Harissa beef and whipped feta cream maniche
A quick and bold pasta dish, the sauce of which is made from beef mince and harissa and is served with a feta yoghurt cream, toasted pine nuts and fresh herbs. Cooking the beef with the harissa builds up a sticky, caramelised coating that clings to the mezze maniche rigate pasta, and the whipped feta cream brings a cold contrasting element to cut through the richness. Using a bronze-cut pasta that is extruded using bronze dies rather than the standard stainless steel, creates a rougher texture to the pasta's surface. This works perfectly paired with bold sauces like this one.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 3 tbsp of pine nuts
- 400g of Garofalo High Protein Mezze Maniche Rigate
- 1/2 bunch of parsley, finely chopped, to serve
- 1/2 bunch of mint, picked and finely chopped, to serve
WHIPPED FETA CREAM
- 200g of feta
- 150g of Greek yoghurt, plus extra as needed
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
HARISSA BEEF
- 1 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 500g of beef mince
- 3 tbsp of harissa paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Method
Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan on a medium heat until golden, tossing regularly, then set aside
- 3 tbsp of pine nuts
For the whipped feta cream, place all the ingredients in a food processor with a pinch of black pepper. Blend until smooth, light and creamy, adjusting with a splash of water or yoghurt if too thick – it should be the consistency of double cream. Set aside in the fridge until serving
- 200g of feta
- 150g of Greek yoghurt, plus extra as needed
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and cook the maniche according to the packet instructions. Drain and reserve a cup of pasta water
For the harissa beef, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute
- 1 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
Add the beef mince and cook until it is well browned and beginning to caramelise, stirring regularly to break up the mince
- 500g of beef mince
Stir in the harissa paste, cumin, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing the spices to toast, adding a splash of pasta water if the mixture feels dry
- 3 tbsp of harissa paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Add the drained maniche to the pan and toss well, loosening with pasta water until well coated
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