This month we take inspiration from Italy with some fresh new Spring recipes from Milanese chef and friend Luca Ciano. Luca's enthusiasm for food and people is contagious and loves to share beautiful recipes, stories and tips for creating authentic Italian meals. If you have ever wanted to learn how to cook like an Italian, Luca often travels around Australia and Asia doing cooking classes and demonstrations. Contact Luca through his website for details.
For now please enjoy the food dept.'s food story with Luca's recipes.
Orecchiette pasta with spicy n’duja with asparagus and fresh ricotta
This is an easy pasta to make mid week for your family. N’duja is aspicy, soft, spreadable salami available from good Italian delis. You can substitute this salami for any salami of your liking.
PREP 20min COOKING TIME5min SERVES 4-6
• 1/3cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 spring onion, cut into 3cm lengths
• 3 garlic cloves, bruised with skin on
• 2 bunches of asparagus, cut into 1cm lengths (tips kept separate)
• saltand pepper, for seasoning
• 350g Orecchiette pasta
• 1 punnet ripe, grape tomatoes, halved
• 100g n’duja (salami), broken into 1cm pieces
• 10leaves, fresh oregano
• 150g freshricotta
• 50gdry salted ricotta
1.Bring plenty of salted water to the boil (about 7g salt to 1 Litre water)
2.Heat oil in a large frying pan, then add spring onions and cook for 3 minutes,then add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add asparagus (not the tips) andcook for further 2 minutes, add salt and pepper.
3.Drop pasta in the water and cook accordingly to packet’s instruction and 2minutes before draining add the asparagus tips into the pasta water.
4.Meanwhile, add tomatoes to the sauce and cook for 3 minutes, then add n’dujaand cook for 2 minutes.
5.Drain pasta and asparagus tips when al dente, reserving ½ cup of cooking water,and toss with the sauce for 1 minute. Add a little cooking water if needed toloosen the pasta.
6.Remove from the heat and add oregano and fresh ricotta, stir to combine.
7.Serve with a sprinkle of salted ricotta, cracked pepper and a drizzle of oliveoil.
Steamed zucchini flower with ricotta, zucchini pesto and toastedalmonds
Is there an Italian restaurant that doesn't serve zucchini flowers? Stay in and cook your own, this recipes is wonderfully light and delicious.
PREP 20min COOKING TIME 5min SERVES 4
• 300gfresh ricotta
• 4anchovies in oil, drained, finely chopped
• ½ cupextra virgin olive oil
• saltand pepper, for seasoning
• 12small zucchini, flowers attached
• 10large basil leaves
• 1tablespoon pine nuts
• ½ garlicclove
• ½ cupgrated grana Padano or other ParmigianoReggiano
• juiceof ½ lemon
• 1/3cup flaked almonds, toasted
1.Mix together ricotta, anchovies and 1 tablespoon of oil until smooth. Season.
2.Remove flowers from zucchini. Split open one side of flowers and, usingfingertips, gently remove stamens. Fill flowers with ricotta mixture and gentlytwist ends to enclose.
3.Chop zucchini and place in a food processor with basil, pine nuts and garlic. Pulseuntil finely chopped. Add remaining oil and process until smooth. Add GranaPadano and lemon juice and pulse to combine. Season.
4. Lay filled zucchini flowers in a bamboosteamer. Steam, covered, over a pan of gently simmering water for 2-3 mins,until filling is firm.
5.Place 2-3 tablespoons of zucchini pesto onto each serving plate. Top withzucchini flowers and scatter with toasted almonds.
Tuscan panzanella with rosemary marinated prawns and pancetta
PREP20min, plus overnight COOKINGTIME 5min SERVES4
• 16medium green prawns, med size, peeled, leaving tails intact and de-veined
• 1/3cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1garlic clove, finely chopped
• pepper,for seasoning
• 1spring of rosemary
• ½ punnetcherry tomatoes, squashed to release juices
• ½ telegraphcucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• ¼red onion, diced
• 1/3cup black olives, torn in half and pitted
• 2slices of stale bread, 1cm diced and ‘soaked’ in water for 1 second
• 1tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1tablespoon unsalted butter
• extra,1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• seasalt, for seasoning
• ½cup of white wine
• 100grstore bought Basil Pesto Genovese
1.Marinate the prawns with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, garlic,pepper, and rosemary overnight.
2.In a large bowl combine tomatoes and the juices, cucumber, red onion, olivesand bread. Add remaining oil and vinegar and season. Stir very well till allingredients blend nicely together.
3.In a large frying pan, heat the butter and the extra 1 tablespoon of oil, cookthe marinated prawns for 2-3 minutes, add salt then add wine and let evaporate.
Removefrom heat.
4.Divide the panzanella into 4 plates, garnish with 4 prawns in each plate anddrizzle a little Basil Pesto Genovese
Ricotta and saffron fritters with watercress and asparagus salad
PREP 20min COOKING TIME 5min SERVES 4-6
• 400gfresh ricotta
• 100gplain flour
• 2truss tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
• 2eggs, lightly beaten
• 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus 1/3 cup extra for dressing
• 0.5gr saffron threads, soaked in 1 teaspoon water
• 1 teaspoonbaking powder
• pinchof ground nutmeg
• saltand pepper, for seasoning
• 2bunches asparagus, ends trimmed
• 1bunch watercress, sprigs picked
• finelygrated rind and juice of 1 lemon
• 1litre frying oil
1.Mix together ricotta, flour, tomato, egg, olive oil, saffron and water, bakingpowder and nutmeg. Season. Cover and chill for 15 mins.
2.Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into ribbons. Place ina bowl with watercress. Whisk together lemon juice and extra olive oil and season.Add dressing to the salad and toss to combine.
3.Heat vegetable oil in a large shallow pan until 180C or until a cube of breadsizzles on contact. Spoon 3 heaped tablespoons of ricotta mixture around edgeof pan. Shallow-fry for 3-4 mins, until cooked through. Drain. Repeat to make18 fritters, reheating oil between batches.
4.Place the fritter on the watercress and asparagus salad, serve.
Thank you! We would like to thank Luca Ciano for his generosity and for creating these wonderful recipes for the food dept. Thanks for hanging out with us on the shoot day, you have been a dream to work with. We hope you love the pics!
