Cavatini

[maddy]

Name of Recipe: Cavatini  (a recipe my Dad created years ago)

Number of People: easily 5

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
2 onions quartered
1 large red capsicum (deseeded) or 2 smaller ones - quartered
200g chopped bacon
1/2 mc olive oil
1 tin mushroom in butter sauce
1 tin diced tomato
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 lebanese cucumber-or use a continental (leave skin on)
2tsp sugar
1/3 cup tomato sauce
50g parmesan cheese


Preparation:

Grate parmesan first, then set aside.

Place garlic & onions into  chop 5 secs/speed 7
Add capsicum and chop 3 secs/speed4

Scrape down  and add oil & chopped bacon, and saute 5 minutes/varoma temp./ speed 1

Meanwhile, thinly slice the cucumber (using a v-slicer makes it quick), and set aside.

Once bacon mix has finished cooking, add the tinned tomato, mushroom in butter sauce, paprika, and sugar.  Cook 5 min/100c/ speed 1.

When finished, add the sliced cucumber, and tomato sauce.  Cook 12 mins/100c/ speed 1. check the cucumber has softened.
* Use the spatula in the beginning to mix in the cucumber*
I then mixed in the parmesan cheese, once sauce finished cooking,  mixing for 1 minute/ speed 1

I usually cook penne pasta (500g) for this sauce.  Once I drain the pasta, I put back in pot and stir this sauce into the same pot



Photos:



Tips/Hints:

This makes a full jug of sauce.
If you were wanting to freeze some sauce....I would leave out the cucumber, and simmer it in the sauce when you needed it.

[achookwoman]

Maddy,  thanks for this recipe,  it looks tasty as well as healthy.

[judydawn]

I agree, nice one maddy.

[Thermomixer]

Thanks Maddy - think that zucchini would work instead of cucumber?  Like the smoked paprika.  Spanish/Italian ancestry ?

[maddy]

Thanks Maddy - think that zucchini would work instead of cucumber?  Like the smoked paprika.  Spanish/Italian ancestry ?

Surprisingly the cucumber works well, as it holds together better in sauce, and have tried zucchini....but liked the cucumber taste much more   

My parents are from Holland & Scotland, and ancestry is French.   A licorice all-sorts!
What amuses people is my Dad the dutchman....plays the bagpipes 

[Thermomixer]

LOL - thought with an Italian type recipe and smoked paprika !

Think there are few Dutch bagpipe players and the Greeks also ?

Cucumber certainly is OK cooked like this - just thought zucchini may substitute, but it may soften more and certainly not flavoursome.  Ta

[cookie1]

Interesting flavours Maddy.

Does anyone else remember when chinese take away meant heaps of cooked cucumber in big chunks?  I think it was in every dish.