Three mouthwatering recipes to help transport you to the Mediterranean

Travel to the sunny Mediterranean from the comfort of your kitchen with these three mouthwatering recipes from our friends at SuperValu.

A classic Roman staple, a scrummy Spanish traybake and the flavours of France will help bring that next trip even closer.

FRESH FETTUCCINE CARBONARA
By Kevin Dundon

Whip up this traditional Roman dish to bring la dolce vita to your dinner table.

PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Serves: 4 people

1 pinch Black Pepper

3 – Eggs yolk only

75 g Parmesan Cheese plus extra for serving

1 tbsp SuperValu Oil for frying

300 g SuperValu Streaky Bacon Rashers diced into pieces

350 g Supervalu Tagliatelle or fettucine

Method

1. Heat the oil in a deep, wide-based sauté pan and fry the bacon pieces until they’re crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil.

2. In a separate bowl, beat together the Parmesan cheese and egg yolks and season lightly with cracked black pepper.

3. Once the carbonara mixture is ready, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Plunge in the fresh pasta and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it’s al dente. Stir the pasta once or twice while it cooks to ensure it doesn’t stick together.

4. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to its saucepan, off the heat. Add the bacon pieces, then stir in the egg and cheese mixture. Combine gently to ensure the pasta is fully coated.

5. Serve immediately in warmed bowls and sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan cheese if you wish. Season with extra cracked black pepper as required.

SPANISH SURF AND TURF TRAYBAKE
By Kevin Dundon

Dreaming of some Spanish sunshine? This simple dish is full of Mediterranean summer flavours.

PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes

COOKING TIME: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Serves: 8 people

200 g Cherry Tomatoes

200 ml Chicken Stock

200 g Chorizo diced

2 Courgettes diced

2 cloves Garlic thinly chopped

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Onions thinly chopped

1 pinch Pepper

1 pinch Salt

2 Red Pepper sliced

1 tsp SuperValu Chilli Flakes

8 SuperValu Fresh Irish Chicken Breasts cut in half lengthwise

2 tbsp SuperValu Fresh Oregano

200 g SuperValu King Prawns

600 ml SuperValu Passata

2 tsp SuperValu Smoked Paprika

1 tbsp Thyme

TO SERVE:

600 g SuperValu Baby Potatoes or pilaf rice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Place the chicken, chorizo and prawns in a bowl.Sprinkle the herbs, garlic, smoked paprika and chilli over them and toss to coat. Leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

2. Pour the passata, stock, onion, courgette, red pepper and cherry tomatoes onto your tray and toss to combine.

3. Add the chicken, chorizo and prawn mixture. Drizzle on the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Place in the oven and cook for 30 – 40 minutes until it’s cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a sticky tomato sauce.

5. Check the seasoning and serve with boiled baby potatoes or rice and a generous helping of salad leaves.

OVEN ROASTED RATATOUILLE

Serves 4

Enjoy the flavours of Provence with this classic French meal.

PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 red peppers, cut into large chunks

2 yellow peppers, cut into large chunks

2 red onions, cut into wedges through the root

2 courgettes, cut into large chunks

1 aubergine, cut into large chunks

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 x 400g tins of whole plum tomatoes

1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped, plus extra to garnish

TO SERVE

Grated Parmesan

Crusty bread

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

2. Place the peppers and onions on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and some salt and pepper. Place the courgettes and aubergine on a separate tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and another pinch of salt and pepper. Place the trays in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, stirring the vegetables halfway through the cooking time, until the veg are tender and nicely charred. The courgettes and aubergine will probably be done after 30 minutes but the peppers and onions may need a bit more time, so leave them in for 5 or 10 minutes longer if needed.

3. When the vegetables are almost done, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until it’s fragrant, then add the tinned tomatoes, crushing them a bit in the pot with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in all the roasted vegetables and the fresh basil and simmer everything together for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly and the flavours have all married together.

4. Ladle the ratatouille into shallow serving bowls and scatter over some grated Parmesan. Garnish with a little more chopped fresh basil and serve with a good crusty bread.

Tip: If serving this to kids, blend the ratatouille into a smooth sauce so that they can’t pick out the veggies and serve it with fusilli pasta.