ZAC 'N' CHEESE WITH BASIL COURGETTES
This is a really great meal to make from scratch — thanks to the red split lentils, it all comes together quickly without any advance prep. A creamy lentil sauce with a hint of paprika, mustard and cheese, smothering brown rice pasta and served up with something fresh (maybe courgettes in summer, maybe sautéed cabbage in the winter, whatever's seasonal and strikes your fancy!). It’s comforting, filling and just rich enough. The cottage cheese gives this a protein boost, along with the lentils, and makes a thick mellow sauce with the addition of carrots and smoked paprika.
INGREDIENTS
200g (2 cups) brown rice penne or other type of pasta
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
100g (1/2 cup) red split lentils, rinsed
500ml (2 cups) water
3 medium carrots (about 300g), grated
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
200g (scant 1 cup) full-fat cottage cheese or homemade whole-milk ricotta (page 254 in East by West)
4 pinches of freshly ground black pepper
2 pinches of ground white pepper
2 pinches of ground nutmeg (optional)
65g (1/2 cup) sunflower seeds
40g (scant 1⁄4 cup) Pecorino (or Parmesan), grated
Black sesame seeds, to decorate (optional)
To serve
2 large courgettes, sliced into rounds
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Handful of fresh basil, torn
In a medium pan, cook the pasta until just al dente (follow the packet instructions but reduce the cooking time by a minute or so). Drain and set aside.
In the same pan, melt the butter and sauté the garlic for a few minutes. Add the lentils, water, carrots and paprika and simmer, lid on, for 20 minutes until very soft. If the mixture is very runny, allow to simmer for a further few minutes with the lid off.
Add the Dijon mustard, salt, apple cider vinegar, cottage cheese, black and white pepper and nutmeg, if using. Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning. The sauce should be really smooth and creamy — if it seems too dry, add a splash of water.
Fold in the cooked pasta and then transfer the whole thing to an ovenproof dish (about 20 x 16cm/8 x 6in in size), smoothing it out with the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle over the sunflower seeds and Pecorino evenly. Top with black sesame seeds, if using, and grill for 5 minutes until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, dry-cook the courgette slices in a ceramic- lined or seasoned cast-iron frying pan until tender and browned, then transfer to a dish, drizzle with olive oil, season lightly and cover with torn basil.