layer really firmly into the base of the spring form tart, ensuring an even spread.
Caramel layer:
In the same food processor, add all ingredients for the caramel layer. Blend until super smooth and caramel-like. This may take from 5 to 10 minutes, and you may need to add a little more water if the mixture is a bit clumpy and not blending.
Once ready, spread a really even layer of caramel on top of the base layer, doing your best to create a smooth top for the chocolate layer.
Chocolate layer:
Melt the chocolate by putting it into a bain-marie (look up instructions on how to make a bain-marie, if you’ve never done so before). When melted, spread evenly over the caramel, doing your best to ensure an even spread. Leave to set in the fridge for at least half an hour, until the chocolate is solid.
Use a hot knife to cut this cake, in order to be able to cut through the chocolate without cracking it. Then simply relax and enjoy the scrumptious goodness!
