italian food – Page 2 – My Whisk and I

Pasta with Peanut Butter Sauce

December 1, 2022November 30, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

You may serve any pasta with this peanut butter sauce but it does coat spaghetti rather well. This is enough sauce for about 250g dry weight, spaghetti.

125ml peanut butter
30ml soy sauce
30ml brown sugar
15ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
90ml very warm water
100ml peanuts, chopped

Cook the pasta of your choice while making the sauce/keep your pasta warm.
Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and garlic to a LARGE mixing bowl and whisk together to blend. The mixture will be extremely thick but keep stirring and mixing with the whisk until blended.
Add about 15ml of the warm water to the mixture and stir/blend/whisk until the water has been incorporated.
Keep adding a small amount of water and whisking until all the water is incorporated and you are left with a smooth, thick sauce.
Add the hot pasta to the sauce and toss through until the pasta is covered in the sauce.
Spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle the chopped peanuts over to serve.

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Whipped Goat’s Cheese Bruschetta

October 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 sourdough loaf, cut into 1cm slices
60ml olive oil
600g cherry tomatoes, halved
half a red onion, finely chopped
200g goat’s cheese/chevin
100g sour cream
juice of 1 lemon (about 30ml)
a handful of basil leaves, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush them with the olive oil.
Toast the bread in the oven for 10 min. Set aside.
Add the halved tomatoes and red onion to a mixing bowl, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add the goat cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and basil leaves to a bowl and whisk together with an electric whisk.
Spread the cheese mixture on the bruschetta, top with the tomato and serve immediately.

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Chorizo and Spinach Carbonara

October 4, 2022October 3, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a cheat’s version of carbonara and makes a perfect weekday dinner. Feeds 4 adults.

300g dried pappardelle pasta (or spaghetti)
150g chorizo sausage, sliced
15ml thyme, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml lemon juice
45ml yoghurt
1 egg
100g baby spinach
50g parmesan cheese, grated

Fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions.
Add the chorizo to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and fry for 3 minutes.
Add the thyme and garlic and stir-fry for another minutes or so.
Add the lemon juice, yoghurt and egg to a small bowl and whisk together with a fork.
Take the saucepan from the heat and add the yoghurt mixture while stirring.
Add the spinach to the saucepan and place it back onto the heat while stirring until the spinach is wilted.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle the parmesan over.
Mix through before serving.

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15-Minutes Gnocchi

September 21, 2022September 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g gnocchi
15ml olive oil
30ml butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml mixed Italian herbs
1 x 400g tin of diced tomato
125ml tomato sauce (ketchup)
125ml vegetable stock
80ml cream
5ml salt
a few grindings of black pepper
a few sprigs of thyme
parmesan cheese, to serve

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
Add the gnocchi, cook for 2-3 minutes (they should start floating) and drain.
Drizzle with some olive oil and mix through so that the gnocchi doesn’t stick – set aside.
Place a saucepan or large pan on medium-high heat and add the butter.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the gnocchi to the pan and sprinkle the herbs on top. Stir to coat.
Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Spoon the gnocchi into a bowl and keep warm on the side.
Now add the tin of tomatoes, tomato sauce and vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Pour in the cream, add the salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Add the gnocchi back into the pan and heat through.
Scatter some fresh thyme over and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately.

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Orzotto Alla Norma

August 23, 2022August 22, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is my take on this classic Italian dish….!

2 aubergine
olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
15ml thyme, chopped
300g orzo pasta
100g parmesan cheese, grated
1 burrata cheese or a few small mozzarella balls

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Slice the aubergine into discs about 5mm thick, spread them out on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil.
Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the aubergine slices and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add some olive oil.
Fry the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the chopped tomato and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Cook the orzo according to packet instructions.
Drain and add it to the tomato sauce.
Add the grated parmesan and stir through.
Spoon the orzo into a serving dish and top with the aubergine, roasted tomato and burrata.

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Roasted Tomato Pasta

August 11, 2022August 11, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

400g vine tomatoes/cherry tomatoes
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
20ml capers, roughly chopped
2 leeks, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
30ml sugar
10ml salt
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
200g mixed mushrooms
300g penne pasta
parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Spread the tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of salt.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until the skins burst open.
Remove the tray and sprinkle the capers over the hot tomato. Set aside.
Add the leeks and a splash of oil to a saucepan and cook on medium heat until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now add the tinned tomato, sugar, salt and basil leaves and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
Blitz the mixture with a hand blender until you are left a with a thick, chunky sauce. Set aside.
Place a frying on high heat and allow to become hot. Add some butter to the pan and then the mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms are caramelised.
Cook the penne according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and pour the pasta into a serving bowl.
Spoon the roasted tomato, capers and all of the juices onto the warm pasta.
Add the blended tomato sauce and the mushroom and stir everything together to coat the pasta.
Grate a generous amount of parmesan cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with extra basil leaves to serve.

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How to make Gremolata

May 23, 2022May 15, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

62ml pine nuts (or sunflower seeds)
a large bunch of parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled
the zest of 1 lemon
a pinch of salt
the juice of 1 lemon
45ml olive oil

Place a large frying pan on medium heat and add the pine nuts. Shake the pan over the heat (or stir the seeds around with a spoon) until it starts to toast and change colour.
Remove the seeds from the pan immediately and set aside to cool.
Place the garlic, parsley and half the pine nuts on a chopping board and chop together until very fine.
Add the lemon zest and a pinch of salt and chop again.
Scrape the chopped ingredients into a small bowl and add the rest of the pine nuts to it.
Now add the lemon juice and olive oil and stir together to blend.
Serve the gremolata with rich dishes like oxtail, stew or simply add a bit of zingy crunch to any of your favourite foods.

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Green Spaghetti

April 14, 2022April 11, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a recipe from the brand new book “Cook it. Eat it. Live it.” by Jo Kenny. I was lucky enough to write a review on the book and simply cannot have enough of this delicious pasta dish! I have made a vegetarian version of Jo’s original Pea and Smoked Bacon Spaghetti.

120g spaghetti
100g smoked bacon lardons (or leave it out for a meat-free meal)
200g peas
a large bunch of fresh basil
30ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
30ml créme fraîche
20g parmesan cheese
zest of one lemon

Add the spaghetti to a large pot with boiling water and allow to cook until al-dente.
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and cook the bacon lardons for 5 minutes.
Add the peas, basil, olive oil and garlic to a food processor, season with salt and blend until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
Add the pea and basil paste to the pan on a low heat.
Add the creme fraîche and stir on a low heat to warm through.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan immediately.
Stir the pasta through the sauce so that is coated evenly.
Serve the pasta with the grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest and another squeeze of lemon juice.

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Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad)

February 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is without doubt my favourite salad! If you are a fan of tomato, this is a must-try.

4 x 2cm thick slices of sourdough bread
6-8 fresh, ripe tomatoes at room temperature
half a cucumber
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
125ml olive oil
60ml balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
a bunch of fresh basil leaves

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Cut the sourdough slices into cubes of 1,5 – 2cm.
Spread the bread cubes on the prepared baking sheet and liberally drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the bread is golden and crisp.
Remove from the baking sheet and set aside to cool.

Dressing:
Chop 3-4 tomatoes into very small pieces. The chopping is best done in a shallow bowl so that you preserve all of the tomato’s juice.
Add the tomato and the juice to a small mixing bowl.
Chop the onion as finely as you can, mince the garlic and add to the tomato.
Now add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
Mix these ingredients together and seasonal with salt and pepper. Make adjustments according to your liking.

Slice the remaining 3-4 tomatoes into chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.
Cut the cucumber into chunks and add that as well.
Pour the dressing over the tomato and cucumber and mix through.
Scatter the croutons and basil on top of the salad and mix through.
Transfer to a serving platter.

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Traybake Gnocchi

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

400g gnocchi
2 sweet peppers, sliced
100g black olives
100g green olives
400g cocktail/rosa tomatoes
150-200g feta cheese
125ml olive oil

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line an oven tray with baking paper.
Place the gnocchi on one half of the tray in a flat layer.
Add the sweet peppers, black and green olives and tomatoes to the other side of the tray.
Place the feta in the middle of the tray and drizzle the olive oil over all the ingredients making sure the gnocchi is “well drizzled”.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Spoon onto a serving dish and drizzle the gnocchi with the oil in the pan before serving.