Pork & Beef Taco Pasta with Tomato Salsa

This stuff is very tasty and the fact that the boys ate it twice speaks for itself. It is prepared very quickly, it is baked in one pot, you don't have to bother with cooking the pasta. By the way, in Hungary this pasta  is called a shell pasta (Kagylo Teszta), it comes in several size, from small to large. The larger ones are added to stews as a side dish, the smaller ones to soups.

Ingredients ( for 4 person): 250g Pork Mince, 250g Beef Mince, 11g Beef Stock Mix, 100g Cheddar Cheese, 400g Conchiglie Pasta, 4pcs Garlic Clove, 1pcs Green Chilli, 2tsp Ground Coriander, 4tsp Ground Smoked Paprika, 2pcs Red Onion, 100g Soft Cheese, 4pcs Sweet Tomato, 80g Tomato Paste, 2tbsp White Wine Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Ground Pepper - to taste.

In a large pan or pot - which also has a lid - heat 3tbsp of olive oil high heat, and when it's hot, add one of the chopped red onions and the minced meat. Bake for 8 - 10min, or until the meat is tender and brown. When the meat is cooked, add the ground smoked paprika, the ground coriander, the chopped garlic, the tomato paste and half the sliced chilli, and mix and fry the spices thoroughly. Add the pasta the beef stock mix, and pour 1 l of water, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and sugar, sprinkle with plenty of ground pepper, reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook 10 - 15min, or until the pasta is half hard. When the pasta is ready, mix in the soft cheese and mix thoroughly, and sprinkle the top with grated cheddar cheese, then cover and set aside until serving. For the salsa, cut the tomatoes into small cubes, thinly slice the other onion, and cut the remaining green chilli into rings. Put in a bowl, sprinkle with white wine vinegar, a little olive oil, season with salt, ground pepper and sugar, then mix.

 

Bolognese Ragu with Fresh Tagliatelle

There are these useful semi - finished or ready - made products in supermarkets, there is nothing wrong with that, in fact, if they are of good quality they can be good friends. Especially for those who like to cook  quick and simple dishes. I think I belong to this group based on my recipes. This ragout is also made from such fresh, semi - finished pasta, which was ready in half an hour. 

Ingredients ( for 4 person ): 500gr Beef Mince, 10gr Beef Stock Mix, 1tsp Dried Basil, 1tsp Dried Oregano, 4pcs Garlic Clove, 500gr Fresh Tagliatelle, 60gr Italian Cheese, 10ml Say Sauce, 2pcs Tomato, 70gr Tomato Paste.

Put the fresh pasta in boiling salted water and cook for 2 - 4 min,, then strain. set aside 300 - 400ml of the pasta cooking water, because we will need it.  Heat a non - stick pan with 2tbsp of olive oil, then add the minced meat, and cook for 10 -15min, or until the meat is crumbly and brown. Then add the peeled and sliced garlic and diced tomatoes. When you can smell the garlic and the tomatoes start to soften, add the dried basil and oregano, and fry for another 1 - 2 min. Add the tomato paste, the beef stock mix, the soy sauce and the pasta cooking water set aside, and cook until the ragu thickens. In many recipes, they add flour to the ragu so that it thickens faster, I don't like this, it's better if the ragu thickens by itself. When serving, sprinkle the top with grated cheese, which can be any cheese.   

Bolognese Potatoes with Basil Tomato Salad

Bolognese sauce, not with pasta, but with potatoes. I love these dishes, that look difficult but are very easy to prepare.

Ingredients ( for 4 person ): 500gr Beef Mince, 30ml Balsamic Vinegar, 20gr Beef Stock Mix, 2pcs Brown Onion, 2tsp Dried Oregano, 200gr  Canned Chopped Tomatoes, 2tbsp Tomato Puree, 4pcs Garlic Clove, 60gr Grated Italian Cheese, 100gr Cheddar Cheese, 4pcs Sweet Tomato, 8pcs White Potato, Basil and Parsley - to taste. 

Cut the potatoes from the skin into wedges and place them in a baking tray lined with baking paper. Season thoroughly with salt, ground pepper, smoked red pepper, sprinkle with olive oil, mix thoroughly and bake in the oven at 170C for 20- 25 min. Heat a large pan with 2tbsp of olive oil, add the minced meat, season with salt and ground pepper, and fry until the meat is crumbly. When the meat is browned, add the chopped onion and continue to fry until the onion is soft. Add the crushed garlic, oregano, canned tomatoes and tomato puree, the beef base dissolved in 200ml of water, season with pinch of sugar, and cook until the sauce thickens. When the potatoes are baked and the ragu is ready, divide the potatoes into 4 piles in the same baking tray, pile the tagu on top, sprinkle with grated cheese and return to the oven until the cheese melts on top. Make sure not to overbake as I did, because it will dry out. Pre[are our tomato salad, for which we cut the tomatoes into cubes and put them in a bowl, add the finely chopped basil and parsley. Season with salt, ground pepper and sugar, sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste, then mix thoroughly. When serving, don't forget to sprinkle with Italian grated cheese.