The right recipe for these rainy days

Rain rain and more rain!
It was a long time that I wasn’t complaining about the weather, but I have to say that now it’s a bit too much. It’s almost one month that rains without stop and also if it’s not too much cold, for sure this is not the weather you expect in spring.
Thanks God, last saturday when I went to the market the sun decided to appear for few hours and I could enjoy a nice stroll and some shopping. I could see already some english asparagus between the amount of colorful vegetables , but I didn’t feel like cooking something with that yet.

I was actually more interested in something hot, and comfy, maybe baked... And here it was ... A nice cauliflower! I have read in fact that this is the best month for them in UK and so the shopping was done and the recipe came just after: "I will do a typical english dish revisited in an italian way.... With pasta of course!"

Here is the recipe for my Cauliflower cheese baked pasta and the ingredients for 4 people:

320 gr of Mezze Maniche Rigate Pastificio dei Campi

200 gr cauliflower florets

80 gr of shelled hazelnuts 

30 gr of grated parmesan

120gr of grated mature cheddar cheese

30 gr of butter

salt, pepper and a bit of chilli too

Cook the cauliflower florets in boiling salted water for 7-8 minutes, then drain them maintaining the water to cook the pasta. Mash them a bit in a pan where you have previously put some olive oil and a garlic clove. Smash the hazelnuts in little pieces but don't make a powder.

Cook the pasta in the cauliflower water adding salted water. Drain when al dente and pour into the pan with the cauliflower florets, add the hazelnuts, some pepper and chilli, the grated cheddar cheese and a bit of grated parmesan and stir until the cheese is melted.

Pour the preparation into a greased baking dish with the butter, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and cook in oven at 180 ° C for 30 minutes. Serve piping hot and enjoy!

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More than 7 different  pasta dishes

Yes, this is the number of recipes he cooked for us all in one night! An explosion of taste, , traditions and high quality ingredients all mixed to create the perfect pasta night.
Between recipes, jokes, some learning from his experience and the italian tradition, Massimo Riccioli cooked some of the most famous Italian pasta dishes with Pastificio dei Campi and his personal touch!
Here a little recap of the night just to let you imagine the amazing time we had.
We started with some surprising pasta chips, fried Spaghetti served as a crunchy snack.

Then he opened the night with Vermicelli alla Sorrentina, with tomato, mozzarella and basil... This was just a little entry to tease the guests. “The red calls the black… like Pastificio dei Campi boxes, so here for you black squid ink pasta” This was one of the best dishes of the night Vermicelli with black squid ink and some grated salty ricotta! Everyone was amazed! 

To come back to the base of our cuisine, Massimo prepared a great Carbonara with Calle Pastificio dei Campi. Look at the pictures and tell me if it’s not tempting!

“ Now some inter regional Orecchiette with onion, like in Genova, broccoli and sardines from Sicily, the pasta from Gragnano and the original inspiration from Puglia.”

My favourite? Linguine with scallops, basil and a fantastic smoked ricotta cheese! Just a feast of taste.

When we were all thinking that the night was ending and with it the pasta dishes… Massimo started to cook again, and this time was… amatriciana of course, another pillar of the roman tradition! He chose Eliche Pastificio dei Campi for this dish and he didn’t put any oil or salt. All is left to the ingredients!

And to close the night, like in the most funny and long parties at home in Italy... Spaghetti aglio, olio e pepperoncino (oil garlic and chili). The  classic dish everyone cook in the long summer night, when all the friends are together in some house and the morning is approaching! Irresistible!

Do you want to come along next time to try Pastificio dei Campi as cooked by Massimo Riccioli? You are guaranteed to have a good time! Keep an eye on this space or write me in the comments space!

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Pasta e Patate: one of the cheapest and tastiest recipes ever

Considering the really rainy Saturday just passed and some cold days we still have ahead, I decided to cook what it could probably be the last pasta soup recipe of this season.
 
For the occasion, and in the Oscar's mood,  I decided to follow the recipe of one of the most famous Neapolitan actors of the past: Eduardo De Filippo. He was a very funny and intelligent man who acted in lots of famous play in Italy. He was an actor, playwright, screenwriter, author and poet  and he was so famous that in 1981, De Filippo was appointed life senator of the Italian Republic.

He also loved to cook and in the south traditional way of course, so when he died the wife wrote a book with all his recipes and tips: “Si cucine cumme vogli'i' (Cooked in the way I want).  
Curious to know a little bit more? Here is the delicious potatoes pasta soup I prepared yesterday. The ingredients for 5-6 people are:

- 500gr potatoes

- an onion

7-8 cherry tomatoes

-olive oil, salt, chili

- fresh parsley

- 300gr Pasta Mista, in this case Pastificio dei Campi
 

Put some oil in a pan with the onions and the cherry tomatoes in pieces. Let them cook a bit and then add salt, chili and the potatoes cut in little cubes.
 
Let it absorb the nice sauce and then add the water until cover all. Put down the fire a bit, cover with the tap and let it cook.
 
When the potatoes will soft (but not too much) add a bit more water and the pasta. The mix shape of the pasta will make a perfect mix with the potatoes in pieces and cooking it with the rest will create a nice and dense soup.
 
When ready,if you want it a bit less dense add some water, or just serve it in a plate with some Parmesan, fresh olive oil and some fresh chopped parsley! I’m sure you will love it.

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Aphrodisiac and made with love

I was thinking last day at what could be a perfect recipe for S.Valentine's day. Also considering that I’m not a big fan of this day, because a bit too fake for my taste, it's true that at the end I always try to organize something a bit special.

What are you going to do this year? I have some last minute suggestions for you! In fact S.Valentine doesn't absolutely means expensive restaurants, but what about a nice and quick dish prepared at home with love and care? Just surprise your half and yourself too with a different dinner.

So what can be good for S.Valentine? "Aphrodisiac food "everyone would answer, and what is more aphrodisiac than a bit of chili. Lot's of italian dishes use this ingredients, so you have a big choice. From the easiest recipe of spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and chili (just hot up some oil, add chili and crushed garlic cloves, then toss the spaghetti in there and serve it without parmesan) to some paccheri with seafood or fresh fish for example.

I went to the market last day and I found some great squid, king prawns and scallops and I was already drooling. I personally prefer the pasta with fish in white sauce, just with chili, garlic, olive oil and white wine, but it's also very common to add some fresh cherry tomatoes or a bit of tomato sauce. The result is anyway great!

Here the ingredients for my S. Valentine dish:

- 200gr of Paccheri Pastificio dei Campi (better if you can take the "duetto" box... What can be more romantic than a packet made for just 2 people?)

- 4 big king prawns

- 2 calamari

- some scallops if you find them

- parsley, salt, chili

- a glass of white wine

- extra virgin olive oil

- 2-3 garlic cloves

Put some olive oil in a pan and crush there the garlic cloves and some chili. Put some water to boil and then start to clean and wash the fish. Cut the calamari in slices and the scallops if you want, while put the prawns to boil for one minute.

Add all the fish to the pan and let it cook for a bit. Then pour a bit of white wine and let evaporate. Add some salt, chopped parsley and a slice of butter (this is my secret touch to make everything even more tastier). Finally drain the pasta and finish the cooking in the pan with the rest of the fish and sauce.

When ready just serve it with a sparkle of fresh pepper if you want or parsley but not Parmesan please! 

I wish a great S.Valentine's day to everyone.

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Another great english tradition... ready to be spiced up by some italian food

I was reading today about this nice english annual celebration, the Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night and all the events organized for the 5th of November, anniversary of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605.

As many of you know, the use of the term "Guy Fawkes Night" originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England and replace him with a Catholic head of state.

 The festivities involve firework displays and the burning of bonfires, upon which an effigy (traditionally that of Fawkes) is ritually burnt.

In Italy we don't have so many occasions for fireworks. We normally use them celebrating the 15th of August, a religious festivity, now also seen as a mid summer party occasion. Then of course there is New Year's Eve but it's not really different from what everyone does in UK.

Looking at some food website in these days, i couldn't  ignore all the recipes and menu suggestions for tomorrow: I learned about the Parkin, or the Toffee Apples, but i was a bit disappointed by the main courses... soup or chilli con carne ?!

I understand the spicy factor of the chili, but what about the soup? So at this point i would cook some Penne all'Arrabbiata, with just  tomato sauce, garlic, chili and parsley: very easy and quick to prepare also for a big number of people ... and yes, spicy enough to enjoy the Bonfire Night.

So what is your plan for tomorrow night? Are you going to watch the fireworks somewhere or you will be so lucky to be able to see them from your own flat? And are you going to have chili con carne or pasta?

Anyway i wish you to enjoy the party!

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From Brazil to UK everyone cooking pasta and enjoying it!

Yesterday was the World Pasta Day and after New York, the place chosen this year for the big celebration was Brazil, third world producer of pasta. From the first congress in Rome in 1995, delegations from various countries once a year discuss together the theme of the collective promotion in favour of pasta consumption, exchanging their ideas and experiences.

The first event was successfully carried through, thanks to the efforts of the Steering Committee, consisting of representatives of the National Pasta Association (United States), of UN.A.F.P.A. and of the Associations of Venezuela and of Turkey.

The objective of World Pasta Day is "to draw the attention of the media and consumers to pasta. Communication should underline the fact that pasta is a global food, consumed in all five continents, having unquestionable merits, appropriate for a dynamic and healthy life style capable of meeting both primary food requirements and those of high-level gastronomy".

I wanted to participate as well in this celebration and i decided to cook a nice and easy spaghetti dish with courgettes and Taleggio cheese.

Last weekend in fact in Southbank in London, was organized a nice Cheese and Wine Festival, that i couldn't miss. Lots of different producers from France, England and Italy came to sell their products and the atmosphere was really great.

I had a little tour between the stands and the activities organized there: there were short wine taste courses, champagne stands, but also products from bakeries were been sold... and of course lots of cheese. I bought some french "Bleu d'Auvergne" to eat on some fresh bread as a starter and some italian Taleggio to cook a new pasta recipe.

I know that a very good combination is Taleggio with "Radicchio rosso" a kind of red chicory, very typical of the north east of Italy, but quite difficult to find here. So i decide to use another vegetable, easier to find and cook: the courgettes were the right choice because with their delicate taste, they can create a  good mix with the italian cheese without covering it or disappearing.

Wash and cut the courgettes in thin slices or even in little pieces and stripes. Put some oil in a pan with the shallot chopped finely. Let it cook a bit and when tender add the courgettes, salt and pepper. Wait for them to absorb some of the oil and when they start to fry, add a glass of white wine.

When evaporated, cover the pan and wait for the courgettes to cook and get mild and colored. In the meantime boil some water, then add salt and the spaghetti. If the courgette are getting too dry, add some milk or water from the pasta to let them cook and become tastier.

When the pasta is ready, add to the courgettes the Taleggio cut in little cubes and then the drained pasta. Toss it all a bit until the Taleggio is melted and mixed with the courgettes.

Serve it hot with some Parmesan, pepper or chili on top.

Enjoy the World Pasta Day!

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From the center of Italy to your table in only 10 minutes.

Have you ever cooked pasta at home? Maybe yes, but what about pastaamatriciana? It's one of the most traditional dishes in Italy, especially in Rome: Amatrice in fact is a town really close to this amazing city . The recipe is very quick, simple but really tasty...
 
This sauce goes particularly well with a special type of pasta: bucatini. Do you know it? It's a long pasta, similar to spaghetti but it's thicker and  bigger and has an hole in the middle! This makes the pasta not too heavy, but still more consistent than a classic spaghetto. Normally this kind of pasta could be quite hard to find in London, but now with Pastificio dei Campi you can find it at Harvey Nichols or online at Food in the city. 

So if you are tired of  always cooking spaghetti with the same tomato sauce, than this is  certainly  the time for you to try this recipe...especially now with the arrive of the new shallots  in the supermarkets! A few simple products will give you a complete and delicious dish, and because it's so quick and easy, why don't invite some friends for dinner like i did last night?

Ingredients for 4 - 5 people:

 - 500 gr of  Bucatini Pastificio dei Campi

 - 2 small shallots

- 200 gr of guanciale, if you can't find this you can use pancetta
 
- 500 gr of tomato passata

- 80 gr of Pecorino romano

- extra virgin olive oil

- salt, pepper and a bit of chilli peppers

Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the guanciale or pancetta cut in little pieces. Then add the chopped shallots (tastier than a regular onion) and wait for them to cook a bit on a medium fire.

When the shallots become transparent, add the tomato passata, with some salt, pepper and the chilli peppers cut  in thin slices. In the meantime boil water with some salt  and when ready add the pasta and cook for around 6 minutes. While you are waiting for the passata and the rest to cook, grate some roman Pecorino cheese. This looks very similar to Parmesan cheese but it's saltier and has a stronger taste.

Check on the sauce. If it’s getting too dry, turn off the fire until the pasta is ready. Then drain the pasta, but keep some water on a side just in case. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss it whilst the pan is on the fire so the pasta will be able to absorb the great sauce and flavours.

Serve it on a plate with some grated pecorino on top and fresh grated black pepper if you like it. I hope you will enjoy the bucatini and this real roman recipe.

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