ITALY’ S FINEST
1. PASTA
According to Giorgio Locatelli, apparently, every Italian is two-thirds pasta. Here’s how you can work towards that goal – whether you have lots of time on your hands (try the extra-juicy meatballs with penne), or just 25 minutes to spare (devote them all to making the rather spectactular pasta con le sarde).
SARDINE-AND-RAISIN FETTUCINE
“Pasta con le sarde – pasta with sardines – is the national dish of Sicily. It’s also a rather inspired midweek meal.”
Serves 4
EASY
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
extra virgin olive oil 2 T
capers 2 T, drained
tomatoes 2, roughly chopped
raisins 85 g
pine nuts 50 g, toasted
Woolworths Sild sardines
2 x 106 g cans, drained
Woolworths fresh or dried fettucine pasta 400 g, cooked al dente
Woolworths De Rushca extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a high heat and fry the capers until crispy. 2 Add the tomatoes, raisins and pine nuts and cook for a further 2 minutes. Carefully add the sardines. 3 Add the pasta and a ladle of the cooking water. Season to taste and drizzle with olive oil to serve.
FAT-CONSCIOUS
WINE: Iona Sauvignon Blanc 2017
EXTRA-JUICY MEATBALLS IN BRODO
“The secret to making soft and juicy meatballs is to soak the bread in milk before mixing it with the other ingredients.”
Serves 4 to 6
A LITTLE EFFORT
GREAT VALUE
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
white bread 6 slices, crusts removed
milk 1/3 cup
lean beef mince 800 g
onion 1, finely grated (keep the juices)
thyme 3 T finely chopped
Italian parsley 15 g, roughly chopped
lemon zest ½ t
free-range eggs 2, beaten
Grana Padano ½ cup grated
garlic 3 cloves, crushed
Woolworths sundried tomato quarters in oil 100 g, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
extra virgin olive oil 2 T
Woolworths organic liquid beef stock 2 cups
penne, cooked al dente, for serving
1 Soak the bread in the milk. Mix the mince, bread, onion, thyme, parsley, lemon zest, eggs, Grana Padano, garlic and sundried tomatoes. Season to taste. 2 Roll the mixture into approximately 20 balls. 3 Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the meatballs in batches. Set aside. 4 Add the stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. 5 Place the meatballs in the broth and simmer for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. 6 Serve with penne.
WINE: Waterford Kevin Arnold Shiraz 2015
2. BASIL
Best known for its starring roles in pesto and Caprese salad, basil enjoys protected status in Genoa. Make the most of its peppery flavour in this pesto (right) served with fall-apart, slow-cooked lamb, or chop it into Abigail’s quick-and-easy gnudi.
BRAISED LAMB SHOULDER WITH BASIL-AND-PISTACHIO PESTO
“Basil is a surprising knockout with lamb, especially when pistachios and Parmigiano are also involved.”
Serves 4 to 6
