Survey reveals Irish people like to get creative with pasta dishes

Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni with Greek Salad Inspired Sauce

Some of the more creative suggestions were curry & coleslaw, spicy nduja, brussels sprouts and steak & onions

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Steak & onions is probably not the answer you would expect when asking someone what they eat their pasta with, but that is one of the surprising answers fresh frozen pasta brand Ottimo received when they asked their customers in a recent survey.

It seems that plenty of Irish people like to get creative with Ottimo pasta. Some serving suggestions from the survey included: mushroom ravioli to make lasagne, coleslaw and curry, butternut squash sauce, egg yolks and garlic, fresh pesto, mushrooms and sage, garlic prawns, ratatouille, spicy nduja, crispy bacon with homemade carbonara sauce, and brussels sprouts with bacon lardons. The most popular serving suggestion was butter and parmesan cheese.

Launched in 2022, Ottimo takes fresh pasta and freezes it, which means its good to go at any time of the day or night. It is made right here in Ireland. With three varieties for you to choose from, it is ready in only four minutes and can be cooked from frozen.

Choose from three delicious Ottimo varieties:

• Fantastico Four Cheese Ravioli – not quite square ravioli pockets that are filled with a mouth-watering creamy mix of four cheeses
• Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni – fabulously tasty little pasta parcels that are filled with fresh spinach and a creamy ricotta cheese
• Non Quadrato Mushroom Ravioli – ravioli pockets that are filled with mushrooms and simply seasoned with salt & pepper

The experts at Ottimo have come up with some creative recipes to inspire new flavours for your next pasta meal.

Crispy Air Fryer Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni served with Marinara Sauce

Serves: 4

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni
• 1 egg, beaten
• 150g panko breadcrumbs
• 50g parmesan
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• Spray oil
• Marinara sauce, warmed, to serve
• Handful chives, finely chopped, to serve

Method:

1. Place a large pot of salted water on a high heat and bring to the boil. Add the tortelloni and cook for 3 minutes, then drain and place onto a tray to cool down for at least 15 minutes.
2. When cool to the touch pre-heat your air fryer to 190 C.
3. Place the egg into one bowl and place the breadcrumbs,  parmesan, oregano, onion, and garlic powders into a separate bowl and mix together with some seasoning.
4. Dip the cooled tortelloni first in the egg mixture then into the breadcrumbs mixture, patting the breadcrumbs into the tortelloni to cover completely.
5. Repeat until all the tortelloni are coated. Add the crumbed tortelloni to the air fryer in one layer and spray with the oil.
6. Cook for between 7 – 10 minutes until golden and crispy.
7. Serve with the warm marinara sauce and some chopped chives.

Four Cheese Ravioli with Lemony Courgettes and Broad Beans

Serves: 2

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g Ottimo Fantastico Four Cheese Ravioli
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 25g unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• 1 courgette, diced into small pieces
• 100g broad beans, podded
• 100ml white wine
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Place a large pot of salted water on a high heat and bring to the boil.
2. Whilst the water comes to a boil, place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil and butter and allow to heat until the butter melts.
3. Add the sliced garlic and chopped courgettes and cook gently for 5 – 7 minutes until the courgette is soft and the garlic fragrant.
4. Add the broad beans and wine and cook for a further 4 minutes.
5. Add the Ottimo filled pasta to the boiling salted water and cook for 4 minutes.
6. Drain the pasta from the water and add to the pan with the vegetables – tossing to coat the pasta in the sauce then stir through the lemon zest and season with salt and black pepper.
7. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni with Greek Salad Inspired Sauce

Serves: 2

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g Ottimo Spinach and Ricotta Tortelloni
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 25g unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 100g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 100g baby spinach
• 30g black olive, chopped
• 50g feta, crumbled
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Place a large pot of salted water on a high heat and bring to the boil.
2. Whilst the water comes to a boil, place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil and butter and allow to heat until the butter melts.
3. Add the sliced garlic, oregano and red onion and cook for 5 minutes until the onion softens slightly.
4. Add the cherry tomatoes, turn the heat up and cook for 3-5 minutes until the tomatoes start to burst.
5. Break up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon so they begin to form a sauce then stir through the baby spinach and black olives.
6. Allow the spinach to wilt then season with salt and black pepper.
7. Add the Ottimo filled pasta to the boiling salted water and cook for 4 minutes.
8. Drain the pasta from the water and add to the pan with sauce, tossing to coat the pasta in sauce.
9. Serve into bowls and garnish with the crumbled feta.

Non Quadrato Mushroom Ravioli with Buttered Spinach and Peas

Serves: 2

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g Non Quadrato Mushroom Ravioli
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 75g unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 125g baby spinach
• 100g Green Isle Garden Peas
• Handful of chives, finely chopped
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Place a large pot of salted water on a high heat and bring to the boil.
2. Whilst the water comes to a boil, place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil and butter and allow to heat until the butter melts.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the pasta and frozen peas to the boiling salted water and cook for 4 minutes then drain and add to the pan with the garlic, along with the spinach.
5. Toss to coat everything in the sauce and allow the spinach to wilt then serve in bowls scatter with the chives and plenty of black pepper.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Ottimo is available in selected supermarkets nationwide, priced at €3.50 for a 300g pack and is brought to you by Green Isle. Visit Ottimo’s Instagram page here, and enter their latest competition for a chance to win a holiday in Italy worth €1,000.

Read More: Ottimo pasta recipes

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