Italy- Part Two

The 12th country in our Eating Around the World Adventure is Italy.

Now Part One was all about the Italian food I had already been cooking. This post, Part Two, here I am introducing all the new Italian food we have tried during our food adventure into Italy. 

Now I love buying cookbooks, but even I couldn't  believe just how many Italian cookbooks I own. So when I started flicking through the pages picking all the food I wanted to try, there was a lot of food. So Italy definitely needed more than a week, so it has gone into two to three months of Italian cooking.

Italian food is all about the quality of the ingredients rather than on elaborate preparation. It's simple food, done well. The food varies from region to region and each region has it's own special dishes.

I find Italian food crowd pleasing, I love seeing families crowded around the table sharing food, and Italian's have mastered this. 

Here is what I made, some things are Italian, some may be Italian style, but we love them all.

Asparagus Milanese
Figs with Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Rocket
Panino Alla Margherita
Roasted Capsicums
​No Knead Bread
​Cannellini Beans with Rosemary
​Caprese Salad
Grilled Vegetables
Salad of Figs, Prosciutto, Leaves and Toasted Bread
​Pizza Scima
​Salami, Provolone and Mascarpone Schiacciata
​Polenta Chips
​Polenta Chips with Mushrooms
Crab Risotto
​Crab Arancini
​Pavese Soup
Chicken Soup with Mini Meatballs
​Fregola with Clams
Semolina Dumplings-Chnefflene-Spaetzle
Fregola with Mussels, Vongole and Prawns
Chicken Cacciatore
Graciella's Chicken
Chicken Bastardo
Roast Spatchcock
Grilled Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Lemon
​Mushroom Risotto
​Spicy Baked Macaroni
​Fresh Egg Pasta
Basil Pesto
Super Quick Fresh Pasta
Calabrian Lasagna
Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil and Chilli
Penne with Chilli Sauce
Mum's Spaghetti with Anchovies
​Potato Gnocchi
​Beef Cheek Ragu
​Lasagne with Crepes
​Simple Neapolitan Sauce
​Stracotto
Corteccia or Cavatelli
Penne with Pork Ragu
Semolina Gnocchi Alla Romana
Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
Venetian Mac n Cheese
​Vegetable Lasagna
Spaghetti with Crab
Tagliatelle and Duck Ragu
​Penne with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Orecchiette with Broccoli and Anchovies
​Italian Sausage Pasta Bake
​Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta
Lamb Pie with Potato Crust
Polenta
Porcini and Potato Bake
​Homemade Breadcrumbs
Tuscan Fries
Foccacia with Tomatoes
Apple Fritole
​Ciambella-Lemon and Ricotta Ring Cake
Ciambella
Cannoli
Italian Breakfast Banana Bread
Nutella Filled Puff Pastry with Cinnamon
Nutella Ice Cream
Lemon Sorbet
Affogato
​Orangecello Cocktail
​Aperol Spritz
Orangecello
​Spritzer Slushy
Scroppino with Strawberry Puree
​

Asparagus Milanese: Asparagus and eggs, this is truly a delicious combination. I have tried many different recipes and this one is my favourite. It's simple but it's delicious.

Figs with Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Rocket: There is something about this flavour combination that I absolutely find irresistible. When I see fresh figs in the stores or even better when I get gifted fresh figs from family, from their trees, I have to make this. I love the addition of gorgonzola, but if you don't, you can leave it out or substitute with goats cheese or another soft cheese, that melts. This is one of my favourite things to eat for lunch.

Here is how I made it: 

Serves 2-4

4 fresh figs
50g gorgonzola (dolce)
4 slices prosciutto
4 cups rocket
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt
cracked pepper

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan forced.
Make a small cut at the top of the fig and push in a little piece of gorgonzola. Wrap each fig in a slice of prosciutto.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. The cheese will melt and the prosciutto will be crisp.
Serve immediately on rocket leaves dressed in olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and salt, finish with a little finely cracked pepper.
Enjoy!
​

Panino Alla Margherita: I love a toasted sandwich, I think the sandwich press is my kids favourite kitchen appliance, it's used all of the time. This toastie is simple and quick to make and tastes really good. If you don't have a sandwich press just use a frying pan or a griddle pan.

Here is how I made it:

Serves 1

1 slice fresh mozzarella cheese, about 1.5cm thick
2 slices rustic white bread
salt and pepper, to taste
6 medium sized fresh basil leaves
2 slices tomato
About 2 teaspoons olive oil

Place the mozzarella cheese atop 1 slice of bread, season with a little salt and pepper. Top with basil leaves, then the tomato slices. Season a little with salt and pepper, and top with the second slice of bread. Brush both sides of the sandwich with the oil.
Preheat a griddle pan or sandwich press. Grill the sandwich until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts, pressing down with a metal spatula (if using a griddle pan), about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the sandwich to a plate and serve.
Enjoy!
​

Roasted Capsicums: Roasted capsicums are amazing, they are so full of flavour and need to be served with any antipasto platter.
This to me is not only food for entertaining, I am quite happy to top a slice of bruschetta bread and eat them as a snack or as a light lunch.

No Knead Bread: This is the easiest bread recipe you will ever find. It produces, with little effort, a rustic looking bread that looks and tastes great. The only thing this bread needs is time. Time to prove, 10-14 hours, this time is what allows the bread to develop the air bubbles, to produce a delicious loaf with a light crumb full of airy holes.

Cannellini Beans with Rosemary: When I first made this I had it as a side to a barbecued t-bone steak for dinner, it was delicious, pictured below left. Pictured below right, I turned leftovers into a lunch the next day by adding some tinned tuna to it and making a bruschetta out of it, also delicious. This is one of the easiest things you will ever make, and if love beans, you will enjoy this. You could choose any beans you love instead of cannellini beans.

Here is how I made it:

Serves 2-4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
1 small clove garlic, peeled, finely chopped 
2 x 400g cannellini beans drained and rinsed
​Salt and pepper to taste
Approx 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, optional

In a non-stick frying pan placed over a medium to low heat, warm the oil, then add the rosemary and lemon zest and let them sizzle, as you stir, for about 30 seconds.

Add in the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds, making sure that the garlic doesn’t colour.

Put in the beans with some rinsing water still clinging to them, stirring gently but thoroughly enough to coat the beans in the fragrant oil.

Squeeze in the lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are hot, this shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Enjoy!
​

Caprese Salad: This is one of the easiest salads you will ever make. Pictured, I have used cherry tomatoes and baby boconccini, but you could also slice large fresh ripe tomatoes and use buffalo mozzarella that you tear or slice large bocconcini. The tomatoes need to be ripe and the cheese creamy and soft. I like to serve it as antipasto, as a side to a deli platter. I love it seasoned only with salt and pepper and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Sometimes I add a splash of balsamic vinegar. And tear the basil, don't shred it.

Here is how I make it:

If making it with cherry tomatoes:
1-2 punnets cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tub (220g) baby boconccini, drained, left whole or halved
Fresh basil leaves, torn, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, to taste, optional

Scatter the cherry tomatoes and baby boconccini in a serving bowl, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil and vinegar (if using). Top with basil leaves.

If making it with larger tomatoes:
3 large (450g) Roma tomatoes, sliced
5 (280g) boconccini, sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh basil leaves, torn, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, to taste, optional

Overlap the tomatoes and boconccini on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil and vinegar (if using). Top with basil leaves.
Enjoy!
​

Grilled Vegetables: This is one of my absolute favourite things to eat. My husband is in charge of the cooking of this dish. I just dress it after it is done. 
This always looks amazing at the dinner table and tastes as good as it looks.
You can use some or all of the vegetables, this recipe is really more of a guide than a real recipe.

Fig, Prosciutto and Rocket Salad: This will be one of the last things I ever eat while I am alive. I absolutely love this flavour combination. Sometimes I make it with just rocket, sometimes, mixed salad leaves, including rocket. 

Pizza Scima: Pizza scima basically is an unleavened bread. It literally means “silly pizza”, as it lacks yeast, but there is nothing silly about it.

The end result is a flaky, pastry like bread. It is best eaten on the day it is made and is perfect with an antipasto platter, with salami, cheese and olives. I honestly also can just eat it on it's own.

Salami, Provolone and Mascarpone Schiacciata: Schiacciata is a cross between foccacia and pizza. It's a free form thin bread. One of the advantages of making a free-form bread is you can use whatever baking tray you have handy. For this one, the ideal thickness of the base before proving is about 1cm. Apart from that, the size and shape are up to you. The dough is easy to make, the topping delicious.

Polenta Chips: These are delicious. I'm going to say they are better than potato chips. This is a great way to serve leftover polenta. They are great as a snack, as an appetiser with drinks at a party or a simple dinner idea. You really need to try these.

Polenta Chips with Mushrooms: ​These are delicious. Now I love plain polenta chips, but when I saw this version with mushrooms in it, I had to try it, and I am so glad I did, they are delicious. They are great as a snack, as an appetiser with drinks at a party or a simple dinner idea. You really need to try these.

Crab Risotto: The first time I made this I made it to make the arancini balls below, but my husband complained that he would have liked to have eaten the risotto as is. So the next time I made the risotto, I made it to eat as a risotto. My family loved this, there was nothing left. It's quite easy to make, the flavours are lovely, you taste the crab and lemon, it's creamy, it was lovely.

Here is how I made it: 

For the risotto:
​2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
1 small red chilli, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste 
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 
1 1/2 cups white wine 
3-4 cups chicken stock 
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons mascarpone, at room temperature 
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
2 cups (packed) lump crabmeat, picked through for shells 
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 

Heat a cast iron pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add the shallots, garlic and chilli; cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and the rice; stir to coat with the flavors of the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then deglaze with the white wine. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring often, until the wine is almost fully absorbed. Add the stock one cup at a time and stir to combine; cook, stirring often, adding more stock as the rice absorbs the previous stock, until the rice is tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes (you can add more water or stock if needed, if rice isn't perfectly cooked after all the stock is used). Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone, lemon zest, crab and chives. Taste for seasoning.

Now if eating as a risotto, that's it, serve immediately with a green salad.
Enjoy!​
​
If making Arancini, the recipe continues below.
​

Arancini: Now I always make arancini with any leftover risotto that I have. But with the recipe for crab risotto above there is never any leftover, so if I want to make these crab arancini, I have to make the risotto just for the arancini. You make the arancini in the morning, allow to cool, then, in the evening, you make the arancini. These are really tasty, they are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside.

Here is how I made it: 

For the Arancici:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
1-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying

Simple Tomato Sauce: 
1 x 400g cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Continued from recipe above:

Spread the crab risotto out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cold, about 2 hours.

Simple Tomato Sauce: Place the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Blitz if you want a smooth sauce.

Prepare a breading station using three shallow bowls: Place the flour and salt in one bowl, the eggs in another, and the panko in yet another. Scoop out one tablespoon of risotto into the palm of your hand and form it into a ball. Roll the ball in the flour, then the egg, and then the panko; make sure the entire ball is well coated. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining risotto.​

Add enough oil to a medium saucepan to come 5cm up the side of the pan. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 175C on a deep-fry thermometer. Using a spider or slotted spoon, lower 5 or 6 rice balls into the oil, or as many as the pan will allow without crowding. Fry until deep golden brown and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Continue with the rest of the rice balls. Serve warm, with a tomato pasta sauce alongside for dipping, if desired.
​Enjoy!​
​

Pavese Soup: Zuppa Pavese is a soup made with stock, bread, cheese and eggs. Legend has it that French king Francis I, fleeing from defeat in a nearby battle, found himself in a peasant farmhouse where the lady of the house improvised a meal for her royal guest from what she had on hand: bread fried in butter, topped with an egg and some grated cheese, over which she poured boiling broth. Whether the legend is true or false, it doesn’t matter, this soup made with simple ingredients is considered a delicacy.

Here is how I made it.

Serves 6:
Chicken Soup:
4 x chicken bones (carcasses)
4 x chicken feet (optional)
1 stick celery
2 large carrots, peeled
1 onion, skin removed
1 clove garlic, skin removed
1/2 red capsicum, seeded
1 tomato
6 parsley stalks
1/2 tablespoon vegeta
Salt
10 black peppercorns
Freshly chopped parsley, to serve

6 slices Ciabatta bread
100g grated gruyere cheese
100g freshly grated parmesan cheese
6 eggs, room temperature
black pepper, to taste

In a large stock pot add the chicken, celery, carrot, onion, garlic, capsicum, tomato and parsley stalks. Top up the pot with cold water. Bring to the boil. When it has nearly come to the boil, you will need to skim the surface and remove the foam from the top of the soup.
Once boiling, add the vegeta, season with a little salt and add the peppercorns. Cover the soup, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1.5-2 hours
When the soup is cooked, strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve into a smaller pot.
​
Put 6 wide soup bowls in a gentle oven to heat them up (so the soup will stay piping hot).
Bring your soup to the boil, taste for seasoning. Grill or toast your ciabatta slices.
Put each slice of bread into a hot bowl. Combine the cheeses and sprinkle them over the bread. Pour the hot soup into the bowls and carefully break an egg on top of each slice of bread.
Sprinkle some parsley and grind some pepper over the eggs. The heat of the soup should just cook the whites of the eggs, leaving the yolks deliciously runny.

Any soup not used, can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen for another day. 
Enjoy!​​
​

Chicken Soup with Mini Meatballs: We loved this soup, it was delicious. The meatballs, my kids were picking out to see who got more and my husband loved the soup to. A simple new family favourite soup.

Fregola with Clams: This dish is like a light, but clam rich, tomato spiced soup. This is so easy to make, it takes about 15 minutes to make, you have no excuse not to try it.

Semolina Dumplings-Chnefflene-Spaetzle: So here is a pasta that to me is like spaetzle, for me this is a quick and easy dinner idea, you can serve it simply with fried onion and bacon, or you can serve it with a stew, it is versatile, cheap and easy to make. 

Fregola with Mussels, Vongole and Prawns: Think pasta cooked risotto style. This dish can be made in about 20 minutes, including preparation time. It's so quick and easy to make. This is amazing, every bite absolutely delicious. When I make this, there are no leftovers.

Chicken Cacciatore: This is Italy's version of Coq au Vin, sometimes it's called Hunters Hotpot as this is something that was cooked by farmers or huntsmen using ingredients they had readily available on their farms. 
This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I served it over soft polenta, which was so good. I have also served it over mashed potato, equally delicious. 

Graciella's Chicken: This is simple food done well. This dish is something my family loves. Ideally it should be cooked in a terracotta pot placed in a woodfire oven in a sandwich of glowing coals, but it is also excellent cooked slowly in a conventional oven at home.

Here is how I made it: 

2kg chicken marylands
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
5 bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary
2 glasses dry white wine
1 glass extra virgin olive oil
 1kg potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan forced.

Mix all the ingredients together in a terracotta pot, cover with a lid and leave to marinate for 1 hour.

Place in the oven and cook for at least 1 1/2 hours, or until everything is tender and succulent.
​​Enjoy!​
​

Chicken Bastardo: I just could not resist making this recipe, the name alone made me want to cook it. Simple, clean flavours, the chillies add warmth, rather than crazy spice. This was a nice dish my family really enjoyed.

Roast Spatchcock: I never roast a large chicken, I much prefer the smaller spatchcock's. This was a simple roast dinner, I served it with a green salad. I doubled the recipe for my family.

This is how I made it:

Serves 2

1 spatchcock (500-600g)
1-2 cloves garlic
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, stems discarded. leaves roughly chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
60g unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan forced. Rub the birds inside and out with some of the garlic and rosemary, and with salt and pepper. Leave some of the garlic and rosemary for making a sauce.
Heat the oil and 25g of the butter in a frying pan. When the foam from the butter subsides, brown the birds until they are nicely coloured on all sides.
Put the birds in an oven dish and bake for about 30-45 minutes, basting from time to time with the juices from the pan and with an extra 10g of melted butter.
Remove the birds from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan and add the leftover garlic and rosemary. Cook for a few minutes, being careful that the garlic doesn't brown. Pour the sauce over the birds and serve.
​Enjoy!​​
​

Grilled Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Lemon: I wasn't sure if I was going to include this one, but as I loved the lamb so much I had to. This is a dish where the marinade does not over power the lamb, the lamb remains the star. But with every bite you get a subtle background flavour of the lemon, garlic and rosemary. This is the way I will be cooking my lamb on the barbecue from now on.

Here is how I made it:

Serves 6-8

8 lamb forequarter chops
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Use your hands to thorougly mix, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.

Preheat a char-grill pan or barbecue to hot. Grill the lamb for a couple of minutes each side, then remove and allow to rest before serving, though quite often I just serve it straight away while hot off the barbecue.
Enjoy!

Mushroom Risotto: Now I love mushrooms, so a mushroom risotto was always going to happen. This was delicious, it was creamy and it definitely had enough mushroom flavour. As I quite enjoy having a meat free dinner at least once a week, this risotto was perfect for it.

Spicy Baked Macaroni: Okay so this more Italian style than Italian, but after I made, and enjoyed it, I thought it should be added in here. This is like an Italian mac and cheese, it has loads of flavour and was enjoyable to eat. You can make it the day before and reheat it when needed, if you like.

Here is how I made it:

450g elbow macaroni pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
225g assorted mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 x 400g can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 x 280g package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
340g mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 175C/155C fan forced. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and the onion is golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, spinach, and red chilli flakes and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, and ¼ cup of the Romano cheese. Spread a 22 x 33 x 5cm glass baking dish with the softened butter and sprinkle half of the bread crumb mixture inside the dish to coat.
In a large bowl, combine the vegetable mixture with the cooked macaroni, cubed mozzarella, the remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses, and the nutmeg. Spoon into the baking dish and top with the remaining bread crumb mixture. Dot the top with the 2 tablespoons of cold butter and bake until the top is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
Enjoy!​​​
​

Fresh Egg Pasta: This was easier than I thought, and very much worth the effort. Fresh pasta is absolutely delicious, far better than store bought.

Basil Pesto: I will never stop making pesto, I absolutely love it. It is so fresh tasting, it's just delicious, and except for cooking the pasta, it's not even cooking, it's just mixing, and even then, the food processor does it for you (you can use a mortar and pestle if you prefer). This is one of my favourite things to eat.

Super Quick Fresh Pasta using only flour and water: This is one of the easiest pasta recipes I have ever tried. It takes minutes to make, and produces tasty pasta. Just shape it how you like, thinner for fettuccine or thicker like tagliatelle, then serve it with your favourite sauce and dinner is done.

Calabrian Lasagna: The lasagne we know best is the version from Emilia-Romagna, with bechamel and bolognese, and that is a lasagne that I make often and I love.  The Calabrians make their lasagna (in the south of Italy lasagna ends with an ‘a’ not an ‘e’, for ages I couldn't figure out which was the right spelling, now I know both are) with layers of mozzarella instead of bechamel, and include layers of chopped boiled egg and ham or mortadella as well as mince. My family love this version and I have recently made it at a few parties and it was very popular.

Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil and Chilli: This dish is a classic, I love the Italian name Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino. It is known all over Italy. It can be eaten any time of the day, when you're hungry but you want something quick and easy to make. I add anchovies to the pasta as they add a delicious salty element to the dish, but if you don't like them, leave them out. Some say this is an aphrodisiac, just saying.

Here is how I made it:

Serves 4

​450g spaghetti
60ml olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 fresh hot red chilli, chopped
4 anchovy fillets in oil, roughly chopped 
​Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling, optional

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, follow packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic, chilli and anchovies. Fry gently but don't allow the garlic to brown. The sauce doesn't take more than 5 minutes to make. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Lift the cooked pasta from the water, using tongs, and mix directly with the sauce. Taste for seasoning, Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top if you desire.
​​Enjoy!​
​

Penne with Chilli Sauce: or in Italian it is known as Penne all' arrabbiata. I love meals like this, meals that can be made in the time it takes to cook pasta. This is another simple dish, one I love, especially during the week when you are busy.

Here is how I made it:

Serves 4

​6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 small red chillies, finely chopped
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
375g penne pasta
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
75g freshly grated parmesan or percorino cheese

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, follow packet instructions.
Meanwhile, while the pasta water is coming to the boil, heat the oil in a large frying pan and briefly fry the garlic and chillies. Add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 
Drain the pasta, once cooked, add the pasta to the sauce, sprinkle with parsley and mix together with the parmesan (or pecorino) cheese.
​Enjoy!​
​

Mum's Spaghetti with Anchovies: My mum's a great cook and this is one of her recipes she wrote down for me. This is a quick simple dinner idea my family loves. 

Here is how I made it:

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red capsicum, thinly sliced
5 anchovy fillet, roughly chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
400g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 teaspoon vegeta
salt and pepper, to taste
Freshly chopped parsley, to taste
400g spaghetti
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, follow packet instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium heat add oil, onion, capsicum, anchovies and chilli. Saute, about 3-4 minutes until the onion and capsicum begin to soften. Add garlic, saute a further minute. 
Add wine, stir, add cherry tomatoes and vegeta, stir, simmer until the wine has nearly evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
Lift the cooked pasta from the water, using tongs, and mix directly with the sauce. You can add a little pasta water into the sauce if it needs it, to loosen the sauce. Taste for seasoning, Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top if you desire.​
​Enjoy!​
​

Potato Gnocchi: My family love gnocchi, and these were perfect. They are easy to make, they are soft and fluffy and taste amazing. I have served them with a simple napolitana sauce and a rich beef cheek ragu and dinner was a huge success, my family loved them.

Beef Cheek Ragu: This is my kind of food, crowd pleasing, rustic meals, you can share with family and friends. This ragu was delicious. The meat was so soft and unbelievable to eat, the sauce rich and amazing. I served it chunky shredded with gnocchi, but a whole beef cheek on mashed potato or polenta would be amazing.

Lasagne with Crepes: My family love lasagne and they love crepes, so why not add them together. This was delicious. The crepes are far lighter than lasagne sheets. The bolognese was lovely (but in all honesty you could use your own bolognese recipe, just make sure it thickens properly as the crepes unlike pasta sheets don't need to be cooked, so you need it thick, not liquidy). The bechamel is well, bechamel, most of them taste the same.

Simple Neapolitan Sauce: Here is classic recipe that is loved by my family, hopefully it will also be loved by yours. I served it with both spaghetti and homemade gnocchi, both were lovely.

Stracotto: Here is a Tuscan family favourite, think bolognese, but better. You use chuck steak and then allow slow cooking to do it's thing. The meat shreds so easily and the sauce is absolutely delicious.
To serve, it’s traditional to enjoy the rich sauce with freshly cooked tagliatelle as a entree, serving the rest of the sauce with the meat as a main, teamed with steamed greens, oozy polenta, mash or whatever you fancy. I just served it with tagliatelle, not bothering with the slicing part, I just shredded the meat with two forks into large chunks. Then I added the sauce to the tagliatelle and let it sit for 5 minutes, so the sauce absorbs into the tagliatelle a little.

Corteccia or Cavatelli: Corteccia (meaning tree bark) is also known as cavatelli (little hollows).​ This is a pasta that my family love, very similar to pljukanci that I already make, just the shape changes. This is fun to make with the family.

Penne with Pork Ragu: Most of the time I make a ragu with beef. This pork version gives you a lighter sauce than when you make a beef ragu, the flavours are delicate and worth trying. The pork shoulder gets soft and tender and falls apart with little resistance. So if you are looking to try something new, something light, give this sauce a go.

Semolina Gnocchi Alla Romana: This was delicious, this is comfort food, it was far better than I thought it would be. I loved it as is, but I also served it with a tomato sauce for those that wanted to add the sauce. 

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara: Carbonara, one of my absolute favourite pasta sauces. This is something my family love to eat. It is quick to make and is something I make when I don't feel like cooking.

Venetian Mac and Cheese: This dish although did taste lovely, there was far too much liquid in it, it probably just needed a bit more flour and a bit more pasta, to thicken the cream. I have left the picture here with no recipe, for now, as I want a reminder to try this again, with the modifications I think the recipe needs.

Vegetable Lasagna: This is more Italian style than traditional Italian, but I thought I'd add it here, as it is delicious and also because it is a great vegetarian alternative to the traditional meat lasagna.

Spaghetti with Crab: Here is another quick and easy spaghetti dish my family love. My family love tomato based pastas, they also love crabs, now when the two come together, you get one special dinner.

Tagliatelle and Duck Ragu: My kids have had a great time on this adventure, they all love pasta and this one was delicious. The recipe uses duck legs, I have also used 2 duck marylands, as I do love a maryland. This is a great sunday afternoon dish, where you do a little work initially, but then as it simmers slowly for hours, you get to rest until it's done.

Here is how I made it: 

Serves 4-6
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ducks legs, trimmed of excess fat & skin (about 900g)
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup plain flour, for dredging
1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled & chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups beef stock
1 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat​. Season the duck legs with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour. Sear the duck legs until browned, about 4 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second.

Combine the tomatoes, onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until pureed. Carefully pour the mixture into the pot with the duck legs. Stir in the stock, wine, thyme and oregano, bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir, and simmer uncovered for another 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the duck legs from the pot and allow them to cool a bit. Shred the meat and return it to the sauce; discard the bones and skin. Season the ragu with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, following packet time instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid and add the pasta directly to the pot with the duck ragu. Mix well to coat the pasta with the sauce. Add as much of the pasta cooking liquid as needed to moisten the pasta and ragu mixture. Spoon into individual bowls and top with parmesan cheese.
​​Enjoy!​
​

Penne with Spicy Tomato Sauce: I love my fast and quick spaghetti puttanesca recipe that I already have on my site here, it is great on those nights when you need a quick and easy dinner. But here I have a different pasta sauce, one that is like a puttanesca, but with the addition of lots of vegetables and one that cooks long and slow. This another great meat free dinner idea where you won't miss the meat.

Orecchiette with Broccoli and Anchovies: A simple light dinner idea that I loved. If you love broccoli and pasta this is the dish for you.  

Italian Sausage Pasta Bake: So this is a version of my frankfurt bake that I already have on my blog. I had Italian sausages in my refrigerator so I thought I'd bake this. My kids love baked pasta dishes, so this was a hit when I made this.

Here is how I made it:

Serves 4-6

2-3 tablespoons oil
1 onion, sliced
3 bacon rashers, chopped
5-6 italian sausages, sliced
4 cups cooked tube pasta, or any pasta you love
3/4 cup grated tasty cheese
1 1/2 cups bottled tomato pasta sauce
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese, extra

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion, bacon and sausage, saute for 3-4 minutes or until onion is soft. Stir in pasta and cheese.
Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish. Flatten slightly.
Spread sauce evenly over the top of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with extra cheese.
Place a sheet of baking paper over the pasta (this stops the cheese from sticking to the foil), then cover with aluminium foil.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until heated through, uncover for a further 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is golden.
Enjoy!
​

Spaghetti Carbonara: This version was really, really cheesy, to the extent that it was too cheesy for me, very overpowering. But I wanted to show you that I try many, many recipes before I settle on one that I post here. So if you scroll up you will see  a carbonara recipe that I love, and the recipe is attached. But if you do love a lot of cheese, just add more to the recipe I posted above.

Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta: I found this pasta sauce when my husband came in from our garden with a lot of freshly picked cherry tomatoes. I loved that it was a quick and easy pasta dish to prepare. It looked fresh and perfect for dinner on a warm summers night. If you don't have cherry tomatoes, this can be made with large tomatoes, just cut them to up to the size of cherry tomatoes. We loved it, hope you do to.

Here is how I made it: 

Serves 4

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1kg cherry tomatoes (about 4 punnets)
¾ teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes
2 large sprigs basil, plus 1 cup basil leaves, torn if large
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
Pinch of sugar (optional)
340g campanelle or other tube pasta
30g finely grated Parmesan (about ⅓ cup), plus more for serving

Heat 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy pot over low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add tomatoes, red chilli flakes, basil sprigs, and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Cook, stirring to coat, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 4 minutes. Smash some but not all of the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to help create a sauce, then continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until a chunky, thickened sauce comes together and about half the tomatoes are completely broken down and half remain in tact, 10–12 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding sugar if sauce seems tart. Remove and discard basil sprigs.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, add to pot with sauce, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until coated, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 30g grated Parmesan.Divide pasta among bowls. Top with more Parmesan and scatter over the extra 1 cup basil leaves. Drizzle with oil.
Enjoy!
​

Lamb Pie with Potato Crust: I didn't love this recipe, so I won't give the recipe here. However, I loved the idea of it. So it was a lamb stew filling with a gnocchi like crust. The filling can be any meat pie filling you love, and I did love mine. However, the crust was good, but I feel can be improved. So this recipe will eventually get here, just let me work on it first.

Polenta: This is something I grew up on and absolutely love. It's a labour of love, I get my kids to help with the mixing, as it does take some time. I love it with so many dishes, especially stews. And I love to make extra so the next day I can make polenta chips with leftovers.

Porcini and Potato Bake: This was good, but it could be better, so I will hold off posting this recipe while I continue making this recipe better.

Homemade Breadcrumbs: Homemade breadcrumbs are easy to prepare and are a much better option than the store-bought version, which usually lack flavor and texture. After I have a party I always have leftover bread and this is what I do with it. I have never thrown out bread since I started making breadcrumbs.

Here is how I made it: 

Cut or tear bread into 2-3cm cubes.
Spread cubes on baking tray in a single layer.
Bake in a 175C/155C fan forced oven for 10 minutes.
Check and stir-if not sufficiently dry, continue baking and check every 5-10 minutes until most cubes are hard and crunchy, but avoid burning
Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor
Process bread cubes into breadcrumbs along with any seasonings, if desired

If you prefer to make them by hand, place dry bread in a sealed bag. Smash with a rolling pin to break into crumbs.
​Place in a resealable bag, and store in the refrigerator for up to one month or in the freezer for up to three months. If you have an airtight container, you can store them in your pantry, just make sure the bread was dried well in the oven.
​Enjoy!​
​

Tuscan Fries: We loved these fries. They were easy to make, and the addition of the herbs was amazing. Just make sure the you cook them on the hottest burner as the oil needs to heat quickly and stay hot, or you could end up with a bit of a potato mess.

Foccacia with tomatoes: When I first made this, my kids were hesitant to try it as they love my other foccacia. But after one bite, they loved it. I love making breads, I find it relaxing. The size of your baking pan will determine the thickness, mine was large, so I got a thin, crisp foccacia, a smaller pan obviously gives you a thicker foccacia. This is worth trying especially when tomatoes are in season.

Here is how I made it: 

Makes 1 large focaccia

1 tablespoon of dried yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon of honey
320g (2-2/3 cups) 00 or plain flour
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of salt
For the glaze : 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of water.
Mixed vine and cherry tomatoes

In a large bowl dissolve yeast with water, add flour, oil and honey. Knead for 5 minutes, then add the salt. Knead vigorously until it looks smooth and elastic (feel free to use an electric mixer with a dough hook). Shape into a ball and rest for 20 minutes in a bowl, covered with a tea towel.
Stretch it with your hand to form a rectangle and fold into 3 or 4. This step will give strength and texture to your dough and is essential in order to obtain a soft, airy and chewy focaccia.
Place the folded dough in an oiled oven tray, cover it with a tea-towel and let it prove for around 90 minutes or until it doubles in size.
Once the dough has risen, stretch it out to cover the tray and sprinkle the surface with sea salt.
Let it rest for another 30 minutes, then, using your fingertips, press the dough down onto the tray to create lots of little holes.
Drizzle the holes with the glaze and sprinkle with some more salt. Top with vine and cherry tomatoes, season with salt.
Let it rest for another 20 minutes then bake at 200C/180C fan forced for 20-25 minutes or until golden and irresistible.
Enjoy!
​

Apple Fritole: We loved these fritole, they were absolutely delicious, they were soft and fluffy and everything fritole should be. What I loved the most, is that it was a really quick recipe, I can make these in under 15 minutes. Normally fritole are made with yeast which needs time to prove, but these are not traditionally made as the recipe uses baking powder instead of yeast. And another thing I loved, it is made with ingredients I always have in my house.

Ciambella-Lemon and Ricotta Ring Cake:  Every year on my birthday I make a simple cake, it's just after Christmas and the New Year so I cannot eat anymore, but it's my birthday, so I need a cake, and this year it was this Ciambella. This is a simple tea cake, a cross between a sponge and a madeira cake. It was a perfect cake to have with coffee on my birthday.

​Here is how you make it:

3 eggs
200g caster sugar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
170g fresh full-cream ricotta, well drained
210g self raising flour, sifted
70g almond meal
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract (or half a freshly scraped vanilla bean)
1 tablespoon amaretto (optional)
icing sugar, for dusting
mascarpone or honeyed ricotta, to serve (optional)

​Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Butter and flour a Bundt tin.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and creamy. Add the olive oil and ricotta and mix until smooth. Gently fold in the flour and almond meal, then add the lemon zest and juice, vanilla and amaretto (if using).
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 35–40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the tin before turning out onto a plate. Dust with icing sugar and serve as it is or with a dollop of mascarpone or honeyed ricotta.
Note: Give the amaretto a miss for an alcohol-free option.
​​Enjoy!​
​

Ciambella: A Classic Italian Sponge Cake. I had to try another version of this cake. This is even easier to make than the one above. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be this one, but I will be making both in the future as this simple tea cake is something I love to eat.

Cannoli: Okay so this one is a cheats one. I bought the cannoli shells and just filled them with a vanilla pudding that I made using a packet vanilla powder mix. I only added it here as it is a great dessert when you have unexpected guests come over. Feel free to make chocolate ones also.

Here is how I made it:

1 packet mini cannoli shells
1 x 100g packet Cottee's Instant Vanilla Pudding
300ml cartons thickened cream
3/4 cups milk

In a large bowl combine the vanilla pudding mix,the cream and the milk, beat with an electric mixer for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is thick. Place in a piping bag, squeeze into your cannoli shells. Dessert is done.
Enjoy!​​
​

Italian Breakfast Banana Bread: This is more Italian style than authentic Italian. But it is delicious so I had to include it here. The addition of the espresso powder makes this one of my all time favourite banana bread recipes.

Nutella Filled Puff Pastry with Cinnamon: Recipe coming soon.

Nutella Ice Cream: This recipe coming soon. This was amazing.

Lemon Sorbet: Recipe coming soon.

Affogato: This has got to be the easiest dessert you can ever make. Three ingredients, made in minutes. I love to finish a meal with this, it's just divine. I use baileys, but you could use frangelico if you prefer.

Here is how I made it: 

Serves 1

2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 shot espresso
1 tablespoon baileys liqueur

Brew an espresso (one per person).
Scoop 1-2 scoops of vanilla ice cream into a wide glass or bowl and pour over a shot of espresso.
Pour 1 tablespoon of Baileys or your liqueur of choice over the ice cream. Serve immediately.
​Enjoy!​
​

Orangecello Cocktail: We really enjoyed this, so much so I made a few bottles of it, so I can sip on it on my deck in the afternoon sun. It has got a lovely orange flavour. This version uses the zest and the juice of oranges.
If you use 'normal' oranges you will get an orange colour to your cocktail, as pictured. If using blood oranges, you get a beautiful red coloured cocktail.

Aperol Spritz: In the south of Italy from Capri to Amalfi, the Aperol Spritz is the drink of summer, a lightly alcoholic cocktail made with bitter orange liqueur and prosecco. This is a great drink to sip on while sitting on your deck enjoying the afternoon sun.

Orangecello: We really enjoyed this, so much so I made a few bottles of it, so I can sip on it all year long. It has got a lovely orange flavour. I will never throw away orange peels away again, especially when I know the oranges have no wax on them.

Spritzer Slushy: ​I've always loved the Aperol Spritz, this just makes it even better.
This is the perfect summer party drink as you can prepare the Aperol slushy in advance, then just serve when needed.

Scroppino with Strawberry Puree: This traditional frozen Venetian drink is one of my favourite things to drink, it's like an Italian slushie. Here I've used sorbet instead of gelato but, either way, it's delicious; just be sure to serve it with long spoons or straws, if served in tall glasses.

Here is how I made it:

Serves 6

Strawberry puree:185g strawberries, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons (30ml) elderflower cordial
Scroppino:2 tablespoons (40ml) vodka, chilled
1 1/2 cups (375ml)  prosecco, chilled
1.5L (6 cups) lemon sorbet

Place six glasses in the freezer to chill. Meanwhile, to make strawberry puree, blend or process chopped strawberries and cordial until smooth. Transfer to a jug; refrigerate until needed.
To make the scroppino, place the vodka in a blender; slowly pour in the wine, then add the sorbet. Blend, in bursts, until combined.
Pour 1 tablespoon strawberry puree into the base of chilled glass, top with scroppino. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

​​​Now to add another sticker to my world map.

Next stop Benin.