Instant Pot Bolognese Pasta

Serves 4

Syns Per Serving : Syn Free

Ingredients
Low calorie spray oil
400gm lean minced beef, less than 5% fat
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
Frozen chopped garlic to taste
400gm can chopped tomatoes
500gm carton passata
400ml beef stock
1tbsp dried Italian mixed herbs
500gm pack dried pasta shapes

Method
1. Select Sauté or Browning on your pressure cooker and allow it to heat up.

2. Spray the Pressure Cooker cooking pot with low calorie spray oil and add the minced beef. Break into pieces with a wooden spoon as you brown the mince. After a couple of minutes, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the mince is browned all over.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Press down on any pasta sticking up out of the sauce with a wooden spoon, adding a little more water if necessary to ensure all the pasta is submerged.

4. Lock on the lid and close the Pressure Valve. 

5. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. When the beep sounds, allow a 5 minute natural release, then very carefully do a quick release to release any remaining pressure. Stir well and serve. 

Garlic Chicken Lasagne

Serves 4

Syns Per Serving : Extra Easy - Syn-free**
**add 6 Syns per serving if not using the cheeses as your Healthy Extra A choice

Ingredients
• Fry Light
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 350gm skinless chicken breast, finely chopped
• 400gm can chopped tomatoes
• 1tsp dried oregano
• black pepper
• 6 dried lasagne sheets
For the cheese sauce
• 150gm Philadelphia Light (2 x HEA or 12 Syns)**
• 80gm reduced-fat cheddar (2 x HEA or 12 Syns)**
• 100ml hot vegetable stock
• grated nutmeg

Method
1. Preheat oven to gas mark 5.

2. Heat a large pan sprayed with Fry Light and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften.

3. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano and seasoning. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce by placing the Philadelphia Light, vegetable stock, nutmeg and half of the cheddar into a small pan and heating gently, stirring constantly, until the Philadelphia has melted.

5. Spoon half of the chicken mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with 3 sheets of lasagne, breaking the sheets up to fit if necessary. Repeat the layers.

6. Pour the cheese sauce over the top of the lasagne and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Serve with Syn-free potato wedges and a large mixed salad.

Spinach And Cottage Cheese Cannelloni

Serves 4

Syns Per Serving : Extra Easy and Green - 1 Syn

Ingredients
• 12 cannelloni tubes
• a few basil leaves, torn
• 2 level tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (3 Syns)

For the filling:
• 300gm fresh spinach, washed
• 300gm very low fat cottage cheese
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg yolk
• freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
• 500ml carton passata
• pinch of granulated sweetener
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Make the filling. Put the spinach in a saucepan with 2tbsp of water. Cover with a lid and cook very gently over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until the leaves are limp and bright green. Drain in a colander, pressing down on top of the spinach with a saucer to squeeze out all the liquid.

2. Chop the spinach and mix with the cottage cheese, nutmeg, egg yolk and seasoning. Spoon the filling into the cannelloni tubes and arrange them in an ovenproof dish.

3. Mix the passata, sweetener, garlic and seasoning together and pour over the cannelloni.  Sprinkle with basil and Parmesan cheese, and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6 for about 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.

Philly Tuna And Sweetcorn Pasta Bake

Serves 4

Syns Per Serving : Extra Easy - 1.5 Syns plus half a Healthy Extra A choice**
**add 3 Syns per serving if not using the Philadelphia Light as half of your Healthy Extra A choice

Ingredients
• 300gm dried penne pasta
• 150gm Philadelphia Light**
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 180gm tuna, canned in brine or spring water, drained
• 280gm tinned sweetcorn, drained
• freshly ground black pepper
• 40gm reduced-fat cheddar, grated (6 Syns)

Method
1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boilimg water according to the pack instructions.

2. Whilst the pasta is cooking, put the Philly Light in a saucepan with the stock and heat gently until the Philly has melted. Add the tuna and sweetcorn and heat through. Season to taste.

3. Drain the pasta and toss together with the Philly and tuna mixture. Spoon into a warmed oven proof dish and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Place under a preheated grill for a few minutes until golden. Serve immediately with a large mixed salad.

Philly Chicken And Thyme Penne

Serves 4

Syns Per Serving : Extra Easy - Syn-free**
**add 3 Syns per serving if not using the Philadelphia Light as part of your Healthy Extra A choice

Ingredients
• Fry Light
• 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets, each weighing about 175gm, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 rashers lean smoked back bacon, all visible fat removed and cut into small pieces
• 250ml chicken stock, made with a stock cube
• 150gm Philadelphia Light**
• 8 baby plum tomatoes, finely chopped
• 100gm frozen peas
• 1dsp fresh thyme leaves
• freshly ground black pepper
• 300gm dried penne pasta

Method
1. Heat a large frying pan sprayed with Fry Light and fry the chicken until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and bacon to the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes then add the garlic and fry for a further minute.

2. Stir in the stock and Philly, mixing until well combined. Return the chicken to the pan, add the tomatoes, thyme and peas and season. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes then check that the chicken is cooked through.

3. In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions then drain. Stir the sauce through the pasta and serve.

Turkey Lasagne

This tasty lasagne could also be made with extra lean beef mince, just use a beef Oxo cube instead of a chicken one.

Serves 4

Syns per serving: 2.5 Syns on Extra Easy**
**add 3 Syns per serving if not using the cheese as half of your Healthy Extra A choice

Ingredients
• Fry Light
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 450gm extra lean turkey mince
• 1 chicken Oxo cube
• 400gm can chopped tomatoes
• 400gm can baby carrots, chopped
• 500gm carton passata
• 2tbsp tomato puree
• 6 x dried lasagne sheets
• 38gm sachet Morrisons Instant Cheese Sauce Mix (9 Syns)
• 80gm reduced-fat Cheddar**

Method
1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6.

2. In a large pan sprayed with Fry Light, fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes until starting to soften. Add the turkey mince and cook for a few minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until all the mince is browned.

3. Crumble in the Oxo cube and add the tomato puree and stir well. Add the tinned tomatoes, carrots and passata and stir again. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make up the cheese sauce with half a pint of boiling water and whisk until smooth. Add half of the cheese to the sauce and mix well.

5. Put half of the turkey mixture into the bottom of a lasagne dish or other ovenproof dish. Cover with three of the lasagne sheets (you may need to break the sheets or overlap them to get them to fit) and cover these with the other half of the turkey mixture. Cover with the remaining lasagne sheets.

6. Pour over the cheese sauce and then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until cooked through and golden brown on top.

Sweet Potato Pasta Bake

Serves 4
Syns per serving: 1.5 Syns on Extra Easy and Green

Ingredients
• 350gm dried macaroni
• 1 head broccoli, trimmed and cut into small florets
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 300gm low fat natural cottage cheese
• small handful of finely chopped fresh chives
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4tbsp quark
• 150gm cherry tomatoes, halved
• 40gm reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, grated (6 Syns)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°/Gas 6.

2. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the broccoli and sweet potato 4 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

3. Meanwhile, mix together the cottage cheese, chives, eggs and quark and stir well.

4. Drain the pasta, stir in the cottage cheese mixture and tomatoes and tip the whole mixture into a large ovenproof dish. Scatter over the Cheddar cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

This dish would work well with roasted vegetables such as peppers, onions, butternut squash or courgettes - stir them into the cooked pasta before baking in the oven.

Ratatouille Pasta Bake

Serves 4
Syns per serving: Extra Easy and Green - Syn-free**
**add 6 Syns per serving if not using the cheese as a Healthy Extra choice

Ingredients
Fry Light
500gm mixed vegetables; courgette, aubergine, onion, red pepper - diced
2 x 400gm cans chopped tomatoes
3tbsp tomato puree
1tbsp granulated sweetener
1tbsp Italian mixed herbs
2tbsp Balsamic vinegar
400gm dried pasta shapes
160gm reduced-fat Cheddar**

Method
1. Heat a large pan sprayed with Fry Light and fry the vegetables for about 10 minutes until starting to soften.

2. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, sweetener, herbs and Balsamic vinegar, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.

4. Drain the cooked pasta and place in a large ovenproof dish. Add the cooked sauce and mix well. Sprinkle over the cheese and bake in the oven at gas 5 for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Spinach And Cottage Cheese Cannelloni

This tasty meat-free dish is delicious served with Syn-free potato wedges and a large mixed salad.

Serves 2
Syns per serving: Extra Easy and Green – 1.5 Syns
 
Ingredients
10 dried cannelloni tubes
A few basil leaves, torn
2 level tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (3 Syns)  

For the filling
300gm fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
300gm very low fat natural cottage cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg yolk
Freshly ground black pepper  

For the sauce      
500ml carton passata
Pinch of granulated sweetener
1 garlic clove, crushed
Freshly ground black pepper      

Method
1. Make the filling. Put the spinach in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and cook very gently over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until the leaves are limp and bright green. Drain in a colander, pressing down on top of the spinach with a saucer to squeeze out all the liquid.  

2. Chop the spinach and mix with the cottage cheese, nutmeg, egg yolk and seasoning. Spoon the filling into the cannelloni tubes.  

3. Mix the passata, sweetener, garlic and seasoning together and pour a thin layer into the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Arrange the filled cannelloni tubes in the dish.  

4. Pour the remaining passata over the cannelloni. Sprinkle with basil and Parmesan cheese, and bake in a preheated oven at 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6 for about 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.