Pasta is such a popular cooking staple that we’re sure it features on most caterers’ menus. It’s why we’re launching a brand-new Fairway Assured range, which includes seven key varieties of the dinner-time staple.
For some time, our customers have requested we add pasta to our Fairway Assured Range – and we’ve worked hard to produce a selection that we feel more than meets your requirements. The range is selected from only the highest quality 100% durum wheat. Retaining starch so it doesn’t overcook, it has an authentic taste as well. Our team has also created a host of recipes to ensure your pasta dishes continue to pack a punch.
The fact is, we’re a world of pasta eaters, with 14.5 million tons of the carbohydrate produced globally in 2014 alone. That figure has risen by over 50% in the last 15 years alone – and it looks set to get even bigger.
INVENTIVE SERVING IDEAS
With more people choosing to cook at home, as opposed to heading out for food, pasta products, are faring well, given that they’re easy to cook and offer an excellent shelf life. But what it also means is chefs must now work even harder to entice customers through the door. It’s becoming less about preparing ‘old classics’ and more about dreaming up a host of inventive ways to serve the staple food. On top of that, low-carbohydrate diets are now on the rise, but even that hasn’t put people off pasta.
In part, this will be down to the continuing rising demand for vegan and vegetarian dishes. When you consider that the number of vegans alone in Great Britain quadrupled between 2014 and 2018, it’s worth getting on board with plant-based pasta dishes.
Another great thing about pasta is the fact it’s incredibly versatile, meaning chefs needn’t be short of inspiration when it comes to pasta trends. Relatively healthy while still being tasty, durum wheat pasta is easy to prepare, as well as offering a good shelf-life.
A FRESH TAKE ON OLD FAVOURITES
For chefs, it’s about ensuring you customers can enjoy products that aren’t just manufactured and served to high standards; they meet relevant legal requirements, too. Quality and customer satisfaction don’t simply start and end when the dish is served. Instead, it includes the morale of employees, the working environment of those involved in plating up food, and, of course, the lifecycle of the food being served.
Trends may well come and go in the food world, but pasta will always be a key addition to any menu. That said, consumers are keen to discover new twists on more traditional dishes.
7 SERVING SUGGESTIONS
There are plenty of inventive ways to incorporate the popular carbohydrate into your menu, with this site even offering further inspiration in the form of pasta-based breakfasts. After all, if salmon, steak (and eggs), and fish is a suitable breakfast food…why not pasta?
Marrakesh Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 75gm Dried spaghetti
- 25ml Olive oil
- 40gm Onion (finely chopped)
- 15gm Garlic puree
- 1.5kg Chopped tomatoes
- .5gm Ground cinnamon
- .5gm Ground cumin
- .5gm Ground turmeric
- .3gm Salt
- .1gm Ground black pepper
- 15gm Flaked almonds (toasted)
- 30gm Tinned chickpeas (drained)
- 3gm Parsley (finely chopped)
- 3gm Coriander (finely chopped)
- 2gm Mint leaves (finely chopped)
- 15gm Sultanas
Method
- Cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling salted water and drain
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until softened
- Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric and cook over a medium heat for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened
- Season with salt and ground black pepper, then stir in the almonds, sultanas and chickpeas
- Stir the pasta and herbs into the sauce until well combined
- Divide the pasta among the serving bowls and serve immediately
Greek Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 30g Tri colour twists
- 22.5g Baby spinach
- 25g Punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10g Black olive
- 20g Feta cheese, broken into rough chunks
- .3 tbsp Olive oil
Method
- Tip the fusilli into a large pan of boiling salted water and boil for 10 minutes. Throw in the spinach, stir well and boil for another 2 minutes. Drain into a colander or sieve and leave to drip-dry.
- Tip the tomatoes, olives and feta into a big bowl, grind lots of black pepper over and then drizzle with the olive oil.
- Toss in the drained pasta and spinach, and serve.
Macaroni Cheese – Deep Fried
Ingredients
- 50g Macaroni – cooked
- 25 g Butter
- 30 g Flour
- 1x Eggs
- 1x Sage sprigs
- 25g Onion – diced (raw)
- 25g Gruyere cheese – grated
- 30g Lancs cheese – grated
- 1 pint water
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Boil together the water, onion, sage & butter in a pan, once boiled gradually add the flour, beating all the time & until all the flour is incorporated & the mix leaves the sides of the pan (as for choux pastry), beat the grated cheese into the mix.
- Remove from the stove and place the mix on whisking machine, allow to cool.
- When cool, gradually add the eggs 1 at a time until fully incorporated.
- Gently fold the cooked macaroni through the cheese mix, spread out in a flat and chill in the fridge.
- When completely cold & firm, cut out into circles with metal ring, pass through seasoned flour & deep fry until crispy & golden
Italian Beef Ragu and Pasta Soup
Ingredients
- 20gm Pasta bows
- 40gm Minced beef
- 30gm Onions (diced)
- 30gm Tinned tomatoes (chopped)
- 10gm Aubergine (diced)
- 10gm Peppers (deseeded and diced)
- 5gm Tomato puree
- 2ml Vegetable oil
- 4gm Beef bouillon
- .26l Water (hot)
- 2gm Basil puree
- .2gm Garlic puree
- .1gm Cracked black pepper
- .1gm Salt
- 1gm Oregano
Method
- Dice onions, peppers, and aubergine
- Heat oil in a suitable thick bottom saucepan, add mince and brown off for 2-3 minutes
- Add diced onion, peppers and garlic and sweat for 2-3 minutes
- Add aubergine and sweat for 2-3 minutes
- Make up beef stock, whisk bouillon into the hot water
- Add chopped tomatoes and tomato puree to saucepan, stir well, then add stock
- Add pasta to saucepan. Stir regularly for 10-12 minutes
- Stir in basil paste, cracked black pepper, salt and oregano
- Decant into the recommended serving vessel and serve
Penne Served With Sundried Tomato, Artichokes and Red Pesto
Ingredients
- 80gm Penne
- 100ml Tomato and sauce
- 20gm Sundried tomatoes (cut in half)
- 30gm Grilled artichokes (sliced)
- 30gm Baby spinach
- 5gm Red pesto
Method
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until cooked, drain then hold for service.
- In a saucepan heat the tomato sauce with the pesto and bring to a simmer.
- Add the artichokes, spinach and sundried tomatoes and stir well in the sauce.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes then serve with the pasta.
Fusilli Pasta in a chicken and Arrabiata Sauce
Ingredients
- 80gm Fusilli pasta
- 100gm Chicken breast
- 5ml Olive oil
- 30gm Red onions (diced)
- 20gm Red peppers (diced)
- 100ml Tomato sauce
- .3gm Chilli powder
- .2gm Paprika
- 5gm Parmesan
Method
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until cooked, drain and hold for service.
- In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the chicken. Stir well and seal on all sides. Add the onions, peppers, chilli and paprika and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
- Serve the chicken with the pasta and parmesan
Italian Bean and Pasta Soup
Ingredients
- 10gm Pasta shells
- 15gm Leeks (finely diced)
- 20gm Canneloni beans (drained)
- 20gm Borlotti beans (drained)
- 25gm Carrots (peeled & finely diced)
- 5gm Tomato puree
- 3gm Vegetable bouillon
- .28L Water (hot)
- 5ml Vegetable oil
- .3gm Garlic puree
- .1gm Parsley
- .1gm Salt
- .1gm Cracked black pepper
Method
- Wash and clean the vegetables
- In a thick bottom saucepan heat the oil, add the carrot, leek, garlic and sweat for 3-4 minutes
- Add tomato puree to the vegetables
- Make up the vegetable stock, whisk the hot water and bouillon together
- Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the pasta and beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked
- Add chopped parsley and serve
Works Well With…
