If your obsession with Italian recipes is boundless (like ours), you can’t go wrong. All rely on excellent, summery ingredients; many call for a generous hand with good butter or olive oil to add a luxurious touch, elevating them beyond the everyday and into the realms of special occasion.
Summer herb malfatti with a herb-butter sauce
Summer herb malfatti with a herb-butter sauce
Malfatti, meaning ‘badly made’, are ragged handkerchiefs of pasta, here rolled out with delicate herb sprigs for flavor and beautiful effect. The cooked pasta only needs a simple sauce of nut-brown butter, lemon juice and extra herbs. Serves 6-8 – makes 1kg fresh pasta Ingredients:
550g tipo 00 pasta flour, plus extra for for dusting and rolling6 medium eggsA pinch of salt2 handfuls pretty, fresh and delicate herb sprigs, such as dill, parsley, chervil, coriander, plus extra sprigs and leaves to serve100g unsalted butter1 small lemon, juice only60g mature pecorino, finely grated (optional)Edible flowers, to serve (optional)
Method:
Lobster and squid ink fettucine
Lobster and squid ink fettucine
For the picture, we used custom made, variegated, fresh squid ink pasta, but any plain, fresh pasta or dried, squid ink/plain pasta will do. The black colour simply creates extra luxury and drama. Serves 4 as a starter or light main Ingredients:
4 cooked lobster tails, cracked and roughly chopped, plus claw meat1 banana or eschalion shallot, finely chopped120ml dry white wine100ml best-quality Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar250g dried squid ink fettuccine or 500g fresh squid ink fettuccine120g salted butter, cubedA bundle chives, finely chopped1 tsp finely grated lemon zest100ml fresh lemon juice
Method:
Cavatelli Salad
Cavatelli Salad
Use any short, durum wheat pasta in this easy salad and be careful not to overcook it; an al dente texture will stand up well to both the pesto dressing and being served cool. Serves 4 Ingredients:
100g pine nuts, toasted until golden2 handfuls fresh, soft summer herbs, such as mint, basil, parsley and dill120ml extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp lemon juice2 courgettes, trimmed and shaved into delicate ribbons with a vegetable peeler1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and very finely sliced (with a mandolin for preference), fronds reserved350g dried cavatelli pasta or similar shape400g tin or jar chickpeas, drained300g jar tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
Method:
Fig, Parma ham and gorgonzola pappardelle
Fig, Parma ham and gorgonzola pappardelle
This is an unusual, but incredibly successful combination of ingredients relying on the balance between salty gorgonzola, sweet fig, a touch of lemon and hot chilli. Feel free to adapt this to suit your tastes, leaving the Parma ham out to make it vegetarian, adding a little more – or no – cream, or swapping the chopped rosemary for torn basil leaves. Serves 4 Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil10 ripe figs, trimmed and quartered1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped and finely chopped1 lemon, finely grated zest and juice 2 tbsp single cream (optional)50g walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly crushed100g gorgonzola cheese, chopped350g dried pappardelle pasta or other long pasta shape such as tagliatelle12 sheets Parma ham, torn (optional)2 tbsp snipped micro herbs or cress, to serve
Method:
Malfadine with artichokes, pea, clams and white wine
Malfadine with artichokes, pea, clams and white wine
Tiny, tender artichokes are essential here, so if you can’t find any, substitute best-quality artichokes hearts in oil, drained well and tossed through the cooked pasta and sauce at the end with the torn parsley leaves. This can also be made with pappardelle or fettuccine. Serves 4 Ingredients:
400g fresh, baby artichokes1kg fresh clams, scrubbed cleanExtra virgin olive oil, to taste4 large garlic cloves, sliced or chopped1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stalks chopped, leaves choppedA small glass dry white wine150g peas, fresh or defrosted frozen350g dried malfadine pasta
Method:
Open lasagne with roast Mediterranean vegetables, feta and oregano dressing
Open lasagne with roast Mediterranean vegetables, feta and oregano dressing
Lasagne, but reinvented for a special summer supper with a delicate dressing, sweetly roasted vegetables and salty slabs of feta cheese. This is dinner party-worthy. Serves 4 Ingredients:
2 red peppers, sliced into thick strips, leaving the core behind4 small aubergines, halved or 1 standard aubergine, thickly sliced600g butternut squash or firm pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into wedges6 fresh bay leaves200g baby plum tomatoes (red and yellow) About 100ml extra virgin olive oil1 ½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed1 garlic clove, crushedA pinch dried chilli flakesA small handful fresh oregano, roughly chopped2 tbsp best-quality sherry vinegarA large handful Kalamata olives, stoned12 fresh lasagne sheets (about 320g)200g feta cheese, drained and sliced
Method:
