Tag: italian
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Pasta: Rigatoni
Rigatoni, Italian for long lined shapes, are tubular in shape and hold onto pasta sauce perfectly just like their thinner cousins, Penne.
It is primarily sold dried (pasta secca) and is available everywhere.
Here I have bathed it in a cheese and water cream:
And here it is with a beef ragu:
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts.
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Pasta: Fettuccine
Fettuccine are long flat pasta shapes that are perfect for twisting around your fork, trapping sauce as you go. Their larger wider cousins Tagliatelle and Pappardelle are similar in length and use.
I like to make my own, using semolina and egg in my Philips Pasta And Noodle Maker.
Fettuccine is also perfect for lighter sauces showcasing eggs, cheese, nuts and vegetables.
My favourite way to prepare this pasta shape is Chicken Alfredo.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are a couple more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts.
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Pancetta
Pancetta is a cured meat product made from the pork belly cut. It is produced in two forms, rolled or flat. Bacon can also be made from this cut so what is the difference between pancetta and bacon?
Bacon is salt cured (by brining) and then smoked to preserve it. Pancetta is cured using salt, pepper and sugar and then hung to dry. If it is smoked it is only lightly done and for flavour only.
Preserving meat via various curing techniques was the only way before refrigeration to extend the times of year that meat was available.
It is perfect in pasta dishes, pizza, salads, tasting plates and the list goes on. You just need to remove the rind and cut it to size. It is chewier than bacon and although salty, you can taste the herbs and spices the manufacturer used. There are some with a hefty pepper and chilli punch.
Pancetta is a must have Italian cooking ingredient and as such I have started making my own using a ‘River Cottage‘ recipe. It is early days but I will post how it turns out soon though. 🙂
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more posts about salumi and Italian cusine:
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Pasta: Maccheroni, Macaroni
Macaroni is a short, hollow pasta shape. The curved version is also know as elbow pasta outside Italy. It is great in soups, salads and pairs well with both heavy and light sauces.
It is primarily sold dried (pasta secca) but I like to make it using my Philips Pasta And Noodle Maker.
Like most people, I love ‘mac and cheese’ and you can see my recipe here.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts.
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Pasta: Penne
Penne, Italian for pens, is a relatively new pasta shape but is popular world-wide. They are tubular in shape and hold sauce like no other.
It is primarily sold dried (pasta secca) and available everywhere.
Here I am making Penne al Baffo. It is a saucy delight of cream and tomato paste.
Enjoy and sorry if it gets in your moustache (hehehehe),
PK
Here are some more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts.
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Pasta: Conchigliette, Conchiglie and Conchiglioni
I find conchigliette (aka small shell pasta) perfect for thin sauces/emulsions, soups and salads. This includes light meat sauces such as the slow cooked lamb shank and vegetable broth I show below.
Their ridges and shell shape grip and hold the sauce for that perfect mouthful.
The next size up is called conchiglie and is great for heavier sauces.
Last but not least, the jumbo shells are called Conchiglioni and are perfect for stuffing with vegetables, cheese and meats.
Dried conchigliette:
Here I have served the shells with a a light lamb shank broth, shaved Parmesan and sage:
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts.
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Simple Chicken And Rosemary Casserole
It is the classic Italian pairing of rosemary and chicken that makes this simple casserole a winner.
I tend to make it later in the week and take advantage of what ever vegetables are lurking at the back of the fridge. I always aim to the use Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s ‘trinity’ of carrot, onion and celery though.
You can even make it in larger batches as it freezes well and also makes a great pie/pastry pocket filling.
Note: Takes about 2. 5 hours but most of that is the occasional stir on the hob.
INGREDIENTS
- A good slug of olive oil
- 800g chicken thighs, boneless, cubed
- 500ml chicken stock
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, whole and bruised
- Several small rosemary sprigs
- 1 – 2 Tbsp cornflour
STEPS
- Browing the chicken
- Sautéing the vegetables
- Simmering on the hob (2hrs)
- Serving
EQUIPMENT
- 1 chefs knife
- 1 casserole dish
- 1 wooden or slotted spoon
Browning the chicken
- Chuck a slug of olive oil into the caserole dish and bring to medium heat.
- Brown the 800g cubed chicken thighs and reserve.
Sautéing the vegetbles
- Add a bit more oil if required to the casserole dish.
- Throw in the:
- 3 celery stalks
- 1 brown onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 garlic cloves
- The rosemary sprigs
- Sauté evertyhing for about 5 minuts.
- Add the 500ml chicken stock and return the chicken to the pan.
Simmering on the hob
This is the easy bit. Simmer for about 2 hours or until the liquid has reduced to your liking. Just give it a few gentle stirs to stop it sticking.
Serving
I love serving it on a bed of rice or with chunky boiled potatoes.
I also like to make pastry pockets or pies with it.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are a few stews, casseroles and Italian cuisine posts .
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Pasta: Orecchiette
Italian for ‘little ears’, the pasta shape called Orecchiette does indeed look like little ears. They are a heartier pasta shape being smaller and thicker than some others.
Their shape and rough inner side make them perfect for grabbing sauce and small bits of meat and vegetable. Capers for example fit perfectly.
I like to make my own by kneading my egg pasta dough into long thick noodle shapes.
I then use this technique:
TIme consuming to make but fittingly rewarding 🙂
You can serve Orecchiette so many ways. From bacon, cheese and onion to carbonara to tomato based sauces to white wine and mushrooms and back.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are a few more pasta shape and recipe posts.
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Pasta: Pappardelle
Pappardelle is a long flat pasta shape that is perfect for twisting around your fork, trapping sauce as you go. Its narrower cousin Tagliatelle is similar in length and use.
I like to make my own, about 55cm long and 1.8cm wide, using my Philips Pasta And Noodle Maker.
The machine imparts a roughness perfect for holding thicker sauces and meat. Tagliatelle is also perfect for lighter sauces showcasing eggs, cheese, nuts and vegetables.
My favourite way to prepare it however is by drowning it in a brown butter and sage sauce.
Or perhaps in a richer Crème Fraîche and cheese sauce.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are a couple more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts.
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Homemade Garlic Bread
I had a hankering for garlic bread the other day. When I went to the freezer to see if we had some in I came up empty handed however.
I did a quick google and there were a lot of posts using bread, ground garlic and butter. So easy and the result was perfect. I will never buy frozen garlic bread again. 🙂
For the perfect garlic bread simply butter slices of bread and sprikle them with garlic powder.
Then pop them on an oven tray and into an oven on 210 C for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
You can even add cheese!
Perfect with some spaghetti carbonara.
Enjoy,
PK
If you liked this post you might like these too. 🙂
Bread:
More Italiano (yes I know garlic bread is American haha)
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