Filei calabresi al pomodoro- pasta with tomatoes

I always find it comical when my Italian friends say that sometimes I seem more Italian than they are, especially when my Tuscan friends refer to be being from the south. Is it that I use my hands when talking, or do I over dramatise things, or is it that I seem to be able to effortlessly cook dishes from this region? Either way, it has been described that I have a old Italian soul, which at times I feel.  I guess I feel it more when I put some of the Calabrian chillies in belly...boom!

You will start to see a running theme here with my recent recipes, they are all of simplicity. No exceptions here. The southern twist is adding the hot dried Calabrian chillies and anchovies to the mix. I love this pasta 'filei Calabresi' for its hollowed centre allows all of the delicious tomatoes juices to permeate. Really, if only you could taste this.....

What you need (for two people)

250 grams Filei Calabrese pasta

250 grams of ripe cherry tomatoes 

six Italian anchovies fillets

teaspoon of Italian chili flakes

two gloves of garlic

handful fresh basil leaves

a splash of extra virgin olive oil

a pinch of salt

How to make:

1: In a large pan bring water to the boil, add a generous amount of salt, then the pasta. Cook the pasta as directed on the packet, roughly 18 minutes. Cook 'al dente'

2:  In a large saucepan add a little olive oil and the roughly chopped anchovies. Cook until the anchovies 'melt' into the oil, then add the finely smashed and chopped garlic and chillies- cook for a minute (do not brown the garlic)

3: Chop the tomatoes into quarters and add to the saucepan, add a pinch of salt and saute for roughly ten minuets until the tomatoes collapse and become soft. 

4: Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the tomato sauce, mix thoroughly making sure every pasta is coated in the sauce. Cook over a low heat for one minute, add some torn fresh basil leaves and serve immediately

#buonadomenica #viareggio #cibo #italia #italy #tourism #turista #versilia #toscana #tuscany #kara #bellavita #calabresi #calabria #pasta #tomato #pomodori #easyfood

carpaccio di pesce spada- swordfish carpaccio

Whilst travelling I make a point of following my nose rather than using a guidebook, and I made no exception in Tropea, Calabria. It also helps talking to locals for any recommendations on local places to eat. My curiosity was rewarded when a restaurant called 'Le Volpi E L'uva' was recommended to me. The food was as it should be was simple and fresh, and the menu boasted a short and sweet list of local seafood dishes.  Notable was the tuna carpaccio that I enjoyed for first course with a glass of regional white whine.  In typical Italian style, I arrived at this restaurant at 10pm with my friend Silvana and the owner Gaetano Muscia was only to happy to seat us and talk  through the menu. It was such a lovely experience as it is a small restaurant which leads to having conversation with locals. As we were one of the last patrons to leave the limoncello and amaro came out, as we chatted with Gaetona and his lovely co-worker Caterina. 

This recipe is so simple and easy to prepare, all you need is a good fish monger to provide you with the freshest swordfish. Also, ask them to slice it paper thin for you! The flavours are delicate and reminiscent of a hot summers day- prefect for the heat wave in Australia now!

What you need (serves two):

100g thinly sliced swordfish

A handful of rocket leaves

Two cherry tomatoes quartered

A sprinkling of pine nuts

A lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Cracked black pepper

How to make:

Wash and place the dried rocket leaves on a serving platter, place the sword fish on top. Place the pine nuts and cut tomatoes on top. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, top with cracked black pepper. Serve with slices of lemon.

Le Volpi E L'Uva

Via Garibaldi 11

Tropea 89861, Italia

PH: 096361900

#buonadomenica #viareggio #cibo #italia #italy #tourism #turista #versilia #toscana #tuscany #kara #bellavita #carpaccio #pescespada #swordfish #carpaccio #easyfood #tropea

Paccheri al tonno- paccheri with tuna

If only I could turn back time and send myself back to beautiful Tropea, an ancient Roman seaside town on the Tyrrhenian sea in Calabria. This is the place I first tried this tasty tube-like  pasta. Although I cook many pasta dishes with tuna I had never used paccheri before (however this type of pasta is typically from Naples). My friend Silvana and I enjoyed a long lunch together in Tropea and during our lengthy stay we made friends with the owners, a married couple (their names unfortunately lapse my memory). It was such a cosy restaurant, the owners two young daughters sat at the table next to us as they enjoyed their lunch break from school. Any-way the husband who is the chef kindly entrusted me with the recipe for this simple dish. So if I just close my eyes during the freezing winter months in Viareggio I might be transported back to sunny Tropea! 

As you may know I recently found myself a job cooking for some local builders. They requested to have seafood, hence I served this as the first course (yes, pasta is a first course in Italy).  The plates came back to the kitchen spotlessly clean...phew!

Restaurant: 

La Pentola d'Oro 

Via Pelliccia sns, Tropea Italia

PH: 0963 607 073

What you need (serves four people):
500g paccheri pasta
160g canned tuna in olive oil (roughly)
one red onion diced 
two cloves of garlic
two ripe small cherry tomatoes (optional)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
parsley for garnish

the workers enjoying their 3 course lunch break

How to make:

1:  Place the paccheri in a large pot of generously salted boiling water. Boil for the amount of time listed on the packet- roughly 16 minuets

2: In a separate pan and the smashed garlic, olive oil and diced onion with a pinch of salt. Lightly saute until the onions become transparent, however be sure not to brown

3: Add the tuna and warm through

4: Just before serving add the fresh tomatoes and toss through the sauce

5: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce making sure the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce, heat over a low flame for one minute. Serve with fresh parsley (and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired- I like it)

#buonadomenica #viareggio #cibo #italia #italy #tourism #turista #versilia #toscana #tuscany #kara #bellavita #pasta #paccheri tonno #tuna #easyfood

tiramisu con il panettone

FINALLY....I found a reason to use one of the many left over Christmas sentiments...panettone. As mentioned in one of my previous posts it seems customary to arrive at a hosts house during the Christmas season with a panettone in hand. My house became almost comical with the amount I started collecting and stacking in my dining room (I can not believe I never took a photo). Any-way after the Christmas period I decided to retire the many boxes of panettone to a nearby closest and since then they have been forgotten about.

They had been forgotten about until just the other night, when I had to think of a economical menu to feed fourteen hungry Italian mouths at a dinner party I was hosting. The dinner party was in honour of one of my best friends birthdays, Serena! Any-way, after a little research and some thinking a little bulb finally went off...."AHHHH PANETTONE". My friends particularly like my tiramisu, and this recipe is similar however replaces the savoiardi biscuits with panettone. This recipe is fairly easy to make, it is perfect for making a day in advance, it serves many and is pretty economical- many positive ticks!!! To top it all off, it tastes pretty good too. In fact, after a continuous stream of multiple courses at my house some guests went for sweet seconds...mamma mia!

What you need:

One panettone

400g mascarpone (roughly)

five eggs

five tablespoons of sugar

1/2 cup espresso coffee (roughly)

1/2 cup of marsala liquor (roughly)

cacao powder for dusting

how to make:

1: Separate the egg whites from the yolks. In a clean ceramic bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside

2: In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until combined, whisk in the mascarpone

3: Using a metal spoon gently fold in the eggs whites to the mascarpone mix

4: Slice the panettone into roughly 2cm slices. In a large bowl place a single layer of panettone

5: Combine the espresso coffee and Marsala together in a bowl, use a brush to wet the panettone 

6: Add a generous layer of the cream mix, covering the panettone

7: Repeat a layer of panettone, coffee mix, then cream mix a further two times

8: Top with cocoa powder, cover well and place in the fridge over night (this will ensure all the flavour meld)

#buonadomenica #viareggio #cibo #italia #italy #tourism #turista #versilia #toscana #tuscany #kara #bellavita #tirasmisu #dolce #desert #panettone #christmasfood #easyfood #gelosa

Penne con pomodori fresco- Pasta with fresh tomatoes

I feel almost embarrassed to write this recipe as it is so easy, and to me common practice. However as I am a true believer in that good things don't need to be complicated, I thought I would share with you. This was actually whipped up for my housemates packed lunch as there was left over pasta from dinner. Any-way a few good quality key ingredients here and you will have a mouth watering bowl of delicious pasta. Red, juicy, ripe tomatoes are essential. 

What you need:

6-8 small juicy tomatoes (or use whatever quality tomatoes you can find- not from the supermarket)

one smashed garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon dried red chillies (mine are from Calabria...HOT HOT HOT)

a pinch of dried oregano

a pinch of salt

250g penne pasta

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

How to make:

1: Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then add a handful of salt and the pasta. Follow the direction on the packet of pasta- it should be ready within 10-12 minuets 

2: In a frying pan add the oil, smashed garlic and chillies- lightly saute

3: Chop the tomatoes roughly in half and add to the pan, salt and add the oregano to the tomatoes. Lightly cook until the tomatoes become morbid and the juices run into the oil. The pasta and the sauce should be ready at the same time

4: Drain the pasta and add to the saucepan with the tomatoes and toss thoroughly 

5: Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, oh and pieces of crusty bread to soak up the tasty juices 

#buonadomenica #viareggio #cibo #italia #italy #tourism #turista #versilia #toscana #tuscany #kara #bellavita #pasta #tomato #pomodori #easyfood #facile

corsi di cucina privati- private cooking lessons

Pizza, pasta, bread are all Italian stables. Ever wondered how to make them?? Willing to roll your sleeves up and get get your hands working?? Then this is the cooking course for you.

Spend four hours with a well renowned cook, the best way to learn is with private lessons. The class is designed for a maximum of four people, perfect for a small group of friends, a couple or if you simply want to learn one on one!!

You will learn how to make home made pizza dough, schiacciata (a Tuscan bread), and how to make homemade pasta.

The fruits of your labour will be rewarded by sitting down to an elegant table, and dining with the food you have just prepared. This course also includes wine, desert and coffee.....of course, we are in Italy!!!! 
To start the day off, there will be a welcome drink and some finger food.

The course is taught by an Australian woman, Kara Mallia that has been living in Viareggio for over 2 1/2 years. Kara is an enthusiastic, bright character that is passionate about Italian food and will make your experience memorable. She has had many years of experience with Italian cuisine and is a professional photographer and food blogger.

Viareggio is a lovely seaside town, set on the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the provence of Lucca. It is an easy 1.40 hour minute train ride from Florence, and 25 minuets from Pisa. There are many local attractions to see, including the famous sunset!

The cost is 79 euro per person (2 or more people, maximum 4 people)

100 euro for a private class (one on one)

As the course if taught at home (with a view of the sea, only 20 metres away), the course times are flexible.

Please write to karam1220@gmail.com for further information

Biscotti di San Valentino- Saint Valentine's Day biscuits

This recipe is for all you romantics out there. I personally have never been one to celebrate Valentine's Day (San Valentino), and I am not just saying that because I find myself loveless today (in the sense that there is no man). Trust me I have had my fair share of "ti voglio bene", "ti amo", "sto innamorato" (all different forms of saying I love you)- all superficial and nothing worth mentioning here. So I find myself sharing my day with my one true love, the kitchen! These biscuits will be shared with my friends probably over a coffee! Whether you choose to cook these for your Husband, boyfriend, Wife, girlfriend, lover, mistress, family or friends- I am sure they will be impressed. Also, you will be impressed with how simple they are to make- I whipped them up within half and hour. Not only are they simple but they are crispy good with a zesty zing! Wrapped them in a cute box with some ribbon as the perfect sweet gift for your someone special. Happy Saint Valentine's Day!!

What you need:

400g flour 
250g butter
150g sugar
four egg yolks
zest of one lemon

How to make:

1: Sift the flour into a large bowl. Use your finger tips to rub in the room-temperature butter into the flour to resemble breadcrumbs.

2: Add the remaining ingredients and combine all together. Once combined, transfer to a lightly floured bench and knead lightly to form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1/2 hour.

3: Remove sections of the dough and roll on a well floured surface. Use a love-heart cutter (or desired shape), then place shapes on a oven tray lined with baking paper.

4: Place in a pre-heated oven and bake at 180 degrees for roughly 10 minuets.

#buonadomenica #viareggio #cibo #italia #italy #tourism #turista #versilia #toscana #tuscany #kara #bellavita #biscuit #biscotti #amoremio #cuore #sanvalentino #valentinesday #tiamo #iloveyou #chepalle