Pasta is the perfect quick and easy comfort food. You can whip up a bowl in less time than it takes for the pizza delivery to arrive. Short or long, dried or fresh, saucy or not, stuffed, layered, baked – the possibilities are endless with this simple, delicious food.
Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells in Taleggio Sauce Join my food & wine tour to Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! My cooking’s often inspired by what happens to be on hand, like some delicious Vannella ricotta leftover from recipe testing and a huge bunch of chives from a herb patch gone berserk. That’s how […]
‘Nduja Strozzapreti Join my food & wine tour to Southern Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! This very versatile recipe is built around Calabria’s fiery, spreadable salami called ‘nduja (see FAQ below); it’s available from most delis and my favourite is from Salumi Australia. I’ve made this dish without the chicory (just eggs) and […]
Fettuccine Bolognese Join my Italian Small Group Food & Wine Tour Finishing in Bologna! https://youtu.be/MNEYP5H1Ia0 Slow-cooked meat sauces, called ragùs, are made all over Italy, though the best known comes from Bologna in Emilia-Romagna and is the ancestor of Australia’s beloved ‘spag bol’. Not that it would ever be served with dried spaghetti in Emilia-Romagna […]
Zucchini Carbonara Join my food & wine tour to Rome & Southern Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! Carbonara sauce traditionally contains guanciale (cured pork cheek), but I had a delicious vegetarian version with zucchini at Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point, and couldn’t resist trying to recreate it at home. You need female zucchini […]
Spaghetti Carbonara Join my food & wine tour to Rome & Southern Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! Spaghetti carbonara is one of the five classic Roman pastas. The sauce is made creamy by combining egg yolks and hard cheese – it doesn’t contain cream, despite the profusion of recipes using it. The origin […]
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Join my food & wine tour to Rome & Southern Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! Cacio e pepe, cheese and pepper – one of the simplest pasta sauces, this classic Roman pasta can also be one of the trickiest to get just right. The idea is to emulsify the […]
Mushroom Pappardelle Discover more Italian regional specialties on one of my small-group food & wine tours to Italy I love mushrooms. ‘Meat for vegetarians’ one advertising campaign called them, and I’d suggest that this super quick mushroom pappardelle is so tasty that even die-hard carnivores won’t miss the meat. In autumn, when wild mushrooms appear […]
Ravioli with Balsamic Vinegar Join my Small Group Food & Wine Tour of Modena – Home of Balsamic Vinegar Ravioli with balsamic vinegar and brown butter is my go-to when I’m really busy but want something delicious (and slightly indulgent) for dinner. It doesn’t get much simpler than three ingredients, but that means they have […]
Vegetarian Lasagne Let’s Eat Lasagne Together In Italy On one of my Italian food & wine tours! I love this vegetarian twist on a classic lasagne, full of spring greens. It’s a bit messy to make, but delicious to eat; the ricotta mixture is much thicker than the béchamel sauce used in a traditional lasagne, […]
Truffled Mac & Cheese Like truffles? Join me for a hands-on truffle hunting food & wine weekend! I first made truffled mac and cheese with white Italian truffles from Alba during their short October to December season. But it works just as well with the fresh black truffles that are the highlight of winter for […]