This time of year there are lots of squashes available and onion squash is one of the best to use and easy to get hold of. This recipe is a great way to incorporate squash with pasta and it doesn’t require baking the squash in the oven. The addition of the pancetta and sage makes it richer and by adding the cannellini beans give it a much heartier texture and flavour.
- 250g Spirale pasta
- cooked cannellini beans
- olive oil
This hearty, flavoursome dish is a great treat for the weekend and because everything is cooked in one pan, all the flavours are absorbed into the potatoes – and washing up is kept to a minimum!
The meaty monkfish paired with the prosciutto and capers help to give the dish some surprising and delicious flavours. Best enjoyed with a chilled bottle of Greco di Tufo.
- x 160g fillets of monkfish
- 300g boiled and sliced pink fir apple or charlotte potatoes
- garlic
- 100g sliced prosciutto
- chopped parsley
- Datterini tomatoes
- lemon
- small capers
- olive oil
- glass of white wine
Red mullet is the most delicious fish and using it this way is a great way to show how sweet and juicy it can be. The bay leaf goes really well with the tomato and the texture of the fine tagliarini with the chunks of red mullet is wonderful!
Try this with a glass of Barbera D’Asti – it should be a perfect match because the acidity in the wine will complement the tomato, bay leaf and sweetness of the red mullet.
- olive oil
- chopped flat leaf parsley
- garlic
- x red mullet filleted and pin boned
- 400g tomato passata
- 250g of tagliarini
- course sea salt
I have done quite a few fish and vegetable based dishes in this blog series so I thought it might be time to add another meat dish.
This time, I am demonstrating the incredibly simple beef fillet with datterini tomatoes, rocket, and parmesan shavings.
Rustic, and I think a bit romantic, this dish would pair really well with a nice Barbera D’Alba.
- – 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- – 1 tsp chopped thyme
- – 100g wild rocket
- – juice of 1/2 lemon
- – 1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
- – 75g Parmesan cheese shavings
- – sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
This is a very tasty pasta dish because of the sweet tasting red mullet and cherry tomatoes. The addition of the black olives add a saltiness that works really well. The pangratto adds a crunch that makes the whole dish very appetising.
- 200g linguine
- red mullet fillets
- 1tsp chopped parsley
- 5tbls of good quality olive oil
- For the pangratto:
- 100g roughly chopped stale bread
- 200ml of sunflower oil
- Salt
This is a really simple recipe and a great way to cook fresh shellfish without over cooking it and enjoying its natural sweetness… Using Cannellini beans from a jar will give you a better result but if you use the tinned ones just make sure you rinse off the liquid in the tin before you add them to the reduced tomato sauce. Try this with a glass of Fiano di Avalino.
- tomato passata or 1 tin of chopped italian tomatoes
- 300g of cooked cannellini beans from a jar or a tin
- chopped flat leaf parsley
- tbls of olive oil
This is the best soup to warm you up. Its healthy, filling, vegetarian and very easy to prepare. The swiss chard adds an earthy sweetness to the soup and you can use the cooking water as stock. If you puree half of the soup you get a lovely creamy minestrone that has great texture and flavour. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil on top. A glass of Chianti Classico would be a perfect match. Have a good week!
- 400g tin of chopped Italian tomatoes
- carrots finely chopped
- medium white onion finely chopped
- celery finely chopped
- olive oil
- basil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2kg of washed and de bearded mussels
- 100ml of dry white wine
- garlic sliced
- chopped flat leaf parsley
- 200g of tomato passata
- olive oil
- large fennel bulb
- chopped parsley
- Lemon juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Serves 3-4
- little milk
- 500g minced beef
- small garlic clove
- parsley
- Salt and black pepper
- For the sauce
- extra virgin olive oil
- Salt