Pasta 101
MINESTRONE
Serves 6
Prep time 10 mins Cook time 15 mins
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 stick celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
100g pancetta in lardons
1 courgette, finely chopped
1 can whole or cherry tomatoes
150g Rustichella orzo
Sabato basil pesto
Salt and pepper
Method
In a saucepan sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic till softened. Add the pancetta and the courgette and the juice from the tomatoes and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add 1lt of water and bring to the simmer, then add the orzo and cook the soup for 6-8 minutes till the pasta is cooked. Season with salt and pepper and pour into pre warmed bowls. Add a teaspoon full of pesto to each dish just as you serve.
FRESH PASTA
Use 1 egg per 100g of 00 flour
Pile the flour up on the bench and make a well in the centre, break the eggs in and using a fork whisk the eggs together and gradually draw in the flour. You should end up with a mass of slightly moist dough. Knead a little to combine and rest for 30 minutes before rolling.
EASY CANNELLONI
Serves 4
Prep time 15 mins
Cook time 40 mins
EVO
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
100gm pancetta or streaky bacon
1 bunch swiss chard (silver beet)
1 handful wild rocket leaves
salt and pepper
250g Zany Zeus classic feta
Zest of lemon
Freshly grated nutmeg
Montebello Cannelloni tubes
500ml Foundation Foods Chicken stock
Parmigiano reggiano
Colonna Granverde oil
Method
Heat a little EVO in a large pan and sauté the onion and garlic. Cut the white part from the swiss chard and finely chop then add to the onion. Blanch the green leaves in boiling water and refresh under cold water. Finely chop the leaves and add to the onion mix, season with salt and cook off excess moisture. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before adding lemon zest, nutmeg and crumbled feta. Put the mix into a piping bag and fill the cannelloni tubes. Arrange in a tray and pour over the chicken stock, cover with a liberal grating of parmigiano cheese. Cover the dish and bake in the oven for 30 mins. To serve spoon onto a plate and drizzle with Colonna lemon oil.
AGLIO OILIO E PEPERONCINO
Serves 4
Prep time 10 mins
150 ml EVO
300g SJ organic linguine
4 cloves garlic
2 Spice trader dried chiles
1 bunch parsley
Parmigiano reggiano
Method
Bring a 3 lt of water to the boil in a large pot, season liberally with salt and then add the linguine and make sure the water comes back to a rolling boil. Pasta will take 10 minutes to cook.
In a blender chop the garlic, chiles and parsley together. Warm the EVO in a sauté pan and add the minced garlic mix. Saute to release the flavours and then when the pasta is cooked using a pasta server put the linguine into the sauce and toss together. Serve on warmed plates with freshly grated Parmigiano.
Other simple long pasta ideas are - using any long thin pasta
" Anchovy fillets and broccoli florets
" Sauted mushrooms finished with truffle oil
" Chopped sundried tomates and pitted olives
" Any of the infused olive oils, fresh lemon zest and capers
The trick here is to celebrate the flavour of the pasta by liberally dressing in an infused or flavoured olive oil.
PENNE WITH TOMATO SUGO
Serves 6
Prep time 5 mins
Cook time 12 mins
500g Rustichella penne
1 jar Sabato pasta sauce with eggplant
1 bunch winter greens
1 stalk Sicilian oregano
1 lemon
50g butter
Bring 5lt of water to the boil and blanch the winter greens, remove them and refresh under cold water. Keep the water boiling and season well with salt before adding the penne, stir and bring back to the boil and cook for 10-12 minutes.
In a sauté pan melt the butter and add the Sicilian oregano. Roughly chop the winter greens and add to the pan, increase the heat and sauté till the greens are well cooked, add the zest and juice from the lemon and the jar of pasta sauce. Simmer to marry flavours. Drain the penne through a colander and tip the pasta into the sauce. Stir well and serve on pre warmed plates.
Slow Cooking
GUISADO de NAVARRA
Serves 4-6
Prep time 1 day + 10 mins
Cook time 25 mins
250g Sabarot chic peas
1 bouquet garni
2 Tbsp EVO
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
200g Mariano’s chorizo
½ jar Sabato tomato passata
2 Tbsp sultanas or currants
2 Tbsp Romulo sherry vinegar
50g whole almonds or hazelnuts, ground and toasted
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Soak the chick peas the day before in cold water. Drain and place in a sauce pan with a bouquet garni and cover with water. Bring to the simmer and cook for 45-60 minutes until just cooked. Remove from the heat and drain off the water, sprinkle with sea salt. Heat the EVO in a large pan. Add the onion and cook gently till soft, add the garlic and chorizo. Turn up the heat and when the oil is just beginning to smoke remove the chorizo to a chopping board and add the chickpeas, passata and currants to the pan. Cook for 5 mins. Slice the cooled chorizo and return to the pan. Cook a further 5 minutes then add the sherry vinegar. Combine the toasted ground nuts with the parsley and sprinkle over the top to serve.
* You could also add, wilted spinach, slices of black pudding or roasted red peppers.
BEEF BOURGUIGNON
Serves 6
Prep time 15 mins Cook time 2 hrs
1 kg chuck steak, cubed in 5cm
3 Tbsp olive oil
100gm pancetta, in lardons
150gm shallots or baby onions
2 Tbsp flour
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Bouquet garni
200ml heavy red wine
500ml foundation foods beef stock
20gm Sabarot selection forestiere, pre-soaked
In a casserole dish heat the oil and then add the meat and brown quickly. Remove from the pan and add the lardons and peeled onions and brown. Remove the onions and reserve to add later. Draw the lardons to one side of the pan and add the flour and cook out for 1 minute before adding the garlic, tomato paste, bouquet garni and meat and the wine. Allow the wine to reduce by half then add just enough stock to cover the meat and bring to the simmer. Cover with a tight fitting lid and put in the oven for 1 hour at 110C. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for a further hour. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 20-30minutes or overnight to allow flavours to develop.
BRAISED RED CABBAGE
Serves 6
Prep time 10 mins Cook time 40 min
½ head red cabbage
1 granny smith apple
1 mace
20 gm long grain rice
12 chestnuts
2-3 whole allspice
50gm butter
In an oven proof pan melt the butter and add the red cabbage along with the mace. Sauté till the cabbage softens a little before adding the remaining ingredients and a splash of boiling water. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and braise in the oven at 150C for 40 - 50 minutes. Test the grains of rice - if they are cooked your cabbage is cooked. Check the seasoning and finish with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
ARTICHOKE GRATIN
Serves 6
Prep time 15 mins Cook time 50 mins
600gm Jerusalem artichokes
Zest of one lemon
Fresh thyme
500ml cream
Juice of one lemon
1 C fresh bread crumbs
50 gm fresh grated Grana padano
Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl and add water. Scrub the artichokes very well or scrap with a knife and slice each one as soon as it is clean, put into the acidulated water. When all the artichokes are sliced tip them into a colander and drain well. Combine with the cream, lemon zest and fresh thyme and place into an oven proof shallow dish. Combine the Grana padano and fresh bread crumbs together and sprinkle over the top. Cover the dish with tin foil or a lid and bake at 120C for 40 minutes then remove the tin foil and turn the oven to grill for a further 10 minutes.
POACHED PEARS
Serves 6
Cook time 40 mins
6 semi ripe pears Prep time 15 mins 1 Lt water
500gm sugar
1 Heilala vanilla bean
Juice and zest of one lemon
Baking paper
6 meringue bases
Yoghurt or mascarpone
Griottine cherries and syrup
In a saucepan heat together the water, sugar, lemon and vanilla, till dissolved. Peel the pears and immediately put into the poaching liquid. Bring to the simmer and reduce the heat so the liquid is just moving. Cover the pears with a cartouche of baking paper and then a lid and poach for 30-40 minutes till tender. Turn off the heat and leave the pears to cool. Using a teaspoon remove the seeds and core through the base of the pear. Serve the pear on the meringue base along with yoghurt and cherries.
MERINGUE
2 egg whites
110 g sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar
In a large bowl whisk the egg whites till firm but not grainy. Add the cream of tartar and then the sugar 3 Tbsp at a time. Continue whisking till you have a stiff meringue that stay in peaks. Put into a piping bag and pipe rounds on a lined baking tray. Put into a very cool oven - 90C for 1 hour or more till dry. Meringues will stay fresh in an air tight jar for weeks.
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