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Beef Italian Main course

Italian beef stew

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a casserole pan and brown the beef in batches until well coloured. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the onion and fry gently for a few minutes until soft. Next add the carrot and fry for a few minutes before adding the celery and […]

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Fish Italian Main course Pasta

Smoked salmon and creme fraiche pasta

Cook pasta until al dente in plenty salted water.  While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan and melt the butter and add the smoked salmon. Fry over a medium heat for a few minutes then add the peas. Stir through then add the creme fraiche. Heat through quite gently until peas are cooked […]

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Italian Main course Pasta

Penne with tomato, courgette and peppers

Cook the pasta in a large pan of well salted boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan and add a couple of tbsp olive oil. Add the pancetta and fry over a fairly high heat until slightly crispy and most of the fat has been rendered. Remove the pancetta pieces from […]

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Italian Main course Pasta

Penne with peas, pancetta and cream

Method: Put the chopped pancetta into a frying pan with a splash of olive oil. In the meantime put your pasta on to cook in a pan of salted water. When the pancetta is browned add the garlic, fry until golden then add the peas and cream. Cook for a couple of minutes and then […]

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Fish Italian Main course Pasta

Pasta with smoked mackerel

For this pasta with smoked mackerel  recipe choose a good pasta like De Cecco which typically takes around 10-12 mins, the pasta should be cooked through but with a little bite to it.  You can’t get a better place to source mackerel than Scotland so make sure you get something that it is good quality, Italian […]

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Italian Main course Pasta Ravioli fillings Starters Vegetarian

Ravioli with walnut sauce

First make the walnut sauce: The walnuts need to be shelled which is quite painstaking but necessary to remove the bitter flavour. There are two ways to shell them: 1. Cover them with boiling water, leave to stand for 3 minutes and drain. Rub in a clean tea towel which will remove some of the […]

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Italian Main course Pasta Salads Vegetarian

Roasted Cherry Tomato and Rocket Salad

Preheat the oven to 190C.  Arrange the halved tomatoes cut side up in a roasting tin, drizzle 2 tablspoons of the oil over them and sprinkle with the garlic and salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 mins turning once. Cook the pasta until al dente. Put remaining oil in a large bowl […]

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Italian Main course Pasta Pork

Sausage pasta with capers, olives and feta

Remove sausage meat from skins. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the sausages, breaking them up with a wooden spoon.  Add the tomato puree, stir well and fry for 1-2 mins. Add the white wine, let it sizzle and die down then add the tomatoes. Break them down with a fork, […]

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Italian Main course Pasta Vegetarian

Tomato and butter spaghetti

This recipe was cooked for us by our good friend Marino Benedetti who owns a hotel in Malcesine, Lake Garda. It is a great quick lunch or tea dish. Tip the tomatoes into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer quite rapidly until well reduced – it should almost become a thick, tomato […]

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Italian Main course Pasta Vegetarian

Tortellini with potato and mint

Make the pasta: Sieve the flour into a food processor and add the eggs, egg yolks, salt and oil. Pulse the mixture until it looks like fine breadcrumbs then mix on a higher speed until it starts to come together. If it looks too dry, add another egg yolk. Dust a clean worksurface with flour […]

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Italian Main course Pasta

pasta with tomato, butter beans and ricotta

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente. Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and add the pancetta. Fry over a medium heat, stirring until crispy. Add the garlic and chilli and fry gently for a few minutes. Next, add the butter beans and fry, stirring […]

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Italian Main course Pasta Vegetarian

Pasta pantesca

Put the tomatoes under a hot grill until they become soft but not brown.  Skin them if desired then set aside. Blanch the almonds in boiling water for 2 mins, peel off skins and chop coarsely.  Chop the grilled tomatoes and put in a bowl with garlic, chilli, almonds, parsley, salt and olive oil.  Mix […]

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Chicken Italian Main course Pasta Starters

Tortellini in Brodo

Make pasta: Sift flour and salt into food processor, slowly pour in the egg and yolks , followed by the olive oil. As soon as the mixture comes together into a dough, switch off the machine. Put the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10-15 mins, until smooth. Wrap in cling […]

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Fish Italian Main course Pasta

Pasta with tuna, peas and parsley

This is a really simple recipe and very healthy. Boil the pasta, we use De Cecco pasta shells but any good quality pasta will do. Meanwhile add the garlic to a frying pan with olive oil. Fry gently until softened and then add the tuna, capers and tomato. Mix well and gently warm through, when […]

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Italian Main course Pasta Vegetarian

Butter and cheese spaghetti

Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente.  Grate the cheeses while the pasta is boiling. Drain the pasta, reserve 4 tbsp of the cooking water. Put the reserved water and the butter back into the hot pan and simmer gently over a low heat. Stir until the butter melts. Remove from the […]