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The Cook Up with Adam Liaw
series • cooking
PG
series • cooking
PG
"I think everyone in Australia who sets foot in a kitchen has a few rotations, the ones that they keep coming back to again and again and again," says Adam Liaw in the 'Forever pasta' episode of . "Forever pasta" is the kind of dish you love, perhaps because it's quick, easy and tasty, or it because back fond memories of times past.
"Some people struggle with commitment, but with pasta recipes like these, it could not be easier to commit to the idea of forever," says Liaw, who shares his in Season 8 of the show.
There's something about a pasta dinner, isn't there? For most of us, when reaching for a quick, easy dinner idea, pasta – in its many different iterations and possibilities – just seems like a no-brainer.
Here are some quick, delicious and easy pasta recipes that we promise will end up on your weekly rotation.
Adriano Zumbo does more than make amazing cakes and macarons; he loves a good weeknight pasta recipe, just like the rest of us. Try his family-friendly taco pasta with a homemade taco spice blend. Along with black vinegar, there's also an extra element of great flavour from a shot of espresso coffee cooked with the mince. "Little bit of coffee adds to richness and depth ... a little coffee goes great with beef and tacos, I find," Zumbo says.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
Struggling to get more veggies into your children’s diet? Try comedian Alex Ward's stunning bright green pasta sauce – packed with nutrients and fibre, it’s ideal for hiding veggies for fussy eaters (for children and adults alike!). "It's a dish that I make because I have a lot of kale in my garden," Ward says on The Cook Up.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
For maximum flavour in a fraction of the time, try some crispy speck lardons in your next pasta sauce to add a smoky, sweet and rich flavour. Liaw says this is one of his "forever pasta" recipes because it's great to make for a quick weeknight dinner.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
What do you get when you combine antipasto and pasta? Antipasta! A pasta meal that uses the best of antipasto to shortcut your way to a flavoursome pasta sauce. With bocconcini, olives and mixed antipasti (e.g. sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, marinated eggplant and marinated capsicum) this recipe from Adam Liaw is ready in around 20 minutes.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
"As a mum I’m constantly looking for ways to get my kids to eat more greens," says Helen Tzouganatos, host of , who shared this vibrant gluten-free meal when she joined Adam Liaw as a guest on The Cook Up Season 7. There's actually no cream in the creamy sauce. Instead, blanched broccolini stems are blitzed into the pesto for a vibrant punch of green and th addition of starchy pasta water transforms the pesto into a smooth creamy sauce.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
This chicken gratin pasta from Adam Liaw takes inspiration from Japanese dish, doria – a type of white rice dish, topped with meat and vegetables, topped with a creamy bechamel sauce and then baked. Rather than using rice, this version uses a family-friendly staple, penne pasta, for a dish that is as comforting as lasagna, with less hands-on work.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
This one is a bit of an outlier, as it is definitely not fast pasta! But it's worth the time – and most of the action happens on the stove-top or in the oven (while you can do other things), as the ragu cooks away until the meat very tender. This versatile ragu can be served with pasta, mashed potatoes, or solo with some dressed salad leaves on the side.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
The wok takes a trip to Italy with this recipe from Adam Liaw. Orecchiette pasta is the perfect pairing to the spicy prawn sauce that takes inspiration from the classical Singaporean chilli mud crab dish.
Wok-fried chilli prawn orecchiette Credit: Jiwon Kim
This recipe from Adam Liaw uses only a handful of ingredients and is ready in around 20 minutes. Creamy lemon pasta (or pasta al limone) is a traditional Italian pasta dish that celebrates the flavours of fresh lemons with a rich, cheesy parmesan sauce. Like similar dishes cacio e pepe and carbonara, the key to pasta al limone is using a gentle touch to emulsify a smooth sauce with the use of the pasta cooking water.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
This simple twist on the humble mac and cheese from Adam Liaw takes inspiration from the flavours of Cuba with a capsicum and onion sofrito, highlighted with smoked paprika and plenty of garlic. Frozen corn adds sweetness, convenience and flavour for a family-friendly dish everyone will love.
Cuban macaroni Credit: Jiwon Kim
Taramasalata – a spread made with fish roe – adds adds so much flavour to this pasta recipe with its umami hit working well with tomatoes, rich sweet prawns, chilli, garlic and lemon. This recipe from chef Tom Walton makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner or something a little more special without all the stress of long cooking or prep times!
Taramasalata prawn spaghetti Credit: Kitti Gould
Most pasta lovers have a spag bol in their repertoire. If you don't, this one from Adam Liaw would be a great one to try.
If you have an hour for the dish to bake in the oven, this is a great dinner option. Extra-large pasta shells are stuffed with ricotta, cottage cheese and spinach and baked in a tomato sauce for an easy, meat-free, full-of-flavour comfort meal from Paralympic gold medallist Ellie Cole.
Baked ricotta and spinach pasta shells Credit: Kitti Gould
Short on prep time but not flavour, this 15-minute spaghetti is cooked up with anchovies, garlic, chilli flakes, capers, parmesan – and even some crunchy fried panko breadcrumbs.
Midnight spaghetti Credit: Adam Liaw
Cuisines collide in a delicious way with spaghetti, Sichuan chilli bean sauce and eggplant mapo-style in this recipe from Adam Liaw.
Credit: Adam Liaw
