Want to know what the well-informed are cooking in the kitchens of Milan? Here’s a preview of the latest pasta.
- Tagliatelle with Pea Pesto and Baby Beetroot
- Three-Cheese Gnocchi
- Sweet Potato, Spinach and Coconut Pasta
- Pumpkin Canneloni with Carrot Chilli Cream
- Fettucine Stroganoff
Tagliatelle with Pea Pesto and Baby Beetroot
Serves 4 | Easy | 20 mins | To Drink: De Waal “CT de Waal” Pinotage – gamy with ripe, black fruit to complement the earthy beetroot.
- 500g tagliatelle
- 300g frozen peas
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 60ml (¼ cup) fresh cream
- 80g watercress
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 50ml Parmesan, freshly grated
- 150g geen beans, blanched
- 50g almonds, finely chopped
- 200g small beetroot, cooked and halved
- Parmesan shavings, to serve
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Add 100g of the peas in the last 2 minutes. Drain and reserve 125ml (½ cup) of the liquid.
- Meanwhile, cook the remaining peas with the oil and garlic in a covered frying pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the cream and watercress and cook for a further 2 minutes. Blend in the reserved liquid from the pasta, mix until smooth and season to taste.
- Toss the pasta together with the sauce, Parmesan, beans, almonds and beetroot. Garnish with the Parmesan shavings and serve hot.
Three-Cheese Gnocchi
Serves 6 | Easy | 20 mins | To Drink: Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (New Zealand) – vibrantly fruity with plenty of acid to cut through rich dishes.
- 280g ricotta
- 30ml (2 tbsp) Parmesan, freshly grated
- 3 large egg yolks
- 60ml (¼ cup) semolina
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) ground nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 20ml (4 tsp) butter
- 60ml (¼ cup) double cream
- 125g Gorgonzola
- 45ml (3 tbsp) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Mash the ricotta with the Parmesan, egg yolks, semolina and nutmeg. Season and mix well to combine.
- On a lightly oiled surface, roll this mixture into thin rolls about 1cm in diameter. Cut each roll into gnocchi pieces about 2cm long.
- For the sauce, melt the butter with the cream in a saucepan, add the Gorgonzola and cook over very low heat until smooth and well combined.
- Drop the gnocchi into a large pot of boiling salted water and simmer until they rise to the surface. Remove witth a slotted spoon and set aside to drain.
- Serve the gnocchi hot with the sauce, sprinkled with the parsley.
Sweet Potato, Spinach and Coconut Pasta
Serves 4 | Easy | 40 mins | To Drink: Simonsig Chenin Blanc 2007 – with ripe tropical fruit and a hint of vanilla spice to complement the sweet and savoury flavours.
- 350g sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 350g tagliatelle
- 225g baby spinach
- 80ml (1/3 cup) coconut milk
- 5ml (1 tsp) dried chilli flakes, crushed
- small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- Preheat the oven to 190°C.
- Spread the sweet potato in a roasting tray with the garlic. Drizzle with the oil, season and bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente and drain.
- Once the sweet potato is cooked, transfer the roasting tray to the hob, add the spinach and cook over low heat until the spinach is just wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Add the pasta, coconut milk, chilli and coriander, toss to combine, adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.
Pumpkin Cannelloni in Carrot Chilli Cream
Serves 6 | A little effort | 1 hour 45 mins |
To Drink: De Waal Viognier 2009 – with exotic spice and voluptuous stone fruit characters, perfect for spicy food.
- 500g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 125ml (½ cup) Parmesan, freshly grated, plus extra to serve
- 30ml (2 tbsp) mascarpone
- 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh sage, chopped lkg carrots
- 1 chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream
- 250g (1 box) cannelloni handful fresh basil
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Toss the pumpkin in an ovenproof dish with the sage, garlic and oil and season. Bake for about 50 minutes.
- Blend the cooked pumpkin until smooth and fold in the Parmesan, mascarpone and sage.
- Juice the carrots in a liquidiser, rendering 50ml juice. Place in a pot with the chilli and reduce by half. Add the cream and seasoning.
- Fill the cannelloni with the pumpkin filling and place in an oiled baking dish. Pour over the carrot cream mixture and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Serve hot with the basil and extra grated Parmesan.
Fettucine Stroganoff
Serves 4 | Easy | 25 mins | To Drink: Chateau Bire 2005 (Bordeaux) – full of rich cherry fruit.
- 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 150g white button mushrooms, wiped and halved
- 500g quick-frying beef steak, cut into thin strips
- 45ml (3 tbsp) water
- 290ml sour cream
- 10ml (2 tsp) ground paprika
- 400g fettucine
- 5ml (1 tsp) mixed peppercorns, crushed
- handful fresh spinach, chopped, to serve
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft but not coloured, about 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Increase the heat, add the beef and fry on high for 4-5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the water.
- Stir in 200ml of the sour cream and 5ml (1 tsp) of the paprika. Heat gently until warmed through and adjust the seasoning.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente and drain.
- Toss the sauce through the pasta. Pour over the remaining sour cream. Sprinkle with the remaining paprika, garnish with the peppercorns and spinach and serve.
Text by Susan Greig. Photographs by Graeme Borchers. This article was taken from the June 2010 edition of Food and Home.
Susan Greig offers cooking lessons at Miele in Bryanston, Johannesburg. Call 083 616 0136.
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