Today I have two classic Italian dishes that are always enjoyable to make at home and are firm favourites in a lot of families. I love Italy and I love Italian, so my heart is broken for the terrible times they have gone through recently. And, like you all, I am hoping that the measures we have been living with will reduce the impact of this virus in Ireland.
We will come out the other side of this and a huge thank you to those in our front line services
I know that as you read this there are Irish families who are grieving and my heart goes out to them also. We will come out the other side of this and a huge thank you to those in our front line services.
Carbonara has its origins in or near Rome. In my opinion it should always be made with spaghetti so that the rich sauce clings to the pasta, allowing you to almost slurp it up when you’re eating it. You don’t need to use the cream or the mascarpone.
Parmesan is a good cheese to keep in your fridge. It keeps well, is always tasty, and improves with age
I have found that it dilutes the delicate flavour of the eggs and Parmesan, plus it makes the sauce looser, preventing it from clinging to the spaghetti. Parmesan is a good cheese to keep in your fridge. It keeps well, is always tasty, and improves with age. Most of the Parmesan you buy in supermarkets will be 24 months old.
This macaroni is my twist on a classic American pasta dish that everyone will love. It is a family favourite in our house. I will often add some diced cooked chicken if there are some leftovers in the fridge, or ham works well too. It is a good meal to get children to learn to use a hand grater or zester which is one of those kitchen essentials that children must learn to use safely.
Happy cooking and keep safe,
Neven
Classic carbonara
Serves four
500g (18oz) dried egg spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
175g (6oz) slab of pancetta or dry-cured bacon, diced
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
100g (4oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
fresh nutmeg, to serve
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomatoe and basil macaroni
Serves four
300g (11oz) vine cherry tomatoes 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
350g (12oz) macaroni pasta
1 x 250g (9oz) tub of
mascarpone cheese
200g (7oz) freshly grated Parmesan
2 tbsp shredded fresh basil, plus extra leaves to garnish
2 tsp Dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Organising your pantry into sections will help you keep the items you use regularly and those you don’t use as often separate. It will also help you avoid buying multiples of the same item. Order some medium-sized tupperware or plastic containers online. Label one for baking supplies, one for dried pastas, rice and other grains, one for vinegars and oils, one for canned goods and one for every day snacks. This will also help avoid clutter and pest problems.