Donal Skehan's date night sausage and meatball pasta
Steve’s supermarket deals were great - but if you’re feeling a little more adventurous in the kitchen then Donal’s got the perfect date night menu. Treat your loved one this Valentine's with Donal's sausage meatball pasta with killer garlic bread and pannacotta is sure to impress.. all for under £12!
Sausage & fennel meatball pasta with garlic bread
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For the spaghetti:200g spaghetti, cooked to packet instructions 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes75g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (optional)½ onion, peeled 2 whole garlic clovesA generous knob of butter A pinch of dried chilli flakes A pinch of fennel seeds Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Shavings of Parmesan cheese and picked fresh basil to serve
For the meatballs:225g pork sausage meat½ tbsp fennel seeds, toasted and lightly bashedA good handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
For the garlic bread: 1 long, or 2 small baguettes100g butter, room temperature4 cloves of garlic, finely gratedA large handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 50 g Parmesan cheese, blitzed to a fine crumb in a food processor
Method
1. Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions until the pasta is al dente.
2. In a saucepan, add the tinned tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, half an onion, garlic cloves, chilli flakes, fennel seeds and a generous knob of butter. Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
3. In a bowl combine the sausage meat, fennel seeds and chopped parsley. Using damp hands, roll the mix into 10 small meatballs, approximately 3cm in diameter.
4. Brown the meatballs in a frying pan, drain away the fat. Using tongs lift the cooked pasta into the frying pan with the meatballs.
5. Remove the garlic cloves and onion from the sauce and discard.
6. Pour the tomato sauce into the frying pan with the meatballs and spaghetti and toss together. Season and finish with a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh basil.
7. For the garlic bread. Using a sharp knife, create slices almost all the way through the loaf, but leaving the segments attached at the base.
8. Beat the butter with the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, and most of the parmesan cheese (leaving a little to sprinkle over later). Spread the butter all over the loaf, inside the divots as well, and place on a large sheet of tin foil. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and bake in the oven at 200C for 15-20 minutes.
9. Serve the meatball pasta alongside the homemade garlic bread.
Yoghurt panna cotta with raspberry coulis
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 gelatin leaves1 tbsp caster sugar2 tbsp milk250g natural yoghurt ½ tsp vanilla extract
To make the coulis: 150g raspberries, hulled, plus extra for serving½ tbsp lemon juice½ tbsp caster sugar
Method
1. Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water in a shallow dish.
2. Put the sugar and milk in a small pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to the boil, then take off the heat.
3. Take the gelatin out of the water, squeeze out any extra liquid and stir into the hot milk. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Whisk in the yoghurt and vanilla extract and pour into individual serving glasses. Chill in the fridge for approximately 3 hours, or until set.
5. To make the sauce, place the raspberries, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan with ½ tbsp of water. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and pass the mixture through a fine sieve. Serve the set panna cotta topped with raspberry coulis.