SUGO ALLA BOLOGNESE / BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Another recipe as promised from the Iuliano family, available in the April edition of the SBS Feast magazine. I must stress that I did adapt their beautiful traditional recipe, to omit the pork ribs and minced pork. The 1 cup of basil and chilli made this Bolognese shine, as each bite was more aromatic than the last. You could replace the chives with parsley and the chilli powder with finely chopped red chilies if you prefer. Another superb Italian dish that was polished off in my home at warp speed considering that only 2 of us live there. Thankyou Feast magazine for adding culture and depth to my cooking and to many readers all across Australia!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 kilogram extra lean beef mince
• 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve 
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 2 x 700ml passata (tomato puree)

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until leek is slightly transparent but not burnt. Add mince and cook for 6-7 minutes or until browned, breaking up any lumps in the meat with a strong spatula. Add basil, chives and chilli powder and stir well to combine with the meat. Add the passata and bring to the boil. When boiled, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover, cooking for 30 minutes or until the bolognese has thickened and the mince is tender. Season with sea salt & ground black pepper and remove from heat and serve on top of gluten-free pasta sprinkled with extra basil leaves, if you desire. 

Serves / 8 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 45 minutes 

x Emily 

PASTA E FAGIOLI / BORLOTTI BEAN PASTA

Another Feast Iuliano Family recipe! If you have no idea what I am on about, look at my very last post on ‘Polpette / Meatballs’ to get acquainted with the back-story. Another blissful Italian meal focusing on Passata, which, in a nutshell, is fresh tomato puree. I have changed the last two recipes to make them gluten & dairy-free and added in a bit more tomato, however the foundation of the traditional Italian family recipe is very much apparent. I am debating trying my hand at the Iuliano’s homemade bolognese sauce and gnocchi, as these recipes would compliment the blustery autumn weather we are currently having beautifully. It's the season for comfort food! Healthy comfort food of course.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 a large leek, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil & parsley, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve 
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes 
• 2 x 700ml bottles of passata (tomato puree)
• 1 x 400g tin borlotti beans, rinsed & drained
• 500g gluten-free pasta 
• 1/4 cup sheep's pecorino cheese, finely grated (Optional)

COOKING 

1. Bring a large covered saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until pasta is just tender. Remove from the stove and reserve/set aside 1/3 of a cup of the salted pasta water. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water. 

2. Whilst the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat and swirl to coat the large surface of the pan. Place leek and garlic in the pan and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes or until just slightly golden. Add basil & parsley, tomatoes, passata and 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a low heat, covered, for 15 minutes or until sauce has slightly reduced. Stir in beans, a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper and cover for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add the reserved pasta water and pasta to the pan. Stir well for 1 minute and make sure the pasta is well mixed in with the passata. Serve with extra basil and/or parsley leaves and pecorino cheese, if you desire. 

Serves / 6 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

POLOPETTE / MEATBALLS

I get so so excited when my FEAST cooking magazine arrives in the mail every month. I’ve spent many a lazy afternoon pouring over my editions, thinking that one day soon I will try my hand at Peruvian cuisine, at creating a Chocolate Chilli Cake or at cooking a traditional Greek banquet. This SBS read has opened up my eyes to other cultures and their ways of life, traditions and of course, their food. Every edition a fortunate Australian family celebrates a ritual or cultural event from their heritage. This April issue the theme was Italian and the celebration was the annual Passata Day, a day in January where families come together to chop & boil tomatoes and bottle the delicious mixture, called passata, to consume throughout the year. This Polpette, or Meatballs, is just one of the Iuliano family recipes that I tried out and loved. If you are not dairy-intolerant feel free to use parmesan instead of pecorino, however I must admit that I much rather prefer the salty flavour of hard pecorino cheese to the 'smelly sock' taste of some parmesan cheeses! Keep your eyes peeled on the blog for more Italian delights coming soon. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g extra lean minced beef
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 a large leek, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, preferably free range, lightly beaten 
• 1/3 cup hard sheep's pecorino sheep, finely grated
• 1 heaped cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley & basil, roughly chopped, plus extra parsley and/or basil, to serve
• 700ml passata
• 1 x 400g diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
• 3 cups beef or vegetable stock (preferably Massell brand) 

PREPARATION 

1. Combine mince, garlic, leek, eggs, pecorino cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley & basil and a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Using clean hands, knead the mince mixture together until all ingredients are well combined. Shape approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture into balls and repeat until all mince has been used. Place on a large plate/s or tray, cover and put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to sit. 

COOKING 

1. A few minutes before the meatballs have finished sitting, pour passata, diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water into a deep frying pan and bring to the boil. Add meatballs to the boiling liquid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through and the sauce has thickened slightly. (Whilst the meatballs are cooking, place rice in a medium saucepan and add 3 cups stock or water. Bring the boil and simmer, covered, over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and keep warm with the saucepan lid on top). Remove from heat and season. Serve meatballs on top of the rice or with pasta and scatter extra cheese and basil/parsley leaves on top if you wish. 

Makes / 22-24 meatballs

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes (plus 20 minutes to refrigerate meatballs)

Total Cooking time / 27-32 minutes 

x Emily

BACON, ZUCCHINI & CHILLI PASTA

The drizzling weather in Brisbane yesterday led me to creating this comfort food Pasta dish. I wanted something warm, slightly spicy and colourful in my belly. The picture above does not do the dish justice, as the golden green of the zucchini, the light purple of the red onion and the seared pink of the bacon are lost in the flaming red of the chilli, pasta sauce and tomato paste. Nonetheless  it was a very tasty, filling gluten and dairy-free meal. This was actually the first time I have ever worked with raw chilli and I must say that I really enjoyed their fiery flavour in the end product. What I did not enjoy was the fierce hotness I felt for 1 hour on my upper lip after I touched my chilli fingers to my mouth. But you live and learn. I now know not to do that ever again...

INGREDIENTS

• 400g gluten-free penne pasta
• 60g weight watchers bacon, finely chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped into 2cm cubes
• 1 red chilli or 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup tomato pasta sauce (any type will do; I used bolognese)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 125g cherry tomatoes, washed & halved
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/8 -1/4 cup sheep's pecorino cheese, finely grated 

COOKING 

1. Bring a large, lightly salted saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add gluten-free pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-9 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove from heat and drain in a colander. 

2. Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and swirl to coat pan. Add bacon and zucchini pieces and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until bacon and zucchini is golden brown. Add cherry tomatoes, red onion and garlic and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in pasta sauce, tomato paste and 1/2 cup water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Add drained pasta and a pinch of sea salt to the pan and stir until pasta is warmed through and all ingredients are combined. Remove from heat. 

Divide pasta evenly into 4 bowls and serve with sheep's pecorino cheese sprinkled on top or another cheese if not dairy intolerant. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 12 - 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

VEGETARIAN ANTIPASTO PIZZA

A dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, antipasto and health-conscious pizza for your viewing pleasure! Perhaps not for everyone out there, but it worked for me on a dreary Monday lunchtime. If you have never tried goat’s cheese before, break away from traditional pizza cheese and branch out. There is a multitude of vegetables you can add, such as olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes and/or capsicum. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 gluten-free pizza bases
• 1/4 bunch basil leaves, washed & drained
• 30g goat's cheese, crumbled 
• 1 medium to large tomato, finely sliced
• 200g eggplant, cut into 3-4cm cubes
• 1/4 red onion, sliced into thin wedges 
• 1/2 cup tomato paste

COOKING 

1. Heat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. 

2. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add eggplant cubes and cook for 3-4 minutes, then drain well and rinse with cold water. Pat dry with a tea towel or paper towel and season with sea salt. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, spread 1/4 cup tomato paste evenly over each pizza base. Place basil leaves on top of the tomato paste, covering the pizza base. Sprinkle eggplant, red onion and goat's cheese on the pizza and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until pizza bases are golden. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x E