Spaghetti with Asparagus, Burrata and Ramp Pesto
I think spring is my favourite season - until I feel the same in summer, autumn, or winter, depending on my mood. Spring offers a lot of drama and surprises. The changeover from the cold season is so drastic, so abrupt. There's so much energy around and inside me all of a sudden without even knowing where it's coming from. The temperature rises, nature's sprouting and flourishing at every corner, adding colour to a scene that was brown and grey only a few weeks ago. I welcome these changes with gushing excitement and open the doors to my kitchen for all those greens that are soon to come to my cooking space.
In the past couple weeks, the fragile leaves of fragrant ramps brought Mediterranean pesto back to our table. And crisp asparagus is next. The official harvest start of the white asparagus from Beelitz happened last week, so let the feasting begin! When I eat the white stalks, I'm quite a traditionalist. Young potatoes, ham, and Hollandaise sauce is all I need. But when it comes to green asparagus, I become more experimental.
This little lunch was as simple as it was stunning: I added the green stalks, boiled and very thinly sliced, to a plate of warm spaghetti, burrata (mozzarella di Bufala would also work), and ramp pesto. You could also go for a basil or arugula (rucola) pesto, but I enjoyed the subtle oniony flavour in my green creation. In case you disagree, you'll find the links to all three pesto recipes below. Buon Appetito!
Spaghetti with Asparagus, Burrata and Ramp Pesto
Serves 2
For the ramp pesto
(here you can find alternative recipes for basil or arugula pesto)
ramps or ramson, leaves only, 1 medium bunch (around 60g / 2 ounces)
parmesan 30g / 1 ounce
olive oil 60ml / 1/4 cup
salt 1/4 teaspoon
For the pasta
green asparagus, the bottoms cut off, 1 pound
spaghetti 150-200g / 5-7 ounces
olive oil
burrata (or mozzarella di Bufala) 200g / 7 ounces
ramp pesto about 4 tablespoons
flaky sea salt
black peppercorns, crushed with a mortar
For the pesto, purée the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and season with salt to taste.
Cook the asparagus in plenty of salted water for about 3 minutes or until al dente. Using a slotted ladle, transfer the asparagus to a colander (leave the water in the pot), rinse the stalks briefly with cold water, and drain. Using a sharp knife, lengthwise, quarter each stalk into 4 long pieces (including the heads).
To cook the pasta, put the pot you used for the asparagus back on the heat, bring the water to the boil (add more water if necessary), and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, transfer back to the pot, and stir in a tiny splash of olive oil.
Divide the pasta and asparagus between 2 plates, folding the vegetable into the spaghetti. Break the burrata in half and place in the middle of each pasta plate. Drizzle with pesto and a few drops of olive oil (optional) and season with salt and crushed pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Spaghetti with Lemon Pistachio Pesto and Mozzarella di Bufala
I love to end the year with a plate full of spaghetti. It gives me the kind of comfort that pasta masters to perfection. Its beauty and magic lies in simplicity - and in many happy carbs. This year's combination is tangy, a bit creamy, and nutty - it makes me feel good and that's all I need. So here's my Mediterranean creation to celebrate the changeover from 2016 to 2017: spaghetti with lemon pistachio pesto and mozzarella di Bufala.
In the past 12 months of this turbulent year I felt my limits quite often and I flew higher than I thought I could ever fly without burning my wings. I saw my first cookbook being born, being celebrated during my book tour in Berlin, London, Malta, New York, and Washington. I saw the Eat In My Kitchen book reaching the New York Times' list of 'The Best Cookbooks of Fall 2016', which I still can't really believe. So much love and support came into my life, so much happiness has been spread through this book that feels like a baby to me. There were unbelievable highs, so many wonderful moments, moments that I will feel thankful for for the rest of my life. But there were also lows and losses that tore trenches into my heart that will hurt for the rest of my life. I lost a person who's been so close to me that I sometimes can't even say who's me and who's him. He was my mentor, my supporter, my biggest critic, my challenger. He was my friend, my most beloved Swabian, and my step father. I wouldn't be who I am without him, and I'll never again be who I was before he left this world. Eat In My Kitchen wouldn't be what it is without him.
I want to thank all of you for supporting me and my book, for being there and for coming back to these pages here on the blog. Eat In My Kitchen makes me grow every day, this blog makes me go back to my kitchen and experiment more than I would do if I didn't write about it. Thank you for being on this journey together with me.
Have a peaceful and joyful start to the New Year!
Meike
Spaghetti with Lemon Pistachio Pesto and Mozzarella di Bufala
Serves 2
For the spaghetti
dried spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
olive oil
mozzarella di Bufala, torn into bite sized pieces, 125g / 4 1/2 ounces
flaky sea salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
For the pesto
freshly grated lemon zest 4 tablespoons, plus more for the topping
freshly grated young Parmesan 4 tablespoons, plus more for the topping
finely chopped shelled pistachios (unsalted) about 1 tablespoon, plus more (roughly chopped) for the topping
olive oil 3 tablespoons
fine sea salt
In a large pot filled with salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and stir in a little splash of olive oil.
For the pesto, in a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, Parmesan, pistachios, and olive oil and use the back of a spoon to press the Parmesan into the oil until well combined. Season to taste with salt.
Divide the spaghetti and mozzarella di Bufala between plates. Sprinkle with pesto, additional lemon zest, Parmesan, and pistachios. Season to taste with flaky sea salt and crushed peppercorns, serve immediately.
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Pistachio Pesto and a new Saturday ritual
We started a new ritual and that's to spend our Saturdays without any electronic devices, preferably in the countryside. It's just the two of us, no duties, meetings, parties or anything, we just go with the flow and see where our mood takes us. I can't even say which part of this ritual I enjoy more, the fact that we leave the city for a few hours or that I have 24 hours without emails, Instagram or any other social network activities. I love it.
Last Saturday we spontaneously decided to take the bus to the west of Berlin to have a cup of espresso in my aunt Ursula's kitchen. She and my uncle Uwe make the best coffee in town and whenever I announce our visit, I can be sure to find a few pieces of cake on their table - they know me well. The espresso tasted so good that I had to have 2 doppio, which made me a bit hyperactive and ready for the next adventure. We wanted to visit Berlin's best farmers market at Karl-August-Platz, but we got "stuck" on Kantstraße, a street famous for its Asian restaurants. We stopped at a restaurant that I've been wanting to test for years, but unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations. We ordered 6 dishes and none of them really struck me. The problem with hyped food places in the city is that you expect something outstandingly amazing if so many people talk about it. So if it's just average, it's disappointing. Our dessert was ice cream from the supermarket, which I don't do very often, but it never lets me down and it's a reminder of lots of good childhood memories. Stuffed and happy we walked to a small lake and fell asleep in the warming sunlight. The whole scene felt a bit Roman: Two happy people after a lavish meal taking a nap on a blanket in the grass.
Revitalized, we drove back home, planning our dinner of white asparagus, fresh from the fields in Beelitz. It wouldn't be a proper Saturday if our plans didn't change with our mood. We stopped by at our favourite local wine shop to buy a bottle of rosé for our meal, but the little bistro tables looked so inviting that we couldn't resist sitting down for a glass of German Weissburgunder, some lemon olives, and an asparagus quiche. We got chatty and silly and stayed until 11pm, needless to say, we didn't stop after the first glass.
We haven't made any plans for next weekend yet, but at one point there will be this pasta dish on the table again, which I came up with last week and got hooked on. It's a quick pesto made of sun-dried tomatoes and pistachios, the combination is divine, and it's even better when it's stirred into warm spaghetti. It also works very well as a thick spread on rustic white bread, the perfect nibble along with a glass of chilled German white wine. There's one thing that our Saturdays have in common, there's often a bottle of good wine involved - la dolce vita for a day!
Here's my recipe for another sun-dried tomato pesto, with rosemary and thyme.
Pasta with Dried-Tomato and Pistachio Pesto
Serves 2
For the spaghetti
dried spaghetti, about 200g / 7 ounces
flaky sea salt, for the topping
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, for the topping
For the pesto
sun-dried tomatoes, preserved in salt, 50g / 1 3/4 ounces
salted shelled pistachios 60g / 2 ounces, plus a few chopped pistachios for the topping
olive oil 60ml / 1/4 cup
garlic, crushed, 1 large clove
In a large pot, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente.
In a small saucepan, cook the sun-dried tomatoes in a little boiling water for about 3-4 minutes or until soft. Reserve the water and rinse the tomatoes under cold water. Pat them dry with paper towels.
In a food processor or blender, purée the dried tomatoes along with 4 tablespoons of their cooking water, the pistachios, olive oil, and the garlic until smooth. Add more of the cooking water and olive oil if the pesto is too dry.
Divide the pasta between 2 plates and stir in some of the pesto. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and season with flaky sea salt and crushed pepper to taste.
You can use any leftover pesto as a spread on bread.
Spaghetti with Pea Pesto, Roast Garlic, and Fresh Marjoram
So now that spring has officially begun, the leaves on the tree in front of my living room window should start sprouting in fresh crisp greens, the birds should sing all day, and the rosé wine should fill the glasses to welcome the new season. But - apart from the pink wine - there isn't the slightest sign of bright sunshine and rising temperatures in the city. It makes no sense to despair, so I use the kitchen to create the atmosphere I'm after instead. The wine is chilled, the spaghetti's cooked, and a bright green pesto of sweet peas (frozen, I must admit), and fresh marjoram puts me in the right mood. I also roast whole cloves of garlic in their skins in the oven to turn them into a sweet paste. The golden cloves are mashed with a fork and mixed into the pasta - this dish looks like spring, tastes like spring, and makes me forget about grey skies, leafless trees, and my constant lack of sunshine.
This is the last of three recipes I created for Westelm. You can find all three recipes including my Mozzarella, Tapenade, and Preserved Lemon Sandwich and Pumpkin Quiche with Taleggio and Sage on their blog. This post was sponsored by Westelm to make my kitchen a little prettier!
Spaghetti with Pea Pesto, Roast Garlic, and Fresh Marjoram
Serves 2
For the pesto
peas (fresh or frozen) 200g / 7 ounces
fresh marjoram leaves 2 teaspoons, plus 2 tablespoons marjoram leaves for the topping
water used to cook the peas 3 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons
olive oil 3 tablespoons
fine sea saltg
round pepper
large garlic cloves, unpeeled, 12-16
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F.
For the pea pesto, in a small saucepan, bring salted water to the boil and blanch the peas for 1 minute, reserve about 6 tablespoons of the water. Drain and quickly rinse the peas with cold water. Purée the peas, marjoram, 3 tablespoons of the water used to cook the peas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth. If the pesto is too dry, add more of the pea-water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Spread the garlic cloves in a baking dish and roast, turning the garlic occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until the garlic is soft enough to mash with a fork - mind that it doesn't burn. Take the garlic out of the oven, let it cool for a minute, then peel the garlic cloves out of their skins and mash with a fork.
In a large pot, bring plenty of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente, drain, and stir in a splash of olive oil.
Divide the spaghetti between plates, sprinkle generously with the pea pesto, crushed pepper, and fresh marjoram leaves. Lay the mashed garlic on top and serve immediately.
Roasted Garlic Butter Spaghetti with Thyme
The amount of garlic in this velvety, buttery pasta recipe sounds intimidating but if you let go of the idea of harsh, raw garlic and think of smooth, almost perfumed, oven-roasted cloves instead, it makes a lot of sense.
I used 22 large cloves, cooked in their skins in a hot oven. This kind of roasting turns them into a sweet, almost caramelized paste, so soft that you can mash them with a fork. I only mixed them with a bit of butter and salt and my pasta dish was almost done. Just young pecorino melted on top of the spaghetti - Parmesan would have been too strong and salty - and a few fresh thyme leaves and crushed peppercorns to balance out the sweetness.
It's a simple dish but there's something very sensuous and satisfying about it at the same time. If I weren't such a traditionalist, I could even consider exchanging my annual Christmas duck with this plate of pasta. A bottle of extravagant Bordeaux - bought without looking at the price, seeing that the dish itself wouldn't cost much - and my relaxed Christmas Eve would be sorted. However, I can't live without my slow roasted bird on the 24th December - which is Christmas in Germany. It was just a thought.
Roast Garlic Butter Spaghetti with Thyme
Serves 2
garlic 22 large cloves (in their skin)
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
butter, soft, about 30g / 2 tablespoons
flaky sea salt
young pecorino, freshly grated, about 2-3 tablespoons
fresh thyme leaves, about 2 tablespoons
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F (conventional setting).
Spread the garlic in a large baking dish and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until soft. Turn the cloves occasionally and mind that they don't burn. Let them cool for a few minutes, peel them out of their skins and transfer them to a blender or food processor.
Cook the pasta in a large pot in plenty of salted water until al dente.
Add the butter and a little salt to the garlic in the blender and purée until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Mix the warm spaghetti with the garlic butter and divide between plates. Sprinkle with pecorino, thyme, and pepper. Season with salt to taste and enjoy!
Porcini and Chanterelles Spaghetti with Orange Butter and Sage
Three bags full of porcini, chanterelles and king oyster mushrooms fresh from the market and a sudden change of recipe: mushroom gnocchi were on my mind, aromatic porcini finely chopped and mixed into a soft potato dough, but kitchen life doesn't always go to plan. My recipe didn't work out at all. A complete kitchen disaster, which I had to save by turning the gnocchi dough into a completely different kind of dish. Although it ended successfully, I felt exhausted but that's another story and recipe to share another time (soon!).
The frustration about the unexpected failure and my growing appetite could only be cured by my most beloved comfort dish - pasta. Spaghetti with a little finesse, stirred in fruity orange butter - smooth like velvet - I mixed them with my leftover mushrooms. Sautéed until al dente with a topping of woody, crisped sage leaves, they were delicious! I was in peace again, with mushrooms and gnocchi and experimental recipes.
Porcini and Chanterelles Spaghetti with Orange Butter and Sage
Serves 2
spaghetti, cooked al dente, 200g / 7 ounces
butter
olive oil
porcini, cut into 1 1/2 cm / 1/2" pieces, 60g / 2 ounces
chanterelles, cut in half (lengthwise), 100g / 3 1/2 ounces
king oyster mushrooms, cut into 1 1/2 cm / 1/2" pieces, 100g / 3 1/2 ounces
fine sea salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
fresh sage leaves 15
freshly squeezed orange juice 5 tablespoons
zest of 1 orange, for the topping
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a heavy pan and sauté the porcini for 1 minute on high heat until golden. Stir constantly, season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in the same pan and sauté the chanterelles for 1-1 1/2 minutes, season with salt and pepper and transfer next to the porcini on the plate. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and a splash of olive oil and sauté the king oyster mushrooms for 2-2 1/2 minutes until golden brown and with bite, season with salt and pepper and lay on the plate with the other mushrooms. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and fry the sage leaves on medium-high heat for about half a minute until golden and crisp but not dark, transfer to a plate and pour the orange juice into the hot pan. Scrape off the bits and pieces and add the cooked pasta and mushrooms to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with orange zest (to taste) and crisp sage leaves and enjoy warm.
Spaghetti with Pan Roasted Fennel
A while ago, I cooked a fragrant pan full of crisp and golden fennel potatoes for us. I used fennel seeds and the vegetable's thinly sliced bulb for this recipe, it was so good that I promised myself that I would use this combination for pasta one day. It took more than 3 months but it's finally on our plates and my feeling was right, it works equally well with both.
The crisp vegetable adds a fresh touch to this dish, its distinct flavor is softer than the seeds, it's almost citrusy. The seeds however add a warming depth, I roast them in a little olive oil to enhance their fragrant aroma and turn them into crunchy bites. You just have to be careful not to burn them, they taste bitter if they become too dark.
It was a quick one, all in all this meal only took 10 minutes to prepare. Once you throw the pasta into the boiling water you only need 3 minutes to cook the fennel before you mix everything with flaky sea salt and coarsely crushed pepper. It's the perfect busy weekday or lazy weekend dinner!
Spaghetti with Pan Roasted Fennel
For 2 people you need
spaghetti 100g / 3 1/2oz
fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar, 1 1/2 tablespoons
olive oil
medium fennel bulb, cut in half and the stalk cut off, very thinly sliced, 1
flaky sea salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Cook the pasta in lots of salted water al dente.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a large heavy pan and cook the fennel seeds on medium heat for about 1 minute (they shouldn’t get dark!). Pull the pan off the heat, take the seeds out with a spoon and set them aside. Put the pan back on the heat and add the sliced fennel, sauté on medium heat for about 2-3 minute, the slices should be between al dente and soft. Stir in the spaghetti, fennel seeds and a splash of olive oil and season with sea salt and crushed pepper to taste, serve immediately.
Radicchio and Balsamic Butter Spaghetti with Marjoram and Pine Nuts
Bitter radicchio, sweet and sour balsamic butter and flowery marjoram is a very powerful combination, every single flavour is dominant rather than subtle. They all scream for attention, but somehow manage to merge in this comfy pasta dish to create something bigger, a new taste that's beyond their individual qualities.
Whenever I savour a meal with spaghetti, I'm always impressed by how such an easy dish can make me feel so good, comfortable and cosy, and at the same time, caress me with its sensuality. The most simple and quickest pasta dish, be it carbonara, bolognese, pure red sauce, or just butter and parmesan, can feel like a Mediterranean feast, it makes me forget about duties and sorrows, it's a celebration of life. I guess that's also the reason why there's often wine involved, at least at my dinner table. It makes me want to have the windows wide open, dreamy music in the air carried away by a soft breeze, this is one of the most sensual meals in the whole world, spaghetti! Just thinking about it, writing about it, wakes up my senses, seeing the plate in front of me, smelling the teasing aroma of radicchio, vinegar, butter, nuts and fresh marjoram, makes me want to sing out loud and raise the glasses! Buon appetito!
Radicchio and Balsamic Butter Spaghetti with Marjoram and Pine Nuts
For 3-4 people you need
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
radicchio, quartered, stalk removed, cut into 1cm / 1/2" thick slices, 430g / 15 ounces
fresh marjoram, a small handful
pine nuts, toasted, 20g / 3/4 ounce
balsamic vinegar 30ml / 1 ounce
butter 50g / 1 3/4 ounces
a pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
olive oil
Cook the pasta in salted water al dente.
In a sauce pan, bring the vinegar to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Take the pot off the heat and add the butter in 2-3 batches, let it melt in between and whisk well. Season with a pinch of sugar.
In a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the slices of radicchio on medium-high for 1 minute on each side (it will fall apart, that's fine). Take the pan off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Gently mix in the warm pasta and balsamic butter and serve with pine seeds and marjoram leaves. On the plates, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Thyme, Rosemary and Parmesan Meatballs with Pasta and Tomato Sugo
This is the essence of Italian food for me, a huge plate full of warm pasta with tiny meat balls, fruity tomato sugo and fresh thyme and rosemary. A glass of the deepest red wine, Caruso on the vinyl player and the world is as perfect as it can possible be!
I first learned to enjoy burgers through my Maltese/ American partner, he introduced these rather well sized portions of meat to my cooking. In the past, I only used to shape little balls of minced beef, lamb or pork in my kitchen, that's how I learned it from my mother and I followed her recipe for years. She mixes the meat with eggs and breadcrumbs for a fluffy texture and lots of fresh herbs from her garden before she gives them a small round shape. In general, she's not a big fan of huge portions on her plate so the dimensions of a proper burger didn't really appeal to her. This only changed in the past few years, now she tells me with excitement about rustic burger nights in her kitchen!
I can't even say which size I prefer, sometimes my appetite calls for a massive burger, preferably pure minced steak stuffed between a bun with some greens and thin tomato slices. Small meatballs are a delicious (and addictive) snack, warm and cold. They are perfect nibbles for a brunch or casual cocktail party, and absolutely tempting when it comes to pasta. Cook them in an aromatic tomato sugo, or with lots of onions and white wine, and you'll have the most comforting dish on your plate. Their size should always be small enough to fit on a fork with a bit of sugo on top, heavenly! And here my mother's recipe comes in again, I mixed the minced meat with lots of fresh thyme, rosemary and garlic to give it a rich Mediterranean touch. And not to forget grated parmesan, 3 heaped tablespoons melted into the tiny balls added the cheese's wonderful aroma to the meat. For the sugo, I used tinned tomatoes, full of summery flavour and sweetness, at this point the fresh ones aren't an option yet. I added some red wine, Balsamico vinegar, a tiny bit of fresh orange juice and chopped rosemary to end up with a concentrated red sauce full of beautiful flavours. It looked stunning and tasted just as good.
Thyme, Rosemary and Parmesan Meatballs with Pasta and Tomato Sugo
For 3-4 people you need
spaghetti 300g / 10 1/2 ounces
For the meatballs
minced beef 500g / 1 pound
organic egg 1
breadcrumbs 40g / 1 1/2 ounces
medium onion, finely chopped 1
garlic, crushed, 2 big cloves
fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons
fresh rosemary, finely chopped, 1 teaspoon
freshly grated Parmesan 3 heaping tablespoons
salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
pepper
olive oil, for frying
butter 2 tablespoons, for frying
For the tomato sugo
red wine 75ml/ 2 1/2 ounces
fresh thyme 1 small sprig
quality tinned tomatoes 600g / 1 1/4 pounds
balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons, to taste
freshly squeezed orange juice 1 1/2 tablespoons, to taste
fresh rosemary, finely chopped, 1 1/2 teaspoons
salt and pepper
Cook the pasta in lots of salted water al dente.
Mix the ingredients for the meatballs with your hands or an electric mixer until well combined. Wet your hands and form walnut sized meatballs. In a large pan, heat a generous splash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter and fry the meatballs for about 6 minutes on medium heat, turning them so that they can brown evenly. Take the meatballs out and set them aside, cover them with a lid. Put the pan back on the heat and deglaze with the red wine, add the thyme sprig and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the tinned tomatoes, chop them and add the balsamic vinegar, orange juice, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes (bubbling) or until it starts to thicken and season with salt, pepper, orange juice and vinegar to taste. Add the meatballs to the sugo and cook for another minute on low heat. Serve with the spaghetti in warm plates.
Spaghetti with Zucchini, Tomatoes, Olives and Basil
The beginning of July is the perfect time to throw a few of my favourite vegetables on a big plate of spaghetti. This dish is basically a Mediterranean Caponata, just without aubergine as it would have stretched the cooking time and changed the texture - I didn't want a juicy sauce, I was after some crunchiness! I mixed lots of zucchini with my Gozitan capers, anchovies and garlic and sautéed everything for a very short time. This way, the vegetables stay firm and fresh like a salad.
My tomatoes, olives and basil weren't even cooked, I just mixed them together with some olive oil into the warm pasta. When vegetables reach the peak of their season they don't need long to spread their aroma. Spoiled by the sun, strong in flavour and full of vitamins, they have this intense taste of summer that I've been waiting for for months. A few minutes in the hot pan and they were done, that's one of summer's kitchen qualities!
Spaghetti with Zucchini, Tomatoes, Olives and Basil
For 3-4 people you need
spaghetti 300-400g / 10.5-14 ounces
zucchini, cut in half and sliced, 350g / 12.5 ounces
anchovies, rinsed, dried and finely chopped, 1 1/2
garlic, thinly sliced, 3 cloves
capers 2 heaped tablespoons
tomatoes, cut into cubes, 350g / 12.5 ounces
black olives (whole or chopped) 8
fresh basil leaves 10
optionally: fresh mint, chopped, 5 leaves
black pepper
olive oil
Cook the pasta in lots of salted water al dente.
In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil, add the anchovies, garlic and capers and cook for 1 minute on a medium heat. Add the zucchini and a little more oil and cook for 5 minutes on high-medium temperature, stirring every now and then. Season with pepper (no salt!) and mix into the spaghetti, add a tiny bit of olive oil if the pasta is too dry. Stir in the tomatoes, olives, basil and mint and serve immediately. There should be enough saltiness from the anchovies and capers, I didn't need to add anymore.
Spaghetti with Anchovy Pangrattato, Lemon and Parsley
La dolce vita, I can hear it calling me! I need a holiday, some Mediterranean vibes, the sea that slows down my pace! For now I only have my beloved Mediterranean food but there's only a month between me and a little dolce far niente! Our flights are booked and in four weeks we will be heading South, but my mind is already there, in Malta, our beautiful rock in the Mediterranean Sea. I find myself daydreaming about all the things I will do and eat.
I have a plan, I will enjoy the sea and spend lots of time with our friends and family as I always do but I will also share some of my culinary hotspots with you. Over the years, I found so many delicious restaurants, small producers of olive oil, cheese, bakeries, winemakers and my salt pans in Gozo of course. I met many people who are as passionate about eating and cooking as I am, chefs and Maltese Mamas who have treated their families to years of the most delicious traditional dishes. Soon, I will meet these food lovers, we will talk about food, I will watch them cook and share their recipes with you on the blog. I'm very excited and I can't wait to show you this amazing island, its food and natural beauty!
For now I can only enjoy all the lovely dishes that feed my memories and fit my daydreams, like spaghetti with pangrattato (meaning grated bread in Italian), crisp breadcrumbs fried with anchovies and garlic! I sprinkle it with freshly squeezed lemon juice, crushed black pepper and parsley, a summer meal which couldn't be quicker and easier!
Spaghetti with Anchovy Pangrattato, Lemon and Parsley
For 2 people you need
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
dry breadcrumbs 5 heaping tablespoons (if you have some stale white bread left put it in a food processor and turn into breadcrumbs)
anchovies, rinsed, dried and finely chopped, 2-3 big fillets (use 3 if you like a strong fish taste)
garlic, finely chopped, 2 cloves
parsley, finely chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons
lemon 1/2, to drizzle over the pasta
black peppercorns, crushed coarsely
salt
olive oil for frying
Cook the pasta in lots of salted water al dente.
In a heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and fry the garlic on a medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the anchovies and fry for a few seconds before you pour in a little more oil, add the breadcrumbs and fry until golden brown and crisp. Divide the spaghetti and the pangrattato between 2 plates and sprinkle with lemon juice, black pepper and parsley. Season with salt, carefully as the anchovies are very salty.
Sicilian Spaghetti with Bottarga di Tonno
Marzamemi! This is the name of a picturesque fishing village in southern Sicily in the Syracuse region. It's right by the sea, with two churches - an old and a new one - both dedicated to the village's patron San Franceso built around the historic piazza which is, as in every Mediterranean village, the lively centre especially at night.
Two years ago we spent an evening in Marzamemi, strolled through the narrow alleys, between the old limestone houses where fishermen used to live. We passed a beautiful artisan market which was still open at night and enjoyed the sight of all the restaurants which had placed their long tables outside in the piazza where families already filled the air with laughter and the delicious smell of seafood. We couldn't wait any longer to join them and went straight to the restaurant at the sea where our table was waiting for us, but as we wanted to sit down we spotted an old storehouse with a big, open gate and people walking in and out. Curiosity was still stronger than our appetite, so we took a look.
We went inside a huge hall piled high with fish products, mainly made of bluefin tuna but also anchovies, sardines, mackerel, and swordfish. I discovered food I had never seen before, tuna salami for example, I had to buy it! It tasted interesting, salty, something I would have to eat a few times and try out a few combinations to get used to it. They also sold the famous Bottarga di Tonno, the dried roe pouch of bluefin tuna. If it's in one piece, you slice it thinly over spaghetti, grated you sprinkle it over a quick pasta dish. Its taste is distinct and salty, it comes from a fish with a strong flavour and you can taste it!
I haven't eaten it since my last visit to Sicily so I was happy to finally open a jar of grated Bottarga di Tonno again and mix it with my pasta. I like to add some lemon (juice and zest), garlic, parsley and coarsely crushed black pepper.
Spaghetti with Bottarga di Tonno, Lemon and Parsley
For this meal I suggest you warm up the plates in the oven.
For 2 people you need
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
olive oil 6 tablespoons
garlic, cut in half, 2 cloves
grated Bottarga di Tonno 4-6 heaping teaspoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon
lemon zest 2 teaspoon
fresh parsley, chopped, 4 heaped tablespoons
salt and coarsely crushed black peppercorns
Cook the pasta in lots of salted water till al dente.
Heat up the oil in a sauce pan, add the garlic and take the pan off the heat, let it infuse the oil for a couple minutes and add the lemon juice.
After the pasta is mixed with the warm oil and divided between the plates, sprinkle with parsley, lemon zest, pepper and salt and add the bottarga di tonno to taste.
Spaghetti with Crisp Bacon, Tomatoes and Fennel Seeds
A fruity tomato sauce with spaghetti together with a glass of red wine can never go wrong. To add some crisp bacon and fennel seeds makes it even better! I don't even remember all the different variations on tomato sauces I've made in my life but this one is really good, and quick to prepare. For days I've been wanting to make a Sauce Bolognese but I never found the time as it needs to cook for an hour. This one here is meaty as well but only needs 10 minutes on the cooker. The bacon (I used lots of it!) makes it hearty and the aromatic spice adds a Mediterranean touch to it.
For 2 people I used 100g / 3.5 ounces of bacon, cut into little cubes and fried until golden and crunchy. I fried 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds, 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) and 1 small dried chili together with the meat for about 2 minutes before I added 400g / 14 ounces of tinned tomatoes (crushed), 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, salt and pepper. The sauce simmered on medium temperature for 8 minutes while the spaghetti (200g / 7 ounces ) cooked in lots of salted water until they were al dente.
If you prefer a vegetarian sauce just leave out the bacon and add a bit more olive oil to fry the fennel seeds, I make that sometimes and it's great, too.
Broccoli Pesto with Spaghetti and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Finally pesto! I love it, bunches of basil, parsley, chopped green or black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, garlic, anchovies mixed with olive oil, nuts or cheese. There are endless possibilities to bring one of the most satisfying meals onto the table, pasta with pesto. It's so simple yet so special! When I make pesto I just follow my mood and appetite, picking what the kitchen herbs on my window sill offer and mixing it together with the Mediterranean fruits and vegetables preserved in salt or oil I keep in jars in my fridge. Sometimes I mix fresh vegetables in as well, like green asparagus or broccoli.
Today is a broccoli day! I cook it al dente, put some of it in a blender and mix it with parsley, ginger, garlic, anchovy, lemon juice and olive oil. Some of the water used to cook the broccoli stirred in makes the pesto nice and smooth, it's lighter than using just olive oil. When the warm spaghetti has been mixed with the broccoli pesto, I sprinkle some broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and red chili on top. There are lots of different flavours in this pesto but they blend in perfectly and allow the broccoli to show its fresh side.
Broccoli Pesto with Spaghetti and Sun-dried Tomatoes
For this meal it's best to warm the plates in a 75°C / 165°F warm oven for a few minutes. I prepare them while the pasta is cooking.
For 4 people you need
spaghetti 400g / 14 ounces
broccoli, florets and the soft part of the stem, 450g / 16 ounces
water used to cook the broccoli 50ml
sun-dried tomatoes, cooked in a little water for 2 minutes to wash off the salt, dried and chopped, 1 1/2, for the topping
water used to cook the sun-dried tomatoes, 3 tablespoons
fresh parsley, chopped, 3 heaping tablespoons
garlic, crushed, 1 big clove
ginger, grated, 1/2 teaspoon
anchovy preserved in salt (optionally), rinsed and dried, 1
lemon juice 2 teaspoons
olive oil 3 tablespoons
salt and pepper
fresh red chili, chopped, 1, for the topping
In a large pot, bring water to the boil, add some salt and cook the broccoli al dente. Keep 1/3 of the cooked florets, cut into bite sized pieces and set aside.
Cook the spaghetti al dente.
Put the rest of the broccoli (florets and stem cut into pieces) in a blender and mix together with some of the water used to cook the broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the parsley, garlic, ginger, anchovy, lemon juice, olive oil and mix well. Season the pesto with salt and pepper but keep in mind that the tomatoes used for the topping will add some saltiness as well.
Arrange the spaghetti and the pesto on big plates and sprinkle with the chopped tomatoes, pieces of broccoli, chili and some more black pepper.
Spaghetti Carbonara with Onions and Prosciutto
There was a time when I had this meal at least once a week. It was a special winter that I spent in the North of England, in North Yorkshire directly on the coast. The sea was rough, the air was damp and salty, and it was cold, the kind of wet cold that creeps into your bones. My diet concentrated on fish and chips (every year, this place is voted for the best fish in England), pies and simple dinners I could cook in our tiny kitchen. Spaghetti Carbonara was one of them. Fried Prosciutto, onions and eggs and you can brave any weather.
I use my Tyrolean Prosciutto from San Cassiano - luckily there's still some left. I tried many others for this recipe but I still think this one is the best. In the past I used to make it with crispy bacon but the spices of the Prosciutto add something really nice to the creamy egg and onions. I cut it into strips, like the onions, and fry everything before I mix it with the pasta, eggs, cream and Parmesan. And crushed black pepper, of course!
Spaghetti Carbonara
For 2 people you need
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
Tyrolean Prosciutto, cut into strips, 5 slices
medium sized onion, cut in half and into thin slices, 1 -2
egg yolks 3
heavy cream 80ml
salt and crushed black peppercorns
olive oil for frying
Parmesan, freshly grated
In a large pan, fry the onions in some oil until golden and soft. Add the Prosciutto and fry for a couple minutes as well. Mix the egg yolks together with the cream, salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta al dente and immediately put it into the warm pan (off the heat) on the fried onions and Prosciutto. Pour the egg and cream mixture on top, mixing well. Sprinkle with lots of crushed black pepper and Parmesan, and enjoy a glass of red wine with it - that's what I do!
Maltese Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon
This pasta recipe is there for me at any time of day or night. It started as a middle of the night cooking experiment after being out at a party. My boyfriend and I came home late and hungry, so we sat down in the kitchen over a bowl of pasta with ricotta, lemon zest, basil and crushed pepper. This became a standard post-party hunger salvation.
The inspiration for this combination came from our last trip to Malta. We had just come back from our regular summer stay on this beautiful Mediterranean island where my boyfriend's family is from. Ricotta, lemon, basil and the bold use of roughly crushed pepper are essential ingredients of Maltese cooking as well as fennel seeds, the best tomatoes in the world (together with Maltese potatoes) and lots of herbs. Another treat I always look forward to is Qassata, a savory ricotta filled pastry spiced with crushed pepper and parsley. We make our own when we don't have a Maltese bakery close by (in other words, the rest of the year), I'll write about it soon!
Back to the pasta, I normally throw in a handful of freshly chopped basil but my plant had just given its last leaves so I had to do without.
For 2 people you need
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
fresh ricotta 4 heaped tablespoons
zest of 1/2 lemon
basil, chopped, 8-10 leaves
salt and crushed peppercorns
olive oil for the spaghetti
Mix the cooked pasta with a dash of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and divide between the two plates. I prefer to mix the pasta with the ricotta on each plate and not all together, therefore, I add a couple spoons on top of each spaghetti portion and sprinkle with the lemon zest and basil. I always offer some more crushed pepper and salt with it.
The last spaghetti (in 2013)
The last day of the year always gives me a funny feeling, an emotional mixture of memories, feelings - and excitement for what the future will bring.
I need some pasta to relax.
Tonight, we are invited to dinner, we will have cheese fondue. I don't want to eat too much for lunch before this cheese feast but I have some grilled aubergine left from our Sunday pizza. Golden brown and soft, brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano, crushed garlic, salt and pepper - I just cut them in bite sized pieces. I throw some spaghetti in boiling water, when they are done, mix them with the aubergine, a bit of olive oil, some more dried oregano and crushed pepper and sea salt - from Mr. Cini's salt pans in Gozo. You can sprinkle some Parmesan on top if you like. A simple meal to relax in the last hours of 2013!
Spaghetti with Baked Ricotta, Salsiccia and Sage
I love simple pasta recipes which allow you to create a great dinner in just a few minutes - no matter if it is a romantic dinner for two or a dinner party for eight. This is definitely one of them! You just need baked ricotta, Salsiccia, sage (I'm lucky, my sage plant still has a few leaves) and spaghetti. You can use any other coarse-cut sausage but the strong herbs of the Italian sausage fir perfectly to the milky ricotta. The mixture of garlic, fennel, coriander and nutmeg which is used for Salsiccia adds a nice variety of flavours.
If you prefer a vegetarian version you can just melt some butter in a pan and fry a few sage leaves for 1-2 minutes (they should become crisp but not dark otherwise they will taste bitter). Together with spaghetti and sprinkled with slices of baked ricotta, this makes a delicious dinner as well!
Spaghetti with Baked Ricotta, Salsiccia and Sage
For 2 people you need
pasta, around 200g / 7 ounces
baked ricotta, around 100g / 3.5 ounces
Salsiccia, or any other spiced and coarse sausage, 2
a few fresh sage leaves
olive oil for frying
butter for frying, 20g / 3/4 ounce
white wine for deglazing
garlic, one clove, cut in half
pasta water
salt and pepper
Slice the baked ricotta thinly with a cheese slicer.
Rinse and dry the sage leaves and fry them in a small pan in hot butter for 1-2 minutes until crisp but still light in colour.
Cook the pasta and take out a cup of the pasta water after it has been cooking for a few minutes as we need some of this liquid for the sauce.Heat some oil in a pan, add the garlic, and fry the sausages until golden brown. Deglaze with a dash of white wine and add a good splash of your pasta water. Leave the liquid in the pan but take the sausages out and cut them in pieces. Put them back into the pan together with the spaghetti and add the sage leaves with their butter. Mix and season with salt and pepper.
Divide everything between two big plates and sprinkle with the slices of baked ricotta. Buon Appetito!
Bitter Radicchio and Spicy Mustard Butter Pasta
Pasta dishes are one of my favorite dinners as they are very easy to prepare but they always give me the feeling that I have created something special. It's always a little feast. My friend Judith told me about this wonderful combination of spaghetti, radicchio, dijon mustard butter and chicken liver (for those who don't fancy liver this recipe also works very well without). I fell in love with the combination of spicy mustard butter and bitter radicchio which makes a very nice, velvety sauce for the pasta. Together with a glass of red wine this puts me in a cozy, relaxed mood, a perfect December evening dinner.
Once in a while I feel a strong appetite for liver so I bought some organic chicken liver today. When I was a child, my mother used to fry liver together with onion rings and thick apple slices and I loved it. I have a real weak spot for traditional comfort food. The recipe today will be lighter but still comfortable. I choose Linguine made by Delverde for our dinner, the most delicious pasta made with water from the Verde river in the Abruzzi region in Italy. Another family recommendation. Linguine fits very well when you want to mix your pasta with vegetables or meat and not only with a sauce as they have more bite than spaghetti.
Linguine with Radicchio, Mustard Butter and Chicken Liver
For a generous dinner for 2 people you need
pasta for 2, around 200g / 7 ounces
radicchio, quartered and cut into 1cm slices, 300g / 10.5 ounces
butter 30g / 1 ounce plus for frying
smooth Dijon mustard 4-6 teaspoons
organic chicken liver, rinsed, dried and cleaned of their thicker skins, 150g / 5 ounces
brandy or red wine for deglazing
oil for frying
flour for dusting the liver
pasta water
salt and pepper
It doesn't take long to prepare this meal but you will have to coordinate everything within 10 minutes. It is easiest to prepare as much as possible in advance before you start cooking.
Cook the pasta and take out a cup of the pasta water after it has been cooking for a few minutes as we need some of this liquid for the sauce.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan on low heat and mix in the mustard, it might curdle a bit, don't worry. Add a good splash of the pasta water to get a more liquid sauce. Taste to see if the mustard comes through strong enough, you can make it quite tasty as it will get mixed with lots of pasta.
At the same time heat up some butter with a dash of oil in a frying pan. Mix a few tablespoons of flour with salt and pepper on a plate to turn the liver in. Fry the liver for a few minutes on medium heat but watch them as they don't need long and dry out quickly. Deglaze with a tiny dash of brandy or wine, it should cook down straight away. Take the liver out and keep warm under a plate.
Pour some oil in the used but dry pan (wipe it with kitchen roll if necessary) and fry the sliced radicchio for a few minutes, turn and watch, it won't need long either. Mix the cooked pasta in the pan together with the radiocchio and your mustard butter sauce. Season with salt and pepper and arrange on plates with the liver on top. Have a sip of your wine and relax!
