This week we are heading to Italy for inspiration, completing our autumnal journey through hearty global cuisine in recent weeks. Ireland, China, India and now a trip to the Amalfi Coast for a kiss of Italian sunshine, just as the Halloween darkness descends. While these should ideally be enjoyed with a seaside view and a chilled rosé in the case of the clams, or a decadent barolo alongside the meatballs, these recipes will also work fine on a Monday evening for a gang of screaming kids as it pours rain outside. Such is the magic of food; it all comes down to attitude.
Starting with linguine vongole, an Italian classic that marries garlic, chilli, parsley and clam juice with white wine and lemon juice. Coming together in just 10 minutes, the magic moment through the emulsion of the starchy pasta water with the seasoning and clam liquid to create a cream like sauce that sticks beautifully to the pasta. Sounds amazing, right? But it’s often not as easy as all that, even in the hands of some serious chefs. To assist in this department, I’ve added a pinch of cornflour to the sauce, a trick you’ll see in many professional kitchens. It helps the sauce to emulsify and hold quicker and longer, thereby lengthening the 30-second magic window in the traditional recipe. This means you will always end up with a good amount of thick sauce coating your pasta, packed with all the flavours of the Amalfi coast.
Next up are the meatballs in tomato sauce. Simple enough fare, but there are some handy tricks for upping the flavours in this common recipe. The mix of pork mince and beef is designed to manage the fat content. Too little and the meatballs turn to bullets, but too much fat and they are greasy as sin. Traditional recipes would call for veal mince, but it’s not readily available so this does a similar job. Adding some milk softened breadcrumbs is the key to achieving the perfect texture. I’ve added a weighed amount of salt to avoid guesswork. For me, meatballs should contain 2 per cent of the weight of mix in salt, ensuring perfect seasoning every time. A dab of gremolata, some perfectly cooked pasta and dinner is served.
Recipe: Meatballs in slow-cooked tomato sauce and gremolata
Recipe: Linguine alle vongole
