Jamie Oliver's Simple Trifecta
His new book, Simply Jamie, is his third book in a row catering to the way real people cook and eat
As a food writer, I receive plenty of cookbooks in the mail for review. Most are pretty, but few have staying power in my kitchen, and here’s why:
While I cook at least one meal a day, I don’t consider myself an inventive gourmand in the kitchen. At the end of the day, I have no patience for preparing a meal that takes hours, and, on the weekends, the last thing I want to do is to bring a long ingredient list to the store. When I cook, I want something delicious but quick and simple. If it can’t be made in one pan with little prep time and cleanup, I turn away.
That’s why I am delighted whenever Jamie Oliver releases a new book.
For the past few years, Oliver has released books that speak to real people with real recipes for everyday living. In 2023, Oliver released One: Simple One-Pan Wonders. Last year, his Five Ingredients Mediterranean made eating light and fresh easy-peasy.
It seems that Oliver loves to capitalize on our New Year’s resolutions to eat better because he’s just released Simply Jamie: fast & Simple Food (list $39.99, available at Amazon for $27.99).
In the introduction, Oliver confirms the fact that we’re all too busy and harried to commit to a Wednesday evening beef Wellington: “Right now, it seems that time is our most valuable currency,” he writes, adding, “The digital revolution has turned how we access information on its head. We have instant access to numerous recipes and ideas, and endless inspiration at our fingertips, and yet we’re cooking less than ever before.”
Oliver wants his book to be an inspiration for us to start or to keep on cooking, and the ease of its use makes it very likely that this book will become a dogeared favorite.
As always, Oliver stresses his five must-have pantry items — the basis of most of the recipes in this book: olive oil for cooking, EVOO for dressing and finishing, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper. He also suggests having the following basic equipment: a set of frying pans, a few Dutch ovens, a chopping board, and a decent knife. While you’re at it, why not add a vegetable peeler, a box grater, and mortar and pestle to your kitchen set-up?
Once you’ve got your basic kitchen ready, it’s time to cook. Oliver’s new book is divided into midweek meals, weekend wins (slightly more time-consuming and perfect for Monday leftovers), one-pan dinners, pantry love, and delicious desserts (which includes an ingenious granita made with canned fruit.
As a test run, I made Oliver’s Herb Pea Pasta, since I had everything at home already. After raiding my neighbor's herb garden (with permission), I went about assembling the sauce, which took me as long to make as it took the fusilli to cook. After about 20 minutes, the pasta was ready to eat. I topped mine with a mountain of cheese, and some red pepper flakes, and had a comforting dish in about the same time it would take to make a sandwich.
Since I have a tiny apartment, I like to rotate out my books now and again, but Jamie Oliver’s past books have stayed in my kitchen, getting soiled, banged up, and loved. This new one joins its siblings.
Herb Pea Pasta
(reprinted with permission)
Serves four
Ingredients
10 1/2 oz. fusilli pasta, dried
2 cups frozen peas
12 green olives
4 teaspoons capers in brine
1 big bunch of mixed soft herbs such as basil, chives, Italian parsley, mint, arugula
1 1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, adding the frozen peas for the last minute.
Tear the olives into a blender (discarding the pits). Add the capers, tera in the herb leaves, 1/4 cup of EVOO, and 1/4 cup of starchy pasta water (from the pasta cooking). Finely grate in the cheese (or add grated cheese). Blitz until smooth and season with sea salt and black pepper.
Drain the pasta and peas, reserving a cup of starchy cooking water, then return the pasta and peas to the saucepan, pour the green sauce, and toss together over heat, adding a splash of cooking water as needed.
Serve the pasta, adding more cheese if desired.