Featuring Heiko Goldhahn’s "Spaghetti with Warm Rocket Salad"

Born in Germany, I did a lot of cooking with my mother (mutter) and grandmother (oma). I participated in some cooking courses at school and later completed my 4 year apprenticeship. I worked in England for 8 years before moving to Coffs Harbour, Australia. I currently work as evening chef at Coffs C.EX Coffs Harbour. The advantages of being in this industry are travel and presenting various dishes.  I gain a lot of inspiration from chefs such as Rick Stein. It is important that every kitchen should have at least one good sharp knife and peeler.

At home I like to cook a German potato omelet or a superior bratwurst with mustard, perhaps some sauerkraut.  I also enjoy a good Beef Stroganoff or a steak. I believe there are too many fast food inspired outlets when with a few ingredients in your pantry such as semidried tomato, ham, cream and pasta it is so easy to make a quick nutritious meal.

Some years ago I worked at a restaurant whereby we had to write up the menu for the next day on a blackboard. One of our suggested dishes was “Poached Salmon Legs with vegetables” along with some other dishes.

The next day we asked the person who wrote the menu on the blackboard “did you see the menu?” the person replied, “Yes I have seen it” and walked away. Later on that day we advised we were all out of Salmon Legs and asked for the dish to be removed from the menu please!!

Presenting one of my favourite pasta recipes "Spaghetti with Warm Rocket Salad"

Ingredients

200 g butternut pumpkin

Spaghetti

150 g semi dried tomato

 80 g pine nuts

100 g rocket

100 ml olive oil (only if you do not use the oil from the semi dried tomatoes)

1 clove garlic

Goat cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Herbs to your liking, parsley or chives

Method

Cook spaghetti

Cut pumpkin into small cubes 1.5 x 1.5 cm, fry off until crisp in a frying pan, with salt, pepper and a small clove of garlic. Toast pine nuts in the oven for 5 – 8 min on 200º C. Chop parsley and chives.

Add pumpkin, tomato, pine nuts, herbs and oil to frying pan and heat for 2 – 3 min.

Add spaghetti, searing to your liking and add rocket, heat for a min, serve it dressed with goat cheese.

"Guten Appetit"

Note: My preference for this dish is spaghetti however it can be substituted with any type of pasta.

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