..where teens can learn to cook restaurant quality meals for the family
Ellie’s quick tomato pasta
One of Ellie's go-to meals because it's quick, simple and tastes amazing. And you can add pretty much whatever you like to it.
ADJUST SERVINGS
Most of our recipes are for 4 people. You can check and adjust the serving size by clicking on the red number above.
BEFORE YOU START
Ellie usually leaves the tuna out of this recipe. We added it for a fuller main meal in case you’re serving it for your family. You can also switch it for cooked chicken breast, or later when you get really fancy you could add mussles!
GET SHOPPING!
This is a reminder to check what ingredients you need to buy and add them to your shopping list. It’s good to do your own food shopping, but at the very least, you’re head chef, so send a family member out to the shops for you!
GET ORGANISED
Remember ‘Skill 2’ of the Big 5: Become super-organised.:
Add your own private notes:
Equipment
- 1 kettle
- 2 saucepans One for the pasta, one for the sauce
- 1 chefs knife
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 serving spoon
- 1 pasta tongs or similar to serve pasta
- 1 chopping board
- 1 measuring jug
- 1 metal colander or sieve to drain the pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cans tomatoes
- 400 g dried spaghetti (you can use fresh spaghetti or any pasta, just make it according to the packet instructions)
- 1 litre water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp dried basil (or a small hanful of chopped fresh basil leaves)
- 2 tsp worcester sauce
- 1 dash lemon juice
- 2 cans tinned tuna (optional)
- 1 bunch baby spinach or spinach (optional)
Instructions
- Measure out 1 litre water, pour it in to the kettle, and boil
- Roughly chop 2 cloves garlic
- Roughly chop (or dice) 1 onion
- Put 400 g dried spaghetti into your largest saucepan
- Once the kettle has boiled, pour it into the saucepan you'll use for the spaghetti. We pour it over the spaghetti so that it begins to soften it, and gradually it fits into the pan. You want all the spaghetti in the pan COVERED by the water. So, once you've softened it and pushed it in, if it's not fully submerged, add more water.
- Turn the hob on to high until the water is boiling, then set it to medium/low. Keep an eye on the pasta cooking. It needs about 8-12 minutes, so set an alarm. If you have an Alexa or similar, call it your 'spaghetti timer' (as we'll be setting a few timers) Also, be careful not to let heat go up the side of the pan and burn any overhanging pasta!
- Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into the second pan
- Add the chopped garlic and onion
- Turn the heat on to medium, set an alarm for 5 minutes, and stir it occasionally to soften them. If they look like they're beginning to go brown, turn the heat down, and consider turning it off fully. We just want them soft
- Open your 2 cans tomatoes and pour them in gently (you don't want the oil in the pan to spit in your face)
- Open your 2 cans tinned tuna, drain the water or oil out, and add the tuna to the sauce
- Stir for a minute or so with the heat still on to warm it through
- Add 1 tsp dried basil
- Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Add 2 tsp worcester sauce
- Add 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- Add 1 dash lemon juice
- Once your spaghetti timer has gone off, test if your spaghetti is cooked. You want it 'al dente' which means 'firm to the bite'. Not too sloppy. But not too hard. You may need to put it back in for a few minutes, in which case set an alarm for 2-3 minutes
- When it is done, pour it into a metal colander or sieve over the sink to drain it, and put it aside
- Add a couple of pinches of salt, and plenty of black pepper. By plenty, we mean, add some, stir it in, and taste it! Decide if it needs more. You'll gradually get used to the right amount
- Add your spinach if using, and stir it gently to wilt the spinach
- Get your serving bowls, share the spaghetti out to suit each person, and spoon over the tuna and tomato sauce
- Leave the salt and pepper out for people to adjust to taste
Please share with us how you went!We need your feedback so we can improve the recipes and help others succeed! Please let us know by leaving a comment 🙂