What’s the secret ingredient in landing an SMag cover? Cooking for the editor, of course! Nthabiseng Mathole, much loved for her online home-cooking series Dipitsa Stofong, dished up three fork-swirling pasta dishes using flavourful Knorrox stock powder.
“The secret to pasta is how everything comes together. Every step adds to the next — adding salt to your boiling water, making sure the pasta is tender and not overcooked, and putting the cooked pasta back into your sauce to properly absorb the flavours,” she says.
“I’m a mom of two and my kids love pasta — it’s the quickest dish to whip up for them when I lack inspiration and want full tummies. Pasta always wins. The lamb-meatball dish is our favourite. It has the three elements we all love — lamb, pasta, and tomato gravy. I go a step further by adding the beef-flavour Knorrox stock powder for a richer, meaty taste. No one can resist a warm, hearty meal, especially during the cold weather.”
Lamb meatballs with gnocchi pasta shells
Ingredients:
- 600g prepared lamb frikkadels
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1tbsp crushed garlic
- 1 tin diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1tbsp lamb and chops spice, salt, and pepper
- 1 tbsp Knorrox beef stock powder
- 500g gnocchi pasta shells, salted water for boiling, and fresh parsley for garnish.
Method:
- To make the meatballs, fry lamb frikkadels in oil until browned and cooked through and set aside.
- Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft.
- Add tomatoes, paste, sugar, lamb & chops spice, salt, pepper, and Knorrox stock powder.
- Simmer for 15–20 minutes until thickened.
- Return frikkadels to the sauce and stir well.
- Bring to the boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta until al dente (6-10 minutes).
- Drain and set aside.
- Once drained, mix pasta with frikkadels and sauce.
- Plate and garnish with fresh parsley.
Mzansi tomato pasta
Ingredients:
- 300g spaghetti or pasta of choice, salted water for boiling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped 1tbsp crushed garlic
- 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tin diced tomatoes)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Knorrox vegetable curry stock powder, salt & pepper to taste, grated cheddar or Parmesan (optional), fresh basil for garnish.
Method
- To prepare the pasta, bring to the boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta until al dente (8–10 minutes).
- Drain and set aside, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- To make the tomato sauce, heat olive oil in a pan and sauté onion until soft.
- Add garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.
- Stir in chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, stock powder, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer for 15–20 minutes until thickened — pour in the reserved pasta water if needed.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and mix well.
- Serve hot and top with grated cheese and fresh basil.
Creamy chicken alfredo & broccoli bake
Ingredients:
- 300g penne pasta, salted water for boiling
- 500g chicken breast, cubed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 200g broccoli florets, chopped
- 1 tbsp crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp chicken spice, salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup fresh cream
- 1 tbsp Knorrox garlic and onion stock powder
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or mature cheddar.
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C.
- To prepare the pasta, bring to the boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta until al dente (8–10 minutes).
- Drain and set aside.
- Sear the chicken in a hot pan with olive oil and butter.
- Add the broccoli and garlic to the chicken cubes and season with chicken spice, salt, and pepper.
- Cook until chicken is golden and cooked through. Set aside in a bowl.
- In the same pan, make the alfredo sauce by pouring in cream and bringing it to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in the Knorrox stock powder and add two-thirds of the cheese.
- Simmer until the sauce has thickened, and add the cooked chicken.
- Transfer the pasta and chicken mix to an oven-bake dish.
- Top with remaining cheese and bake until golden.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.
