Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click the link and then go on to purchase, I will receive a percentage of the cost. See my privacy policy and disclosure statement for further details.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

This easy porcini mushroom risotto recipe is one of my most favourite ways to enjoy mushrooms. Even better with a bit of truffle grated on top! Here the dried mushrooms are left to soak in boiling water and the liquid from this is used to make the risotto. Resulting in that wonderfully earthy mushroom flavour being encapsulated in every plump grain of rice. Delicious!

🥘 Ingredients

This recipe makes enough dried porcini mushroom risotto to serve 2 people (or 4 starter-sized portions):

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and also use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Mushrooms: Dried porcini mushrooms are used here. However, you can replace with your preferred type of mushroom (fresh or dried).

Risotto rice: Risotto has short grains and high starch content. Look for as Arborio rice, Carnaroli rice or simply; risotto rice.

Butter: Use butter! Melted butter is used to 'awaken' the rice by coating and softening the uncooked grains so allowing liquids to be easily soaked in. 

Wine: I love the flavour of white wine in risotto and so I add it to all my risotto recipes. But if required it can be replaced with a little apple juice or just left out completely.

Dill: A perfect paring to the earthy mushrooms, but also optional. If preferred leave out or replace with parsley.

Stock: Use good quality stock, both vegetable or a meat based stock will work well.

Parmesan: Any hard Italian cheese will work well.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in 500ml of hot water for at least 30 minutes until soft. After 30 minutes remove the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and roughly chop. Then strain the liquid through a paper towel lined sieve into a clean bowl. 
2. Melt the butter in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry until soft.
3. Add the rice and mix in well allowing the melted butter to coat each grain of rice.
4. Next add the wine and simmer until the wine has nearly all reduced or been absorbed by the rice.
5. Then add two ladles of mushroom liquid, stirring attentively between each ladleful. Only add the second ladle when the first one has been fully absorbed.
6. At this point switch to the veg stock to ensure the mushroom flavour isn't too overpowering. Add ladlefuls of the veg stock one at a time, again only adding the next ladleful when the previous has absorbed. It will probably take around 15-20 minutes to gradually add the whole lot. By this point the rice should have softened and plumped.
7. Stir in the soaked mushrooms, soured cream, parmesan and lemon juice.
8. Serve the porcini mushroom risotto with fresh dill.

💭 Expert tips

• Soaking mushrooms: use a large bowl to soak the dried mushrooms and stir occasionally. The space and stirring will ensure all the mushrooms are fully soaked and plumped up.
• Mushroom grit: Dried mushrooms can be gritty. To avoid a gritty risotto the mushrooms can be rinsed after they have been soaked. The soaking liquid will also contain grit, so before adding to the risotto this should be strained through a paper towel lined sieve. After straining leave it to settle allowing any leftover grit to sink to the bottom. Do not disturb the bottom when adding the liquid to the risotto.
• Stock: This recipe uses 2 types of stock. The first is mushroom stock, made by soaking the mushrooms. The second is vegetable stock. The mushroom stock will be very strong as dried mushrooms have a very intense flavour, which can be overpowering. Therefore, I suggest only using 2 ladles of mushroom stock then switch to using vegetable stock. However, feel free to add more mushroom stock for a more intense flavour.
• Patience: Risotto does require a little patience. Take your time a don't rush the gradual addition of the stock, I promise its well worth it.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍝 Other Italian recipes

• Tuscan Ribollita Soup
• Smoked Haddock Risotto
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Basil Pesto Recipe
• Italian Chicken Cacciatore
• Italian Tigella
• Aubergine Parmigiana

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

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Porcini Mushroom Risotto

Porcini mushroom risotto with pearly grains of rice and nutty, plump mushrooms, topped with fresh dill and grated parmesan. Dried porcini mushrooms are used for a greater depth of flavour and the whole dish can be ready in just over 30 minutes.

Course Dinner, evening meal, Main Course, starter or main

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 634kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Large bowl
• Sieve and paper towel
• Large wide based pan
• Ladle

Ingredients

• 50 g Dried porcini mushrooms
• 20 g Butter
• 1 Onion finely chopped
• 1 Garlic clove finely chopped
• 170 g Carnaroli rice uncooked
• 150 ml White wine
• 500 ml Vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons Soured cream optional
• 25 g Parmesan grated and extra to serve
• ½ Lemon juiced
• 20 g Fresh dill

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Soak the mushrooms in 500ml of hot water for at least 30 minutes until soft. After 30 minutes remove the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and roughly chop. Then strain the liquid through a paper-towel lined sieve into a clean bowl.
  50 g Dried porcini mushrooms
• Melt the butter in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry until soft.
  20 g Butter, 1 Onion, 1 Garlic clove
• Add the rice and mix in well allowing the melted butter to coat each grain of rice.
  170 g Carnaroli rice
• Next add the wine and simmer until the wine has nearly all reduced or been absorbed by the rice.
  150 ml White wine
• Then add two ladles of the mushroom liquid, stirring attentively between each ladleful. Only add the second ladle when the first one has been fully absorbed.
• At this point switch to the veg stock to ensure the mushroom flavour isn't too overpowering. Add ladlefuls of the veg stock one at a time, again only adding the next ladleful when the previous has absorbed. It will probably take around 15-20 minutes to gradually add the whole lot. By this point the rice should have softened and plumped.
  500 ml Vegetable stock
• Stir in the soaked mushrooms, soured cream, parmesan and lemon juice.
  2 tablespoons Soured cream, 25 g Parmesan, ½ Lemon juiced
• Serve with fresh dill.
  20 g Fresh dill

Video

Notes

Mushrooms: Dried porcini mushrooms are used here. However, you can replace with your preferred type of mushroom (fresh or dried). Porcini mushrooms are known for their rich, nutty flavour and meaty texture. Fresh porcini mushrooms are hard to come by as whereas dried porcini are widely available year round. Use a large bowl to soak the dried mushrooms and stir occasionally. The space and stirring will ensure all the mushrooms are fully soaked and plumped up.

Mushroom grit: Dried mushrooms can be gritty. To avoid a gritty risotto the mushrooms can be rinsed after they have been soaked. The soaking liquid will also contain grit, so before adding to the risotto this should be strained through a paper-towel lined sieve. After straining leave it to settle allowing any leftover grit to sink to the bottom. Do not disturb the bottom when adding the liquid to the risotto.

Risotto rice: For risotto rice you are looking for short grains with a high starch content. Look for rice labelled as Arborio, Carnaroli or simply; risotto rice.

Butter: Use butter! Melted butter is used to 'awaken' the rice by coating and softening the uncooked grains so allowing liquids to be easily soaked in. 

Wine: I love the flavour of white wine in risotto and so I add it to all my risotto recipes. But if required it can be replaced with a little apple juice or just left out completely.

Dill: A perfect paring to the earthy mushrooms, but also optional. If preferred leave out or replace with parsley.

Stock: Use good quality stock, both vegetable or a meat based stock will work well. This recipe uses 2 types of stock. The first is mushroom stock, made by soaking the mushrooms. The second is vegetable stock. The mushroom stock will be very strong as dried mushrooms have a very intense flavour, which can be overpowering. Therefore, I suggest only using 2 ladles of the mushroom stock then switch to using vegetable stock. However, feel free to add more mushroom stock for a more intense flavour.

Parmesan: Any hard Italian cheese will work well.

Patience: Risotto does require a little patience. Take your time a don't rush the gradual addition of the stock, I promise its well worth it.

How to store? Risotto is best made fresh. The rice doesn't reheat well and more often than not, reheated risotto will overcook and become sloppy. So do bare this in mind when saving leftovers.

 Transfer any leftovers to sealable containers. Make sure the mushroom risotto has fully cooled before sealing and storing in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cooled risotto will set and become hard. 

Reheat by returning to the pan with a little hot water and stir until heated through and piping hot. (Please note that proper cooling and reheating is essential for rice dishes).

What is the best rice for risotto? Risotto rice has plump, short-medium grains with a high starch content. This gives risotto its well known creamy texture when cooked. Look for Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone nano or just simply; risotto rice.

 Arborio rice is the most widely available type of risotto rice and produces a lovely thick and soft risotto, but can be susceptible to overcooking (becomes sloppy). 

Carnaroli isn't as easy to find but is known to be the best due to its higher starch content and resistance to overcooking, which pretty much guarantees a thick and creamy risotto every time. 

Vialone nano has smaller, round grains and is considered to be as good as Carnaroli but produces a soupier risotto.

Nutrition

Calories: 634kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 1299mg | Potassium: 727mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1729IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 5mg

This post was first published in Nov 2015. Updated in Feb 2022 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step instructions and expert tips.

The post Porcini Mushroom Risotto appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click the link and then go on to purchase, I will receive a percentage of the cost. See my privacy policy and disclosure statement for further details.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

This recipe shows how easy it is to make pasta from scratch. The pasta itself requires little more than finely milled flour, large eggs and a bit of elbow grease. Below I'll walk you through the simplest way to make a pasta dough. Theres also handy tips on how to knead the pasta dough and how to roll it out. All by hand with no machine required.

🥘 Ingredients

This recipe makes enough pasta to serve 3 people (or 4 starter-sized portions):

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and also use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Flour: 00 flour (finely ground Italian flour) is the best for making pasta. This is the finest of the Italian flours and so produces a lovely, soft pasta dough. 00 flour is also the best flour for making pizza dough. If you can't get hold of any 00 flour you can replace with a strong white bread flour for similar results.

Eggs: Make sure the eggs are large and fresh.

Durum wheat semolina: Durum wheat semolina isn't strictly necessary, although it adds a nice flavour and crunch. Its main use is to sprinkle onto the rolled out dough before rolling into a tube and slicing. The semolina stops the pasta dough from sticking together. However, 00 flour can also help with this.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a large well in the middle. Next, crack 3 large eggs into the well.
2. Use a fork to gradually mix the flour into the eggs. Start from the middle and work outwards.
3. Once most of the flour has been combined, use your hands to bring together into a dough. Knead for at least 15 minutes until smooth before shaping into a ball (see expert tips below for full instructions on kneading). Split the ball in half, wrap each half in cling film and place both in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
4. After resting roll each half separately. Flour the work surface and use a large, heavy rolling pin to evenly roll out the dough. For best results roll as thin as possible. See expert tips below for evenly rolling into a rectangle.
5. Sprinkle the thinly rolled out dough generously with the semolina to stop it sticking to itself when making pasta strips. Then roll the full rectangle of dough into a tube shape, trim off the untidy ends then cut into: half cm strips for tagliatelle; 1mm thin strips for spaghetti; or one and a half cm strips for pappardelle.
6. Take the ends of the sliced strips and pull upwards allowing the weight of the dough to unravel the strips.
7. Alternatively, leave the dough flat and cut out squares with a square pasta cutter and pinch into farfalle (butterfly) pasta shapes. Or why not have a go at making your own ravioli.
8. If you aren't ready to cook your pasta right away, its important that you don't let it dry out. Roll up your raw strips of pasta into nests and place onto a semolina-dusted tray along with any pasta shapes. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to cook.
9. For best results cook right away: Place a pan of water on a medium heat and add a good helping of sea salt to season the water. Bring to a rolling boil and then carefully add your pasta. Immediately stir with a wooden spoon to check nothing has stuck together or to the bottom. Boil at a tremble for 3 minutes, then drain and serve. (If you are serving with a sauce - ladle out some of the pasta water into your sauce to add to the consistency).

💭 Expert tips

How to knead pasta dough

1. Once most of the egg has been combined with the flour, use your hands to bring together into a dough. It may appear quite dry at first but the more you combine the flour the sticker it becomes. 
2. Use the heal of your hand to begin working and kneading the dough
3. As it becomes less sticky start to stretch and fold back on itself in between kneading.
4. Continue to knead and stretch for at least 15 minutes until the dough becomes soft and smooth. 

How to roll pasta dough

1. After kneading and resting, the dough can be rolled out using a rolling pin or a pasta machine if you have one to hand. Flour the work surface then take one of the dough balls and start to roll out. The dough ball will of course roll into an oval shape.
2. A rectangular shape is better for cutting pasta as there will be less waste. To form a rectangle fold the edges of the oval into the centre of the dough then fold the full thing in half. Roll over this to flatten down and lengthen.
3. Then repeat the folding in of the edges and folding in half. This will create a small square.
4. From here evenly roll the dough square into a large rectangle. Roll as thin as possible, turning and flipping the dough and re-flouring as needed. Plenty of elbow grease will be required to get the pasta dough nice and thin.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍝 Homemade pasta serving suggestions

• Creamy Mushroom Pasta
• Salmon and Prawn Linguine
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Chicken Pesto Pasta
• Salmon Pasta Recipe
• Basil Pesto Recipe
• Italian Style Slow Cooker Ragu

📖 How to get your free pasta making guide:

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

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How To Make Pasta

How to make pasta at home with just flour and eggs. All the joy and fun of making perfect pasta at home without the stress of it going wrong. Make this pasta with or without a machine and get my handy tips on the best way to roll, cut and store your homemade fresh pasta.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Rest Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 3 people

Calories 435kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Large rolling pin
• Sharp knife and/or
• Pasta shape cutters

Ingredients

• 300 g 00 Flour
• 3 large eggs
• Durum Wheat Semolina for dusting

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

To make the pasta dough:

• Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a large well in the middle. Crack 3 large eggs into the well.
  300 g 00 Flour, 3 large eggs
• Use a fork to gradually mix the flour into the eggs. Start from the middle and work outwards.
• Once most of the flour has been combined, use your hands to bring together into a dough. It may appear quite dry at first but the more you combine the flour the sticker it becomes.

Kneading the pasta dough:

• Use the heal of your hand to begin working and kneading the dough. As it becomes less sticky start to stretch and fold back on itself in between kneading.
• Continue to knead and stretch for at least 15 minutes until the dough becomes soft and smooth and then shape into a ball. You know its been kneaded for long enough if the dough bounces back when pressed with your finger.
• Split the ball in half, wrap each half in cling film and place both in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

Rolling the pasta dough:

• After kneading and resting, the dough can be rolled out using a large heavy rolling pin or a pasta machine if you have one to hand. Flour the work surface and evenly roll out one of the dough balls. The dough ball will of course roll into an oval shape.
• A rectangular shape is better for cutting pasta as there will be less waste. To form a rectangle fold the edges of the oval into the centre of the dough then fold the full thing in half. Roll over this with the rolling pin to flatten down and lengthen.
• Then repeat the folding in of the edges and folding in half. This will create a small square.
• From here evenly roll the dough square into a large rectangle. Roll as thin as possible, turning and flipping the dough and re-flouring as needed. Plenty of elbow grease will be required to get the pasta dough nice and thin.

Shaping the pasta dough:

• Sprinkle the thinly rolled out dough generously with the semolina to stop it sticking to itself when making pasta strips. Then roll the full rectangle of dough into a tube shape, trim off the untidy ends then cut into: half cm strips for tagliatelle; 1mm thin strips for spaghetti; or one and a half cm strips for pappardelle.
  Durum Wheat Semolina
• Take the ends of the sliced strips and pull upwards allowing the weight of the dough to unravel the strips.
• Alternatively, leave the dough flat and cut out squares with a square pasta cutter and pinch into farfalle (butterfly) pasta shapes. Or why not have a go at making your own ravioli.

Cooking homemade fresh pasta:

• If you aren't ready to cook your pasta right away, its important that you don't let it dry out. Roll up your raw strips of pasta into nests and place onto a semolina-dusted tray along with any pasta shapes. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to cook.
  Durum Wheat Semolina
• For best results cook right away: Place a pan of water on a medium heat and add a good helping of sea salt to season the water. Bring to a rolling boil and then carefully add your pasta. Immediately stir with a wooden spoon to check nothing has stuck to the bottom. Boil at a tremble for 3 minutes, then drain and serve. (If you are serving with a sauce - ladle out some of the pasta water into your sauce to add to the consistency).

Video

Notes

Recommendations for equipment and ingredients:

 Rolling Pin   Pasta Cutters        00 Flour         Semolina

        

Flour: The best flour for pasta is 00 flour (Finely ground Italian pasta). This is the finest of the Italian flours and so produces a lovely, soft pasta dough. 00 flour is also the best flour for making pizza dough. If you can't get hold of any 00 flour you can replace with a strong white bread flour for similar results.

Eggs: Make sure the eggs are large and fresh.

Durum wheat semolina: This isn't strictly necessary, although it adds a nice flavour and crunch. Its main use is to sprinkle onto the rolled out dough before rolling into a tube and slicing. The semolina stops the pasta dough from sticking together. However, 00 flour could also be used to the same effect.

Should the pasta dough be rested before rolling out? Yes, for best results when rolling the dough, rest in the fridge for 30 minutes first by wrapping in cling film and placing in the fridge.

How thin should I roll the pasta dough? As thin as possible. Ideally you should be able to put a piece of printed paper behind it and just about see the text through the dough.

Making ahead and how to store? Fresh pasta is always best cooked fresh as soon as it is made. However, it is possible to make ahead and store if you prefer. A kneaded pasta dough ball can be wrapped in cling film and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, then rolled and shaped as required. Rolled and cut out pasta dough can be covered with a damp cloth in the short term (an hour or so) or frozen in the long term. Make sure pasta strips are wrapped into nests in both cases. To freeze place the pasta nests or cut out shapes onto a floured tray and place in the freezer. Once frozen transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg

This post was first published in Nov 2017. Updated in Jan 2022 with new images, step by step instructions and expert tips.

The post How To Make Pasta appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click the link and then go on to purchase, I will receive a percentage of the cost. See my privacy policy and disclosure statement for further details.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

If you've never made risotto before, this is the perfect recipe for first timers and risotto experts alike. With minimal fuss and ingredients, this smoked haddock risotto is easy to nurture into a pillowy pot of rice, with plenty of bite still left in each grain.

This is a warming, wholesome dish that is made by, simply and gradually, adding milky stock to starchy rice. A great option for the whole family, any night of the week.

🥘 Ingredients

This recipe makes enough smoked haddock risotto to serve 2 people (or 4 starter-sized portions):

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and also use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Risotto rice: For risotto rice you are looking for short grains with a high starch content. Look for rice labelled as Arborio, Carnaroli or simply; risotto rice.

Smoked Haddock: Smoked haddock gives risotto the most incredible flavour and in my opinion its the best fish to serve with this dish.

However, if you prefer you can opt for unsmoked haddock or smoked haddock that isn't dyed or try with another white, chunky fish such as cod instead.

Milk: This recipe uses whole milk, which adds to the creaminess of the risotto. If you prefer, use skimmed or semi skimmed or replace the milk completely with stock. Any of these options will result in a less creamy risotto.

Parmesan: Any hard Italian cheese will work well.

Wine: I love the flavour of white wine in risotto and so in my book, its always a must. But if required it can be replaced with a little apple juice or just left out completely.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Poach the smoked haddock in milk and stock. Then remove skin and flake the fish. save the poaching liquid (fish stock).
2. Cook onion and garlic in butter in a wide pan. Then add risotto rice and stir to coat each grain in butter.
3. Next, add the wine and cook until it has nearly all reduced.
4. Add rosemary and gradually start to add fish stock.
5. Gradually add all the stock until the rice is soft and plump.
6. Stir in grated parmesan and lemon juice. 
7. Hot water can also be added to loosen the risotto if you prefer a slightly soupier consistency. Once you're happy with the risotto, stir in the flaked smoked haddock.
8. Top with fresh parsley and extra grated parmesan and serve.

💭 Expert tips

Butter: Use butter! A good helping of butter is always the best starting point for any risotto dish. Melted butter is used to 'awaken' the rice by coating and softening the uncooked grains so allowing liquids to be easily soaked in. 

Patience: Risotto does require a little patience. Take your time a don't rush the gradual addition of the stock, I promise its well worth it.

Poaching haddock: This is a delicate approach to cooking the fish, which keeps it moist and flaky. The fish juices will also flavours the milky stock, which is then added to the risotto.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍝 Other Italian recipes

• How To Make Pasta
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Traditional Tiramisu Recipe
• Tuscan Ribollita Soup
• Amarone Risotto
• Basil Pesto Recipe
• Italian Style Slow Cooker Ragu

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

Print

Smoked Haddock Risotto

Creamy smoked haddock risotto flavoured with fresh rosemary and gently simmered in a pan of white wine, whole milk and vegetable stock. The fish is delicately poached in the warm stock and milk beforehand and the whole recipe takes just over 30 minutes to make.

Course Dinner, Main Course, starter or main

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 833kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Wide poaching pan
• Wide (30cm) pan to cook the risotto
• Ladle

Ingredients

• 2 fillets 280g of smoked haddock
• 450 ml vegetable stock
• 450 ml whole milk
• 20 g butter
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• 170 g risotto rice
• 150 ml white wine
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 lemon juiced
• 25 g grated parmesan or other hard Italian cheese
• 15 g fresh chopped parsley
• Extra parmesan to serve

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

To poach the fish:

• Pour the cold stock and milk into a wide pan. Stir together then place in the haddock fillets and bring the pan to a simmer. Gently poach for 3 minutes making sure the pan doesn’t boil. Then remove the fish with a slotted spoon and break into chunky flakes, discarding any skin. Keep the milky stock warm in the pan ready for making the risotto.

To make the risotto:

• Melt the butter in a wide (30cm) pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft. Then add the risotto rice and stir into the onion allowing the melted butter to coat and gently warm each grain.
• Next, add the wine and cook until it has nearly all reduced.
• Add the sprig off rosemary and then start to add the milky stock one ladle at a time. Stir attentively between each addition, only adding another ladleful when the previous one has been fully absorbed.
• Make sure all the milky stock goes into the risotto. It will probably take around 15-20 minutes to gradually add the whole lot. By this point the rice should have softened and plumped.
• Add the grated parmesan and lemon juice. Stir in well and keep cooking for a further minute to allow the lemon juice to absorb. Taste the risotto, it should be soft and creamy. The grains should be firm but not chalky. If the rice still has a chalky bite, stir in a ladle of hot water and cook for a couple more minutes.
• Hot water can also be added to loosen the risotto if you prefer a slightly soupier consistency. Once you're happy with the risotto, stir in the flaked smoked haddock.
• Top with fresh parsley and extra grated parmesan and serve.

Video

Notes

Risotto rice: For risotto rice you are looking for short grains with a high starch content. Look for rice labelled as Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone nano or simply; risotto rice.

Smoked Haddock: Smoked haddock gives risotto the most incredible flavour and in my opinion its the best fish to serve with this dish. However, if you prefer you can opt for unsmoked haddock or smoked haddock that isn't dyed or try with another white, chunky fish such as cod instead.

Milk: This recipe uses whole milk, which adds to the creaminess of the risotto. If you prefer, use skimmed or semi skimmed or replace the milk completely with stock. Any of these options will result in a less creamy risotto.

Parmesan: Any hard Italian cheese will work well.

Wine: I love the flavour of white wine in risotto and so in my book, its always a must. But if required it can be replaced with a little apple juice or just left out completely.

Butter: Use butter! A good helping of butter is always the best starting point for any risotto dish. Melted butter is used to 'awaken' the rice by coating and softening the uncooked grains so allowing liquids to be easily soaked in. 

Patience: Risotto does require a little patience. Take your time a don't rush the gradual addition of the stock, I promise its well worth it.

Poaching haddock: This is a delicate approach to cooking the fish, which keeps it moist and flaky. The fish juices will also flavours the milky stock, which is then added to the risotto.

What is the best rice for risotto? Risotto rice is usually plump, short-medium grains with a high starch content. This gives risotto its well known creamy texture when cooked. In the shops look for rice labelled as Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone nano or just simply; risotto rice. 



Arborio rice is the most widely available type of risotto rice and produces a lovely thick and soft risotto, but can be susceptible to overcooking (becomes sloppy). Carnaroli isn't as easy to find in the shops but is known to be the best due to its higher starch content and resistance to overcooking, which pretty much guarantees a thick and creamy risotto every time. Vialone nano has smaller, round grains and is considered to be as good as Carnaroli but produces a soupier risotto.

How to store? Risotto is best made fresh. The rice doesn't reheat well and more often than not, reheated risotto will overcook and become sloppy. So do bare this in mind when saving leftovers. 



Transfer any leftovers to sealable containers. Make sure the risotto has fully cooled before sealing and storing in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cooled risotto will set and become hard. Reheat by returning to the pan with a little hot water and stir until heated through and piping hot. (Please note that proper cooling and reheating is essential for rice dishes).

What is the best pan for cooking risotto? The key to cooking risotto is a large surface area and allowing the rice to cook thoroughly and evenly in the stock. So any type of pan will do as long as it has a wide base. I recommend using a 30cm wide pan. A non-stick pan isn't essential so long as you pay close attention to the rice and maintain a good stir.

Nutrition

Calories: 833kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 2339mg | Potassium: 1158mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1949IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 501mg | Iron: 7mg

This post was first published in May 2016. Updated in Jan 2022 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step instructions and expert tips.

The post Smoked Haddock Risotto appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Tiramisu is a light and airy, no bake, Italian dessert made with layers of creamy mascarpone and coffee dipped ladyfingers. This traditional tiramisu recipe is made in the authentic Italian way with whipped, raw eggs and mascarpone cheese.

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👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

This tiramisu recipe is made in the traditional way using raw eggs, mascarpone cheese and ladyfingers dipped in strong coffee. There is no cream, which helps to keep this recipe light and airy. I like to try and keep things as authentic as possible and this Tiramisu comes straight from Italy. The recipe is adapted from a chef who works at Tenuta Torciano; a little winery in Tuscany. We visited Torciano whilst on our Italian honeymoon in 2017.

Making tiramisu this way may not be to everyones taste. As this is a no bake dessert the eggs are actually raw when served. However, this is what makes this dessert so incredible and the best tiramisu always uses raw eggs and no cream. Below I will show you how to prepare the eggs and tiramisu dessert properly so that you feel confident about serving up this traditional tiramisu recipe.

Please note that young children, pregnant women and those who are clinically vulnerable should avoid foods containing raw eggs, including tiramisu. In general I recommend using fresh eggs that have a lion stamp (UK). If you are not UK based then you should try to use fresh, pasteurised eggs.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this traditional tiramisu recipe you will need:

Ingredient notes

Ladyfingers: Use hard, crisp sponge fingers (not soft). The traditional tiramisu biscuits that are used in a traditional tiramisu are called Savoiardi. I used a deep dish (23x18x7cm) for this recipe and so needed 48 ladyfingers across 3 layers. You may need more or less depending on the size and depth of your dish.

Strong coffee: Freshly brew the coffee and if you can, use an espresso machine or ground coffee in a cafetiere. If you don't have access to these you can substitute for instant coffee.

Coffee liqueur: Optional - leave out if you prefer. I like to use Tia Maria, but any coffee liqueur will do.

Mascarpone cheese: Choose a good quality, full fat mascarpone cheese.

Eggs: As mentioned above, the eggs in this recipe will remain raw so make sure to use fresh eggs with the lion stamp (UK). Or if not in the UK use fresh, pasteurised eggs.

Caster sugar: The caster sugar (or bakers sugar) is essential in this recipe. It is added to the egg yolks and when whisked together the yolks become thick and creamy. This is known and a sabayon.

Cocoa powder: For dusting on the top of the finished dessert. Leave this off if you prefer and simply scatter with grated chocolate.

Cadburys flake: I love to top my tiramisu with both cocoa powder and crumbled bits of cadburys flake chocolate. If you can't get any flake, just substitute with normal milk chocolate and grate over the top.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Start by separating the eggs, placing yolks in one bowl and whites in another. Make sure no yolk is mixed in with the whites.
2. Next set up a stand mixer with whisk attachment or use an electric hand whisk. Place the egg yolks and caster sugar into the mixer and whisk together on high for 5 minutes until the yolks are pale and creamy. 
3. Change the attachment on the mixer to the paddle (or use a spatula). Add the mascarpone to the creamed yolks and mix together until well combined and thick and creamy.
4. Transfer the mascarpone to separate large mixing bowl and clean out the stand mixer bowl. Reattach the whisk attachment (or use a clean mixing bowl and electric whisk). Add the egg whites to the mixer and whisk until stiff white peaks form.
5. Next add the whisked egg whites to the mascarpone mixture one third at a time. Use a spatular to gently fold the whites into the mixture in between each addition.
6. Now its time to build the tiramisu. Have the creamy mascarpone mixture ready to use along with a large rectangular dish for the tiramisu. In a smaller bowl mix together the coffee and coffee liqueur. Briefly dip each lady finger into the coffee mix then place in the bottom of the rectangular dish. Repeat until the base is covered with a lager of ladyfingers.
7. Next spoon about a third of the mascarpone mixture over the sponge fingers and smooth out to cover all the sponge using the back of a spoon. Add a second and then third layer of coffee dipped sponge fingers and mascarpone mixture. TIP: The layers in order from the bottom should be: ladyfingers, mascarpone, ladyfingers, mascarpone, lady fingers, mascarpone. If you prefer you can use a shallower dish and just do two layers.
8. Finish the tiramisu by dusting over cocoa powder and scattering over crumbled or grated chocolate.
9. Finally, wrap the tiramisu dish in cling film and place into the fridge to chill overnight. Tiramisu is best eaten the next day when the whole thing has chilled completely, the mascarpone cream has set and the sponge has softened.

💭 Expert tips

• This is a no bake dessert with raw eggs so make sure you use fresh, lion stamped (or pasteurised) eggs.
• Make absolutely sure no yolk goes into the egg whites, as this will stop the whites from whipping up into stiff peaks.
• Fold the mascarpone into the yolks using the paddle attachment on the stand mixer or using a spatula. Whisking may cause the mascarpone to curdle.
• Use hard, crisp sponge fingers (not soft sponge).
• Don't soak the ladyfingers for too long in the coffee. They literally just need a quick dunk in and out. If the sponge is too soggy the excess liquid will leak into the rest of the dessert.
• Once made, chill over night and eat the next day. Tiramisu is always best eaten on the second day when it has set and the sponge has softened.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍨 Other dessert recipes

• Apple crumble
• Baileys Irish Cream with Coffee
• Banana Bread
• Bakewell Tart
• Cinnamon Swirls
• Lemon Drizzle Cake

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

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Traditional Tiramisu Recipe

Tiramisu is a light and airy, no bake, Italian dessert made with layers of creamy mascarpone and coffee dipped ladyfingers. This traditional tiramisu recipe is made in the authentic Italian way with whipped, raw eggs and mascarpone cheese.

Course afternoon tea, Dessert, party food, pudding, sweet, treat

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Chill in the fridge 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 People

Calories 627kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Small bowls to separate eggs
• Stand mixer or electric handheld whisk
• Large mixing bowl
• 23x18cm (9x7inch) rectangular serving dish (7cm/3inch depth)
• Small bowl for coffee mixture
• Sieve or duster for the cocoa powder
• Cling film (plastic wrap)

Ingredients

• 4 large fresh eggs with lion stamp or pasteurised
• 150 g caster sugar
• 500 g mascarpone cheese
• 300 ml strong coffee
• 100 ml Tia Maria or preferred coffee liqueur
• 2 packs Ladyfingers (400g) (to keep it traditional use Savoiardi)
• 1 teaspoon Cocoa powder
• 25 g Cadbury flake or milk chocolate broke up or grated

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Start by separating the eggs, placing yolks in one bowl and whites in another. Make sure no yolk is mixed in with the whites.
• Next set up a stand mixer with whisk attachment or use an electric hand whisk. Place the egg yolks and caster sugar into the mixer and whisk together on high for 5 minutes until the yolks are pale and creamy.
• Change the attachment on the mixer to the paddle (or use a spatula). Add the mascarpone to the creamed yolks and mix together until well combined and thick and creamy.
• Transfer the mascarpone to separate large mixing bowl and clean out the stand mixer bowl. Reattach the whisk attachment (or use a clean mixing bowl and electric whisk). Add the egg whites to the mixer and whisk until stiff white peaks form.
• Next add the whisked egg whites to the mascarpone mixture one third at a time. Use a spatular to gently fold the whites into the mixture in between each addition.
• Now its time to build the tiramisu. Have the creamy mascarpone mixture ready to use along with a large rectangular dish for the tiramisu. In a smaller bowl mix together the coffee and coffee liqueur. Briefly dip each lady finger into the coffee mix then place in the bottom of the rectangular dish. Repeat until the base is covered with a layer of ladyfingers.
• Next spoon about a third of the mascarpone mixture over the sponge fingers and smooth out to cover all the sponge using the back of a spoon. Add a second and then third layer of coffee dipped sponge fingers and mascarpone mixture. TIP: The layers in order from the bottom should be: ladyfingers, mascarpone, ladyfingers, mascarpone, lady fingers, mascarpone. If you prefer you can use a shallower dish and just do two layers.
• Finish the tiramisu by dusting over cocoa powder and scattering over crumbled or grated chocolate.
• Finally, wrap the tiramisu dish in cling film and place into the fridge to chill overnight. Tiramisu is best eaten the next day when the whole thing has chilled completely, the mascarpone cream has set and the sponge has softened.

Video

Notes

Does tiramisu have raw eggs? Traditional Italian tiramisu uses raw eggs as does this recipe. For safety it is advised that young children, pregnant women and those who are clinically vulnerable should avoid foods containing raw eggs, including tiramisu. In general, I recommend using fresh eggs that have a lion stamp (UK). If you are not UK based then you should try to use fresh, pasteurised eggs.

Can you substitute raw eggs in tiramisu? If you would prefer to not use raw eggs you can replace the egg whites with whipping cream (500 ml / 2 cups) and lightly cook the yolk and sugar. To cook the yolks, place the yolks and sugar in a glass mixing bowl and balance this on the top of a pan with a small amount of simmering water in the bottom (double boiler). Whisk the yolks and sugar over the pan allowing the steam to gently cook the yolk. Do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl.

Why is my tiramisu watery? Watery tiramisu occurs when the sponge ladyfingers have been soaked in the coffee for too long. The excess coffee drains into the rest of the dessert during chilling and makes the whole thing watery. Remember to dunk the sponge fingers briefly in the coffee; in and out.

How to store? Once made wrap the tiramisu dish tightly in cling film and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Tiramisu is always best eaten on the second day after it has chilled overnight.

Can you freeze tiramisu? Dairy does not freeze or defrost well so I don't recommend that you freeze this dessert.

Expert tips:

• Make absolutely sure no yolk goes into the egg whites, as this will stop the whites from whipping up into stiff peaks.
• Fold the mascarpone into the yolks using the paddle attachment on the stand mixer or using a spatula. Whisking may cause the mascarpone to curdle.
• Use hard, crisp sponge fingers (not soft sponge).
• Don't soak the ladyfingers for too long in the coffee. They literally just need a quick dunk in and out. If the sponge is too soggy the excess liquid will leak into the rest of the dessert.
• Once made, chill over night and eat the next day. Tiramisu is always best eaten on the second day when it has set and the sponge has softened.

Nutrition

Serving: 1eighth | Calories: 627kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 255mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1272IU | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 2mg

This post was first published in September 2017. Updated in March 2021 with an improved recipe, new images, step-by-step photos and recipe tips.

If you would like to access the original recipe you can do so here: Original Tiramisu recipe 2017

The post Traditional Tiramisu Recipe appeared first on ProperFoodie.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

Italian Pasta salad is one of those recipes that literally has everything going for it. Its easy to make, easy to store, great for meal prep and really useful for using up any leftovers.

The best thing about pasta salad is the variety of ingredients that can be used; from different types of pasta to numerous different fruits, vegetable and cheeses. Also, as its a cold dish, its easy to store in the fridge keeping everything lovely and fresh and crisp.

🥘 Ingredients

To make a large bowl of Italian pasta salad at home you will need:

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Pasta: This recipe uses wholegrain fusilli, but any type of small pasta will work well.

Tomatoes: Use fresh, vine ripened tomatoes. For an extra vibrant salad look for different colours of tomatoes (heritage/heirloom).

Mozzarella: A soft Italian cheese is essential for making this Italian pasta salad. Use small pearls of mozzarella or alternatively tear up a larger ball. Burrata is also a great option. Look for vegetarian alternatives if you are making a vegetarian salad.

Pecorino cheese: This is optional and can also be substituted with parmesan. Look for vegetarian alternatives if you are making a vegetarian salad.

Fresh basil and parsley: Fresh herbs are just the best taste in salads and I highly recommend using fresh basil at the very least. Especially in this Italian salad as it pairs perfectly with the tomatoes and mozzarella

Cannellini Beans: Beans are an optional extra and are used here to bulk out the salad and boost the protein content without adding meat.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🥗 Other delicious salad recipes

• Vietnamese Style Beef salad
• Roasted Cauliflower Salad
• Mango Avocado Salad
• Chicken Satay and Quinoa Salad
• Chicken Fajita Salad

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

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Italian Pasta Salad

A fresh and vibrant Italian pasta salad made with wholegrain pasta, juicy tomatoes and creamy mozzarella. This nutritious and full flavoured pasta salad is perfect for dishing out at lunches or parties and is great as an on the go snack or working lunch. Make this Italian Pasta salad recipe in just 15 minutes and enjoy topped with fresh basil and a homemade Italian dressing.

Course Dinner, lunch, party food

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 450kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Large pan to cook pasta
• Large mixing bowl for the pasta salad
• Small bowl to make the dressing

Ingredients

For the Pasta Salad

• 250 g Wholewheat fusilli pasta dried uncooked
• 500 g heritage and/or baby tomatoes roughly chopped
• 100 g cucumber chopped into small cubes
• 80 g Red bell pepper chopped into small cubes
• 60 g Black olives halved
• 100 g Mozzarella pearls or large ball torn up
• Handful of basil leaves roughly torn
• Handful of fresh parsley finely chopped
• Half tin of cannellini beans optional

For the Italian Dressing

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or any alternative cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Honey
• 1 teaspoon Wholegrain mustard
• ½ a lemon
 juiced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Toppings

• 25 g Freshly grated pecorino cheese or alternative hard cheese
• Extra basil leaves

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Cook the pasta in boiling water for 10 minutes until al dente (or according to packet instructions). Place the cooked pasta and pasta salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss together well.
  250 g Wholewheat fusilli pasta dried, 500 g heritage and/or baby tomatoes roughly chopped, 100 g cucumber chopped into small cubes, 80 g Red bell pepper chopped into small cubes, 60 g Black olives halved, 100 g Mozzarella pearls or large ball torn up, Handful of basil leaves roughly torn, Handful of fresh parsley finely chopped, Half tin of cannellini beans
• In a small bowl mix together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, wholegrain mustard, lemon juice and Italian seasoning.
  2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Honey, 1 teaspoon Wholegrain mustard, ½ a lemon
 juiced, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and mix in.
• Top with freshly grated pecorino and basil leaves.
  25 g Freshly grated pecorino cheese, Extra basil leaves

Video

Notes

How to store? Pasta salad will last 3 to 4 days if covered with a sealable lid or cling film and kept in the fridge. This recipe a great option for meal prep and will easily provide meals for 3 or 4 days.

How to you stop cooked pasta from sticking together? To ensure the pasta doesn't stick together make sure the cooking water is boiling and stir the pasta well as soon as its placed into the water. After cooking rinse under cold water. If you aren't using the pasta right away it may eventually start to stick together. All you need to do is rinse the pasta under cold water again and toss until the pieces separate.

Can this recipe be made in advance? Yes pasta salad can be made up to 3 days in advance then covered and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.

Pasta: This recipe uses wholegrain fusilli, but any type of small pasta will work well.

Tomatoes: Use fresh, vine ripened tomatoes.

Mozzarella: A soft Italian cheese is essential for making this Italian pasta salad. Use small pearls of mozzarella or alternatively tear up a larger ball. Burrata is also a great option. Look for vegetarian alternatives if you are making a vegetarian salad.

Pecorino cheese: This is optional and can also be substituted with parmesan. Look for vegetarian alternatives if you are making a vegetarian salad.

Fresh basil and parsley: Fresh herbs are just the best taste in salads and I highly recommend using fresh basil at the very least. Especially in this Italian salad as it pairs perfectly with the tomatoes and mozzarella.

Cannellini Beans: Beans are an optional extra and are used here to bulk out the salad and boost the protein content without adding meat.

Tips:

• For extra colour use green, red, orange and yellow tomatoes. Heritage or heirloom tomatoes are usually the best option.
• Make sure the cooked pasta is fully cooled before adding to the salad. To do this, drain into a sieve then rinse in cold water until the pasta is cold to the touch. There are 2 reasons for doing this. Firstly, to stop the cooking process and ensure the pasta doesn't go soggy. Secondly, to make sure that the rest of the ingredients stay crisp and fresh.
• If you are cooking pasta for a warm dish, then it is not necessary to rinse the pasta. Instead add straight to the sauce like in this salmon pasta recipe or this salmon and prawn linguine.

Nutrition

Serving: 296g | Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 553mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2061IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 5mg

This post was first published in Aug 2019. Updated in Sept 2021 with an improved photos, and new step by step instructions and expert tips.

The post Italian Pasta Salad appeared first on ProperFoodie.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

With autumn comes the changing of the weather and leaves and the need for more comforting and warming dishes comes about. So its out with the basil and in with the celery leaf, out with the pine nuts and in with the walnut to create this delicious autumnal pesto. Celery and walnut pesto is less aromatic than a basil pesto recipe, with more of an earthy flavour. Its perfectly balanced to go with autumnal dishes such as roasted root veggies, baked sweet potatoes, warming and creamy lasagnas and even plump, little ravioli parcels.....there's plenty of ideas to go at.

The celery leaf is also great to use up in soup recipes: celery, apple and blue cheese garden soup post 

The autumnal vibe of this recipe was inspired by our latest trip to Italy. Did we eat a lot whilst we were there?.... Yes, of course, we ate a tonne. Did we care that we were meant to be there to plan our wedding and not eat all of Italy's pasta in one sitting? No, not one bit.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this walnut pesto recipe you will need:

• Celery leaves roughly chopped
• Walnut oil
• Garlic cloves roughly chopped
• Walnuts
• Green apples cored and diced
• Mint leaves
• Edamame beans
• Parmesan grated
• Salt
• Cider vinegar

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Celery leaves: can be replaced with celery stems but make sure to peel the outer edge to remove any stringy bits first.

Edamame beans: are optional but will add extra protein and give the pesto a more robust texture.

Walnuts: are the best option for this recipe but if you can't get hold of any a good substitute would be pecans.

Parmesan: For a vegetarian version replace parmesan with vegetarian cheese.

⛪ Our wedding

But yes......our wedding!! Thats right - this massive thing that seems to be gobbling up my time at the moment, but something that I've failed to talk about on here. So next year, Ben and I will be married in the beautiful surroundings of the Italian countryside, following on from our engagement last year whilst we were in Pienza!

Of course the plans so far for the wedding are lots of pasta, risotto, wine and a good bunch of laughter and happy times. Excited doesn't even begin to describe where I am at with this right now. There's still lots of planning to be sorted, and I'm sure a great deal of stress to cope with but I can't wait to get back to Italy next year and become Mrs Jones :-O

🍹Autumn holiday

But back to the trip we've just had: A holiday abroad in autumn is just simply magical. All the trees are changing and brandishing fiery reds or warming oranges, the mornings have a slight chill which brings a mysterious mist and subtle sunrises. The birds are also aware of the changes and migrate above the skies or dance in pretty patterns through the trees.

Grapevines are usually harvested for their annual fruits at this time of year, but some vineyards have vines that flower a little later so are still flush with huge bunches of juicy grapes. A glorious site and I really do hope that next year we can get wedding pictures amongst grapevines with cascading bunches of grapes 🙂

The autumnal produce of Italy from peaches and beetroot to truffles and cabbage, meant that we had some stunning plates of food. Of course there was the usual mountain of cheese and cold cuts, but there was also plenty of inspiration for me with dishes like: sea bream baked with paprika and radicchio; suckling pig with apples, raisins and cabbage; shredded beetroot chutney; fresh pappardelle pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce and fresh truffle; the glorious and ubiquitous apricot breakfast tart; sea bream and lime tortelloni with burrata cheese; and of course walnut pesto. I just had to have a go at making my own version of this incredible pesto! 

📖 Recipe

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Celery, Apple and Walnut Pesto

Sweet and earthy walnut pesto recipe made with juicy apples, crunchy walnuts and fresh celery leaves. This recipe is great for using up the leaves on top of your celery and can be whizzed up in just 5 minutes.

Course Appetizer, condiment, dip, party food, side, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 10 portions

Calories 211kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Small blender or food processor
• Grater

Ingredients

• 100 g Celery leaves roughly chopped
• 150 ml Walnut oil
• 100 ml water
• 2 Garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 50 g Walnuts
• 85 g Green apples cored and diced
• 10 g Mint leaves
• 50 g Edamame beans
• 75 g Parmesan grated
• Pinch of Salt
• Teaspoon Cider vinegar

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Place the celery leaves, garlic cloves, walnuts, chopped apples, mint leaves, beans, salt and cider vinegar into a blender or food processor. Add half of the water and half of the walnut oil.
  100 g Celery leaves, 150 ml Walnut oil, 100 ml water, 2 Garlic cloves, 50 g Walnuts, 85 g Green apples, 10 g Mint leaves, 50 g Edamame beans, Pinch of Salt, Teaspoon Cider vinegar
• Pulse into a paste adding more water or oil if needed.
• Grate the parmesan and stir in a bit at a time until you are happy with the taste and texture.
  75 g Parmesan
• Taste and add more salt, parmesan or oil depending on the taste and consistency you are after.

Notes

How to store? Transfer the pesto to a sealable jar or container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost leave on the side overnight. If freezing I recommend freezing small amounts in small containers so you can defrost as much or as little as you need.

What to serve with walnut pesto? This pesto is great stirred through pasta, rice, couscous, quinoa or any other kind of grain. I also love to use it as a topping on roasted sweet potato, chargrilled veggies and pan fried chicken or fish.

Celery leaves: can be replaced with celery stems but make sure to peel the outer edge to remove any stringy bits first.

Edamame beans: are optional but will add extra protein and give the pesto a more robust texture.

Walnuts: are the best option for this recipe but if you can't get hold of any a good substitute would be pecans.

Parmesan: For a vegetarian version replace parmesan with vegetarian cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 10portions | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Celery, Apple and Walnut Pesto appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Homemade pesto recipe made with fresh basil leaves, pine nuts and grated parmesan. Freshly made in just 5 minutes and bursting with aromatic flavours and an intense green colour. This is pesto at its best!

Find out how to make and store this vibrant pesto recipe so you always have a jar ready to go in the fridge.

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🥘 Ingredients

To make basil pesto at home you will need:

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Pine nuts: Pine nuts are the best option for this recipe but if you can't get hold of any a good substitute would be cashew nuts or pecans. Walnut pesto is also an option.

Parmesan: For a vegetarian version replace parmesan with vegetarian cheese.

📖 Recipe

Print

Basil Pesto Recipe

Homemade pesto recipe made with fresh basil leaves, pine nuts and grated parmesan. Freshly made in just 5 minutes and bursting with aromatic flavours and an intense green colour. This is pesto at its best!

Course Appetizer, condiment, dip, party food, paste, sauce, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 217kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Small blender or food processor
• Grater

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove peeled and roughly chopped
• 75 g fresh basil leaves
• 30 g pine nuts
• Pinch sea salt
• 100 ml olive oil
• 50 g parmesan grated

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Place the basil leaves, garlic clove, pine nuts and salt into a blender or food processor. Add just half of the oil.
  1 garlic clove, 75 g fresh basil leaves, 30 g pine nuts, Pinch sea salt, 100 ml olive oil
• Pulse into a paste adding more oil if needed.
• Grate the parmesan and stir in a bit at a time until you are happy with the taste and texture.
  50 g parmesan
• Taste and add more salt, parmesan or oil depending on the taste and consistency you are after.

Notes

How to store? Transfer the pesto to a sealable jar or container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost leave on the side overnight. If freezing I recommend freezing small amounts in small containers so you can defrost as much or as little as you need.

What to serve with basil pesto? This pesto is great stirred through pasta, rice, couscous, quinoa or any other kind of grain. I also love to use it as a topping on ravioli, roasted sweet potato, chargrilled veggies and pan fried chicken or fish. 

For something a little different try basil pesto on a pizza base, over tomato and mozzarella salad or layer into a vegetable lasagna or aubergine parmigiana.

Pine nuts: Pine nuts are the best option for this recipe but if you can't get hold of any a good substitute would be cashew nuts or pecans. Walnut pesto is also an option.

Parmesan: For a vegetarian version replace parmesan with vegetarian cheese. Tips: Only add half of the oil to begin with. Blend and then check the consistency before adding more oil if needed. Grate the parmesan separately then stir in to the blended pesto. This improves the texture and gives more control over the taste and amount of parmesan

Tips:

• Only add half of the oil to begin with. Blend and then check the consistency before adding more oil if needed.
• Grate the parmesan separately then stir in to the blended pesto. This improves the texture and gives more control over the taste and amount of parmesan

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 726IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 1mg

This post was first published in Oct 2015. Updated in Aug 2021 with an improved recipe and photos, and new step by step instructions and expert tips.

The post Basil Pesto Recipe appeared first on ProperFoodie.

I'm back dreaming of the those rolling Toscana hills again - I can't help it. I always seem to come back to Italy when I'm cooking from the heart. And this dish really is from the heart. Its a homemade vegetable and bean soup - plain and simple. But this recipe has so much depth, flavour and tradition, that you know it just has to taste amazing.

Why make this recipe?

Tuscan Bean soup comes from making simple foods go a long way and also making sure that those simple foods don't go to waste. Some leftover carrots or celery? chuck em in. Some stale bread? Yep that goes in too! Its all about making the most of what you have and turning leftovers into a meal fit for a king.

This is the perfect recipe for the end of the week when you may have leftovers or food that needs to be used up. Its also really easy to make and super healthy - whats not to like?

If you're after some more Italian flavour and flare have a quick peek at my Amarone Risotto, or my homemade tiramisu, or how about a salami ragu? or if you're feeling really adventurous why not have a go at making your own pasta?

Ingredients

For this Tuscan ribollita soup recipe you will need a few simple ingredients, many of which are cupboard staples or possible leftovers.

Kale: Traditionally this recipe is made with black kale but any kind of kale or cabbage will work well here. I usually add the kale or cabbage at the very end and gently warm for 5 minutes so allowing it to soften whilst maintaining its colour and nutrients.

Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan or pecorino is simply wonderful in this recipe. It adds a great depth of flavour and lovely a creamy texture. However, if you want to keep this soup strictly vegetarian then make sure to replace with a vegetarian cheese. Or if you want a super healthy vegetable soup then just skip the cheese.

Beans: Cannellini beans work well here as they are white and pearly and stand out against the other ingredients. They are also easy to blend down and so help to create a creamy soup without adding cream, milk, yogurt or cheese. Any other kind of white bean will work just as well.

Vine tomatoes: For the tomatoes I like to use baby vine tomatoes, which are slightly sweeter than the larger version. However, either the baby or the large variety work just as well. Either use two large vine tomatoes sliced and deseeded or weight out around 140g of baby vine tomatoes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and leeks and cook on a medium heat until softened. Add garlic, dried thyme, carrot and celery then stir and continue to cook.
2. Next add the tomatoes, stock and fresh sprigs of thyme. Stir and bring to the boil. Pop on a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes remove the lid and stir in the cannellini beans and freshly grated parmesan. Cook for a 2-3 minutes.
4. Next transfer ⅓ of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.
5. Pour the smooth part of the soup back in the chunky soup and mix well.
6. Stir in the black kale or cabbage. Pop the lid back on and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the kale has just started to wilt.
7. Remove the lid, season with sea salt, black pepper and parmesan, then serve.
8. TIP: To stick the traditional recipe of Tuscan Ribollita soup, line the serving bowls with stale bread (or slices of ciabatta if you prefer) and pour the soup over the top. The bread soaks up the soup and thickens.

Other soup recipes you might like:

• Leek and potato soup
• Cauliflower soup
• Hungarian mushroom soup
• Clam chowder
• Pumpkin soup
• Mulligatawny chicken and wild rice soup
• Celery, apple and blue cheese soup

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Tuscan Ribollita Soup

Italian Ribollita soup is a creamy, healthy, full flavoured vegetable soup. Made with store cupboard ingredients and all those leftovers from the week this budget friendly, autumnal soup is perfect for an easy meal when the nights are starting to draw in.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, starter

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 People

Calories 298kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

• ½ tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 large onion 200g finely chopped
• 1 Leek 80g chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 carrot 150g finely chopped
• 2 celery 100g sticks finely chopped
• 2 medium vine tomatoes deseeded and roughly cubed 140g
• 600 ml vegetable stock plus extra water if required
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 tin cannellini beans 240g drained
• 20 g freshly grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative
• 100 g black kale or cabbage

Optional

• Sea salt black pepper and extra parmesan to season
• Ciabatta or stale bread to serve

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and leeks and cook on a medium heat until softened. Add garlic, dried thyme, carrot and celery then stir and continue to cook. Next add the tomatoes, stock and fresh sprigs of thyme. Stir and bring to the boil. Pop on a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes remove the lid and stir in the cannellini beans and freshly grated parmesan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Next transfer ⅓ of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the smooth part of the soup back in the chunky soup and mix well. Stir in the black kale. Pop the lid back on and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the kale has just started to wilt.
• Remove the lid, season with sea salt, black pepper and parmesan, then serve.

Video

Notes

Recipe tip:

To stick the traditional recipe of Tuscan Ribollita soup, line the serving bowls with stale bread (or slices of ciabatta if you prefer) and pour the soup over the top. The bread soaks up the soup and thickens.

Is ribollita soup healthy?

Honestly, this must be the best soup! Each bowl is just under 300 calories, with only 8g fat and 3g saturates. Its also full of veg - as you can probably see, each bowl has a whopping 4 servings of veg in it. Theres also 9g of fibre, 22g protein, 37g carbs, and its high in potassium and vitamin A (good for your heart muscles and your immune system). So you get the picture its nutritious, its well balanced - this is one healthy vegetable soup!

What can I use if I don't have vegetable stock?

You can definitely get by without vegetable stock, vegetable stock is basically vegetables boiled, with herbs and seasoning, to release their flavours and then conveniently packaged for you! just add water in place of the stock and cook the vegetables until they are soft then season the cooking water well.  Add dried Italian seasoning to enhance that authentic flavour!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 800mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 19g

This post was first published in February 2018. Updated in January 2021 with new ingredients photo, step-by-step photos and recipe tips.

The post Tuscan Ribollita Soup (Healthy Vegetable Soup) appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Creamy mushroom pasta

This easy mushroom pasta is for the evenings when we require nothing more than a scrumptious bowl of creamy pasta. Its for the evenings when cooking is not high on the agenda and one pot dishes like easy pea pasta, healthy salmon and prawn linguine or spicy cajun chicken pasta are the answer to all our dinner questions.

Creamy mushroom pasta is as easy to make as it gets. The mouth-watering combination of chestnut mushrooms with white wine cream sauce, creme fraiche and parmesan makes this dish a real crowd pleaser.

For something a little meatier, try this equally as creamy fettuccini alfredo with chicken with homemade alfredo sauce recipe.

Creamy mushroom pasta ingredients

To make this mushroom pasta with cream sauce, you will need:

• Butter
• Finely chopped onion
• Garlic clove
• Plain flour
• Chestnut/shiitake mushrooms (or other type of mushrooms)
• White wine
• Semi skimmed milk
• Parmesan (or other choice of hard cheese)
• Spaghetti (or other pasta)
• Dijon mustard (optional)
• Creme Fraiche
• Freshly chopped parsley

Creamy mushroom sauce

To make the ultimate creamy mushroom sauce, you will first need to make a soft and silky white sauce.

This requires 5 minutes of patience to slowly combine butter, flour and milk, and gently cook until thick and creamy. Making this sauce extra special and full of flavour requires some key ingredients, which pair fantastically well with the chestnut mushrooms.

The first is a few good glugs of white wine, which creates an incredible scent of pears and apples as soon as it hits the hot pan. Cook the wine gently for a few minutes to allow the alcohol to burn off before the milk is added.

Towards the end of cooking, the parmesan, dijon mustard and creme fraiche are stirred into the sauce to ensure a full flavoured, creamy and satisfying finish to the dish. White wine cream sauce adds so much flavour to this mushroom pasta recipe.

How to make creamy mushroom pasta

To make this simple pasta recipe, follow these steps:

1. In large pan melt butter and fry garlic and onions until soft.
2. Then add the mushrooms and cook for further 2 minutes
3. Add flour and stir in before adding a splash of white wine and the gradually adding milk. Stir until the white wine cream sauce starts to to thicken
4. Next add parmesan, dijon mustard, creme fraiche and seasoning to the sauce and stir in well.
5. Finally add cooked spaghetti and stir to coat in the sauce, then top with extra parmesan and fresh parsley.

What to serve with this recipe

The best thing to serve with this creamy pasta recipe is warm sprouted grain bread, perfect for dunking and mopping up the mushroom sauce.  You could also pair this dish with a side of garlic parmesan roasted carrots or a fresh vegetable salad with creamy balsamic dressing.

And, for an extra special treat, why not make this mushroom pasta recipe with your own homemade pasta?

What else can I cook with mushrooms?

Love mushrooms? Try this simple, yet incredible Hungarian mushroom soup. Or try this amazing truffle linguine dish and find out where you can buy fabulously, authentic truffle paste, straight from Italy. For more dinner inspiration check out my dinner ideas for two collection.

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Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Creamy mushroom pasta cooked in one pan with a white wine cream sauce, served with fresh parsley and grated parmesan.

Course Dinner, evening meal, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 734.1kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

• 15 g Butter
• 1 Onion finely chopped 100g
• 1 Garlic clove finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon Plain flour
• 300 g Chestnut/shiitake mushrooms or other type of mushrooms
• 100 ml White wine
• 300 ml semi skimmed milk
• 30 g Grated parmesan or other choice of hard cheese
• 300 g Uncooked Spaghetti 580g cooked
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard optional
• 1 tablespoon Creme Fraiche
• 30 g Freshly chopped parsley handful

Instructions

• In large pan melt butter and gently fry garlic and onions until soft. Add mushrooms and stir fry for further 2 minutes or until just starting to soften.
  
• Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and stir in well. Some flour may start to stick to the base of the pan at this point.
• Next add the wine and scrape up any bits of flour. As the wine reduces it will mix with the flour and start to thicken.
• As the wine thickens start to add the milk a little at a time whilst continually staring. The gradual additions of milk and continual stirring will prevent any lumps forming and will create a silky smooth white sauce.
  
• Once all the milk is added continue to stir and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes to ensure the flour is cooked out and the sauce is fully thickened.
• Next add parmesan, dijon mustard, creme fraiche and seasoning to the sauce and stir in well.
  
• Finally add cooked spaghetti and stir to coat in the sauce, then top with extra parmesan and fresh parsley.
  

Video

Notes

Click here to see traffic light Nutritional info for this recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 742g | Calories: 734.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 115g | Protein: 27.3g | Fat: 18.2g | Saturated Fat: 10.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.2g | Sodium: 240mg | Fiber: 7.6g | Sugar: 15.8g

I first shared this Creamy mushroom pasta recipe on the Sunday Supper Movement site, where I am a contributor.

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The post Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Step-by-Step Guide + Video) appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Easy Aubergine Parmigiana

For a rich and satisfying meal, full of flavour and packed full veg, the aubergine parmigiana is a clear winner. Its made by layering the aubergine with an Italian tomato sauce and then topping with sliced tomatoes, breadcrumbs and blobs of mozzarella. As soon as I pulled this incredible Italian bake out of my oven I knew that Aubergine parmigiana with crispy breadcrumbs and melted mozzarella was about to become a new favourite. Having said that, nearly all of my Italian recipes are my favourite - the Italians are just too clever 🙂

This aubergine recipe is also really easy to make, its all in the preparation. To ensure that your parmigiana is full of flavour and not full of water (from the aubergines) its best to fry off the aubergine slices and then allow them to cool and drain before layering up in the baking dish. I promise this is the only part that requires a bit of time and effort. After that its just a case of whipping up a quick tomato sauce, layering all the ingredients, adding a topping and then baking for 20 minutes.

Aubergine parmigiana also doubles up as a fantastic vegetarian lasagna. Just remember to use vegetarian parmesan cheese and for an added indulgence add in a couple of layers of bechamel white sauce. To keep this gluten free check the bechamel sauce for any flour and look for a gluten free alternative (or make your own). And either leave off the breadcrumbs or look for gluten free breadcrumbs.

Why is it called Aubergine Parmigiana?

Aubergine Parmigiana or eggplant parmigiana is the original parmigiana recipe that is said to have been created in southern Italy. However, the precise origins of the dish and how it got its name are widely debated. Many regions across Italy claim to have invented the dish and each produce their own classic and delicious variation of aubergine parmigiana (Melanzane alla parmigiana).

The word parmigiana translates to 'from Parma'. However, most believe that this is not the reasoning behind the name, as the dish is known to be from southern Italy and Parma is in Northern Italy.  Some believe that the dish may have originated from Sicily where 'Parmiciana' means slats of wood in the wooden shutters, which could be reminiscent of the overlapping aubergine in this recipe. Another more simple meaning to the name is the use of Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-reggiano) in the dish.

Ingredients for Aubergine Parmigiana Recipe

To keep this dish as simple as possible I've divided the ingredients up into 3 parts: the aubergine, the sauce, and the toppings. Prepare each part of the recipe in this order.

For pan frying the aubergine:

• 3-4 tablespoon Olive oil
• 2 large aubergines (600g) sliced length ways and half a cm thick
• Few pinches of salt

For the aubergine parmigiana sauce:

• ½ tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 Clove garlic finely chopped
• 1 Large onion (150g) diced
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 690g jar of Passata

For the topping:

• 6 medium tomatoes (300g) finely sliced
• 30g Breadcrumbs (or gluten free breadcrumbs)
• 50g grated parmesan (or vegetarian parmesan)
• 100g buffalo mozzarella roughly torn
• Handful of fresh basil leaves

How to make Aubergine Parmigiana

Preparing the aubergine:

1. Place a large pan on a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and allow to heat up. When the oil is hot carefully add the aubergine slices and fry on each side until golden brown. You will need to fry these off in batches as only 3 or 4 slices will fit in the pan at any one time. You can add more oil as required and season each batch with a bit of salt.
2. After each batch of aubergine has finished cooking carefully remove from the pan and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen towel.

Preparing the aubergine parmigiana sauce:

1. Place a large pan on a medium heat (use same pan from previous step to save on washing up) then add half a tablespoon of oil and the finely chopped garlic. Fry for 10 seconds then add the diced onion and fry until soft. Next add a teaspoon of dried oregano and mix in well.
2. Pour in a large 690g jar of passata and stir into the cooked onions.
3. Season with black pepper and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Putting together the aubergine parmigiana:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan).
2. For this next step you will need a medium sized square or rectangular baking dish. I used a 20x24cm rectangular dish.
3. Begin by placing a layer of cooked aubergine in the based of the dish.
4. Next add a layer of the tomato sauce and sprinkle over 1-2 tablespoons of grated parmesan, continue to layer like this until all the aubergine, sauce and parmesan has been used.
5. Finish with a final layer of sliced tomatoes.
6. Then top with breadcrumbs, parmesan and torn pieces of mozzarella.
7. Place the baking dish in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the mozzarella has turned golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
8. Remove from the oven, top with fresh basil leaves and serve.

What to serve with Aubergine Parmigiana?

The the best thing to serve with aubergine parmigiana is a big bowl of spaghetti in a tomato sauce. If you have the time, make the spaghetti in tomato sauce first and then use a slightly deeper baking dish in order to add the spaghetti to the dish before layering on the aubergine and other ingredients. The whole lot can then be baked and served together. Delicious!!

This lovely bake can also be served with a simple salad or for a bit of protein add a layer of sliced chicken to the bake. For a proper chicken parmigiana, coat the chicken in flour, egg and breadcrumbs first.

Can you freeze Aubergine Parmigiana?

For best results freeze the aubergine parmigiana without baking it. Once the parmigiana is layered up in an oven proof dish, allow to fully cool then seal with a lid or cling film and place in the freezer. When ready to eat remove from the freezer and defrost fully then bake at 180 degrees (fan) for 30 minutes or until piping hot throughout.

Can I prepare aubergine Parmigiana in advance?

If preparing in advanced once you have made up the parmigiana in the baking dish it can be placed in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. As the dish will now be chilled, add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time.

What else can you do with Aubergines?

One of the most simple and satisfying recipes for aubergine is this Simon Hopkinson grilled aubergine and feta cheese recipe. I love to serve this as starter at a dinner party. To make this delicious starter you will need one aubergine per person. Start by scoring the skin with a knife in four places along the length of the aubergine then rub oil all over the skin. Then place on a baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the skin is charred. Cool and then peel off the skin (the scoring should help with this). With the stem still in place slice the peeled aubergine in half with the top end held together by the stem. Lay the aubergine flat on a small plate with the two halves next to each other.  In a small dish mix together olive oil, chopped parsley and chopped garlic then drizzle over the aubergine. Finally crumble over some feta cheese and serve.

I also love to use aubergine to make my meat and leek pies with aubergine pastry - These are proper Italian pies!

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Aubergine Parmigiana

Aubergine parmigiana or melanzane parmigiana is one of the best recipes for getting the most out of your aubergines. The thinly sliced and pan fried aubergines are layered with a rich tomato sauce and freshly grated parmesan for a dish that is bursting with Italian flavour. Serve this simple aubergine parmigiana recipe as it is, or pad it out with an extra layer of cooked spaghetti added to the base of the baking dish. 

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 318.6kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Large frying pan
• medium baking dish (24x20cm)

Ingredients

For the aubergine:

• 3-4 tablespoon Olive oil
• 2 large aubergines (600g sliced length ways and half a cm thick)
• Few pinches of salt

For the sauce:

• ½ tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 Clove garlic finely chopped
• 1 Large onion diced (150g)
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 690 g jar of Passata
• Black pepper

For the topping:

• 6 medium tomatoes sliced (300g)
• 30 g Breadcrumbs (or gluten free breadcrumbs)
• 50 g grated parmesan (or vegetarian parmesan)
• 100 g buffalo mozzarella roughly torn
• Handful of fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Preparing the aubergine:

• Place a large pan on a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and allow to heat up. When the oil is hot carefully add the aubergine slices and fry on each side until golden brown. You will need to fry these off in batches as only 3 or 4 slices will fit in the pan at any one time. You can add more oil as required and season each batch with a bit of salt.
  
• After each batch of aubergine has finished cooking carefully remove from the pan and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen towel.

Preparing the aubergine parmigiana sauce:

• Place a large pan on a medium heat (use same pan from previous step to save on washing up) then add half a tablespoon of oil and the finely chopped garlic. Fry for 10 seconds then add the diced onion and fry until soft. Next add a teaspoon of dried oregano and mix well.
  
• Next pour in a large 690g jar of passata and stir into the cooked onions
  
• Season with black pepper and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
  

Putting together the aubergine parmigiana:

• Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan).
• For this next step you will need a medium sized square or rectangular baking dish. I used a 20x24cm rectangular dish.
• Begin by placing a layer of cooked aubergine in the based of the dish.
  
• Then add a layer of the tomato sauce and sprinkle over 1-2 tablespoons of grated parmesan, continue to layer like this until all the aubergine, sauce and parmesan has been used.
  
• Finish with a final layer of sliced tomatoes.
  
• Then top with breadcrumbs, parmesan and torn pieces of mozzarella.
  
• Place the baking dish in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the mozzarella has turned golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
• Remove from the oven, top with fresh basil leaves and serve.
  

Video

Notes

Can you freeze Aubergine Parmigiana?

For best results freeze the aubergine parmigiana without baking it. Once the parmigiana is layered up in an oven proof dish, allow to fully cool then seal with a lid or cling film and place in the freezer. When ready to eat remove from the freezer and defrost fully then bake at 180 degrees (fan) for 30 minutes or until piping hot throughout.

Can I prepare aubergine Parmigiana in advance?

If preparing in advanced once you have made up the parmigiana in the baking dish it can be placed in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. As the dish will now be chilled, add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time.

What else can you do with Aubergines?

One of the most simple and satisfying recipes for aubergine is baked aubergine and feta cheese. I love to serve this as starter at a dinner party. To make this delicious starter you will need one aubergine per person. Start by scoring the skin with a knife in four places along the length of the aubergine then rub oil all over the skin. Then place on a baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the skin is charred. Cool and then peel off the skin (the scoring should help with this). With the stem still in place slice the peeled aubergine in half with the top end held together by the stem still. In a small dish mix together olive oil, chopped parsley and chopped garlic then drizzle over the aubergine. Finally crumble over some feta cheese and serve.
I also love to use aubergine to make my meat and leek pies with aubergine pastry - These are proper Italian pies! 

Nutrition

Serving: 500g | Calories: 318.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.9g | Protein: 14.3g | Fat: 20.4g | Saturated Fat: 7.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.9g | Sodium: 680mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 14.7g

PIN FOR LATER

The post Aubergine Parmigiana appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken cacciatore is a proper Italian classic and just like spag bol (ragu), risotto and pizza, its a dish that most British households are happy to adopt. Even in the warmer months this easy chicken cacciatore can be such a delight at the end of the day. It may be a hearty stew but the aromatic and earthy flavours of olives and rosemary means it will fit well with a herbed rice dish or some buttered new potatoes. If it does happen to be freezing outside and blowing a gale - then of course this just has to served with a huge pile of creamy mash potatoes. Either way, you're sorted with a fantastic meal.

Why is it called chicken cacciatore?

This simple Italian chicken stew goes back to the roots of Italy, when hunters used to make this dish with the basic ingredients they had to hand. In Italian 'cacciatore' means 'hunter' and so this dish is sometimes referred to as hunters chicken stew. Hunters style means to be prepared with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs and sometimes wine. I'm assuming the 'sometimes' means that wine was added when it was available - so, of course, in my version there is plenty of wine 🙂

What wine goes with chicken cacciatore?

As cacciatore is Italian it would be best to make with an Italian wine. My all time favourite Italian wine is Valpolicella, in particular the valpolicella amarone. Ben and I got married in this region of Italy and had this wine served at our wedding breakfast along with a fantastic amarone risotto. The Valpolicalla classico, ripasso or amarone would work well in this dish due to the robust, rich flavours. However, a full bodied montepulciano or  sangiovese would also work really well. If you don't have an Italian wine to hand then any other full bodied wine will be fine, perhaps try with a malbec or strong merlot.

What is traditionally served with this dish?

Traditionally an Italian chicken casserole is served with fresh pasta - of course. Usually spaghetti, tagliatelle or fettuccine. However, as mentioned earlier, I tend to go with something that will match the time of year. As we are now heading into summer I like to make this dish with herbed rice, which is long grain and wild rice mixed with sea salt and freshly chopped parsley.

How long will it last in the fridge?

A chicken dish will last 1 to 2 days in the fridge depending on how fresh the chicken was when it was cooked. Chicken cacciatore can also be frozen in a sealed container, but it must be cooled first. Freeze for up to 3 months and thoroughly defrost before heating through until piping hot.

Serve

Serve this dish with your preferred side and top with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

📖 Recipe

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Italian Chicken Cacciatore

Easy Chicken cacciatore, a slow cooked, Italian, red wine chicken stew. With all the ingredients of an authentic hunters style stew.

Course Dinner, evening meal, tea

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 418kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

For the Chicken Stew:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 750 g Chicken breast (4 breast)
• 2 tablespoon Plain flour
• 200 g Shallots, peeled and left whole (20 Shallots or small onions)
• 2 Cloves garlic finely chopped
• 200 ml Italian full bodied red wine
• 160 g Baby tomatoes
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon Tomato puree
• 160 g mushrooms, roughly chopped into quarters
• 3 Sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 Handful Green and black whole olives, pitted
• Salt and pepper to season
• 1 Handful Fresh chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions

• If slow cooking in the oven, pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees C. Place a casserole dish on the stove top and heat up 2 tablespoon olive oil on a medium heat.
• Slice the chicken breasts into large chunks (I cut each breast into 3), season with salt and pepper and dust evenly with 2 tablespoon plain flour. When the oil is hot; place the chicken chunks in the casserole dish and fry on each side for around 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. The flour from the chicken will stick to the base of the dish and begin to turn brown - don't panic - leave this for the moment.
• Remove the chicken and place in a bowl and set to one side. With the casserole dish still on a medium add the peeled whole shallots and chopped garlic. Add more olive oil if needed. Cook for a minute or so before adding the red wine. The wine should sizzle as it enters the pan and loosen the brown flour from the base. Use a wooden spoon to fully remove all the flour (deglaze).
• Once the wine has reduced by at least half; add 160g whole baby tomatoes, 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, and 2 tablespoon tomato puree. Mix well and bring to a simmer. 
• Once simmering add 160g chopped mushrooms, 3 springs of rosemary, 2 bay leaves and a handful of green and black pitted olives. Stir well and simmer for a further minute or so.
• Next return the pre cooked chicken to the casserole dish and stir in well. Bring to the boil then clamp on a lid and place in the middle of the oven for 50mins - 1hr. Alternatively transfer to a slow cooker and cook on medium for 3 hours.
• Check the stew after 50 minutes. If it appears ready then taste and season with salt and pepper. 
• Serve the stew with herbed rice or mash or pasta

Notes

Click here to see traffic light nutritional info for this recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 629g | Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 50.1g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.6g | Sodium: 720mg | Sugar: 11.8g

The post Italian Chicken Cacciatore appeared first on ProperFoodie.

As a child, spag bol was always my most favourite meal. Any time I was asked what I wanted to eat, be that at home or out in a restaurant, the answer would undoubtedly be spaghetti bolognaise. Although there was no beating my mothers bolognaise.

Over the years, my own version of spag bol has of course been hugely influence by my mums recipe. However, with many trips to Italy now under my belt and a few cookery classes taken along the way. My approach to a bolognaise has definitely changed and I now incorporate alot more of the traditional Italian methods.

(If you're interested in making your own pasta from scratch have a look at my pasta guide and video.)

Bolognaise or Ragu, that is the question!

So the first thing to mention about this recipe is that its not strictly a Bolognaise. It is actually a Ragu. Although, the British take on a Bolognaise is always the same and is generally mince meat in a tomato sauce. But any Italian will tell you that if the sauce contains tomatoes then the dish is most definitely a Ragu. The traditional Italian Bolognaise contains no tomatoes but is made with stock instead. So thats that.

The Ragu recipe

I like to have plenty going on in my slow cooker Ragu, so as well as a couple of good quality tinned tomatoes, I like to add celery, carrots and mushrooms. When Ben and I visit Bologna in Northern Italy, we attended a cookery day at CIBO cookery school, where I learnt how to make a proper Italian Bolognaise and Ragu. Both recipes included finely chopping the carrots, celery and onion. All had to be chopped into tiny cubes, which were roughly the same size in order to promote even cooking.

So now, my Ragu is one big mix of what my mum always made and the traditional Italian recipe.

And  I really rather like it.

Ragu in the slow cooker

This last week I've been using my slow cooker every day. This was part of my 6 week reboot challenge, which you can read more about here. Last week was week 2 of the reboot and my challenge for the week was to try out the slow cooker and use it every day for our evening meals. You can read about how I got on here. The up shot of this was that I made a lot of amazing food and so I'm really excited to share all of these new recipes. The slow cooker Ragu was the first recipe that got made at the start of the week and it was a massive hit.

So the below recipe is for a slow cooker, but if you don't have a slow cooker it should work out just as good if you pop it in a low oven in an casserole dish. If youre after a ragu with a twist have a look at my salami and pork ragu.

Of course this recipe is best served with homemade fresh tagliatelle. But for convenience, shop bought pasta does the job just fine.

Nutritional information for this recipe>>

**Estimated nutritional information per serving and per 100g of Ragu without pasta or toppings. If you want to find out more about how the information is calculated and the sources used, please refer to my Nutrition Information Guide.

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Italian Style Slow Cooker Ragu

A lusciously, rich, tomatoey Ragu, prepared over several hours in the slow cooker. Served with a mound of tagliatelle, fresh basil and parmesan

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Calories 257kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

• 750 g lean mince beef
• Salt and pepper to season
• 2 medium onions 250g finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 250 ml of full bodied Italian red wine
• 3 tablespoon tomato puree
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 star anise
• 3 celery sticks 150g finely chopped
• 3 small carrots 130g finely chopped
• 175 g chestnut mushrooms quartered
• 2 tins of good quality plum tomatoes San Marzano tomatoes, if available

Extras:

• Fresh basil
• Parmesan
• Tagliatelle or preferred pasta

Instructions

• If using a sear and stew slow cooker, use the dish from the slow cook to prepare the first part of this recipe. If your slow cooker doesn't have the option to be used on the hob or if you aren't using a slow cooker, then use a large pan or wok.
• Place your large pan or slower cooker dish on a medium heat on the hob. Season the mince with salt and pepper then gently brown off in the pre-heated pan. Add the onion, garlic, marjoram and basil to the meat, mix well and cook for a further minute.
• Take the pan off the heat and add the wine, tomato puree, bay leaves, and star anise, then mix well. Finally, add the vegetables and tinned tomatoes and mix again. If you can, roughly chop the plum tomatoes in half or into 3 using your mixing spoon. This releases the juices into the sauce and also creates more manageable chunks of tomato.
• If using a sear and stew slow cooker, you can now place the dish and its contents back into the slow cooker and pop on the lid. Set to medium and leave to cook for 4-6 hours. If you want a longer cooking time, set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours.
• Alternatively, transfer your Ragu to your slow cooker or to an oven proof casserole dish with lid. If using a casserole dish; pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees and cook for 3-4 hours. Check and stir after 2 hours - alter oven temp if you feel necessary, before returning to the oven to cook for the remaining time.
• After the required cooking time is up, check your Ragu and taste. Season if required. If the consistency appears to thin, turn your slow cooker to high and cook for a further 20-30 minutes with the lid off.
• Serve with tagliatelle and top with fresh basil leaves and grated parmesan. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 430g | Calories: 257kcal | Fat: 5.8g

The post Italian Style Slow Cooker Ragu appeared first on ProperFoodie.

It might seem a little odd to replace pastry with . . . wait for it and please don't leave . . .

aubergine! 🙂

Come back!

Trust me when you try it you'll realise that not only is it lower in fat and calories, but as far as a tasty, pastry alternative goes, this is most definitely the way forward, even if you're not on a diet.

Like a lot of my recipes the inspiration for this dish comes from Italy!

Italy really is a magical, foodie paradise and I'm sure it will be bringing me new and inspired recipes for the rest of my life. However, this particular recipe will always hold a special place in my heart (and belly).

I had my first alfresco, aubergine pie in a little Tuscan restaurant on the hilltop village of Pienza. Ben and I sat on a little table, at the edge of the restaurant gardens, overlooking the beautiful rolling hills, cypress trees and vineyards of Italy. It really was picture perfect. If you ever find yourself in Tuscany, and you haven't been to Pienza, then I would strongly recommend a visit there and to the quaint, traditional Terrazza Val D'orcia restaurant.

Whats particularly special and memorable about this restaurant and dish, is that a year after these pictures were taken, we found ourselves back in the very same spot, ordering the very same meal and making another very special memory.

This is where we got engaged.

It was early on in the evening and so we briefly had the restaurant gardens to ourselves. I sat patiently waiting for my Tuscan pie and sipped on a deep red, plummy wine whilst taking in the incredible view. I had no idea that Ben was about to pull out the most beautiful ring and ask if I would be his wife.

It was and will always be one of the most special moments of my life

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect proposal and probably wouldn't have been able to dream up something so incredible if I'd been able to plan it myself. However, with all the excitement of getting engaged to my best friend and soul mate, I completely lost my appetite. Never - been - known!

And so a pathetic attempt was made by both me and Ben to eat this wonderful pie, but in the end we both gave up and decided to stick to the wine.

So it only seems right that I should recreate the aubergine pie at home. Its taken me long enough but I thought it was essential that I got this made, eaten, and up on the blog before we return to Italy for our wedding in August this year. And I'm actually extremely pleased with the way my version of the aubergine pie turned out.

Read here about our amazing Veneto wedding the incredible Amarone risotto we had as a starter for our wedding breakfast.

So how did I go about recreating this pie?

First off, as with most aubergine recipes, its essential to prepare the aubergine properly before hand. This requires salt, kitchen towels and a couple of heavy books. Salting freshly cut aubergine helps to remove any excess water and any bitter taste along with it. As I was making pies, and the aubergine was to be the pastry, I wanted to remove as much of the water and bitterness as possible.

Salting aubergine for the removal of excess water and bitterness

So firstly, slice the aubergine length ways into strips (around 3-4mm thick). Lay the sliced aubergine side by side on a cooling rack, place over a tray, and then scatter a pinch of sea salt over each piece.

Then cover with sheets of kitchen towel:

and place a couple of heavy cook books over the top of this. It might be useful to place a sheet of foil or cling film between the kitchen towel and the books, as a lot of water does drain off and my books did get a little wet.

Leave the aubergine like this for a good couple of hours and let the salt and the compression of the books squeeze away all the water.

After 2 hours or so, remove the books and kitchen towel. Briefly rinse the aubergine slices to remove the salt and then pat dry.

Next separate the slices into sets of four, trying to ensure different sized slices are spread evenly between groups. Each set of 4 is used to line a small, round, tin mould (approx. 3 inch diameter moulds). Drizzle olive oil inside each mould before adding the aubergine, this will prevent sticking during baking.

I used one slice to line the base of the mould and then the other slices were just used to line the sides - this was to stop a thicker layer of aubergine being created on the bottom.

Next make up the filling of fried mince beef, chopped onions and chopped leeks. Then add this to each mould. Ensure that the filling is pressed well into each mould, so you can fit in as much as possible. The last thing you want is for there to be big gaps of empty space in your pie.

Then fold over the flaps of aubergine, cutting down to size if required:

Secure with cocktail sticks:

Then Bake and voila.....amazing aubergine pies!!

Easy!! . . . Ok so it isn't a quick recipe, and definitely one I'd consider bookmarking for a weekend. This is not a 15 minute, Jamie Oliver style, mid week meal. But it is a spectacular, spend an afternoon in the kitchen, and feel ever so chuffed with your creation afterwards meal.

I served up these beauts with some freshly roasted beetroot and a homemade horseradish and yogurt sauce. The pies were finished with a passata sauce and grated parmesan, and the horseradish sauce was garnished with chopped chives. Truly a masterpiece .......thank you  Terrazza Val D'orcia for your wonderful aubergine dish and for helping make our engagement so special.

Nutritional information for this recipe >>

**Estimated nutritional information per individual pie with passata and cheese topping and 100g of pie. If you want to find out more about how the information is calculated and the sources used, please refer to my Nutrition Information Guide.

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Meat and leek pies with aubergine pastry

Aubergine pie - Meat and leek pie with aubergine pastry topped with passata and parmesan served with roasted beetroot and horseradish sauce.

Prep Time 3 hours hours

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Calories 266kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

For the pie filling

• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 300 g onion finely chopped
• 100 g leeks finely chopped
• 400 g extra lean mince meat
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• Salt and pepper to season

For the pie casing

• 3 medium aubergines around 250g each
• A good amound of sea salt for dehydrating the aubergine
• Olive oil to drizzle on the inside of pie moulds

for the toppings and garnishes

• 3 small pieces of raw beetroot peeled (use gloves)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• A squeeze of runny honey
• 200 g passata
• 20 g grated parmesan
• 4 tablespoon Greek style fat free yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon horseradish sauce
• pinch of salt and black pepper
• Chopped chives and lettuce leaves if desired

Equipment

• Cooling rack and tray for draining the aubergine
• Plenty of kitchen towel
• Heavy cooking books
• Pie/dessert moulds approx. 3 inch diameter
• Cocktail sticks

Instructions

for the pie

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
• Prepare the aubergine as per the instructions in the above post, including lining the pie moulds with the aubergine.
• Prepare the filling by heating ½ tablespoon oil in a large pan, add the onion and leek and gently fry until soft. Then add the mince meat, bay leaf and oregano. Fry until the meat is browned throughout. (Only use half a tablespoon of oil, so to keep the filling as dry as possible).
• Drain the filling into a sieve, lined with kitchen towels. Its important to ensure that the filling is well drained to prevent the pies from being too soggy. at the same time find and remove the bay leaf.
• Add the filling to the lined moulds - see images above. Push the filling down with the back of the spoon in order to fit in as much as possible.
• Fold the aubergine slices over the top of the filling, trimming where necessary with scissors. Secure with cocktail sticks.
• Place the pies onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

for the toppings and garnishes

• Whilst the pies are baking, the beetroot and horseradish sauce can be prepared. Cut each piece of peeled beetroot into 1-2cm chunks. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and honey, then pop in the oven for 20 minutes - both the beetroot and pies should be ready at a similar time.
• Next place the passata in a small sauce pan and gently heat, once boiled, set to one side and allow to cool. This will allow any excess water to evaporate so there won't be any runny juices when serving.

For the horseradish sauce

• In a small bowl add the yogurt, olive oil, horseradish, and salt and pepper. Then mix well and taste. Add more horseradish, seasoning or yogurt if required. Set to one side ready for serving.

Assembling the dish.

• Once the pies and beetroot are cooked remove from the oven. Set the pies to one side to cool slightly for 5 minutes, before attempting to remove from their containers.
• Whilst waiting for the pies to cool; arrange the lettuce leaves and cooked beetroot on the serving plates. carefully spoon blobs of the horseradish and yogurt sauce on or next to the beetroot and sprinkle over the chives.
• Next return to your pies and run a sharp knife around the egde of the moulds in order to release the aubergine. Place a spatula over the top of the mould, then turn upside down and gently allow the pie to slide out. You may want to place kitchen towel under your spatula just in case any excess juices spill out.
• Transfer the pie to the serving plate - repeat for each pie.
• Spoon passata over each pie and finish with grated parmesan.

Nutrition

Serving: 420g | Calories: 266kcal | Fat: 10.8g

The post Meat and leek pies with aubergine pastry appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Easy creamy pasta

Chicken pesto pasta is a super quick and really easy, one-pan, pesto pasta recipe with just five ingredients! Its great for those occasions when you've had a long day and have no time or inclination to cook. You can literally throw this dish together in 15 minutes and you know it will taste great and fill you up.

A creamy pasta recipe is also the best thing to come home to when you're tired and hungry and its definitely one of my favourite comfort foods. Plus a pesto pasta recipe is always so reliable as I nearly always have both of these ingredients in my cupboard. When I'm super hungry and in need of some really creamy pasta I just can't resist a creamy mushroom pasta or a creamy spiced cajun chicken pasta. There are also occasions when I want something a little lighter and so I like to rustle up a rustic pea pasta or a healthy salmon and prawn linguine with spiralized courgette..

What pasta is best with pesto?

Shorter pasta shapes like shells, penne or bow tie pasta are perfect for pesto. They can hold the sauce and they also stir together without to much fuss. That said, most pasta will go well with pesto. So if you happen to have spaghetti or tagliatelle to hand then this will also work perfectly well. In this recipe I have used tagliatelle, which does require a bit more care when tossing together with the creamy pesto sauce. But this usually works best with a ladle of pasta water added to help loosen the sauce. Its also important to have enough sauce, which will fully coat the pasta.

If you have a little extra time and want to make this dish extra special then you could make your own homemade pasta! It makes for a much better taste and texture.

Can you just add pesto to pasta?

This recipe is all about simple, quick cooking, which is made possible with ready made pesto. Pesto is ready straight out of the jar, so can just be spooned straight into your cooked pasta. Pesto can also be eaten cold and makes for a great pesto pasta salad. The pesto I have used in this recipe is Belazu Genovese pesto, which uses traditional recipe ingredients of Italian basil, aged PDO Parmigiano Reggiano and pine kernels. - Amazing!!

What ingredients do I need to make chicken pesto pasta?

For this really easy recipe you will need just 5 ingredients. Plus a bit of oil for cooking and some fresh parsley for a topping:

• Onion
• Chicken breast
• Belazu Genovese pesto
• Creme fraiche
• Pasta

How to make chicken pesto pasta

1. Start by placing the tagliatelle in a pan with boiling water. Cook according to the instructions or for 7-8 minutes for dried or 2-3 minutes for fresh pasta.
2. Whilst the pasta is cooking place a large pan on a medium heat. Then fry 1 chopped onion until soft.
3. Next add cubed pieces of chicken breast to the pan. Continue to cook until the meat is sealed all over.
4. Keep the heat on medium and add a large tablespoon full of Genovese pesto and stir in well
   
5. Next turn the heat to low and add a tablespoon of creme fraiche.
6. When the pasta is cooked transfer from the water to the chicken pesto pan. Add a ladle full of the pasta water as well to help loosen the sauce. Then toss together until the pasta is well coated with the pesto.
7. Sprinkle over some freshly chopped parsley and then serve topped with extra pesto and creme fraiche.

Is pesto sauce bad for you?

Most of the calories in pesto come from fat. However, the fat provided by the pine nuts in pesto is mainly good fat (mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated fatty acids). Theses fats help to keep our hearts healthy. Pine nuts are also a good source of protein and fibre. The fat coming from the cheese is mainly saturated fats, which are the unhealthy type and should be consumed in moderation. As a complete recipe chicken pesto pasta is a good source of healthy fats, is high in protein, a good source of energy, and provides plenty of micronutrients such as potassium, vitamin A and vitamin K.

What goes well with chicken pesto?

As pesto is made with basil its safe to assume that serving this dish with fresh basil leaves would work rather well. In this recipe I went with fresh parsley, which has a slight bitter taste and so brightens the flavour of the creme fraiche and pesto.

Pesto originates from the province of genoa region in Italy, where they grow basil and have pesto on and with everything. - so go  crazy if you like and put your pesto with whatever you fancy - fish, risotto, sandwiches, lasagna - the options are endless.

Can you bake chicken with pesto?

Yes you can bake chicken with pesto. Just transfer the cooked pasta recipe to a baking dish. Then sprinkle over some grated parmesan and some breadcrumbs for extra crunch. Then bake in the oven for 20 minutes for a lovely chicken pesto pasta bake.

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Chicken Pesto Pasta

Chicken pesto pasta is an easy one-pan pasta recipe made with just 5 ingredients. The creamy pesto sauce that smothers this pasta recipe is made by simply combining Belazu Genovese pesto with a few spoonfuls of creme fraiche - easy and delicious. 

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 707.3kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Cost £5.50 per portion

Equipment

• Large pan for chicken pesto
• Medium pan for pasta

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon Oil for cooking onions
• 1 Onion 120g
• 2 Chicken breast 500g
• 1-2 tablespoon Genovese pesto
• 1-2 tablespoon Creme fraiche
• 200 g dried Pasta
• Handful of parsley to serve optional
• Extra pesto and creme fraiche to serve optional

Instructions

• Start by placing the tagliatelle in a pan with boiling water. Cook according to the instructions, until al dente. Or for 7-8 minutes if dried pasta or 2-3 minutes if fresh pasta.
• Whilst the pasta is cooking place a large pan on a medium heat and then fry 1 chopped onion in a little oil, until soft.
• Next add cubed pieces of chicken breast to the pan and continue to cook until the meat is sealed all over.
  
• Keep the heat on medium and add a large tablespoon full of Genovese pesto and stir in well

  
• Next turn the heat to low and add a tablespoon of creme fraiche. Check the amount of the pesto sauce - if you would like more add another tablespoon of both the pesto and creme fraiche.
  
• When the pasta is cooked transfer from the water to the chicken pesto pan. Add a ladle full of the pasta water as well to help loosen the sauce and then toss together until the pasta is well coated with the pesto.
  
• Sprinkle over some freshly chopped parsley and then serve topped with extra pesto and creme fraiche.
  

Video

Notes

Click here to view the traffic light Nutritional info chicken pesto pasta

Recipe tip:

Add a ladle full of starchy pasta water to the pan before serving. This will loosen the sauce, whilst keeping it silky smooth.

Can you bake chicken with pesto?

Yes you can bake chicken with pesto. Just transfer the cooked pasta recipe to a baking dish, sprinkle over some grated parmesan and some breadcrumbs for extra crunch. Then bake in the oven for 20 minutes for a lovely chicken pesto pasta bake.

Fresh pasta

If you have a little extra time and want to make this dish extra special then you could make your own homemade pasta! It makes for a much better taste and texture.

Nutrition

As a complete recipe chicken pesto pasta is a good source of healthy fats, is high in protein and provides plenty of micronutrients

Nutrition

Serving: 435g | Calories: 707.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 72.7g | Fat: 12.5g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.1g | Sodium: 200mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 6.3g

PIN FOR LATER

The post Chicken Pesto Pasta appeared first on ProperFoodie.

A mini pizza recipe: perfect for the school holidays and little helping hands. Cook with the kids, make homemade dough and add your own toppings

Summer holidays

The summer holidays are here and I've been thinking about a few recipes to help keep the kids entertained and well fed. Whilst I don't profess to be an expert I do know that I loved anything pastry/dough/messy flour related when I was a kid - and so, I felt that a mini pizza recipe with homemade dough would be a great recipe to kick off with. This recipe will also go amazing well with some easy, homemade beetroot hummus and summery BBQ skewers.

For a kid-friendly, healthy summer dessert why not try making your own ice cream lollies. Or for something not so healthy but great for a summer holiday treat: Dairy milk cookies.

Pizza dough

The dough for this recipe is super, super easy and takes minutes to mix together. Once the dough is formed its left to prove (rise) for an hour. If the dough has been kneaded well for at least 10 minutes then it will always double or maybe even triple in size. During this time the toppings can be prepared ready for your little helpers to decorate their own mini pizzas.

Chopping

Over the last 2 or 3 weeks I've had the opportunity to try out the Furi range of knives. If you're after a good set of knives, read my review of Furi here. A good set of knives really does make for easier, safer and so much more efficient chopping.

Making mini pizza

Once the toppings are chopped arranged them in little bowls ready to go on the mini pizza bases. Check the dough is well risen then knock out the air and divide into even pieces. The recipe below will allow for 16 mini pizzas. Roll each of the 16 pieces into round balls then use a rolling pin to roll out into thin round bases. Use plenty of extra flour on all sides of the dough and on the rolling pin to prevent sticking. Lay the bases on greaseproof paper before adding the toppings - its less messy and means that you can easily move the topped pizza from worktop to tray.

And bake

Once rolled and topped the pizzas just need 10 minutes in a hot oven. Finish off with any extra fresh basil or fresh cheese (parmesan, feta), then serve and enjoy.

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Mini pizza for the school holidays

A mini pizza recipe perfect for the school holidays and little helping hands. Cook with the kids, make homemade dough and add your own toppings.

Course Dinner, Main Course, school holidays

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 16 mini pizzas

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 500 g strong white bread flour or 00 flour
• 7 g sachet of dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon white caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon crushed sea salt
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 300 ml of luke warm water 75ml boiling and 225ml cold water
• Extra flour for dusting and extra oil for greasing the bowl

For the pizza toppings:

• 500 g carton of passata
• Your choice of cheeses fresh mozzarella, grated mozzarella, grated cheddar, feta
• Your choice of veggies and meats red onion, chorizo, sliced baby tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, courgette, red bell pepper

For garlic bread topping:

• 2 garlic cloves skin removed and crushed
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried parley

Instructions

To make the dough:

• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, dried yeast, caster sugar and sea salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the oil.
• Prepare the luke warm water by mixing 75ml of boiling water with 225ml of tap water. Check the temperature with you finger tips – it should be slightly warm to the touch. Gradually add the water to the flour mix. Mix the flour with your fingertips in between each addition until all the water is combined to form a dough.
• Flour the work surface and turn out the dough, the dough may seem slightly sticky at this point. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and no longer sticky. Shape the dough into a ball. Drizzle oil around the mixing bowl to prevent sticking and place the dough ball in the centre of the bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to prove (rise) for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, flour the work surface again, turnout the dough and ‘knock back’ (remove the air). Shape the dough into a ball again and then divide in half, in half again and then in half 2 further times to create 16 even pieces.
• Line 2 or 3 baking trays with baking paper. Use your hands roll each of the 16 pieces of dough into little balls. Flour the work surface again and the dough balls then use a rolling pin to roll out each ball to a thin base. Place each base onto the lined trays. Depending on the size of the trays and how many bases you can fit, you may have to cook the pizzas in batches.

To make the pizzas and garlic bread:

• Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.
• Add the passata sauce and a selection of toppings to each of the pizza bases. If making garlic bread mix the crushed garlic, oil and dried parsley in a mug or small bowl then spoon over a plain dough base (alternatively spoon over an unrolled ball of dough to make garlic dough balls).
• Place the pizzas/garlic bread/doughballs in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown and with the cheese fully melted. Serve and enjoy!

PIN FOR LATER

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Italian wedding planner: 'Dream Academy': Dream Academy

Wedding venue: Villa Mosconi Bertani, Verona

Before I get going with this gorgeously irresistible, wine-filled Amarone risotto I just wanted to mention that: I GOT MARRIED!! 😆

The inspiration for this risotto comes from our Italian wedding breakfast and so I feel it is entirely appropriate to give you a little background wedding story in order to set the scene.

An Italian Wedding

On the 26th August 2017 I officially became Mrs Jones when I married my best friend and soul mate: Ben. Its a day neither of us will ever forget.

We were married on a small island in the middle of a picturesque lake, set in the Gardens of a Veronese Villa in Northern Italy. A location we picked and fell in love with well over a year ago.

I arrived as expected in a sleek white car, slightly late and as giddy as a little girl waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.

[- Me after a good 5 hours of hair and make-up prep, finished off with a good amount of wriggling and straining in order to get into my dress in the Italy heat.]

Arriving at the point in time that we had been planning for the last year and a half, was certainly nerve racking and very emotional. . . We were about to become husband and wife!

I can't tell you how incredible the whole event was for both of us. A whirlwind day of one magical experience after another. Amazing musicians, perfect weather, immaculately dressed groomsmen, stunning bridesmaids, striking flowers . . . you get the idea.

Basically, I loved every bit of our amazing Italian wedding and yes I may even brag a little and burst with pride at the whole darn thing. But if a bride can't be boastful and overjoyed on her wedding day, then when can she?

Italian wedding food

So, what about the food. Yes the food!! Other than actually getting married, the food was one of the most important parts for Ben and I. We love Italy and we love Italian food even more. So our Italian wedding day just had to erupt with the most amazing representation of all kinds of Italian foods imaginable. The canapés (and I say canapés but it was more like a feast fit for the 5000) were a stunning array of cheeses, meats, stews, flat breads, and so many more delicious things, which I would care to remember in more detail had I been allowed the appetite of my normal self. As it were, the emotions of the day were clearly too much for my startled stomach. However, just to look and see our guests enjoy each new found foodie delight was more than enough.

The sit down meal had been carefully selected by myself and Ben a few months earlier. We stuck to the traditional Italian meal structure of pasta course, risotto course, main course and dessert. Basically it was not really the time to be in a restrictive dress or to be feeling too excited to eat. . .

With the right posture and a steady pace I was able to do my usual trick and clear every last morsel.

This was one meal that I was not going to waste.

Amarone risotto

And now, back home in rainy Glossop, the distant sounds of the mandolin, the fading yellow light from the August sun, and the aroma of risotto rice gently stewing in a rich Amarone red wine are all I can think about. So, lets not waste any more time and lets get down to business: my version of the amazing, primo piatto (first course) Amarone Risotto dish that stole my stomach (my heart was already taken) on our Italian wedding day.

How to make Amarone Risotto

Amarone, the most highly regarded wine of the Valpolicella area in Northern Italy. Followed closely by the Valpolicella Ripasso and Valpollicella classico, the deep, sweet flavours of this type of wine, had us both at Hello. Not that we have a great knowledge of wines, but we have been lucky enough to participate in a few Italian wine tastings over the last few years. So we have a reasonable idea of what we do and don't like. (More on wine tasting to follow in another post shortly!)

In Italy the pairing of wine with food is essential, this is most clearly demonstrated in this wonderful dish where the wine is the main ingredient and star of the show. Using good quality wine in recipes is one of the most important things I have ever learnt about cooking. Scraping together a few extra pennies for the Amarone wine in this particular recipe is totally worth it. However, if the Amarone is a little out of your price range, the Ripasso or even Classico are considered excellent alternatives.

Amarone risotto ingredients

This stunning and moreish plate of sweet Amarone risotto can be recreated with just a few basic ingredients. With a little patience and time taken over the addition of the wine and stock, a beautiful mound of food can be created. A mound of food that will no doubt be appearing regularly at our table from now on.

Cooking the perfect risotto

Risotto is one of the first dishes I ever made as a young kitchen explorer. My first attempts were always very appealing to me, although probably slightly sloppy and overcooked. But over the years I have observed and practised the best techniques for cooking this delicious grain, and I'm always striving to spoon out the best silky, smooth, al dente risotto dish as is possible.

So first things first: BUTTER. Yes butter. No risotto is complete with out the rich starting point of a good helping of melted butter. The butter is also used to "awaken the rice". Coating the uncooked grains with the warmed butter helps to soften the grain and allow it to soak up liquids more easily. And the aim of this recipe: get the wine into the rice!!

I used both stock and wine (more of the latter) as the liquid ingredients for this recipe. Adding the liquid a bit at a time and allowing the rice to absorb each addition before adding the next. Generally this is considered the best technique for producing perfectly cooked risotto rice. A quick simmer with the lid on, after the final addition, will ensure that the grains are cooked to just the right point and that they are sitting snugly in a rich, thick wine sauce.

Bellissimo!

Our wedding planner

Before I leave you to consider this luscious Amarone risotto for your next meal, I must mention and thank our wonderful Italian wedding planner: Marion Hunter. If you are yet to walk down the aisle and if you ever find yourself considering a wedding in Northern Italy I would highly recommend you check out Marion's services. We will never ever forget our magical day and will be forever grateful to Marion for her dedication and commitment to our wishes and dreams. Thank you Marion!

Find out more about Marion and her company 'Dream Academy' here: Dream Academy

Wedding venue: Villa Mosconi Bertani, Verona

Find out what we got up to on our Italian Honeymoon at Torciano Winery, in San Gimignano and in Bologna.

Other risotto recipes you might like to try: Haddock and rosemary risotto, Mushroom risotto, leftover turkey risotto.

📖 Recipe

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Amarone Risotto

Little pearly grains of soft risotto rice gently stewed in butter and Amarone red wine, topped with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley

Course Dinner, lunch

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 2 People

Calories 785kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

• 1 large Onion 200g finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
• 50 g Butter
• 250 ml of veg stock or beef stock if not sticking to a veggie recipe
• 400 ml of Valpolicella Amarone red wine Can be replaced with Ripasso or Valpolicella Classico
• 200 g Arborio risotto rice
• 25 g freshly grated parmesan
• 10 g fresh parsley roughly chopped

Instructions

• Place a large shallow pan on a medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted add the chopped onion and garlic then gently fry for a couple of minutes. As the onions begin to sweat down add the rice and mix well to allow each grain to be coated with the butter. Coating the uncooked grains with the warmed butter helps to soften the grain and allow it to soak up liquids more easily. And the aim of this recipe: get the wine into the rice!!
• Next, with the pan still on a medium heat, add around ⅕ of the stock and ⅕ of the wine. stir and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
• The liquid will quickly be absorbed by the rice, at this point add another helping (⅕) of stock and wine. Continue until all the liquid has been added, ensuring each addition is absorbed before the next is added.This usually takes around 20 minutes. After pouring in the last addition, place a lid on the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Taste your risotto and check the rice is cooked before mixing in half of the parmesan. Then taste and season if necessary.
• Finally serve the risotto and top with the remaining parmesan and the parsley.

Video

Notes

Click here for traffic light nutritional info for this recipe>>

Nutrition

Serving: 572g | Calories: 785kcal | Carbohydrates: 94.6g | Protein: 13.4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.4g | Fiber: 3.6g

The post Amarone Risotto appeared first on ProperFoodie.

NUTELLA TIGELLA!

Nutella

Its February! and I have 3 reasons for Nutella consumption this month! The first, which is just around the corner, is World Nutella Day. Yep a whole day devoted to Nutella. The second is pancake day and even though I'm generally a honey and lemon kinda girl, there might be the odd dip in the Nutella jar. And of course the third is Valentines - and I guess consumption of any kind of chocolate in huge quantities is allowed on Valentines day 🙂

Tigella

So now lets talk about Tigella!! NUTELLA TIGELLA. Ben and I were first introduced to the amazing Nutella Tigella in Bologna last year after our amazing Italian wedding when we were honeymooning around Tuscany. We had never come across this type of Italian bread before, even though it was our 5th visit to Italy! I'm so glad that we decided to sit down and give them try.

Not content with our basket full of savoury Tigella, we just had to try the Nutella Tigella as well.

Mmm, amazing!! So you know that I just had to give these a whirl myself at home - and World Nutella Day has forced me into action.

Homemade Italian Tigella

The Tigella is quite a basic bread dough, with the addition of a bit of butter. Its actually not a million miles away from my mini bread rolls recipe.

This dough needs to be left to rise (prove) twice, the first time for an hour and the second for 30 minutes, so you need at least an afternoon free to give these delightful little breads a go.

Unlike the bread rolls, once this dough has risen once, it is then knocked back and rolled out. I rolled my dough to about half a cm in thickness and then cut out my Tigella circles with a 3 inch round cutter (a glass would do the same job).

These are then proved a second time before being baked for 10 minutes or until they puff up into little pillows - bellissimo! And so simple.

Traditionally the Tigella is made in a metal clamp type instrument, which gives them their golden brown colour and imprints a pretty pattern on either side. As the Tigella implement isn't cheap, I decided to improvise.

Baking in the oven for 10 minutes means that the Tigella keep their round shape as they cook and then a quick blast in a toastie maker gives them a lovely golden finish. Although they literally need about 30 seconds in the toastie maker - any more and they dry out a little too much.

I cut mine open after they had baked in the oven and then quickly toasted before adding fillings.

Nutella first:

and then plenty of ham and cheese:

I'm thinking this would make such a lovely feast on Valentines Day 🙂

Find out what else we got to on our honeymoon at Torciano winery and in San Gimignano

📖 Recipe

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Italian Tigella

Italian Tigella! The bestest snack we had in Italy last year. These plump little circles of bread are served warm with your choice of hams and cheeses . . . or a huge dollop of Nutella!

Course Dessert, party food, pudding

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Calories 109kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

• 500 g 00 Flour
• 200 ml water
• 100 ml semi skimmed milk
• 25 g unsalted butter
• 10 g fresh yeast or 7g dried yeast
• Pinch of sea salt

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Small pan for heating
• 3 inch round cutter or upside down glass
• Lightly oiled baking trays
• Toastie machine if you wish to toast to a golden brown colour

Instructions

• Mix the water and milk together in a small pan and heat until just warm (luke warm). Use your finger to test the temperature and stop heating as soon as the mixture feels slightly warm. Next dissolve the yeast in the milk and water and leave to activate for around 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile melt the butter in a pan or in the microwave. Then sieve the flour into a large bowl and add the salt. Mix well with your fingers then make a well in the flour and pour in the melted butter. Start to mix the flour gradually with your fingers and then begin to add the milk mixture bit by bit. Add enough of the milk mix until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth.
• Lightly oil the bowl and place the kneaded dough in the centre then cover with cling film. Leave to prove (rise) for 1 hour.
• After an hour turn out the dough and divide into 2 manageable pieces. Roll out one half to around half a cm thick. Using a 3 inch circular cutter or an upside down glass, cut circular shapes into the rolled dough. Gather up the left over dough, re-roll and cut out more circles. Repeat this with the second half of the dough.
• Line up the dough tigella on lightly oiled baking trays and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise for a second time for 30 minutes.
• Pre heat oven to 180 degrees
• After 30 minutes remove the tea towel and transfer the tigella to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
• Once baked, slice in half and add your favourite fillings. To add a touch of colour, place the tigella in a toastie maker for 30 seconds before adding the filling.

Notes

Click here for traffic light nutritional info for this recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.7g | Protein: 7.3g | Fat: 1.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Sodium: 80mg

The post Italian Tigella from Bologna, Italy appeared first on ProperFoodie.