Spaghetti with Saint Agur Blue Cheese & Hazelnuts

         

     Here I am again with a new recipe for you. I came up with this pasta sauce as we both are in love with pasta dishes, blue cheese & hazelnuts and believe us it is a match made in heaven. There are way too many blue cheese variations (this is a lie, there are never way too many cheeses) to choose from but for this particular dish we used Saint Agur Blue a French blue cheese from the province of Auvergne. This cheese is a very young one (aged only 2 months) and it has a super creamy texture due to the double cream content and also is less salty than other blue cheese. It's like a mild version of the more spicier and pungent Roquefort. Obviously, if you do not find Saint Agur Blue you can use Italian 'sweet' blue cheeses like Gorgonzola Dolce or Dolcelatte. 

         The other main ingredients for this dish are the superbly fragrant and nutty roasted hazelnuts. They add a crunchy texture to the velvety cheesy sauce. Hazelnuts are quick to roast, they only take about 12-13 minutes at 180°C/350°F. If you are roasting them yourself, always keep an eye whilst roasting as nuts can burn quickly due to their high oleic content. So give this a go and am quite sure you will love it and list it on your favourite pasta sauces!! For 2-3 hungry people you will need...

• 200g Spaghetti

For the sauce

• 100g (1 cup) Saint Agur blue cheese, crumbled
• 50g (1/3 cup) Roasted Hazelnuts, chopped/crushed
• 15g (1 tablespoon) Butter
• 15g (1 tablespoon) Plain flour 
• 230ml (1 cup) Whole milk
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Pinch grated nutmeg
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch ground white pepper

To Garnish

• Whole hazelnuts
• Chopped parsley

How to...

1. In a small heavy based pan, make the roux (flour/butter mixture) by melting the butter then add the flour and with a balloon whisk stir until the roux turns golden. Add the milk, salt, white pepper and nutmeg and keeping stirring frequently until you get a thick bechamel like sauce. This takes about 10-15 minutes. 
2. Now lower the heat, stir in the honey and crumbled cheese and keep stirring until all the cheese has melted. In the meantime, cook the spaghetti al dente in plenty of salted boiling water.
3. Drain the spaghetti, add the sauce to the hot pasta and mix well until all the pasta is coated with the gorgeous creamy sauce.
4. Plate up and garnish with whole roasted hazelnuts and chopped parsley.
5. Serve hot.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Tomato & Ricotta Pasta Sauce - Zalza tat-Tadam u Rkotta

Well hello all!!! I am back!! Haven't blogged in a while because I have been quite busy with life. We have returned from a wonderful holiday in Mexico and now we feel really refreshed. I did come back with lots of Mexican recipes and food ideas but that is not what I am blogging about today. I will definitely be sharing some delicious Mexican recipes in the near future though. In the meantime here is a pasta sauce that is a huge favourite within Maltese households. A sauce that is very easy and quick to prepare and that everyone in your family will enjoy. Try it and you will definitely do it again...mark our words!! You can serve it with any pasta shapes you like, originally my mum used to boil some spirals/cellentani but anything will do. We like penne too as the sauce gets into the pasta...mmmm!! So here goes our version; for the sauce you will need...

• 350ml Passata Rustica (Thick tomato passata)
• 100ml water
• 125g ricotta
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
• Pinch peperoncino (chilli flakes) - optional
• Sea sat & freshly ground pepper, to taste

How to...

1. In a small pot, add the garlic to the olive oil and heat gently on a low heat until the garlic is golden.
2. Now carefully add the passata and water and give it a good stir. Add the marjoram, salt & pepper and chilli flakes (if using) and give it a good stir. Simmer covered on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the ricotta and stir well to incorporate within the tomato sauce. Simmer for a further 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
4. Serve hot with your boiled pasta and add more black pepper.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Baked Tomato & Cheese Rigatoni

This has been my favourite pasta dish since I was a child and in fact in my family this dish is called Ramon's Pasta. :) I love it so much, the gooey pink sauce, the melted cheese, the sweetness of the tomatoes...heaven!! This recipe has been adapted by my mum from a 1970's cookbook written by Marguerite Patten. I can tell you that if you try this pasta dish, you will go for seconds :) It is quite easy to make and the most "difficult" part of it is making the pink sauce. So, do give it a go and let us know how it turns out for you. 

For 6-8 people you will need...

• 500g Rigatoni
• 6 tomatoes, sliced
• 300g Edam cheese, grated
• 800ml whole milk
• 500ml tomato passata
• 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• Ground black pepper

How to...

1. Start by boiling a large salted pot of water. Cook the pasta until nearly al dente...about 9 minutes.
2. Whilst the pasta is cooking, make a roux by melting the butter and adding the flour on a medium heat. Stir until you get a golden coloured (but not brown) mixture. Add the milk bit by bit whilst stirring continuously until the sauce thickens and you have used all of the milk. Make sure there are no flour lumps. About 10-15 minutes in total. You need a creamy and silky white sauce. 
3. Preheat the oven at 200°C.
4. Turn off the heat and add ground black pepper to taste and the passata, stir until you get a pink sauce. Add the mustard and some of the grated cheese (optional), stir again.
5. Drain the pasta and rinse quickly with cold water to remove any extra starch.
6. In the large pasta pot, add the pasta (make sure it is not in one big lump), add the pasta and about 75% of the pink sauce. Mix carefully until it is well combined.
7. Butter or spray a rectangular oven dish and spread the leftover pink sauce on the bottom. Add half of the pasta and pink sauce mixture. now sprinkle most of the cheese and some sliced tomatoes, add more black pepper.
8. Pour in the rest of the pasta, sprinkle the remainder of the cheese and cover with the sliced tomatoes. Add more black pepper if you like. 
   
9. Now, to get better results move the oven rack to the top shelf and bake the pasta for about 30 minutes. You can put the pasta dish under the grill for about 5-10 minutes if you like to crisp up the tomatoes. Serve hot!!

Enjoy!!

R&A

Stuffat tal-Fenek - Maltese Style Rabbit Stew

Usually hailed as Malta's national dish, stewed rabbit is popular with most of the Maltese people, whether living on the tiny island or living all around the globe. Rabbits in Malta are famously bred for food and rabbit dishes are a staple in a traditional Maltese family. The most famous rabbit recipes are rabbit stew (Stuffat tal-fenek/fenkata - Stoo-ff-aht tahl- Fehneck/Fehn-kah-tah) and fried rabbit (Fenek moqli - Fehneck mohq-lee). Amanda's mum used to do a wonderful rabbit stew and Amanda used to love eating this so I made sure that during our last trip to the market, to get us a couple of wild rabbits. Around Maltese households, rabbit stew is also traditionally served ladled over some spaghetti. So, in this post I will tell you step by step how to prepare a traditional rabbit stew the Maltese way. It is very easy to prepare and you do not need a huge number of ingredients. For 4 hungry people you will need...

• 1 rabbit, cut up into pieces
• 5 medium potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large onions, cut into large pieces
• 500ml (2 cups) tomato passata
• 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste, dissolved into 250ml (1 cup) hot water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Handful frozen peas, defrosted
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Vegetable oil

For the marinade

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 500ml (2 cups) good red wine
• Salt & pepper

To serve

• 400g spaghetti
• Grated Kefalotiri or Grana Padano cheese

How to...

1. Start by marinating the rabbit into the red wine, garlic and salt & pepper. Mix well by hand so as all of the meat is covered in marinade (add more wine if you want to). Put in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour.
2. Remove the rabbit pieces from the marinade and discard the marinade). In a large frying pan heat some vegetable oil and fry the rabbit pieces until slightly brown. 
3. Now transfer the rabbit pieces into a large pot and add the passata, tomato paste, potatoes, onion, sugar, salt & pepper. Give it a good stir and simmer on medium heat for about an hour or so, stirring occasionally.
4. Now add the peas and cook for another 10 minutes. If you are serving it with spaghetti now it is time to cook your spaghetti. Turn off the heat and let it rest for a while until the spaghetti are done. 
5. Plate up the spaghetti and ladle the rabbit stew on top.
6. Serve with grated Kefalotiri or Grana Padano cheese.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Divine Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Spaghetti meatballs is one of my favourite pasta dishes. I love its meatiness, its tomatoey goodness. Absolutely divine!! This dish is an Italian-American classic and "It is widely believed that spaghetti with meatballs was an innovation of early 20th-century Italian immigrants in New York City; the National Pasta Association (originally named the National Macaroni Manufacturers Association) is said to be the first organization to publish a recipe for it, in the 1920s" - Wikipedia. Usually meatballs are done with 2 or 3 different types of minced meat, namely beef, pork and veal but I decided to do ours using lean beef mince and they turned out super delicious and very tasty. You can serve them the classic way (with pasta) or else with some crusty bread. Instead of spaghetti this time we used Fusilli lunghi bucati which are long thin fusilli shapes tubes, For 12 meatballs you will need...

For the meatballs...

• 500g lean beef mince
• 1 egg
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup water

For the tomato sauce...

• 500ml tomato passata
• 1 tin plum tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste dissolved in 200ml boiling water
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp sugar           
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil

How to...

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Now start preparing the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl add all the meatball ingredients apart from the water and mix well (I use my clean hands, this way the flavours infuse better into the meat). Gradually start adding the water bit by bit until you get a wet but not too much mixture.
3. Shape into 12 meatballs (about 60g each) and place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Put into the preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
   
4. In the meantime start the tomato sauce. Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, add the rest of the ingredients and some extra-virgin olive oil, bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Take the meatballs out of the oven.
5. Now lower the heat add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer covered for about 45 minutes on low heat. Stir only once.
6. Serve hot with pasta or bread and extra grated parmesan.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia - Spaghetti with Cuttlefish

Hello all, I know I have not blogged any recipes lately but I was quite busy working towards a career change! Oh yes...quite happy and excited about the new job starting in January but until then I have two weeks off and hopefully I will post some delicious recipes that we have prepared lately. One recipe that we made and loved is the classic Italian recipe Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia which basically is spaghetti in a black sauce!! Yes a black sauce which is the result of the addition of the cuttlefish's ink to the cuttlefish sauce. Try it out, if you have not got a fishmonger close-by, you can buy sachets of cuttlefish ink online...I do! They are very cheap as well. This pasta sauce is very fast and easy to prepare...just make sure that cuttlefish you are using is fresh. So for 2-3 people you will need...

• 200g spaghetti
• 600g cleaned cuttlefish (including tentacles), cut into small pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100ml (½ cup) white wine
• 2 sachets cuttlefish ink or 1 fresh cuttlefish ink sac
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
• Extra virgin olive oil

How to...

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil together with the garlic in a small pan. Cook until the garlic is aromatic and golden.
2. Now add the cuttlefish and parsley and stir well. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Increase the heat on high and add the wine and cook until the wine has evaporated (at this point you can cook the pasta and drain it). Reduce the heat to medium again and add the cuttlefish ink sachets. Stir well. If using the fresh cuttlefish ink sac, add the whole and break it carefully with a wooden spoon. Heat thoroughly.
3. Add the sauce to the pasta and serve with extra chopped parsley and extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Njokki l-forn - Maltese Baked Ricotta Filled Pasta Shapes

When my family visited us this summer, as per usual the food ration package came from Malta with them and this time I told my dad to bring me some Njokki. In Malta we call Njokki (Nyok-key...basically a Maltese version of the word gnocchi) large snail shaped pasta (in fact in Italy they are called Lumaconi-large snails) that originally come from the southern region of  Campania in Italy that in Malta are traditionally filled with a ricotta and egg mixture, soaked in milk, topped with a corned beef-tomato sauce, grated cheese and baked in a hot oven. The result is a very traditional Maltese dish that oozes with cheesiness and tomatoey goodness comes from a very old recipe. My mother always says that is was one of my grandfather's favourite dishes. Preparing this dish took Amanda and myself through a nostalgic trip to our childhood as both of us used to help our mothers and grandmothers fill these pasta shapes and it was definitely one of the highlights of our childhood. If you do not fancy a corned beef sauce you can use any meat you want but just make sure you cook the meat accordingly. You can even leave the meat out for a vegetarian dish. My mother always told me that for this recipe my grandfather used to fill the Njokki and leave them soaking in milk for a couple of hours so as the pasta shells soften but if you are in a rush you can skip this step, we did, and they turned out great!! Now re portions with a large packet of Njokki-Lumaconi we made enough grub for 8 people in fact this was a two-day meal for us (even taking a portion at work with me). You can always freeze the leftovers in tubs. So, for 8 portions, you will need...

1 500g packet Njokki/Lumaconi pasta shapes (see picture)

For the Ricotta mixture

800g fresh ricotta 

3 eggs

2 ½ tablespoons dried or freshly chopped parsley

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the tomato sauce

1 large tin corned beef

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Freshly ground black pepper

750 ml whole milk

Grated mature Cheddar cheese or Edam cheese, to taste

How to...

1. Start by preparing the ricotta mixture by adding the ricotta, eggs, parsley and seasoning in a large bowl and mix well until you get a consistent mixture. 
2. When this is done, carefully starting filling the pasta shapes with a teaspoon, make sure you press the filling tightly in the shape (so it won't run away my nanna used to say).
3. Place the filled pasta shapes in two deep oven trays next to each other (see picture). 
4. Now gently pour milk until the filled pasta shapes are next to half way submerged. Leave to stand as long as you want (we left them for 15 minutes...we were very hungry). 
5. Whilst the pasta shapes are soaking prepare the tomato sauce. On a low to medium heat heat the garlic and oil and until garlic turns golden, Add the corned beef and cook for a couple of minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and season well. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. 
   
7. When the sauce is done, using a ladle or large spoon gently pour sauce of top of the milk drenched pasta shapes. When all the sauce is used shake the dish slowly so as the wonderfully smelling tomato sauce mixes with the creaminess of the milk. Apparently, this is a very important step my mother says.
8. Top with the grated cheese and bake into the hot oven for 50 minutes or until top is nice golden and pasta shells are done.
9. Take out of the oven and leave to set for about 10 minutes.
10. Serve warm.
    

Enjoy!!

R&A

Stuffat tal-Qarnit - Maltese Octopus Stew

Well here is another classic from the Maltese islands which is one of Amanda's favourites...oh and mine as well!! Not everyone like octopus because of its rubbery texture but try and cook it this way and you will definitely love it. It is absolutely gorgeous served on some freshly cooked spaghetti (that is how this stew is usually served in Malta). Octopus in the Maltese islands is very common and is quite easily caught as they lurk around the rocky seashores of the islands. I remember going to the very famous Marsaxlokk market (do check it out if you ever visit Malta) on a Sunday morning and having a peek at these creatures that used to be still alive, crawling around the fish trays of the fishmonger. I also remember that every time we bought a huge octopus to cook at home, my mother used to put it in the kitchen sink with some salty water before cooking it and it was not the first time that we saw the octopus crawling out and attaching its tentacles to my mother's kitchen tiles. It was hilarious. Any way, do try this recipe as it is delicious. For 4-5 people you will need...

• 500g spaghetti
• 1 kilo octopus, cleaned and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 medium onions, roughly diced
• A handful of frozen peas, defrosted
• 6 small potatoes, cut in half or thirds
• 500ml tomato passata
• 250ml boiling water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• A handful of green olives
• ½ cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste

How to,,,

1. In a heavy based pot heat the oil and cook covered on medium heat until soft and transparent.
2. When onions are cooked add the octopus and increase the heat, cook for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. Sometimes it releases a lot of water so make sure all the water is evaporated.
3. Add the wine and stir until all the wine has evaporated. 
4. Now add the passata, water, tomato paste, olives, potatoes, sugar and season well with salt and pepper. Stir well bring to the boil and simmer on medium heat for about 45 minutes stirring occasionally so it does not stick.
5. In the meantime cook the spaghetti al dente.
6. After 45 minutes, add the peas to the octopus sauce and simmer gently for another 15 minutes.
7. Drain the spaghetti. Serve in a bowl or plate and spoon some octopus stew/sauce on top.
8. Serve hot.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pasta Mediterranea - Mediterranean Style Pasta

The Mediterranean diet is without doubt one of the best in the world; healthy, diverse and full of flavour. Ingredients like olives, capers and anchovies gives the accompanying pasta a unique taste of various Mediterranean flavours. In need of an oomph I also added a tablespoon of Harissa to the dish which gave it a distinct Tunisian touch. If you do not like the spicy kick that the Harissa provides you can always substitute it with tomato paste. I created this dish at about 6am to take with me at work and it turned out delicious. Give it a go and you will do this dish again...guaranteed...this amounts below are for 2-3 people. You will need...

• 6 baby plum or cherry tomatoes
• 1 green pepper, de-seeded and sliced
• 6-8 green olives with stone in
• 1 tbsp capers (optional)
• 1 tsp harissa or tomato paste
• 1 tin anchovies, chopped [omit if vegan]
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 6 fresh basil leaves, hand torn
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil [I used the oil from the anchovies]

How to...

1. Start by cooking the pasta al dente and set aside.
2. Heat about a tablespoon of the olive oil and the garlic on medium heat, when garlic is golden, add pepper, anchovies and tomatoes and cook until soft (about 5-8 minutes), stirring frequently.
3. Now add olives, capers, harissa/tomato paste, basil leaves and black pepper, stir well and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
4. At this time mix the pasta and mixture together.
5. Serve warm.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Sausage & Onion Tomato Sauce

A family favourite, this sauce became one of my favourites when I was a kid and stayed that way since then. In Malta my mom used to prepare it using the unique Maltese sausage but here in England we use local sausages such as Lincolnshire sausages and also Cumberland sausages. It is very easy to prepare and wanted to share this recipe with you. For four people you will need...

• 8 Lincolnshire or Cumberland sausages (if using Maltese sausages use 4)
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 500ml thick tomato passata
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• Grated Kefalotiri or Parmesan, to serve

How to...

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a shallow pan, add the sausages and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. 
2. Now add the onions and cook until onions are soft and transparent. Season with black pepper.
3. Add passata and simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
4. Serve with cooked pasta and sprinkle with the grated cheese and more black pepper.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Lasagne Nostrane - Our Lasagna

Lasagne are one of the best baked pasta dishes ever created, it is the proper Italian comfort food. Warm, saucy, cheesy mmmmmm!! Amanda & myself certainly love the most common version, the ones with a rich tomato based meat sauce and a silky smooth home-made white sauce. You can , obviously, use the stuff from jars that have been produced wherever, whenever and most importantly using a lot of preservatives to keep them in the jar for ages, but nothing beats a delicious freshly made meat sauce and/or white sauce. I have been meaning to put our take on the classic lasagne for ages so here it is and as I said it is quite rich so we nearly always have leftovers which Amanda and myself have for lunch the following day. You can also leave the lasagne to cool down and divide it into portions and freeze them to whenever you need them. Our take on lasagne is heavily influenced by Amanda's mother, I can remember that whenever she used to prepare it for us, I always (without fail) asked for seconds. Please try and do your own meat and béchamel sauces as they are so tasty and surely more genuine. Give it a go, you will need...

For the meat sauce

• 500g lean beef mince
• 500ml tomato passata
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste dissolved in 200ml boiling water
• Worcestershire sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 Knorr beef stock pot or Oxo cube
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil

For the white sauce

• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 700ml whole milk, at room temperature
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 200g ham, chopped
• 200g Edam or Cheddar cheese grated
• Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped (optional)

• 12-15 sheets uncooked lasagne

1. Start preparing the meat sauce by heating some oil in a saucepan along with the garlic. As soon as the garlic turns golden add the mince, Worcestershire sauce and some freshly ground black pepper and cook the mince until brown, drain excess fat in a bowl or leave all fat to evaporate and mince is dry, about 10-15 minutes. Now add the passata, tomato paste in boiling water, sugar and stock pot or cube and give it a good stir. Simmer covered on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside.
2. Now it's time for the white sauce, melt the butter and add the flour on low heat. Stir constantly until you get a golden but not brown roux. Now, start adding the milk to the roux gradually, make sure you keep stirring all the time so as not to get any lumps. Keep stirring until you use all the milk and until you get a thick silky sauce. Season with some black pepper. Now add most of the grated cheese (leaving some aside), chopped ham and parsley (if using) and stir well always on low heat until the cheese is melted. Take off the heat and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven at 180°C.
4. To assemble the lasagne, get an oven dish (preferably rectangular) and spread some meat sauce, lay 3 lasagne sheets and then cover with white sauce, sprinkle some grated cheese, repeat the process until you use all the sauces, cheese and lasagne sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden. Serve hot!

Enjoy!!

R&A

Corned Beef & Tomato Pasta Sauce

This sauce has been a staple in Maltese cooking since the 1940's when canned corned beef came to prominence during WW2. The traditional version of this recipe uses only corned beef and peas (traditionally canned marrowfat peas) but our take on this recipe is really tasty and delicious and full of flavour. We use medium curry powder but you can use mild or hot, depending how spicy you would like it. Serve on top of your cooked pasta or mix it all up just like we do, so all the sauce goes into the pasta. Give this version a go and let us know how it turns out for you! For 4 people you will need...

• 1 large tin of corned beef, diced
• 500ml tomato passata
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 150g frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon medium curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

How to...

1. Heat the oil in a thick based pan and fry the onion until transparent and just started turning brown, stirring frequently to avoid sticking.
2. When onion is cooked, add the curry powder, pepper & cinnamon and cook for a minute until spices are fragrant, stirring well.
3. Add the corned beef and stir well with the onion/spice mixture. Now add some Worcestershire sauce (about 1 tablespoon) and stir well. Cook for a further minute.
4. Add the passata, sugar and peas and stir well. 
5. Simmer on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. (Make sure you keep stirring frequently because the corned beef will stick to the pan).
6. Turn off the heat and serve with cooked pasta, sprinkled with grated Kefalotiri cheese.

Enjoy!!!

R&A

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter - Ravioli alla Zucca con Burro e Salvia

During pumpkin season, I am always looking for new recipes as it is always so cheap. It is delicious, you can use it in both sweet and savoury dishes. This time I made these ravioli from scratch (you can always buy some sheets of fresh pasta if you are not so adventurous or short of time). I also utilized a ravioli making gadget thingy that my dad used to use in the 1970's. They are very easy to prepare and they are served with sage butter...nothing else...simple as you like! So, try them out as they are delicious...for about 24-30 ravioli you will need...

For the pasta dough

• 300g ''00'' plain flour
• 3 free range eggs
• Some semolina flour

For the filling

• 450g pumpkin, deseeded, peeled, cut into cubes
• Pinch of mixed spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Olive oil

For the sage butter

• 75g unsalted butter
• 15/20 small sage leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried sage)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt & pepper, to taste

How to...

1. Start by preparing the dough. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle, add the eggs and mix well with a fork. Tip the bowl contents on a well floured surface and knead the dough well for a few minutes. If too dry add a bit of olive oil. When you get a smooth elastic dough, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
2. In the meantime, preheat the oven to about 200°C. Put the pumpkin cubes in an oven tray drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and some extra nutmeg if you wish. Bake into a preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until soft. Take them out and let them cool down.
3. When the pumpkin has cooled down, put into a food processor with salt, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, mixed spice and blend until you get a fine puree. 
4. Now, to remove excess moisture from the puree, put it into a pan and heat gently. Leave to cool again. The filling has to be completely cold to make the ravioli.
5. Prepare the pasta sheets by rolling the pasta very thinly, preferably use a pasta machine or do it like the old Italian ladies (& me) do...by hand :)
6. To make the ravioli, place the sheet of pasta dough onto a floured work surface and cut into a 40cm x 6cm rectangle. Cut equal-sized squares from the rectangle, about 6cm wide.
7. Put a teaspoonful of filling onto a pasta square (make sure the filling is in the centre) cover with another pasta square and seal (using some water) onto the other square. Repeat until you use all the puree/pasta or whichever finishes first :)
8. When the ravioli are done, toss them in semolina flour to avoid them from sticking to each other. Set aside when done.
9. To prepare the sage butter, melt the butter until foaming and add the sage and fry for a few seconds. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and some salt & pepper.
10. Cook the ravioli in boiling water for about 3 minutes and serve with the warm sage butter. Alternatively, you can freeze the ravioli.

Enjoy

R&A

Penne alla Carbonara

This is how a proper Carbonara should be. This is a rustic pasta dish that comes from Rome although its origin is questionable as some Italians say it came from the Umbria region, some say it comes from the Lazio region and some say that it was invented by an inventor from Naples from the Campana region. Anyway, whatever the provenance it is a very tasty dish and a very quick and easy way to flavour your pasta. We used penne but spaghetti go very well with this type of sauce as well. If you do not have pecorino Romano you may use Grana padano or Parmegiano Reggiano. Make sure you use free range eggs so you get a lovely yellowy colour. The original recipe uses guanciale which similar to pancetta only that guanciale comes from the cheek of the pig (guancia means cheek in italian hence the name) and pancetta comes from the belly of the animal (pancia means belly in italian hence the name). Give it a go! For 4 people you will need...

• 300g penne
• 4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• 100g grated pecorino Romano
• 150g Guanciale or pancetta, diced

How to...

1. Start by cooking the pasta al dente. 
2. Cook the guanciale or pancetta in a hot pan (no oil is required as guanciale and/or lardons have enough fat on them) until crispy.
3. When the pasta is cooked, drain it but leave a little cooking liquid with the pasta to avoid having a dry pasta dish. Cover and set aside.
4. Start making the sauce by whisking the egg yolks and one whole egg in a bowl. Whisk until they are combined well. Add the cheese and combine well with the eggs. Now add the guanciale or pancetta. Mix again and add everything to the cooked pasta.
5. Mix slowly until all the pasta is covered with the sauce and serve.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Fusilli Pasta Bake with Breadcrumb Topping

We are big fans of creating dishes with whatever we have in our cupboards & fridge. These dishes usually turn out to be a great success and most of all very very tasty. Like this one for example, I decided to give the usual plate of pasta a twist by adding a couple of ingredients like breadcrumbs and grated hard cheese and then put it in the oven to get a nice crunchy pasta dish. It is very simple to prepare, so just give it a go...you will need...

• 300g fusilli
• 500ml tomato passata
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced [optional]
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Half teaspoon sugar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 100g grated Kefalotiri or Parmigiano cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Handful of pangrattato or stale breadcrumbs

How to...

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Add a tbsp of olive oil to a pan and fry the onion until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes (preferably covered). Add the chillies and garlic and stir fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the passata, sugar, oregano and ground black pepper. Stir well and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. In the meantime cook the fusilli al dente. Make sure you do not overcook the pasta.
5. When the sauce & pasta are cooked, drain the pasta and put back in the pasta pot. Add the sauce, a good amount of extra virgin olive oil and about 2 tbsp of grated cheese. Mix well but slowly, not to break the fusilli.
6. Pour slowly into a small ovenproof container. Cover the pasta with a handful of breadcrumbs and the remainder of the cheese.
7. Put in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the breadcrumbs & cheese are golden brown.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pasta with Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce

One of our favourite sauces, this sauce is just exquisite. It's what you say, naughty but nice! The sauce's pink colour also gives the dish a wonderful look. Mascarpone cheese is a delicious sweet, soft, full fat cheese from Italy that is made from cream which is coagulated with citric acid. It is most commonly known as one of the main ingredients in the famous Italian dessert, Tiramisù. Do try this sauce and you will definitely impress your family as it tastes gorgeous. The Mascarpone cheese should be added at the end of the cooking until all cheese is melted and incorporated into the tomato sauce. The ingredients in this recipe are for approximately 3-4 servings but it is always up to you. You will need...

• 250g fusilli, penne or other short pasta
• 350ml thick passata
• 125g Mascarpone
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 200ml vegetable stock
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan, to serve

1. Heat the oil and fry the onion until transparent. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes. 
2. Add the passata, herbs and spices, sugar and stock and simmer on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until you get a bright red thick sauce. Make sure you stir occasionally.
3. Meanwhile cook the pasta and drain.
4. When the sauce is done, add the mascarpone and stir slowly into the tomato sauce until no chunks of cheese are left. Simmer on a low heat for a few minutes.
5. Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and serve with grated Parmesan.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Ragù al Cioccolato Amaro - Pork Ragù with Dark Chocolate

Oh dear...what an explosion on your taste buds this pasta sauce is!! The secret of every ragù is to simmer it on a low heat for a long period of time, but this only takes an hour. I mean only because a proper ragù can take more than 3 hours. It is also very important that you use good quality dark bitter chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids (I used Lindt 90% Dark Chocolate) because if you use any sweet/milk chocolate, it will ruin the sauce. So if you feel adventurous, as I always am give this a go, You will need...

• 300g pork mince
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste/puree
• 15g dark chocolate [minimum 70% cocoa solids]
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 200ml good red wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 200ml boiling water
• Sea salt & ground black pepper
• Grated parmesan, to serve [optional]

How to...

1. Fry the onion in the olive oil until soft and transparent. Add the minced pork and cook for about 15 minutes.
2. Add the wine, bit by bit, evaporating it all in the process. When all the wine is used, water down the tomato paste in the boiling water and add it to the meat & onion mixture. Add the sugar, cinnamon, chocolate and season with salt & pepper. Give it a good stir and cover the pan and simmer on a very low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. If needed add some boiling water to the sauce.
3. When the ragù is done, turn off the heat and add the chocolate, sugar and cinnamon.
4. Serve the ragù on the pasta or, alternatively mix the ragù with the pasta. Sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Sugo ai Frutti di Mare e Tonno - Mixed Seafood & Tuna Pasta Sauce

There is nothing better for a food lover than to go to the market and see what is freshly available. The other day I was having a word with one of the fishmongers at the market and we agreed on how, unfortunately, the British people in general do not appreciate all the abundance of fish and seafood available all year round. The United Kingdom is an island surrounded by a sea and an ocean, namely the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and the amount of fish and seafood that is caught daily from them is quite abundant so there are myriad of ways in how one can cook them. But, again the British people mostly sides with the USA when it comes to food and prefers microwave meals and junk food...obviously not everyone!! :) 

We also came across whelks [scungilli] for the first time, these are large sea snails which when we had one to see what they where they did taste like the sea...wonderful...quite rubbery but taste good!! The missus was not that convinced but we bought some anyway to add them to our own seafood sauce. 

Usually seafood sauces are not prepared using tomatoes but they are cooked in bianco, that is, garlic, olive oil, white wine and obviously the seafood. But Amanda loves her sauce when it comes to pasta so we do use tomatoes, fresh or tinned!! So here is our Sugo Ai Frutti Di Mare [Pasta Sauce with Mixed Seafood]...feel free to use it with any pasta shape you like!! You will need...

• 300g Mixed Seafood [We used a mixture of cockles, prawns and mussels]
• 4-6 Whelks (Sea snails)
• 1 can good quality Tuna chunks
• 1 or 2 cans chopped tomatoes [depends on how much tomato sauce you want]
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 or 3 small dried chillies, chopped [optional but it does add a kick]
• 150ml White Lambrusco (or other white wine)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

How to...

1. Put the oil, chillies and garlic in a shallow pan and fry until garlic is golden.
2. Add the seafood and whelks, and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the Lambrusco and simmer until the liquid evaporates.
4. Add the tuna, tomatoes, marjoram and pepper and simmer for about 15 minutes on a medium heat.
5. Serve with pasta of your choice-Linguine will be the best so you can mop up the sauce from the plate :)

Enjoy!!

R&A

Penne Parnassus

This pasta dish is another of our own creations. It got its name from the movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. We were watching this great movie whilst chomping on a wonderful plate of this dish. It is a very tasty sauce and quite filling as well. The honey gives this sauce its sweetness whilst the bacon balances the palate by providing the necessary saltiness. Also, as cooked chicken, I roasted 4 small drumsticks, took the meat off the bone and diced the chicken meat. It gave the dish  an added delicious roast chicken flavour, but you can easily used chicken breast. These ingredients are for 3-4 people, again depending on how big your portions are. Feel free to adapt adequately. Hope you will try it and enjoy it!

• 300g penne
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 200g diced cooked chicken breast
• 100g bacon, cut into small pieces
• 100ml single cream
• ½ teaspoon dried sage
• 200ml chicken or vegetable stock (I used a Knorr stock pot)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan or Kefalotiri cheese, to serve

How to...

1. Start by roasting the chicken drumsticks. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Put them in an oven dish with a griddle in it and season with ground black pepper. Roast the chicken pieces for 30 minutes, leave to cool and dice the meat. If using chicken breast, grill the split the chicken breast until golden on both sides and then chop into small dice. Set aside.
2. Fry the onion in the oil until transparent and soft. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy.
3. Add the chicken to the bacon and stir well.
4. Add the pepper, sage and 2 tbsp of honey. Stir fry for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the stock and reduce the stock on a high heat.
6. In the meantime cook the pasta.
7. When the stock is reduced, add the cream. Stir well and heat slowly on low heat, make sure you do not boil the cream.
8. Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and sprinkle with the grated parmesan or Kefalotiri cheese.

Enjoy!!
R&A