When we moved back to Newcastle, I had a rather large Sugo shaped hole in my heart and so I decided it was about time I tried to come up with my own version of the dish. The result below is the closest I could get to it tasting as good as the masters in Manchester. It’s a little higher in points for a pasta dish, but I promise you, its worth every single one of them. The recipe makes a huge batch of pasta sauce and so you can freeze plenty for another day. It’s a great dish to make family or friends as it feels so luxurious but it really doesn’t take much effort at all.

The pasta shape used in Sugo for this is usually Orecchiette and so when I can get my hands on it (usually in the Aldi special buys aisle) I always stock up. It’s the perfect shape to neatly cup the sauce and meat and is a lovely texture too. If you can find orecchiette, feel free to use the pasta of your choice.

You can get nduja in most supermarkets these days but if you are struggling have a look in your local Italian deli. This lovely spicy spreadable pork sausage takes this dish to a whole new level!

WW POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 8 = 9 points per serving for the sauce – add extra points for your serving of pasta – I usually serve 60g dried per person for a total of 15 points.

Per serving = 246 cals, Fat 4.6g, Carbs 11.5g, Protein 14.1g 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g beef shin, raw
• 400g pork shoulder, raw
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 sticks of celery, finely diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 50g njuda sausage (you can get this in most deli style shops now)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 250ml red wine
• 500ml beef stock (made of 1 stock cube)
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes (Mutti are the best but any will do)
• 2 bay leaves
• Spring of fresh thyme and rosemary
• 1 tsp oregano
• 50g parmesan, grated

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 150c (fan assisted).

Season the beef and pork with salt and pepper then take a large sauce pan, spray with 1kal and on a medium/high heat add the beef shin to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan, pop to one side and then do the same with the pork shoulder. Remove from the pan.

Spray the same pan with 1kal again and add the carrot, onion and celery. Fry on a medium heat until everything begins to soften (6-8 minutes). Add the garlic and anchovies and fry for another minute.

Add the nduja to the pan, fry for a minute or two until the oils start releasing and it starts to breakup and then add the tomato puree. Stir, fry for a minute and then add the red wine to the pan. Reduce the wine for a few minutes and then add the beef stock, tomatoes, bay, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Add the beef and pork back to the pan (chop into a few large chunks if you are struggling to get the meat to fit), make sure the sauce covers the meat and season well. Bring to the boil and then take off the heat, add the lid and then pop in the oven for 3-3.5 hours.

Once the cooking time is up the meat should be falling apart. You can either shred the meat in the sauce or take it out the pan and shred it on a plate. Either way, once shredded, put the pan back on the heat (with the meat and sauce) and reduce the sauce if it is still too thin until it thickens up. Adding the meat will help with this anyway.

Finally add the parmesan, stir and then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta of your choice.

Enjoy!

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House Sugo at Home

WW POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 8 = 9pp per serving for the sauce – add extra points for your serving of pasta – I usually serve 60g dried per person for a total of 15 points.

Per serving = 246 cals, 4.6g fat, 11.5g carbs, 14.1g protein

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 400 g beef shin raw
• 400 g pork shoulder raw
• 2 carrots peeled and finely diced
• 1 onion peeled and finely diced
• 2 sticks of celery finely diced
• 6 cloves of garlic peeled and finely minced
• 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped
• 50 g njuda sausage you can get this in most deli style shops now
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 250 ml red wine
• 500 ml beef stock made of 1 stock cube
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes Mutti are the best but any will do
• 2 bay leaves
• Spring of fresh thyme and rosemary
• 1 tsp oregano
• 50 g parmesan grated

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 150c (fan assisted).
• Season the beef and pork with salt and pepper then take a large sauce pan, spray with 1kal and on a medium/high heat add the beef shin to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan, pop to one side and then do the same with the pork shoulder. Remove from the pan.
• Spray the same pan with 1kal again and add the carrot, onion and celery. Fry on a medium heat until everything begins to soften (6-8 minutes). Add the garlic and anchovies and fry for another minute.
• Add the nduja to the pan, fry for a minute or two until the oils start releasing and it starts to breakup and then add the tomato puree. Stir, fry for a minute and then add the red wine to the pan. Reduce the wine for a few minutes and then add the beef stock, tomatoes, bay, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Add the beef and pork back to the pan (chop into a few large chunks if you are struggling to get the meat to fit), make sure the sauce covers the meat and season well. Bring to the boil and then take off the heat, add the lid and then pop in the oven for 3-3.5 hours.
• Once the cooking time is up the meat should be falling apart. You can either shred the meat in the sauce or take it out the pan and shred it on a plate. Either way, once shredded, put the pan back on the heat (with the meat and sauce) and reduce the sauce if it is still too thin until it thickens up. Adding the meat will help with this anyway.
• Finally add the parmesan, stir and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with pasta of your choice.
• Enjoy!

The post House Sugo at Home first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

You can bake the dish at the end if you fancy (make sure to add additional points if you use more cheese) however I’ve tested it both ways and my favourite is to stir the cheese through the pasta and let it go all stringy and melty. Divine.

I used Cape Herbs and Spices Texan Steak Seasoning in this recipe but you can use any steak seasoning you can get your hands on (Schwartz do one which is available in most supermarkets). Pickle relish is also widely available, just look near the chutneys!

If you are feeling really extra you can fry up a couple of slices of bacon near the end of cooking the pasta. Remove the fat, fry in 1kal til crispy and then chop to a fine crumb, then sprinkle across the finished dish when you are dressing it. If you use bacon this would make it one extra point per person.

 POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 6 – per serving = 9 points or 441 cals, 12.3g fat, 51.6g carbs, 29.4g protein

Ingredients

500g lean (5%) beef mince, raw

1 white onion,  finely diced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

5 tsp steak seasoning

1 beef stock cube, crumbled

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp each onion powder and garlic powder

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

400g tin of tomatoes

1 tsp salt

360g pasta (shape of your choice), dry

2 tbsp each reduced sugar and salt ketchup, American yellow mustard and pickle relish

75g light Cheddar cheese, grated

3 spring onions, sliced into thin rounds

2 large gherkins, sliced into rounds

Low calorie cooking spray

Method

1. Take a large pan (with a lid if you have one), spray with low-calorie cooking spray and add the mince. Fry on a medium/high heat for around 5 minutes until the meat starts to brown and cook through.
2. Add the onion and garlic with 2 teaspoons of the steak seasoning, fry for another few minutes, and then crumble in the stock cube and add the tomato purée.
3. Stir-fry for a minute, and then add the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Fry for a few seconds and then add the tomatoes, 1 litre of boiling water and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and add the pasta, stirring to make sure the stock covers it.
5. Bring to the boil, pop the lid on and reduce to a simmer for 10–12 minutes until the pasta is cooked through (the pasta should absorb most of the water so the dish doesn’t end up a runny consistency).
6. Remove the lid, add the remaining steak seasoning, ketchup, mustard and pickle relish, and simmer for another 5 minutes, letting the sauce thicken up.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then finally stir through the cheese, spring onions and gherkins. Simmer for another minute or so to let the cheese melt, then remove from the heat.
8. Plate up and sprinkle with bacon crumb if you are having it.

The post Cheeseburger Pasta first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

The veggies I’ve included below make for a lovely dish however if you have any other veggies, feel free to experiment. I’ve also flavoured the dish with one of my favourite combos, paprika and fennel but if you prefer other spices, feel free to mix things up!

I’ve made a little video to go along with this recipe, I hope you find it useful!

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – per serving = 12 points or 396 cals, 5.5g fat, 59.6g carbs, 23.1g protein

Ingredients

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 chilli, roughly chopped

1 carrot, peeled and roughly diced

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

4 x reduced fat pork sausages, sausage meat removed from skin and skin discarded

2 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp paprika

240g pasta, dried

1 tbsp tomato puree

125ml white wine (optional)

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 chicken stock cube, crumbled

15g Parmesan cheese, grated plus extra for sprinkling

Sprinkle of chilli flakes (to taste)

Low calorie cooking spray

Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Blend the vegetables and garlic until you have a relatively smooth paste. Add the sausage meat to the blender and pulse until the sausage is combined with the vegetables.
2. Spray a large, non-stick saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and add the contents of the blender, beginning to fry over a medium heat.
3. Grind the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar until they are a fine powder, then add the paprika and ground fennel to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and a splash of water if the pan gets a little dry.
4. Pop the pasta on to cook.
5. Add the tomato purée to the sauce with the wine, if you are having it. Stir to combine and simmer for a few minutes (to reduce the wine if you have added it).
6. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Crumble the chicken stock cube into the tomato tin, fill with boiling water and stir to dissolve, then add to the pan.
7. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes until it starts to reduce and thicken and then add the grated Parmesan and chilli flakes. Season to taste.
8. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, stirring to combine. Serve with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan.

The post Speedy Sausage Pasta first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Now I must admit, it’s not a dish I’ve ever really ordered when eating out, generally as most of the time it’s vegetarian and high in calories, so I’ve always steered clear. That said I have had the cheeky mouthful when others have ordered it and most of the time you can tell that the oozy goodness comes from LOADS of cheese and butter.

When trying to think of a way to recreate the creamy, smoothness of a mac and cheese dish, I knew I had to find an ingredient that would bulk out the sauce but keep the points low and once again it was Butternut Squash to the rescue! The addition of it here does exactly that, creates a lovely base of the cheese sauce, adds a little sweetness and balances out the rest of the dish quite nicely. I’ve also added bacon to the dish for an extra layer of flavour and it’s worth doing, the saltiness contrasts very well with the sweet butternut squash and creamy cheesy additions!

Mac and Cheese

Serves 4 – 11sp per person (Flex)

Ingredients

4 x bacon medallions, raw

1 medium sized Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed (500g)

300ml chicken stock (made with 1 stock cube)

250ml skimmed milk

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 bay leaf

60g light cream cheese

100g light extra mature cheddar (I got mine from Asda), grated

Grating of nutmeg

Pinch of smoked paprika (and crushed chillies if you would like a little heat)

Salt and pepper

15g panko breadcrumbs

Two large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped

240g macaroni, dried

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Take a large pan, add the butternut squash, chicken stock, milk, whole garlic cloves and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25 minutes until the butternut squash is nice and soft.

Whilst the butternut squash is cooking fry the bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Once cooked, remove from the pan and chop into medium sized ‘crumbs’. Pop in a bowl to one side.

Once the butternut squash blend is soft, remove the bay leaf and then pop everything else into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the light cream cheese and blend again. Add half the grated cheese, stir through so it melts and then add the smoked paprika. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir and taste adding a little more seasoning if needed.

In a separate pan cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions. A few minutes before it’s cooked add the kale to the same pan. Drain and then add back to the pasta pan. Pour over the butternut squash/cheese mix and add two thirds of the bacon. Stir everything together so it’s nice and silky. If the mixture is still a bit lose, keep on a high heat for a few minutes so everything thickens up.

Next, pour the mixture into a baking dish, top with the rest of the bacon and grated cheese and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Finish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and twist of salt and pepper and then pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the breadcrumbs are nice and golden.

Remove from the oven and serve with a nice green salad finished with a squeeze of lemon.

Enjoy!

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The result was fantastic. The sauce tastes so creamy and indulgent and is packed with the most vibrant flavours. You can add anything else you fancy to this to bulk it out ( courgette ribbons, peppers etc) but I like the sauce a little smoother so just went with the recipe below.

If you would like to reduce the points further you can swap the mascarpone for extra light soft cheese. For an extra few points though, the lovely creaminess and flavour of the mascarpone is really special.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 2 – per serving = 13 points or 508 cals, 16.9g fat, 44.0g carbs, 47.1g protein

Ingredients

300g raw chicken breast, cut into strips

½ large onion, finely sliced

40g sun dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Sprinkle of chilli flakes

1/2 tsp plain flour

½ chicken stock cube made up with 250ml boiling water

1 tsp dried oregano

75g lighter mascarpone

100g dried pasta of your choice (I like spaghetti)

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

10g each of fresh basil and spinach, finely chopped

1 lemon

Low calorie cooking spray

Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and add the chicken.
2. Season with salt and pepper and fry for 6–7 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the pan and pop to one side.
3. In the same pan, spray again with low-calorie cooking spray, add the onion and fry for a few minutes, adding a little water if the pan gets dry. Next, add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and chilli flakes and fry for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the flour, stir in for a minute, and then add a quarter of the stock. Once the stock starts to thicken, add the chicken back into the pan and keep adding the stock bit by bit until you’ve used it all and the stock thickens up nicely. Add the oregano and mascarpone and reduce the pan to a low simmer.
5. At this point, pop the pasta on to cook. Once the pasta has cooked, drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.
6. Finally, add the Parmesan, most of the fresh basil, the spinach and the juice of half the lemon to the sauce, then mix and simmer for another minute to combine. You want the sauce to be thick but loose enough to coat the pasta. If it’s a little too thick, add a bit of the reserved pasta water to loosen up.
7. Finally, mix the pasta into the sauce, combine everything well and serve with a wedge of lemon and a little basil on top.

The post Sundried Tomato, Chicken and Mascarpone Pasta first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.