An Italian Cooking Abroad

Struggling to preserve the Italian culinary tradition oversea

Category: Pasta & sauces (Page 1 of 5)

PACCHERI WITH PISTACHIO PESTO AND PRAWNS

March 23, 2021 /

INGREDIENTS (4 servings): pacchetti 320g / salt / 12 prawns / onion, celery and carrot diced / half a glass of white wine / half a glass of brandy / 1 spoonful of flour / 1 teaspoon of tomato paste / pistachios 100 g / 1 handful of parsley / half a glass of extravirgin olive oil

To prepare the bisque, sauté the diced onion, celery and carrot in a pan with oil for few minutes. Add the prawns heads, let them toast, then simmer with white wine and brandy. Let the alcol evaporate, add the flour and toast for few minutes. Add the tomato paste and cover with cold water, let the bisque simmer on the stove for 20 minutes until thickened. During this time, crash the prawn heads with a wooden spoon to add flavor. For the pesto, blend the pistachios with parsley, oil and salt till you get the right texture. If necessary you can add some more oil. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. Transfer the pesto in a pan, heat it on low heat and add the bisque (filtered) and some cooking water. Add the cleaned prawns tails and cook for few minutes. Drain the paccheri and sauté them in the pesto and bisque pan.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA TORTELLINI WITH SALSA VERDE

May 22, 2020 /

INGREDIENTS (2 servings)

Handful of parsley / 1 clove of garlic / 1 tbsp capers / 1 tsp dijon mustard / 3 tbsp olive oil / salt an pepper / lemon juice / 250 g spinach and ricotta tortellini / grated parmesan cheese

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. Chop the parsley, garlic and capers as finely as you can. Scrape into a bowl and, using a fork, whisk in the dijon mustard and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season the boiling water with salt then drop in the tortellini. Cook according to packed instructions then drain into a colander. Shake off any excess of water then put the pasta back into the pan and stir through the salsa verde. Pile into a bowl and sprinkle over the grated cheese.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA

February 23, 2020 /

INGREDIENTS (2 servings)

1 small butternut squash / 300g pasta shells / salt and pepper / 1 clove garlic / 200 mL vegetable stock / 4 tablespoons double cream / 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika / pinch of nutmeg / handful of parsley / 60 g red cheddar cheese

Place two saucepans of water on to boil. Chuck the butternut squash diced in cubes into one of the pans and cook for 8 minutes. Drop the pasta shells into the other and cook for one minute less than packed instructions. Drain the butternut squash and tip into a blender with garlic clove, veg stock, cream, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Blitz to a smooth creamy sauce. Drain the pasta, tip back into the saucepan and stir through the butternut sauce and parsley. Spoon into your bowl and top with grated cheese and parsley springs.

ASPARAGUS SAUCE PASTA

November 25, 2019 /

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

250 g pasta / 2 bunches of asparagus / 10 basil leaves / 2 garlic cloves / 2 spoonfuls of pine nuts / grated parmesan cheese / extravirgin olive oil / salt and pepper

Clean the asparagus with a peeler, cut the tips and keep them, dice the rest of the asparagus and let them cook in a pan with oil, garlic, salt and a bit of water. Just 5 minutes on low heat with a lid and they will be ready. Once soft, blend the asparagus with their cooking juices, add the basil leaves, pine nuts and oil. In the meantime, boil the asparagus tips in a pot together with the pasta, drain once “al dente”, and mix with the asparagus pesto. Sprinkle with parmesan and pepper.

TAGLIATELLE WITH FISH RAGU

June 23, 2019 /

INGREDIENTS

250 g tagliatelle / 200 g salmon filet / 300 g cod filet / clery / red onion / carrot / cherry tomatoes / tomato paste / 3 spoonfuls of almond slices / 3 anchovies / rosemary / thyme / extravirgin olive oil / salt and pepper

Dice the onion, celery and carrot and brown them in some oil with the anchovies, the tomato paste, rosemary and some pepper. Dice the cod and the salmon and add them to the pan. Cut the cherry tomatoes and add them: decrease the heat and cook for 10 minutes. In a small pot toast the sliced almond with some thyme. Boil the water and cook the pasta, keeping a glass of cooking water. Drain the tagliatelle and toss them in the pan with the fish rags, adding the cooking water, and let it cook for 2 additional minutes. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with the sliced and toasted almonds.

SPAGHETTI WITH BOTTARGA AND CHERRY TOMATOES

May 25, 2019 /

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

400 g cherry tomatoes / 1 clove of garlic / lemon zest / parsley / 2 pouches of bottarga (raw tuna eggs) / 350 g spaghetti / extravirgin olive oil / pepper

In a large bowl put the halved tomatoes with the crushed garlic, the lemon zest, the grates parsley and the powdered and grated bottarga. sprinkle with olive oil and pepper and let it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours. Boil the spaghetti in salted water, when ready drain them keeping a glass of the cooking water. Pour the spaghetti in the bow with the tomatoes and bottarga and mix energetically, adding some drops of cooking water. Serve with parsley and lemon zest on top.

PAD THAI

PAD THAI

March 26, 2019 /

INGREDIENTS (2 servings)

125 g rice noodles / half a red pepper / 3 little onions / fresh ginger / 2 carrots / 2 zucchini / 70 g sprouts / 80 g green beans / extravirgin olive oil / salt / 2 eggs / coriander / soy sauce

In a pan with oil, brown the red pepper, the onions and the grated ginger. Dice the carrots and the zucchini in little sticks and add them to the pan. Add the sprouts and the boiled green beans as well. Season with salt and continue cooking. For the omelette, whisk the eggs with the minced coriander and a spoonful of soy sauce: pour in a different pan with a drop of oil and let it cook. Once ready, put the omelette in a plate and slice it in small stripes and add them to the vegetables in the pan. Cook the noodles in hot water (off the stove, just 4-5 minutes), drain them and saute them in the pan with the veggies, adding more soy sauce.

PASTA WITH PUMPKIN, PINE NUTS AND HAM

March 10, 2019 /

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

300 g pasta / 400 g pumpkin / 80 g diced ham / 2 handfuls of pine nuts / sliced parmesan / 1 shallot / 1 spoonful of vegetable broth / rosemary / extravirgin olive oil / salt

Peel the pumpkin and dice it. Slice the shallot and brown it in a pan with a drop of oil, then add the pumpkin. Season with salt, add a glass of vegetable broth, the rosemary, and cook for 15 minutes. In a second pan, toast the pine nuts with the ham and some rosemary. Cook and drain the pasta, sauté it in the pumpkin sauce and add the pine nuts and ham. Complete each dish with some parmesan slices.

ARTICHOKES LASAGNA

March 2, 2019 /

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

lasagna / 4 artichokes / 1 burrata / 1 garlic clove / 50 g grated parmesan / extravirgin olive oil / salt

Clean the artichokes and slice them very thin. Add them to a warm pan with garlic and olive oil, cover with a lid and brown them for 15 minutes with a pinch of salt a a glass of water. Cut the top of the burrata and blend the rest with half the artichokes to form a cream. Form the lasagna, alternating pasta, a layer of the artichokes crea, the sliced artichokes, parmesan, pasta again and so on. Continue till you have finished all the ingredients and complete the last layer with the cream, artichokes, parmesan and the top of the burrata (sliced). Cook in the oven at 180 degree for 20 minutes.

PASTA AND BEANS

January 29, 2019 /

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

300 g canned borlotti beans / water / hot pepper / rosemary / broth / short pasta / extravirgin olive oil

With a fork, squash the beans with oil, leaving some of them whole; add 3 glasses of water, the pepper and rosemary. Mix everything and cook over low heat. Once it starts boiling add the broth and season with salt. Let the pasta cook 10 minutes in the pan, adding water if needed.

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