CAVOLO NERO & HAZELNUT PESTO

Cavolo nero and hazelnut pesto

200g cavolo nero, trimmed of thick stems, washed and chopped

3 tbsp toasted hazelnuts

3 anchovies in oil

1 fat garlic clove

good handful of watercress leaves

juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

25g parmesan, grated

100ml olive oil

salt and pepper

Whiz all but the olive oil in a food processor then, still whizzing, gradually pour in the olive oil until you have a thick pesto. Season generously.

Stir through pasta, scoop up with crisps, dollop onto soup.

LEMON TAGLIATELLI

On a day when weather is heavy, hot and bright - and after months of book writing and recipe testing - the only thing called for in my kitchen is a little light relief (and a burst of sharp citrus). Lemon tagliatelli is recipe that is understated, painless to produce and refreshingly clean tasting. A good squeeze of lemon juice and a scattering of zest, in all their simplicity, do just enough to seep into and coat long strands of taglatelli, and impart a clear, fresh and fragrant flavour. The dish needs little else, other than plump, unwaxed lemons and a few salty morsels to balance, to produce the most simple and elegant of suppers.

Lemon tagliatelli

Serves 2

Ready in 15

200g tagliatelli

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

1 large garlic clove, crushed

2 anchovy fillets in oil, finely chopped

zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, juice of 3, plus extra zest to serve

parmesan, freshly grated, to serve

handful fresh basil leaves

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the tagliatelli and boil for 8 minutes, or according to pack instructions, until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the pasta water, and refresh under cold water. Toss through a little olive oil to prevent the pasta sticking.
Meanwhile, heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil in a wide, deep frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and anchovy and stir for 2 minutes until the anchovy begins to melt into the oil. Add the lemon zest and juice with the pasta water and season generously. Bring to a simmer.
Add the drained tagliatelli to the pan and toss through the lemon sauce until warmed through and completely coated in the sauce. Dish into bowls with a little more zest. Top with plenty of parmesan, a drizzle of best extra virgin olive oil and basil leaves to serve.

SAUSAGE, CHILLI TOMATO AND RICOTTA PASTA

SAUSAGE, CHILLI TOMATO AND RICOTTA PASTA

SERVES 2

1/2 tbsp olive oil

small knob of butter

1 shallot, very finely chopped

1 stick celery, very finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

3 free-range pork sausages

8 chilli blush tomatoes (Sacla do a good version), chopped

4 tbsp chicken stock or water, hot

1 tbsp tomato puree

100g ricotta

150g amori pasta

handful chopped parsley leaves

Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over a medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallot, celery and garlic and sweat, covered, for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. 

Remove the meat from the sausages and add to the pan, breaking up lumps with the back of a wooden spoon. Fry gently for 10 minutes until browned and starting to caramelise. Then, stir in the chopped chilli tomato, hot chicken stock/water and tomato puree. Season with salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook for 8 minutes until al dente or according to according to pack instructions. Drain, reserving 1 tbsp of the pasta water and stir through the sausage sauce. 

Stir the ricotta and the chopped parsley through the pasta and season again to taste. Serve with a crunchy salad and bread for mopping.

PASTA AL POMODORO

Emily picked this recipe up from her days as a nipper in Naples, one of those 'gran segreti dalla nonna' that no-one who'd tried it would dare forget. We ate the sauce - fat ripe tomatoes simmered down into a rich, sticky, and oily passata - tossed through beautifully formed Umbrian pasta and mopped up the remainder with hunks of bread.

REAL ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE

with flat pasta

serves 8

ingredients

250ml extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced

15 very ripe, fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and left whole

handful basil leaves, torn

salt and pepper to taste

large jug water 

700g good quality pasta - this sauce works particularly well with flat or tubed pasta.

Parmesan to serve

Gently warm the oil in a large saucepan and add the garlic to infuse. Leave it to soak up the flavour for 3 minutes, without burning the garlic. Add the peeled tomatoes and basil to the pan, season, and leave to simmer over a low heat with the lid on. After about an hour the juice of the tomatoes will have thickened. Add a generous splash of water and leave to reduce for another 45 minutes. You want to cook down the tomatoes for a total of three hours to get the maximum flavour, so every time the sauce thickens add a little more water - you may only need to do this once more but keep an eye. As you reach serving time, make sure the sauce is thick enough to coat the pasta and is not watery. If in doubt, simmer a bit longer without adding more water. Taste for seasoning.

Bring an extra large pan or two medium sized pans of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook as the packet suggests, and drain when al dente. 

Transfer the pasta into the tomato pan and mix through evenly adding a little sprinkling of salt. Pour the pasta into a big serving dish and take to the table. Divide into smaller bowls and scatter with Parmesan.

MAC AND CHEESE

I love cooking mac and cheese in disposable tin trays. They look like something you'd pick up from the school canteen, (Mrs Wiggins don't do china), serving up no-frills nursery food in no-frills containers. It puts macaroni cheese in its rightful place as stodgy, cheesy, creamy comfort food. Nowt fancy, like. Just (unbelievably) tasty.

I've gone a little off track with this recipe - leeks, ham and tarragon (ooh er), and tortiglioni in place of macaroni - but a good 'old fashioned' you can't beat.

LEEK, HAM AND TARRAGON MAC AND CHEESE

serves a very greedy 2 - a polite 4 

ingredients

200g tortiglioni or penne (or any old tube)

100g unsalted butter

1 large leek

250g smoked ham

150g flour

500ml milk (whole or semi)

200g mature cheddar, grated, and extra for the crust

salt, pepper 

handful tarragon leaves, roughly chopped

two tin trays (roughly 20x10cm)

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook til al dente and drain. Refresh under cold water and set aside.

Melt 25g of the butter in a small sauce and throw in the leeks. Cook over a low heat with a lid for 10 minutes so the leeks become soft and buttery. Add the ham and a pinch of salt and pour the mixture into a bowl. Set aside.

Melt the rest of the butter in the leek pan. Add the flour and set over a low heat. Fry the flour and butter for a minute or two so the gluten can develop. Add the milk a little at a time or each time the sauce thickens, and stir constantly. This should take around 5-7 minutes

When the sauce is glossy, and creamy, add the cheese, salt and pepper.

When the cheese has melted, stir in the leek mixture and the tarragon. Taste the sauce and add a little more salt if necessary.

Combine the pasta with the sauce and divide between the two tins. Ideally, you want a generous amount of sauce to pasta.

Grate the extra cheese over each dish and place in the oven for 15 minutes to crisp up.

Best served with a mustardy salad and a dollop of ketchup.

Peas are a good veggie replacement for the ham. Throw them in as you add the tarrgon.

Ding-a-ling. Back to class.

OX CHEEK RAGU

Melt. Slurp. Sigh... This is trattoria food at its most drool-worthy. The ox cheek turns from tough to tender over 6 hours and reduces down into a sauce so succulent you'll want to write a novel about it. 

This recipe - a new favourite - is ideal for feeding lots of people on the cheap - 500g of cheek cost me a fiver and was enough for 4 friends with giant appetites. It takes a while to cook - slow and low - but the only physical strain is putting it in the oven, taking it out and sharing it around. 

OX CHEEK RAGU WITH PAPPARADELLE

serves 4

ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

500g ox cheek

1 large white onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 sticks celery, finely sliced

1 large red chilli, finely chopped

250ml water

300ml beer (I used smoked beer. Wine will work well too)

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper

400g papparadelle

Parmesan, grated, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C. 

Heat the oil in a large, heavy based casserole and brown the cheeks all over. When brown and crisp, set aside. 

Add the onion to the oil and soften, following with the garlic, celery and chilli. Place the cheeks back in the pan and pour in the liquids. Add the chopped tomatoes, bay and thyme and season well. 

Lay a sheet of baking paper over the pan and cover with a lid so that the moisture is locked in.

Place the pan in the oven and leave for at least 4 hours to simmer away and slow-cook the meat. It will look like stew at this point but the meat will fall apart at the lightest touch.

Take the pan from the oven and remove the lid and baking paper. Leave the pan uncovered over a medium heat for approx. 20 minutes to reduce the excess liquid.

Just before serving, cook the pasta. Add sauce to the pasta and mix through. Serve piping hot with a generous helping of Parmesan.

WILD GARLIC AND RICOTTA RAVIOLI

We made these fresh, filled 'lunette' for Rosie and Jim's on Sunday and they went down a treat.

The wild garlic filling makes a vivid, pea green centre for the ravioli, splashing colour onto the plate when you cut through, like the perfect poached egg. 

Substitute the filling with fresh garlic and peppery rocket or artichoke hearts and fennel seed.
Serve as a light starter for a springtime lunch.

WILD GARLIC AND RICOTTA RAVIOLI

serves 4 and 20

PASTA

FOR 4                                                                                 FOR 20

400g 00 flour                                                                      1kg 00 flour

pinch salt                                                                            heavy pinch salt

4 free range eggs                                                                10 free range eggs

(roughly one egg per 100g flour)

FILLING

FOR 4                                                                                 FOR 20

1 bunch wild garlic, stems removed, flowers set aside      3 bunches wild garlic

200g ricotta                                                                        600g ricotta
50g Parmesan, grated                                                         200g Parmesan, grated

pinch nutmeg                                                                     1 tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

BUTTER

FOR 4                                                                                 FOR 20

200g butter                                                                         500g butter

1/2 bunch sage, finely chopped, stems removed               1 1/2 bunch sage

1 garlic clove                     

Pour the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs to the well and beat evenly with a fork, gently incorporating the flour. When the mixture starts to form a more solid shape, use your hands, mixing in the flour until the dough loses most of its stick. 

Flour a table and take the dough from the bowl. Knead the dough for about 4 minutes until smooth, elastic, and silky. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for up to 2 hours. 

Bring a pan of water to the boil and throw in the wild garlic. Blanch for 1 minute, drain, and refresh under cold water. When cooled, squeeze the garlic to remove excess water. 

Place the garlic with the ricotta into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the Parmesan, nutmeg, and a generous helping of salt and pepper. Cover, and place in the fridge to firm up.

Lay a tray with floured baking parchment ready for the ravioli.

Remove the pasta dough from the fridge and cut into bits roughly the size of the palm of your hand. If using a pasta machine (recommended) set to 1 and feed the dough through. Fold three times and feed through again. 

Set the machine to two and repeat. 

Now set the machine to 5 and feed through once. If making by hand, roll to roughly 2 mm thick. This will be thin enough to give you a light but firm enough ravioli.

Cut the dough with a 3 inch round cutter, making two leaves for each raviolo. 

Take the filling from the fridge. Fill the centre of one leaf of pasta with a tsp of the wild garlic. Place another leaf on top and press around the outside with your fingers so the dough sticks together. Making sure each side of the raviolo has been lightly floured, place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the pasta and filling. 

Once made, the ravioli can be covered and put back the fridge until ready to use.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan, adding the garlic clove. Skim off any white froth and curd from the top, remove the garlic and add the chopped sage and salt.

When ready to serve, heat up the butter, and bring a large pan or two of salted water to the boil. Gently drop in the ravioli. When they float to the top, scoop out with a slotted spoon and place into bowls. 

Serve with the sage butter, the wild garlic flowers and a pinch of sea salt flakes.

- Too much pasta? Roll it up into a ball and freeze for another lunch -

BEETROOT GNOCCHI

This dish reminds me of sluggish pomeriggi in the trattoria of Bologna. Fresh pasta, floury and soft, with a painless, no-frills sauce. And probably a fierce glass of red to wash it down.

Here, the fresh garlic, crisp sage and toasted hazelnuts bring strength and bite to the earthy, soft gnocchini. Gnocchi are simple enough to knock up (there's a bit to do a the beginning but this can all be done in advance) and they go a long way for lunch - you'll be full after a small plate so there will be plenty left over for surprise diners.

BEETROOT GNOCCHI

with, TOASTED HAZELNUTS, FRESH GARLIC & SAGE BUTTER

SERVES 2

ingredients

100g beetroot, peeled and chopped

250g King Edward potatoes, peeled chopped

75g plain flour

1 small/medium free range egg, beaten

salt

100g lightly salted butter

fresh garlic, sliced in rounds

handful sage leaves

approx. 10 hazelnuts, crushed

Parmesan

Bring two pans of salted water to the boil. Put the potatoes in one and the beetroot in the other. Cook the beetroot and the potatoes until soft enough to slip a knife through.

Put the beetroot into a food processor and whizz until pureed. Push the puree through a sieve once or twice to make it really smooth.

Mash the potatoes. They should be light and fluffy with little moisture. Keep them on the heat for a bit if the is any excess water.

Measure out the flour into a deep bowl, or on a floured surface. Make a well in the flour and add the egg, beetroot and potato. Season with salt. Mix through with your fingers, so that the colour of the beetroot spreads evenly. The mixture should turn into a soft dough. If too wet, add more flour.

Cut the dough into equal sized squares and roll into long sausages. This is where you can experiment with size and shape, but to go for the traditional diamond, cut the dough diagonally, every 2-3 cm. Lightly dust with flour.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil.

Gently toast the hazelnuts in a small pan and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and add the sliced garlic. You want this to cook very gently before adding the sage. Once the garlic has softened slightly, add the sage to infuse into the butter and crisp up.

Add the gnocchi to the pan. As soon as they float to the top, they'll be ready!

Serve up in a pasta bowl and drizzle with the sage garlic butter. Grate with a generous helping of Parmesan and sprinkle over the hazelnuts.

Talk to no one, look at no one, just eat.

VEAL, FENNEL AND RICOTTA LASAGNE

Not too heavy nor too rich, this is a lasagne for the 'come rain or shine' evenings of late. The fennel comes through subtle and sweet, the aniseed and juicy cherry tomatoes seasoning the lean veal and lifting the light ricotta as it cooks the pasta. It's still filling for us hungered gluts but fragrant enough to suit the season (however unpredictable).

VEAL, FENNEL AND RICOTTA LASAGNE


SERVES 2

ingredients

2 tbsps olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, grated, stalks and stem removed
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
200g veal mince
1/2 glass sherry

200g cherry tomatoes
2tsp tomato puree
2 cloves garlic, peeled

250g ricotta cheese
6-8 large lasagne sheets
handful parmesan

sea salt and black pepper

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped shallots, grated fennel and fennel seeds. Fry until soft.

Meanwhile, roast the cherry tomatoes with the garlic cloves for 10 minutes until swollen and soft. Transfer to a bowl and whizz with a hand-held food processor. Keep the oven at the same heat.


Add the veal mince to the fennel and break up with a wooden spoon. When the meat is brown, turn up the heat and add the sherry. Let the pan simmer until the alcohol burns off and you are left with just a little bit of liquid.

Sieve the whizzed cherry tomatoes and discard the leftover seeds. Add the cherry tomato jus and tomato puree to the pan and stir through. Taste and season.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the lasagne sheets for 2 minutes so that they mould to the dish and cook well under the ricotta. Line the bottom of the dish with one sheet and spread over a layer of ricotta. Next, add a layer of mince and cover with another pasta sheet. Repeat the layering; the more sheets the better. Finish with a final layer of ricotta, a sprinkling of Parmesan and crushed black pepper.

Put the lasagne in the hot oven for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Serve alongside lightly dressed fresh green leaves or, for real summer, a cucumber, orange and watercress salad.

CREAMY PANCETTA AND RED CHICORY SPAGHETTI

If you're ever looking for a recipe that takes no time to cook and fills you up in an instant, this is it.

I have to say that this is one of the most rudely delicious pasta dishes there is; a bitter, sweet, creamy bowl of Yes Please. It follows some of the rules of carbonara, but switches the egg yolk for red chicory (quite some switch), though egg yolk wouldn't go amiss.

One essential rule: Use the best dry-cure pancetta you can find. You'll be crying with joy with every forky twizzle.

CREAMY PANCETTA AND RED CHICORY SPAGHETTI

Serves 2-4


ingredients

200-300g thin spaghetti
large knob of butter
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 heads red chicory (radicchio works well too), thinly shredded
200g best dry-cure pancetta, roughly chopped, fat on
good splash white wine
250ml double cream

50g grated Parmesan to serve

Bring a deep pan of salted water to the boil.

Meanwhile, melt the knob of butter in a frying pan and add the onions. Soften a little before adding the chicory. fry down until both the onion and chicory have lightly caramelised and are extremely soft. Taste for seasoning.

In another pan heat up the pancetta. The pork should be fatty enough to create it's own lubrication so no need to add butter or oil here. Fry until crispy, then add the wine. The wine should boil as it hits the pan. Let the alcohol burn off and set aside.

Add the spaghetti to the pan and simmer, following packet instructions. There should still be a little bite to the pasta when it is cooked. Drain.

Add the pancetta to the chicory and stir in the cream. Add the spaghetti, tossing through the sauce and serve with a little Parmesan and parsley (optional).

It's a rich one, this, so a crisp salad of gem lettuce would be a perfect cleanser post woof.

Recipe created, cooked and greedily eaten with Clara Grace Paul.

COURGETTE LINGUINE WITH CHILLI SQUID

SERVES 2

ingredients

200g linguine
75ml olive oil
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
2 heaped tsp chilli flakes
1 large courgette, julienned or cut into long thin strands
100g squid, thinly sliced into rings
6 leaves sage
salt and pepper
2 lemon wedges

Put a large saucepan of salted water on a high heat and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the shallots and soften. Follow with the garlic, chilli and courgette and stir through. Cook the courgettes for 5 minutes until light brown and soft. Season and set aside in a bowl. Keep the pan on the heat and add more olive oil and one teaspoon of chilli.

Put the pasta in the pan of boiling water and turn down the heat to a simmer. Follow the packet instructions for cooking time.

When the oil in the pan is hot and sizzling and the squid. The oil should fizz as you throw in the squid. Add the sage and the rest of the chilli. Turn down the heat slightly and brown the squid for approximately 1-2 minutes. It should be tender, not chewy, so you want to avoid over cooking it. The sage should be crisp.


Drain the pasta when al dente. Evenly fold in the courgette to the linguine.

Serve on warm plates, placing the squid and sage on top of the pasta. Squeeze over the lemon.

There you have it. A beautiful, hassle-free, summer lunch. Lovely with a cold glass o' white.

WALNUT POLENTA

Eat with eggs, with cheese, with apples and pears, fried with bacon, paired with braised meat and, best of all, on its own. I present to you the most versatile and comforting of winter companions: walnut polenta.

WALNUT POLENTA


serves 2

ingredients
100g polenta (instant polenta is great for a quick fix)
400ml water
1tsp salt
50g fresh walnuts, chopped

In a large saucepan, bring the water to the boil. Add the salt and stir. Sprinkle the polenta grains into the boiling water and stir with a wooden spoon. Turn down the heat to a simmer and gently stir. Polenta thickens with heat - like risotto - so keep adding water to loosen it. Repeat this process for up to an hour (this is unless you're using instant polenta when it will be cooked in just a few minutes).

When cooked, mix in the walnuts. They will still have a crunch, but using fresh walnuts will give a softer texture.

Spoon the polenta onto a plate, bowl or chopping board. As it cools, the polenta will firm up and be easy to slice for serving with whatever you fancy.

For the best polenta have it plain; warm up a knob of salted butter, pour over and season. Or dress with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and garnish with basil leaves.

Bloomin' delicious.

BOWLS AND BONFIRES

HONEYED SQUASH, SPINACH AND GOATS CHEESE RISOTTO

SERVES 2-3
INGREDIENTS
for the squash
1/2 medium squash, roughly chopped; skin on
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 tbsp runny honey

for the risotto
1tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
150g Arborio risotto rice (roughly 75g/person)
2 glasses white wine
500ml chicken stock (or vegetable for veggies)
3 sprigs fresh thyme, de-stalked
3-4 large handfuls spinach leaves
200g soft welsh goats cheese
roughly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Having chopped the butternut squash with a sharp knife and a bit of welly, lay evenly on a baking tray and drizzle with the groundnut oil and honey. Leave the skins on; they will become soft and edible once cooked. Bake for 20 minutes or until soft. Toss regularly and check for burning edges. When cooked, leave to rest until needed.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion. Stir with a wooden spoon and put a lid on the pan to soften the onion. Do not brown.

In a jug prepare the stock. Fresh stock is always far more subtle and delicious than cubes so use this if you can, but one cube with 500ml water works well too. Stir so the cube has dissolved.

Add the Arborio and fry until the rice becomes almost translucent. Turn up the heat a touch and pour in the white wine. The wine should hiss as you put it in the pan and will bubble with the rice until the alcohol simmers off and the liquid is reduced.

Pour in enough stock to cover the rice, and stir. You only want a little at a time. The next slosh should be added when the stock has been absorbed and you can see the bottom of the pan. Do this each time until the stock runs out and the rice is soft. It should have a small bite to it, but you don't want to be breaking teeth - slightly more cooked than al dente should do it.

If the rice is still hard after all the stock has gone in, keep adding more stock or water to get the right texture to the risotto. The trick to any risotto is to stir and taste the whole way through cooking. It may seem a bore, but a perfect risotto needs nurturing.

When the rice is cooked and the sauce is thick and glossy, add the spinach. The spinach will wilt almost immediately. You want to fold it in so it weaves evenly through the rice. Then add the squash. With the wooden spoon or a fork mash half the cubes into the rice and leave the rest whole. This will give a lovely peachy colour, a soft texture and a sweet taste to the risotto - you want the honeyed squash to come through from first to last forkful, not just when you bite into a large bit. Finally, mix in a tbsp of goats cheese, and it's almost ready to serve.

Serve into bowls and spoon a quinelle of the goats cheese on top. Sprinkle each dish with a generous helping of black pepper, and a sprig of thyme.

A wonderful one to warm you next to the bonfire, or feet up on the sofa. Autumn hug food at its finest.

A NEW LOVE FOR...

Anchovies. Little bone ridden creatures, sea bound until on the plate, and all too similar to the feel and taste of a cat's fur ball.

Until recently, the word 'anchovy' was one of those which, along with 'custard' and 't-t-t-trifle', would make me shudder at the mere mention. I'm not fussy, but who can trust eating a hairy fish, something you can walk on without sinking, or cake mixed with jelly with said wobbly, yellow slide? Not me.

But since working at Books For Cooks, anchovies have miraculously - just like that - been wiped from the list. I see them no longer as a water vermin but as salty delights to be gobbled at every opportunity. They are too, as I am often persuaded, an almighty hangover cure.

So to show my new love for anchovies, here is a recipe inspired by a Sicilian dish I ate last year, where sardines replaced the anchovies, and by Clara's Mum's special anchovy and broccoli spaghetti. This dish is a great way to ease you in lightly; the anchovies are hidden, cleverly melted into the onions. If you're a hater, it'll turn you; if you're a lover...well, need I say more?

ANCHOVY SPAGHETTI

SERVES 2-3
200g broccoli, stemmed
300g good spaghetti
100g pine nuts, roasted
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
50-75g anchovy fillets in olive oil
100g raisins
handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Boil a pan of water and throw the broccoli in for 3 minutes, or until it has a very slight bite. Add the spaghetti and cook for 8 minutes or as packet advises.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a frying pan until golden. Remove from the pan to a bowl to add to the sauce later on.

Using the same pan, heat up the olive oil and soften the onions and garlic on a low heat. Then add the anchovy fillets. With the end of a wooden spoon chop the fillets until they become a paste with the onion mix.

Add the raisins and the toasted pine nuts and mix. Blend half of the mixture with a hand blender or magi-mix. Drain the spaghetti and in a separate, warmed bowl, and fold in the blended sauce and broccoli. Serve on hot plates with the remaining, unblended sauce and a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley.

I use no salt or pepper in this recipe as I think the anchovies give it enough seasoning, but do add to your own taste. Replace the pine nuts and raisins, Clara style, with oven roasted cherry tomatoes and chilli flakes for some-a-bit-o-spicy-time. (For anchovy novices, add more chilli. No need to plunge in with the ladle before the spoon).

REAL RAGU

Last week, I had the best ragu I've ever eaten out of Bologna. In fact, it may have even been better than Da Mario's - a lazy Sunday afternoon risto just outside the old Bologna walls where we'd talk and drink, and eat steaming bowls of spaghetti ragu.

A couple of months ago, I ranted on how there is no Bolognese anymore...or at least, no one really knows the true recipe. This could-be Italian version was built up and simmered down to a soft and livery texture which melted as soon as it touched the tongue. So I think I take what I said back on this account. We shared a small amount between nine but the flavour was so spot on that it was all we needed. You know you've hit a good one when you're happy with savouring just a little (unless you've hit a bad one and you'd rather have none).

Trying to recreate this beast of a recipe in my own way, I switched beef for pork and apple sausages which slightly sweetened the rich sauce, but still held the fantastically earthy flavour of the original. I uuurrrrge you to try this. It takes a while to get it really good, but you can - though it would be a crime to - skip the slow-cooking. A perfect way to spend a day-off, and by the time you eat it, your house will be dripping with good smells, enough to make you want to lick the wallpaper.

REAL RAGU: Sausage style.


SERVES 6-8
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 large pork and apple sausages, meat removed from skins
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
200ml chicken stock
1/2 750ml bottle white wine
100ml milk
pinch of grated nutmeg
pinch of oregano

1300 HOURS: In a large heavy based pan or casserole dish, gently fry the onions in the olive oil until soft. Add the garlic. Having removed the meat from the sausage skins, add to the onions and break up with a wooden spoon. Fry until the meat has become crumbly and light in colour.

1330 HOURS: Pour in the wine and turn up the heat so that all the alcohol burns off. Be careful not to let the meat stick, by stirring gently. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, milk, herbs and spices. Place a lid on the pan and leave to simmer on a low heat for as long as possible, or place in a low heat oven or Aga.


1900 HOURS: Leave it to rest an hour before you eat, and spoon off some of the excess fat which will have risen to the top of the pan.

2000 HOURS: Serve with spaghetti or large penne cooked to al dente, a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan and a large glass of something good.

If seven hours seems daunting, you can take it off and carry on the next day. Or leave it, have lunch, read a book, make pudding, have a snooze, go for a...and it'll be ready for supper. Good from frozen too, but I doubt you'll need to.

SPELT LIKE THIS.

Whilst Fred is sifting through his wheat free repertoire (god that's hard to say out loud), I thought I'd begin mine.

Now, to me, pasta is the most loved, most used, and most flexible ingredient in my larder. It comes in every shape and size, and making it from scratch is one mighty reward. But what it consists of is the enemy to all gluten and dairy allergies. So, I have been on a rampage to find pasta that knocks down these almighty barriers.
To be truthful, the search was easier than I thought. Most supermarkets stock varieties of wheat and gluten free pasta, which is a god-send if you eat it as much as me. If you tread far and wide, you can even get pasta which is wheat, gluten, dairy, and egg free. And vegan. NICE.

For non dairy eaters go for Spelt pasta, which is made from 100% spelt flour and water. NO eggs. This is what I went for - purely to see how it managed to bind together like usual pasta, without the use of eggs. Spelt is a species of wheat so is not gluten free. Beware.

So, here is a very simple recipe, which tastes oh-so delicious and is edible to all with a dairy intolerance. Change the lasagne for gluten free if this affects you. The sauce is just as good with any shape of pasta. I know there are far more wild and interesting things out there which I could hunt down but, for the moment, this will hit the spot.

OPEN SPELT LASAGNE WITH CHILI AND AUBERGINE RAGU.SERVES 2

ingredients:
6 spelt lasagne sheets
2 tbsps olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 crushed garlic clove
1 aubergine, roughly chopped
2 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped and de-seeded
200g chopped tomatoes
half a red chili, finely chopped and de-seeded
half a glass of red wine
pinch of salt and black pepper

Heat up the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the chopped onion.When the onion is soft, throw in the tomatoes, aubergine and garlic. Stir regularly and make sure it doesn't start to burn. Tomatoes can be pretty acidic if not cooked long enough, so you really want to slow cook this sauce. It makes it all the more tasty too.

Pour in the red wine and turn up the heat. Simmer so that the alcohol burns off. Then put on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are juicy and tender.

Add the chili, salt and pepper.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta sheets and simmer for 8 minutes (or as directed on the packet). Once al dente, drain and serve, layering the sauce in between the sheets. Such a tasty dish, and full of goodies.

If you can eat dairy, cover the pasta in Parmesan. Serve with a few leaves of basil.

Have ideas on cooking with free-from ingredients? Please let me know them so I can try them out!

What a load of Bol.

Flicking through the Times newspaper today, I came across an article dedicated to the well-loved Italian dish SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE. It is known to most that what we consider to be a good Bolognese is very different from the thoughts of native Italian eaters. It is seen as the dish 'cooked worst than most', which I half agree with - I've had some shockers. But the other half of me says: everyone cooks in their own way so why should that change with Spag Bol? I occasionally cook mine with added sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, lots of red wine and Bay leaves, and I am certain that's not how the Italians do it.


Living in Bologna last year, I ate 'Bol' - what they call tagliatelli al ragu - often. It was served with very little tomato, hints of crumbly liver, and fresh, yellow tagliatelli. You really can't get more authentic than that...

Or so I thought...

The article, on p. 35 of Monday's paper, is now telling me that

'They don't even make it properly in Bologna any more'.

Now I am craving to know what the original recipe is! If they can't make it, who can?

PRIMO PIATTO.

A month without a blog? OUCH. What have I been doing that is so important? UM. Lots.

Due to the gluttonous quantities of FOOD and DRINK that have been forced down my neck without my consent...kind of..,the snow turning house into prison, and dreadfully cosy fires, I have only just been unable to haul myself out of the yuletide stupour. And having just been handed a 'soldier' of bare, toasted, Swedish rye bread I think it is time to take a hint.

Here's to 2010!

This week's blog is a matter of life and death. It holds the first of three deliciously inspired recipes, stolen straight from the taste buds of you lovely readers. When I asked 'What would be your last supper?' way back in November you came back with some fantastic ideas. From these, I have chosen 3 courses; all very delicious, hearty and, as the season is most definitely winter, HOT.
So let us begin with the starter, just to be wild...

THE STARTER

Thank you to Mattie for her idea of ravioli stuffed with leeks and bacon:

"May I offer you in exchange the strange but wonderful filling suggestion of sweated leeks and bacon with a smidgen of cream and plenty pepper - the winner of the various fillings I tried on my teenage guinea pigs"

In truth, it's a filling that I would never normally put with pasta but, not being too far off a teenage guinea pig, I really liked it. I added a touch of nutmeg to give the filler a subtle sweetness and blended the mixture to make the ravioli melt in the mouth. As a starter I would serve two or three large ravioli for each diner in a deep pasta bowl, drizzled with butter and sprinkled with Parmesan.

FOR 8 wonderful GUESTS:

THE RAVIOLI

My new vintage pasta machine arrived with enormous welcome - the days of dead arms are over - and it has been awfully helpful for perfecting this recipe.

If you want to make the pasta from scratch, check out the basic pasta recipe on Tortellini or not Tortellini and make around 1kg of pasta. Any left over can be dried or frozen and eaten at a later date. There is NOTHING better than homemade pasta. It can take up to an hour to make if you are doing it all by hand the sweat and blood way. But with a food processor and rolling machine it should take much less.


TIP: You can make the pasta dough in advance and pop it in the fridge, or even freeze it but, if you can, leave the rolling to the last minute for ultimate freshness.

THE FILLING

4 Leeks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of double cream or 4 tablespoons of ricotta
6 rashers of bacon or pancetta, chopped into small pieces
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper

VERY VERY SIMPLE. Fry the bacon until completely cooked and starting to brown. Throw in the leeks and sweat until soft (the leeks...not you). Add the cream or ricotta, and stir. You don't want the mixture to be too runny; it will turn stuffing the ravioli into slippery business.
Add the salt and pepper to taste and grate in the nutmeg. With a food processor or hand-blender, whizz the mixture to a firm, moist consistency.

Having rolled out the pasta into thin sheets (the smallest notch on the machine), cut the pasta into large 9cm x 17cm shapes (make it 6cm x 12cm if you want smaller peices) and place the filling onto of the bottom half of the rectangle.
Fold the top half over and press firmly around all edges so the filling is tucked into the middle with no gaps. If you find that the filling is spilling out, try reducing the amount, or changing the size of the pasta cut.

THE GARNISH

100g salted butter, melted
50g grated Parmesan
16 basil leaves to decorate

Once the ravioli are shaped to your fancy, pop them into a pan of boiling water for approx. 5 minutes, until the pasta is soft but slightly al dente. The time can always vary depending on your hob so keep going back to check on them. Whilst they are cooking melt the butter and grate Parmesan. Drain. Pour over buttery juice and sprinkle with a little cheese. They are now ready to serve as you starter.

Pour yourself and your guests a glass of a cold crisp white wine.
Do start. Chin chin.

Stay in tune for next week's scrumptious MAIN.

I LOVE ASPARAGUS.

Don't know about you, but I say at the top of my voice: 'Thank God Asparagus Season Is Back!'

Alas it's only here for the best of two months, so from late April to mid June, our days are to be spent experimenting with this goodly green! There is nothing simpler or more delicious to eat than a plate of four or five or, go on, six, fresh, al dente steamed asparagus spears drizzled in butter...or with anything for that matter. Despite minor side-effects, of which I will leave out, I could easily eat them with every meal. Although served hot they are unbelievably juicy and refreshing and they are the perfect starter for the oncoming summer. I love asparagus on their own, in salad, with meat, ohhh and with poached eggs!

Having just read Nick Wyke's article on How to Cook Asparagus, my taste buds are excited. There are so many ways to cook and serve this heavenly vegetable. As I mentioned before, I love asparagus with eggs. One old favourite recipe which features both these ingredients is Gloria's Pasta. Gloria was one of my mother's hens and she, among a few others used to lay the most delicious eggs with bright orange yolks and an incredible flavour. I would never usually put a poached egg on to pasta but this really works. Each ingredient has its own unique flavour, yet put together the taste is fantastic.

delicious magazine's Pasta with asparagus, mint pesto and poached egg (GLORIA'S PASTA). SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS: 250g pasta, 250g asparagus spears, 4 slices pancetta, good bunch of mint leaves, 100ml good quality olive oil, 50g grated Parmesan, 2 eggs.

1. Cook 250g pasta of your choice (I prefer fresh tagliatelle) in plenty of boiling water until al dente, or according to packet instructions.

2. Add 250g asparagus spears, with the ends broken off, to the boiling pasta water for the last 2-3 minutes of the cooking time.

3. Meanwhile, grill 4 slices pancetta until crisp.

4. Put a good bunch of mint leaves into a food processor with 100ml good-quality olive oil, then blend to a puree. Stir in 50g grated Parmesan, lots of black pepper and set aside.

5. Poach 2 eggs in barely simmering water for 3-4 minutes.

6.Meanwhile, drain the pasta and asparagus, then mix in the mint pesto. Divide between 2 plates. Crumble over the pancetta, sprinkle with extra Parmesan and mint, then lift out the poached eggs with a slotted spoon and place on top.

I think it tastes better named after Gloria: unfussy, hearty, and fresh from the garden...

A less indulgent yet perhaps more satisfying way of making the most of the asparagus season is to lightly dress the asparagus with extra vergin olive oil, a thick and sweet reduced balsamic vinegar, a liberal pinch of salt and pepper and thin shavings of Parmagiano Reggiano. Best eaten soon after cooking, picked on the day for that wholesome grassy taste, or even cooled and taken to the park for a great picnic treat!

Food for thought...Perhaps try raw asparagus with wasabi??

Credits:

Check out Nick Wyke's How to Cook Asparagus feature with video: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article6140262.ece.

Original Gloria's pasta recipe from delicious MAGAZINE online: http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/Pasta_with_asparagus,_mint_pesto_and_poached_egg_411

TORTELLINI OR NOT TORTELLINI?

My excitement of moving to Italy for a year had the added bonus of Bologna's reputation as la Grassa, the fat one, the 'delicatessen of Italy'. I was ready to experience Italian cuisine first hand, and come home every few months with a ben curato Italian stomach. Bologna is most famous for its delicate little tortellini, made carefully around one's little finger and otherwise known as 'Venus' navel'. Having tasted these tiny morsels of delicious meat filled pasta, and arriving at that time of year when inside becomes far more inviting than out, I was desperate to bring them home to enjoy in the comfort of Via del Carro, 5. On a student budget, yet in the realms of rather beautiful and expensive market streets stocked up with best autumnal produce, my ever precious Euro was sadly to be spent elsewhere. So, instead, I was to go back to the beginning, and head home with bags laden with eggs and flour.



Two simple ingredients. One and a half hours of hard labour. One ounce of patience. The afternoon that I expected to be simple and therapeutic turned out to be more like an exercise work out. Perhaps finishing off a bottle of red wine to liberate the bottle as a rolling pin was not the way forward? Nonetheless, after pushing through the pain, folding, stretching, pulling, and rolling, the end product looked convincing enough. Thus began the folding. Despite having very small hands - I had been told that the best tortellini are wrapped around the tip of a little finger - my creations, stuffed with an untraditional yet seasonal filing of pumpkin and parmigiana, were worryingly dissimilar to the navel of any goddess. Although giving up is not usually my thing, I am a keen believer in practice makes perfect - so having attempted this 'harder than it looks' recipe, I thought it better to leave the idea on the shelf, and try again another time before serving it to hungry flatmates.

With the rest of the dough, so not to waste, I put half in the freezer for my next attempt of tortellini production, and the other half, cut in to 5x3 cm rectangles to cook up a more achievable dish of ravioli di zucca, pumpkin ravioli. Using the previously made, cooled filling I dropped a small amount in the centre of a rectangle, and covered it with another identical piece. Pressing down the edges around the filling, and ensuring there were no gaps, they were ready to place into boiling water. The end result was so scrumptiously worth it that all hard work had been put to good use.

A delicious and HUGELY satisfying dish - despite the rash, but perhaps wise decision to move away from tortellini...

BASIC FRESH PASTA RECIPE: ingredients. 600g/1lb 6oz flour (Some suggest Tipo ‘00’). 6 large free-range eggs or 12 yolks.

Place the sifted flour in large bowl, and make a well in the centre for the eggs. Beat the eggs, and using fingers mix together the two ingredients until it reaches a dough consistency. Knead the dough - patience and stamina needed - until smooth and combined, and the gluten in the flour has developed enough to create a springy and flexible texture when cooked. When the mixture is sufficiently kneaded, wrap in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for a while before rolling.

So to make life a little easier, separate the dough into a few parts so that rolling is more manageable. The best advice is to use a long, wooden rolling pin and NOT an empty wine bottle! The thinner the pasta becomes the more likely it is to stick to the table, and the harder it is to pull off, so make sure to cover the surface in flour before rolling, and add more to each side of the pasta when necessary. When the dough is rolled thinly, fold over again, roll and repeat 8 times. This is to ensure you have the best texture at the end. For both ravioli and tortellini the optimum result is to have the dough thin enough so that it has an almost transparent appearance.

Cut the dough into the shape desired - for ravioli I do 5x3 cm rectangles. This process needs to be speedy as the pasta is susceptible to drying out. If this occurs, use a damp tea towel to keep the dough cool and moist. (Here is when to add the filling if recipe needs it.)

If you use a pasta machine, work through all the settings until you reach number 1 setting. If you are keen on following the less hassle route, use a food processor for combining the dough.

PUMPKIN & PARMIGIANA RAVIOLI FILLING:ingredients. one small pumpkin, de-seeded and diced. 1 tbsp olive oil. 60g/ 2.11oz. Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve. salt and black pepper. 75g/ 2.64oz. butter, chopped (for the sauce).

I find the best way to cook pumpkin is to roast it in the oven on baking tray drizzled with olive oil. This should take around 30 minutes with the oven at 190 degrees C. When the pumpkin is soft, take it out of the oven and, in a bowl, mash it together with the cheese and olive oil into a smooth paste. Season with the salt and pepper. Make sure this is relatively cool and dry before filling the pasta.

Place the filled ravioli in salted, boiling water for 2 minutes or until al dente. Meanwhile melt the butter in a saucepan.

When the pasta is ready, drain, serve on a warm plate and pour the melted butter over. Sprinkle with the left over Parmesan.

Credits:

Basic Fresh Pasta Recipe based on Jamie Oliver's 'a basic recipe for fresh egg pasta': http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-and-pizza/a-basic-recipe-for-fresh-egg-pasta.

For a more experienced and insightful instruction for making tortellini, I found this link rather good: http://viewitaly.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-to-make-tortellini-save-rhinos.html