This month's menu showcases the delights of a meat-free Italian meal. Remember this style of cooking is all about seasonal ingredients and clean robust flavours.No dessert this time round as most family meals in Italy end with a strong cup of espresso. Offer chocolates for those with a sweet tooth.
italian with a difference
Broccoli Broth - Italian Style
Rolled Pasta with Spinach, Feta and Mushrooms ON VIDEO !
Parsley Fennel and Bean Salad dressed with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Garlic Bread de Luxe
Espresso
Chocolates
This easy, economical broccoli soup illustrates the Italian style of cooking perfectly. The ingredients are seasonal and the flavours are clean and uncomplicated.
500 g broccoli, well washed and cut lengthways, retain stalks
Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
olive oil
6 slices of chiabatta bread
Ina Paarman's Garlic Pepper Seasoning
6 cups (1½ litres) water
4 T (60 ml) Ina Paarman's Chicken Stock Powder
grated Pecorino cheese
PREPARE IN ADVANCE
Steam or briefly boil the broccoli until just tender but still bright green. Season with Green Onion Seasoning and toss with 2 T (30 ml) olive oil. Keep on one side. Toast the ciabatta bread, drizzle each slice with a teaspoon of good olive oil and season lightly with Garlic Pepper Seasoning. Keep on one side.
WHEN YOU ARE READY TO SERVE
Bring the water and Chicken Stock Powder to the boil. Add the broccoli and bring to the boil for 1 minute. Taste for seasoning. In each soup bowl place a ladle of soup and sprinkle with a tablespoon of cheese. Place a slice of toast on top and cover with a second ladle of soup. Sprinkle with a final spoon of cheese.
Impress everybody and make your own pasta, without a pasta machine! An unusual and delicious party piece. The hand rolled pasta will be heavier than the machine rolled pasta because it is thicker.
HOME-MADE PASTA 2 cups (300 g) bread flour FILLING 1 bunch of spinach, well washed and roughly chopped TO COOK THE ROLLED PASTA 1½ litres boiling water TO SERVE 1 x 125 ml Ina Paarman's Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce
3 extra large eggs
olive oil
Ina Paarman's Garlic Pepper Seasoning
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Mushroom Sauce
1 T (15 ml) butter
1 punnet button mushrooms
200 g of feta cheese, crumbled
2 T (30 ml) Ina Paarman's Seasoned Sea Salt
2 fresh tomatoes, grated
Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning to taste
fresh rocket
shaved Parmesan cheese
To make the Pasta:
Measure the flour directly onto a clean work surface. Make a hollow in the middle and break the eggs into the hollow.
Use a fork to lightly beat the eggs and gradually work the flour in with the egg. When eggs are blended in, use your hand to pull the dough together and knead it very well until soft and silky. Turn a mixing bowl upside down over the dough and leave to rest at room temperature for at least an hour. This is really important, otherwise the dough is difficult to handle.
To make the Filling:
Rinse, but don't dry the spinach. Put it into a frying pan, cover with a lid and wilt over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add 2 T olive oil and season with 1 t (5 ml) Garlic Pepper Seasoning. Chop in a food processor or with a knife until fine but still textured.
Pulse the Mushroom Sauce into the spinach and spoon everything out into a bowl. Leave to cool.
Heat a frying pan over very high heat, add the butter, when it browns add 2 T (30 ml) oil and sliced mushrooms. Stir-fry the mushrooms over high heat until they start browning. Season to taste with Garlic Pepper Seasoning. Spoon out into a bowl and leave to cool.
To assemble the dish:
Roll the dough out on a well floured work surface. Transfer to a large well floured cloth and keep rolling on the cloth until really thin and about 50 x 45 cm in size.
Spread the spinach mixture over, stopping 1 cm from the edges. Sprinkle first the mushrooms and then the crumbled feta over the spinach layer. Use the cloth to help you roll up the pasta lengthways and tie at 10 cm intervals with string or wrap in muslin.
Place the roll in a large saucepan or better still, a fish kettle. Add Seasoned Sea Salt. Pour over boiling water to cover the roll and boil over moderate heat for 40 minutes. Drain.
Remove the string and slice on the diagonal. Keep warm covered with foil. Serve with a fresh tomato sauce, rocket and parmesan shavings.
TO MAKE TOMATO SAUCE AND SERVE THE PASTA
Mix the Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce with the fresh grated tomato. Season lightly with Green Onion Seasoning. Just bring to the boil.
Reheat the pasta roll in the microwave if it has cooled down. Arrange slices in a generous pool of hot tomato sauce. Top with finely sliced rocket and Parmesan shavings.
Serves 6
A bean salad with a real difference! If you don't like fennel leave it out or substitute with a 400 g tin of drained butter beans.
1 x 200 g fine green beans, lightly steamed
olive oil
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
1 cup (250 ml) flat leaf parsley, picked off the stems
½ cup (125 ml) coriander leaves, pick off the stems
½ cup (125 ml) mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 small heads of fennel (or 1 medium - large)
Ina Paarman's Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Steam the green beans until they can easily be pierced with a fork, but are still bright green in colour. Toss with a dash of olive oil and season with Green Onion Seasoning.
Toss together the parsley tops, coriander leaves and mint. Slice the bulbs of the fennel finely into half moon slices and toss into the mix. Just before serving mix in the steamed green beans. Season the salad with Green Onion Seasoning. Drizzle with a generous amount of Balsamic Vinaigrette and enjoy.
Serves 6
This bread is seriously good. I suggest you double up if your guests have healthy appetites.
1 ciabatta loaf, sliced
¼ cup (62.5 g) real butter (room temperature)
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 T (30 ml) chopped parsley
2 T (30 ml) olive oil
2 T (30 ml) Ina Paarman's Italian Cheese Sprinkle
Slice the bread ± 1½ cm thick. Cut right through into loose slices. On a chopping board mash the butter with the flat side of a knife. Mash in the rest of the ingredients and finally chop the butter mixture with a knife to release the flavours of the garlic, parsley and cheese into the butter. Spread the sliced bread and wrap it tightly in foil. Pre-prepare to this stage.
Bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.
CHEF'S TIP:
Soften the butter in the microwave for a few seconds without melting it.
