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Asparagus Fettuccine

Sep 1

Posted by silli in italian, pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“This fettuccine is only on the menu the short while asparagus is in season. I think that makes eating it even more special”

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 small Onion, Finely Chopped
  • 1 small Celery Stick, Diced
  • 1 medium Courgette, Finely Diced
  • 1 small Leek, White Part Only, Diced
  • 16 Asparagus Stalks, Tips Reserved, Stalks Thinly Sliced
  • 1 handful Basil Leaves
  • 300 ml Vegetable Stock
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 400 g Fettuccine
  • 50 g Parmesan, Finely Grated
  • Pea shoots, To Serve
Add 4 tsp olive oil to a heavy-based pan over a low heat and sweat onion and celery until soft. Add courgette, leek and asparagus stalks and sweat for a further 2–3 minutes. Add most of the basil leaves and when they wilt, add the stock, then simmer until veg are tender. Remove from the heat and, using a hand blender or food processor, blend till creamy. In another frying pan over a low heat, add a little oil and cook garlic till soft, then add the asparagus sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
Boil a pan of salted water. Cook fettuccine, and 3 minutes before it’s done, add the asparagus tips. When fettuccine is al dente, drain, reserving a little cooking water, and add to the asparagus sauce. Loosen the pasta and sauce with cooking water, as needed. Stir in remaining basil, and serve with parmesan and pea shoots.

Source : Jamie Magazine : Issue 3

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Moderately Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 40 min, Cook 10 min

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Spinach & ricotta gnocchi

Aug 14

Posted by admin in italian, vegetarian | 1 Comment

“These luxurious gnocchi are both light and spoilingly rich at the same time”

  • 200g young spinach, washed
  • small handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 140g ricotta
  • 85g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 100g freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese , plus extra to serve
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • olive oil and rocket, to serve
Boil the kettle. Place the spinach in a large bowl and pour boiling water over it. Leave for 2 mins until wilted, then drain thoroughly. Leave to cool, then wrap a clean tea towel around the spinach. Hold it over the sink and squeeze out as much water as possible. Finely chop.
Place the spinach, parsley, garlic, ricotta, flour, eggs, cheese and a generous grating of nutmeg into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to stir very thoroughly until everything is completely mixed. Using wet hands, form the mixture into walnut-size balls. Place on a large plate or tray and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
When ready to cook, heat the oven to warm and bring a large pan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and drop in batches of about 8-10 gnocchi at a time. They will sink to the bottom, and when they rise to the top give them about 1 min more, then remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve the gnocchi on warm plates drizzled with olive oil and scattered with rocket and more cheese.

Source : Good Food : May 2010

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 40 min, Cook 10 min

Nutritional notes : Per serving : 287 kcalories, protein 20g, carbohydrate 19g, fat 15 g, saturated fat 8g, fibre 2g, sugar 2g, salt 0.86 g

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Pasta Norma

May 29

Posted by silli in italian, pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | 1 Comment

“This Sicilian staple of pasta with golden aubergines makes a special, but budget-friendly, supper”

  • 1 small aubergine , cut into 1cm discs and sliced like fries
  • olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
  • large pinch chilli flakes
  • 400g chopped tomatoes (polpa)
  • ½ small bunch basil , shredded
  • 200g linguine (any pasta will do)
  • 50g pecorino , parmesan or feta, grated

Cut the discs across so you end up with little matchsticks of aubergine. Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the aubergine in batches, and fry on a fairly high heat until really tender and golden. You want it to be melt-in-the-mouth with no rubberiness left. Season and tip out onto a plate.

Wipe out the pan then add another tbsp oil and cook the garlic for a minute. Add the chilli flakes and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Cook the linguine following packet instructions. Stir the basil and aubergine into the sauce and heat through. Toss with the drained linguine and finish with the grated cheese.

Source : Olive Magazine : May 2010 (Slightly changed by Silli)

Servings/Yield : 2 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 10 mins Cook 20 mins

Nutritional notes : Per serving : 575 kcalories, protein 25.1g, carbohydrate 81.4g, fat 18.8 g, saturated fat 6.2g, fibre 6.7g, salt 0.99 g

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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Pasta Con Salsicca E Rosamarino

May 6

Posted by the editor in italian, pasta, pork, the recipes | No Comments

“Sausage and Rosemary, a perfect combination for this classic Italian dish.  You won’t believe how rich and creamy this sauce is until you try it”

  • 400 g fettucine
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 350 g italian sausage, thinly sliced
  • 1 sprig rosemary, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
  • ½ glass dry white wine
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 200 ml chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons soya cream
  • salt and pepper

Heat the oil over low heat and add the onion and the garlic, cook until onion is golden.  Add the sausage and brown.  Add the wine and allow to evaporate.  Mix the tomato paste with the hot stock and add to the sausage mixture.  Add the rosemary, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to cook over moderate heat until the flavours are well blended.

Cook the fettucini al dente, drain and add to the sauce and mix well.

Add the cream and the cheese and mix well.  Serve immediately.

Notes : I found great Italian sausage at GS in Naxxar. Don’t confuse this with Maltese sausage, as the Italian version is far less saltier.

Source : Cucinare la Pasta

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Riso all’Arrabbiata

May 4

Posted by the editor in italian, rice, the recipes | No Comments

“Angry Rice. The famous Italian pasta dish with a rice spin”

  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
  • 800 g tomato polpa or whole tomatoes, coarsely puréed
  • 3 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
  • salt to taste
  • 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 450 g arborio rice (use long grain if you don’t have Italian rice)
  • parmesan, freshly grated

In a medium sauté pan, combine the olive oil and red chilli flakes.  Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and garlic and season with salt to taste.  Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes thicken into a sauce.  Add the parsley during the last few minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile cook the rice in abundant salted boiling water until al dente.  Drain well.  Place in a shallow serving bowl and toss with the sauce.  Serve with grated parmesan on the side.

Source : Verdura by Viana La Place, Page 222

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Difficulty : Easy

Cuisine : European : Mediterranean : Italian

Course : Main
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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Courgette carbonara

May 3

Posted by the editor in italian, pasta, the recipes | No Comments

“A super smart, good value midweek supper for two, with added veg to make it healthier”

  • 100 g cubetti di pancetta
  • 2 medium courgettes, grated (approx 500 g)
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 90 ml soya cream
  • 50 g parmesan, finely grated
  • 300 g fettucine

Cook the pancetta in a dry, non-stick pan until crisp and golden (it’ll give off enough fat to cook itself). Add the courgette and garlic and cook for 8 minutes or until the courgette is softened. Whisk the egg, cream and parmesan and season with pepper. Cook the pasta following the pack instructions, then lift out of water with tongs straight into the courgette pan.

Toss well over the heat then take off the heat and toss with the egg / cream mix, adding 2-3 tbsp of the pasta water until you have a nice emulsified sauce.

Source : Derived from Olive Magazine : October 2009

Servings/Yield : 2 servings

Difficulty : Easy

Cuisine : European : Mediterranean : Italian

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Ready in: 30 Minutes

Nutritional notes : Per serving : 562 kcalories, protein 27.4g, carbohydrate 58.6g, fat 25.9 g, saturated fat 12.2g, fibre 3.1g, salt 2.12 g

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Penne alla Pizzaiola

Apr 17

Posted by the editor in italian, pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“A combination of classic pizza ingredients in a pasta sauce”

  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 800 g tomato polpa (Tomatoes cubed)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 450 g penne
  • 100-175 g fresh mozzarella in water, drained and roughly chopped
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a medium-heavy frying pan.  Add the garlic and cook over medium heat until the garlic becomes opaque and gives off its aroma.  Add the polpa and oregano and cook until the tomatoes thicken into a sauce, season with salt and pepper.  Cook the pasta to package instructions.  Mix the ready pasta with the tomato sauce and mozzarella.  Serve immediately with parmesan handed separately.

Source : Pasta Fresca by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman Page 111

Servings/Yield : 4-6 servings

Rating : 4 out of 5

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Farfalle Medie ai Funghi

Apr 16

Posted by the editor in italian, pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“A rich mushroom sauce with ‘bow tie’ pasta. This is a great dish for people that love their mushrooms”

  • 25 g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 900 g fresh mushrooms
  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 small sprig fresh rosemary, leaves only, finely minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 450 g farfalle ‘bow ties’ pasta
  • parmesan, freshley grated

Soak the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl of warm water for at least 20 minutes.  Before using, carefully drain the porcini and wash carefully, making sure that no sand clings to the mushrooms.  Cut off and remaining hard pieces.

Using a damp paper towel, carefully wipe and dirt off the fresh mushrooms.  Do not soak them in water!  Trim the fresh mushroom stems and slice lengthways into pieces approximately 5mm thick.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large sauté pan.  Fry the porcini and fresh mushrooms together over high heat with the herbs and garlic until the mushrooms are tender.  Add salt and pepper at the end of cooking.

Cook the pasta to packet instructions.  Drain well and add to the mushroom sauce with a drizzle of olive oil, mix and serve immediately with parmesan available for garnishing.

Notes : This recipe used way too many mushrooms.  Next time I make this, I’m going to reduce by at least a quarter of the amount of porcini and fresh mushrooms.

Source : Pasta Fresca by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman Page 136

Servings/Yield : 4-6 servings

Rating : 4 out of 5

Difficulty : Moderately Easy

Course : Main

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Cider Chicken with Tagliatelle

Apr 10

Posted by silli in british, chicken, italian, pasta, the recipes | No Comments

“Patrick added an English flavour to an Italian favourite mixing cider and pasta”

  • 400 g tagliatelle
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 400 g chicken breasts, skinless, cut into chunks
  • 210 ml dry cider
  • 1 1/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 15 g butter
  • 1 large leek, halved lengthways and finely sliced across
  • 80 g mushrooms, sliced
  • 100 ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp chives, snipped to garnish

Cook tagliatelle to packet instructions.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry chicken for 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden all round.  Add cider and mustard.  Season and simmer for 5-7minutes until slightly reduced.

Melt butter in a pan, add remaining oil and cook leek for 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add leek and mushrooms to chicken, stir in cream and simmer for 2 minutes.

Toss cider chicken with tagliatelle.  Garnish with chives.

Source : Adapted from, Ready Steady Cook by Patrick Anthony

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Rating :

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep : 15 mins Cook : 25 mins

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Aubergine, tomato & Parmesan bake

Apr 8

Posted by the editor in italian, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“Every Italian cook has their own version of this classic aubergine dish ‘Melanzane alla Parmigiana’. It’s even better made a day ahead”

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 4 aubergines, cut into long, 5mm thick slices
  • 85g Parmesan, freshly grated
  • 20g pack basil, leaves torn
  • 1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. In a shallow pan, mix together the garlic and 4 tbsp of the olive oil. Cook over a high heat for 3 mins, tip in the tomatoes, then simmer for 8 mins, stirring every now and then. Stir in the tomato purée.

Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until very hot. Brush a few of the aubergines with a little oil, then add to the pan. Cook over a high heat until well browned and cooked through, about 5-7 mins. Turn them halfway through cooking. Lift onto kitchen paper and do the next batch.

When all the aubergines are cooked, lay a few of them in the bottom of an ovenproof dish, then spoon over some sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil leaves. Add seasoning, then repeat this process with the remaining ingredients. Finally, pour the egg over the top, sprinkle over a little more Parmesan, then bake for 20 mins or until the topping is golden.

Tip : When griddling or frying aubergine slices, you’ll find that they will absorb any amount of oil instantly. Don’t be tempted to add more! As they cook, aubergines release their juices along with some of the absorbed oil.

Source : Good Food April 2009

Servings/Yield : 6 servings

Rating : 4 out of 5

Difficulty : Moderately Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep : 10 mins Cook : 50 mins

Nutritional notes : Per Serving: 225 kcalories, protein 10g, carbohydrate 8g, fat 17 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 5g, sugar 7g, salt 0.52 g

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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