it’s not been a very healthy week for me – i’ve had several bugs, one after the other, and am still feeling a bit worn out and run down.

food has been quite low on my list of priorities however this pasta dish really did hit the spot! it’s very simple – a flavoursome tomato sauce with lots garlic, basil and a hint of chilli into which a handful of mozzarella cubes are added just before serving. the cheese slowly melts into the sauce and before you know it you’re twirling mozzarella strands round your fork as well as linguine.

the melting cheese was wonderfully comforting and the fresh tomato flavours made me feel like i was eating my way back to health. and as it was so delicious, i’d like to share this with ruth at once upon a feast for this week’s round of presto pasta nights.

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i remain entranced by my lentil and mushroom ragu. i’ve made it a couple of times now and each time i have used some of it to make lasagne.

the first version i tried used crème fraiche in place of the traditional final layer of white sauce. this is a cheat which i regularly use when making lasagne as the slightly sharp flavour that it provides can be a welcome contrast to the richness of the rest of the lasagne.

however, with the lentil ragu this didn’t really work – somehow it made it richer! this version, which uses a nutmeg-scented white sauce for the topping and a layer of wilted spinach in the middle of the layers was far more successful and the version i will use next time i have a batch of ragu that needs using.

this dish is my contribution to presto pasta nights, as hosted by ruth at once upon a feast.

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there are a number of meaty dishes which i love eating so much that i’d struggle to be a vegetarian, simply because i’d miss them too much. one such dish is a good ragu, either for spaghetti bolognaise or a classic lasagne.

however, i have discovered a vegetarian alternative which is absolutely packed with flavour and has the tomatoey earthy richness that i demand from a ragu.

this puy lentil and mushroom ragu was inspired by two recipes – luissa’s fettucine with mushroom ragu and francesca’s puy lentil lasagne. i made the ragu this morning with the intention of turning it into a lasagne to feed to my friend julia tonight. but i couldn’t wait that long to try it, so my first sampling was with spaghetti for lunch and it was good. damn good.

so, the question is, do i turn some of the remaining ragu into a lasagne and share it with julia, or do i keep it all to myself? i can probably divert david from having any by telling him it’s “just lentils.” i’m not often selfish with food but i do feel that i need to spend a bit more time with this ragu before i share it…

the terrible thing is that there is over 1.5kg of the stuff sitting in the kitchen, so it’s not as though i’d miss out by showing a little generosity. so i shall be generous – i will share it with ruth at once upon a feast and it can be my contribution to presto pasta nights.

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lasagne is a favourite meal when the weather is cold and something warming and comforting is required. traditional lasagne, or a veggie version, are regular meals for us at this time of year but i fancied trying something new and have been thinking about different takes on the dish.

this, coupled with the fact that we needed to use up various things before going away to paris saw the creation of a chicken and butternut squash lasagne which was stashed in the freezer until this week.

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i’m always on the look out for delicious pasta recipes that i can throw together quickly and easily. a particular favourite is garlic, chilli, lemon zest and parsley but increasingly i prefer ones that contain vegetables so i can eat at least one portion of my daily five.

i tried this dish after a friend referred to “hot pasta with feta, peas and black olives” as a favourite emergency supper. i really enjoyed the contrast of the sweet peas and the salty olives and feta. the cupboards really were bare when i made this otherwise i’d have added some herbs as well – basil or mint would be my choices.

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