Spaghetti with Prosciutto and Mascarpone

Spaghetti with Prosciutto and Mascarpone

Pasta with Ham and Cheese? Surely I've lost my mind and mixed the contents of my lunchtime sandwich with some pasta and pretended to be a genius. Not quite. This is yet another example of the simplicity of Italian food. I like this dish as it reminds me of the Irish version of the classic carbonara. In Italy the carbonara is made with eggs, parmesan, pancetta and pepper while in Ireland we tend to destroy it with lashings of cream to create the blandest dish imaginable. If you kind of like the Irish version of the carbonara then give this one a try. The mascarpone and egg creates a luscious creamy sauce with lots of flavour while the prosciutto cuts through with it's perfect blend of sweet and salty.  

Serves 4

400g Spaghetti
250g Mascarpone Cheese
1 Egg Yolk
2 slices of Prosciutto di Parma (chopped)
pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
Parmesan to serve
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Cook the Spaghetti in at least 4 litres of salted boiling water until al dente (usually about 1 minute less than packet instructions).

2. Meanwhile put the mascarpone and egg yolk into a large bowl and beat with a spoon or whisk for a couple of minutes. Grate in the nutmeg, season and add the prosciutto before mixing well.

3. When the spaghetti is almost cooked, add 4 tablespoons of the cooking water to the mascarpone sauce and mix well. Drain the Spaghetti, add to the bowl with the sauce and stir well to combine. Serve with a little grating of parmesan on top.

Moussaka

World Cup, Day 8 - Greece

Moussaka

Day 7 of the World Cup saw the reigning champions Spain go crashing out to Chile while Australia came close to giving Holland a fright. Tonight sees our neighbours in action again in what has to be a must win against Uruguay. I however decided to celebrate Greece by cooking a Moussaka.

Over this challenge I have sometimes found it difficult to get my hands on different ingredients and today was no different. This time it was lamb mince that eluded me so I swapped it out for beef mince instead. I also added a hint of chilli to give the mince a kick while the chopped tomatoes add a nice texture. This is my take on the Greek classic.

Serves 4

6 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 Chilli (finely chopped)
250g Beef/Lamb Mince
50ml Red Wine
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
1 Large Aubergine
30g Butter
30g Flour
300ml Whole Milk
10g Parmesan Cheese (grated)
1 Egg (beaten)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat 3tbsp of oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic and chilli. Season and cook over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes to soften. Add the mince, season and brown all over. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol for 5-6 minutes. Add the tin of tomatoes, sugar, oregano and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 40 minutes, check for seasoning and set aside.

2. Cut the aubergines lengthways into 1cm thick slices. Brush with the remaining oil and season well. Put under a hot grill and cook on both sides until golden. Set aside.

3. Make the sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan and adding the flour. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes (don't allow it to burn). Season well before very slowly adding the milk whilst constantly stirring with a whisk until it thickens. Mix in the cheese and allow to cool for a few minutes before slowly whisking in the egg. Set aside.

4. Lightly oil a baking tray and add a single layer of the aubergine. Top with the beef mixture followed by another layer of aubergine. Finish with the sauce and bake in a 160 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

Dodgy Omelette

World Cup, Day 4 - France

Omelette

Day 3 proved a great day for Italy, with a 2-1 win over a young English side. The ragu was a success too! I had planned to make 'poule au pot' today but after a long day at the Kildare County Show in Athy, I decided to make an omelette instead.

It was inevitable. At some point during this project, one of the dishes wasn't going to work: but I didn't expect it to be an omelette! It wasn't that it didn't taste good, it was fine even if there was a little too much cheese, it was the texture that got me. It was a strange consistency; dry but soft. I normally make Italian style frittatas that have a crust but an omelette, I'm told, shouldn't have one.

I used:

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
6 Duck Eggs
40g grated Sheep's Cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped Fresh Parsley
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

I gently mixed the eggs, cheese and parsley together before adding to the heated oil. I stirred well, let set for 10-20 seconds and stirred again. I repeated this for a few mins until almost everything had set apart from the last little bit. I moved the last bit of liquid around with a spatula to fill in any gaps before finishing under a grill to set the top. I served it up with (very un-French) Norcia-style sausages. I thought it would be delicious but no - DO. NOT. MAKE. THIS!

Roma 2014

Roma 2014

An Easter holiday in beautiful Roma was the perfect break from my crazy work schedule of the the last few months. My parents, little (bigger) brother Shane, Ali and I headed off to the Eternal City for a five day trip. For my dad it was all about the Vatican but for me: it was all about...THE FOOD!

Finding a good restaurant in Rome isn't too difficult; stay off the main streets and avoid places that charge more than €8 for a Pizza Margherita and you'll be fine. Our first meal was one of the best; a little spaghetti place, five minutes from our hotel. They served house wine by the litre (€7 per litre!) and at least fifty different spaghetti dishes. My starter blew me away; Bruschette con Guanciale. Who would have thought that cured pig's cheek on toast could taste so good! The main was great too, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca (whore's spaghetti) followed by a delicious Tirimasu. A great start to the holiday, great food and cheap wine....win win!

Thursday's lunch was an old favourite of mine, Pizza Marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano and extra-virgin olive oil), washed down with a pint of Nastro Azzuro. Unfortunately the dinner that evening was nothing to write home about. The bland, overpriced food was slightly countered by an entertaining waiter but the €15 bread charge was unforgivable.

Friday was food day! It started with a metro trip to Testaccio to visit the enchanting Volpetti. First we went to the cafe, which served everything you could wish for except (unusually for Italy) coffee! Even at 11 am, I couldn't resist sampling a few dishes: Arancini (white and red), Baccala (salt cod) with tomato, potato and herb and an amazing octopus salad. Everything was outstanding. We followed brunch with a trip next door to the Volpetti shop. Everything you could ever need in charcuterie, cheese, oil, vinegar and preserves sit on the shelves, shine in the fridges and even hang from the ceiling. The smell is instantly captivating, but it's the service that excels - everything can be tasted. I tried up to ten different cheeses and several types of prosciutto. I bought some Caciocavallo and lightly smoked San Daniele Prosciutto; everything vacuum packed to survive our flight home. I can easily say that this is my favourite shop in the world!

Friday evening led to more great food: my Fritto Misto really stood out. Courgette flower stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies, dipped in batter and deep fried is hard to beat ,but the stuffed olive came close! The main was a delicious Carbonara and the red wine flowed again; even on Good Friday....oops! On Saturday evening Ali and myself visited Pani e Pesche, a Sardinian restaurant specializing in (you guessed it!) bread and fish. Everything was delicious, from the basket of freshly baked breads to the fish platter starter, to the simple shrimp main. The scallops with a touch of lemon really stood out, while the flavour of the shrimp in the main dish shone beautifully with little distraction. Ali's risotto with prawn and courgette flower was excellent and dessert didn't disappoint either. Seadas is ricotta cheese in a casing of dough, deep fried and then drenched in honey; the perfect end to the evening.

Sunday was Vatican day for the Pope's Easter Mass, but we snuck off after Communion for seafood pizza and some more red! We had a great last supper together in the evening. The highlight for me was the Trippa Romana, tripe in tomato with plenty of herbs. It was much tastier than I had imagined and I wouldn't hesitate to order it again. After this we went for dessert, in as far as I'm concerned, the greatest Gelateria on the planet. Gelateria Romana on Via Venti Settembre is a must visit - the greatest ice-cream you will ever have and at €2.50 for a three scoop cone, incredible value.

Shane, Ali, Myself and my Mam

Our trip came to an end on Monday but not before I snuck in a bresaola, tomato and mozarella panino in the airport; even the airport food is good!

Charcuterie Frittata

Charcuterie Frittata

At the moment, after receiving a big delivery from Italy and going a bit too wild at a farmers market, my fridge is full of all types of meat! I have Salami from Brescia, Calabrian Nduja, Prosciutto di Parma and Kerry Chorizo (I know, I couldn't believe it either!) along with the usual Bacon, Beef and Chicken. I have become a big fan of all types of charcuterie lately and decided to bring a few together with the greatest ingredient known to man....eggs!!

Obviously not everyone will have different types of cold cuts available but try to mix at least a couple and where possible try to buy Salami/Chorizo whole or as a piece rather than pre-sliced, the difference in flavour is incredible! I used a mix of Salami, Chorizo and Nduja (spreadable, spicy salami) here which balanced extremely well with the Nduja adding a sizable kick in terms of heat. If you dont have Nduja but want some spice, add some chilli with the onion and proceed as normal. I used green beans in this recipe as its all I had in the fridge but I wouldnt change it now, they add a great texture and keep their crunch as are only cooked for 2 minutes. The little chunks of Cheese are like hidden gems in the Frittata and again try to use different types. Cheddar should be easy to find and if you can't get Pecorino sub in some Parmesan instead.


Serves 2

1tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
60g mixed Charcuterie (finely chopped) [I used Salami, Chorizo and Nduja]
1/2 Red Onion (finely chopped)
1/2 Red Chilli (finely chopped) [optional, not needed if using Nduja)
80g Green Beans (cut into 1cm lengths)
6 Eggs (beaten well)
20g mixed Cheese (cut into small chunks) [I used an Irish Farmhouse Cheddar and Pecorino Romano]
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the Oil over a medium heat and add the Charcuterie, cook for 5-6 minutes allowing the juices to come out and flavour the oil. Add the Onion and Chilli (if using), season lightly and cook for another 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the Green Beans and Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring all the time.

2. Add the Cheese to the beaten Eggs and season lightly. Add to the pan and stir well to ensure an even spread of filling and cheese. Continue to stir for approx 1 minute until you see the first signs of the egg setting. Cover with foil or a lid and let cook for 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Turn out and cut into 8 Pizza style slices. Enjoy!