SUNDRIED TOMATO PESTO PASTA

There are so many ways to cook pasta, this is just one of my naughy pleasures! If you dont want to use cream stir through some ricotta instead. This dish is great served cold the following day!

500g tortiglioni pasta

3 cups fresh basil

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tbls butter

6 tbls pine nuts

2 tbls butter

2 cloves of garlic peeled

1/2 cup pouring cream

1/2 cup. thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil

 

Prepare pasta as directed; drain well (I always add bay leaves, salt and a drizzle of oil my my water for flavour).

 

In a food processor or blender puree basil, 1/4 cup cheese, oil, butter, pine nuts and garlic.Pour in saucepan and gently heat add cream and stir until slightly thickened. 

 

Toss sauce with pasta, tomatoes and rest of cheese and season with salt an pepper.

PROVENCAL-STYLE SALAD

It's a hot summers day and you don't want anything to heavy to eat.... this is the dish!
Every mouthful can be a different experience. Be sure to place emphasis on the freshness of all your ingredients. And it just looks so beautiful just like an artists palette.

6 eggs hard boiled
1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
1/2 bunch coriander, leaves picked
1/2 bunch parsley, leaves picked
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 iceberg lettuce, washed and drained
4 smoked chorizo sausages cooked and sliced

To serve
crusty bread
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
best quality extra virgin olive-oil
and red wine vinegar

Peel and half the eggs. On a large board or platter, arrange all the ingredients in seperate piles

Serve with crusty bread. At the table, guests select thier preferred combinations and proportions of each ingredient, and season to taste with salt and pepper olive oil and vinegar.

SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO

I grew up thinking of this dish as something we ate when money was tight or time was short or when my mother simply ran out of energy. Looking back I can see that this is a perfect example of cucina rustica, i.e., simple family food made for the enjoyment of the moment without pretensions. It is delicious, inexpensive, quick to prepare and perfectly suitable for a friendly, informal meal.

Please do use the best olive oil you can afford, and buy a good brand of dried pasta. This dish is always made with long pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine.

1 pkt good dried angel hair pasta
1/2 cup good olive oil
6 garlic cloves finely chopped
dried chilli optional
1 tablespoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
6 tablespoons of mixed fresh herbs such as 
flat leaf parsley oregano and basil
80g butter
freshly grated parmesan


Bring a large of slated water to the boil with a drizzle of oil salt and some bay leaves.

Cook the pasta al dente and drain, saving about 1/2 a cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking gently warm the olive oil in a very large saut'e pan, add the garlic add the chilli flakes now if you want a bit of fire. Do not burn the garlic you just want to infuse the oil, add butter and set aside.

When pasta is cooked add to warm oil, add salt and herbs until well coated. if the mixture seems dry add a drizzle of the pasta water.

Serve immediately with a good grind of black pepper and pass the grated parmesan at the table

VEAL SCALOPPINE WITH BLACK OLIVES

Gutsy flavours and healthy ingredients are the trademarks of dishes from Italy, this is a easy dish to prepare and a fulfilling one to eat with friends. Serve with steamed baby potatoes.

1kg veal escalopes

plain flour for dredging

500g ripe tomatoes sliced (can use tinned)

1/4 cup white wine

4 teaspoons salted capers rinsed and gently squeezed dry

4 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano

6 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

1/2 cup dry cured black olives (seeds removed and chopped)

olive oil for drizzling
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 200oC

If the veal is not already flattened, use a smooth meat mallet or wooden rolling pin to pound the veal lightly to an even thickness. Lightly oil a ridged grill pan or griddle over a medium heat.

Dredge the veal in the flour, shaking off any excess. sear each piece of veal in the pan for a couple of minutes on each side

Transfer meat into an oiled baking dish, arranging the pieces of veal side by side. Place the olives, slices of tomato, capers, herbs, wine, salt and pepper into a bowl and crush with your hands place over veal drizzle with olive oil.

Cover with tin foil and place in the oven for 15-20mins then remove foil and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

PAVLOVA

This melt-in-the-mouth pavlova has a soft, marshmellowy centre and a thin, crisp and fragile outer shell. Serve it with a generous amount of whipped cream and fruit of your choice.

Start this recipe at least 4 1/2 hours, and up to one day before serving time. Measure out the cream of tartar and caster sugar before you start beating the egg whites so you don't have to stop beating to do this. For more information on separating the eggs, see the tips below.

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon cream of tarar
200g caster sugar

Topping
400ml thickened cream, whipped
Fruit of your choice


Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (180 degrees celsius fan-forced).

Separating eggs
It is easier to separate eggs when they are cold. We separate eggs straight from the refrigerator then leave the whites to come to room temperature.

Ensure that no egg yolk gets into the egg white. If some egg yolk does get into the white, don't attempt to scoop it out: use the egg for another purpose. The presence of even a tiny amount of yolk can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.

Crack an egg over a small bowl to collect the white, and then transfer the white into the mixing bowl before repeating with the next egg. This way, if you accidentally break a yolk, or if one of the eggs is bad, you won't spoil more than one egg white.

If you don't have an egg separator, you can use your hand. Use your fingers to catch the yolk while the white passes between your fingers into the bowl below.

To make the pavlova, you'll need a electric beater or mixer with a large bowl. Ensure that the beaters as oil can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.

Beat the egg whites on a high speed with the cream of tartar for about 3 minutes or until you the mixture forms soft peaks. Sprinkle in one tablespoon of the sugar to the egg whites every 30 seconds. Once all of the sugar has been added continue to beat for a few minutes the mixture should be very think and glossy.

Pile the mixture onto your baking tray lined with non stick baking paper and form to a cake like shape (you can draw a 20cm diameter circle with a pencil  on your paper as a guide if you like)

Place the pavlova in the middle of the preheated oven and them immediately reduce the temperature to 100 degrees celcius and bake for one hour and 20mins . The pavlova will probably crack and sink during baking.

When the Pavlova has finished baking, turn the oven off but leave the pavlova in the oven. prop the oven door a couple of centimetres with a wooden spoon and let cool in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove the pavlova from the oven and allow this to cool at room temperature.

When ready to serve, remove baking paper place on a serving plate top with whipped cream and fruit and serve immediately

ROAST PUMPKIN AND ARTICHOKE LASAGNE

This dish is such a treat! its sweet and soft texture plays beautifully with the bite of artichoke. Your thinking to yourself cream and pasta what are you thinking?  let me tell you it’s the guilty pleasures we enjoy the most you will skip dessert and want another slice that I can assure you….

1kg jap pumpkin, peeled and cut

into 2cm cubes

125ml olive oil

4 garlic cloves

1 onion finely chopped

½ bunch thyme leaves

few gratings of fresh nutmeg

salt and freshly ground pepper

500g ricotta

1 bunch spinach steamed and chopped

1 jar marinated artichokes

10 dried lasagne sheets

350ml cream

2 cups grated grana padano

Preheat the oven to 180oC. Put the pumpkin pieces on a tray and toss with the olive oil, garlic, onion half the sage and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, than roast in the oven until tender or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool a little (keeping oven on). Put the mixture in a bowl add the ricotta and mash everything together.

Pour a little of the cream to coat the bottom of your lasagne dish. Place your lasagne sheets over the cream. Spread some of the pumpkin mixture over the top of your sheets then 1 third of your cooked spinach and some of your parmesan repeat 3 times and place yours chopped artichokes on top and remaining thyme leaves and bake in the oven for 30-40mins or until golden.

Let rest for 15mins before serving