'Lion head' meatballs

For ➍ (or ➊➋ balls)

 meatballs: 

500 beef minced 

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

2 tbs grated fresh root ginger 

2 spring onions, finely chopped 

pinch sea salt 

1 tbs Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry* 

2 tbs light soy sauce* 

1 tbs toasted sesame oil*

1 free-range egg, beaten* 

1 tbs cornflour 

pinch ground white pepper 

  finished dish: 

10 cl groundnut oil** 

75 cl vegetable stock**

300 g Chinese cabbage, quartered lengthways 

3 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 15 m, then drained (alternative: use fresh chestnut mushrooms, sliced) 

1 tbs light soy sauce** 

1 tbs cornflour, mixed with 2 tbs cold water (optional) 

sea salt & ground white pepper 

2 large spring onions, sliced dash sesame oil 

Place all of the meatball ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine. With damp hands, take a large mound of the minced meat mixture and mould into a ball that is a little larger than a golf ball. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining meatball mixture. 

For the finished dish, pour the groundnut oil into a large deep pan and heat over a high heat. Using a metal ladle, carefully lower each meatball into the oil and spoon some of the oil over the meatballs. 

Cook for 4-5 m, or until golden-brown all over. 

Pour all but 2 tbs of the cooking oil out into a heatproof bowl. Add the stock to the pan and arrange the slices of Chinese cabbage around the meatballs, curving them around the sides of the pan lengthways, then add the mushrooms and soy sauce and bring to the boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and cook gently for 15 m.* 

If the sauce is too thin**, add the cornflour paste and stir until thickened. Take the meatballs off the heat and season, to taste, with sea salt and ground white pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the spring onions, sprinkle over a dash of sesame oil and serve immediately. 

Serve with sticky white rice. 

 

*Use less liquids for firmer balls. Add some panko if needed. Alternatively, pre-cook the meatballs in the oven; arrange in a casserole dish, cover with kitchen foil and cook in a preheated oven at 100°C for 30 m.

**Use less liquids for a denser sauce. Eventually, add the cornflour mix. Or thicken the sauce in the pan, after removing the meat and vegetables

Spinach & minced meat curry

For ➍ 

450 g fresh spinach 

1 ts salt for cooking spinach 

1 tbs salad oil or olive oil 

300 g minced meat 

1 onion, finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

3-4 tbs curry powder 

1 red chilli, cut into small pieces 20 cl water 

1 ts salt for seasoning 

4 tbs ketchup 

2 tbs Tonkatsu sauce or 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 

4 servings rice or naan 

4 boiled eggs (optional) 

Wash the spinach and drain the water. Boil plenty of hot water and add 1 ts salt. Put spinach in boiling water, submerge the spinach and boil for about 1 m. Immediately soak in cold water after boiling. When it cools, transfer it to a cutting board and cut it into 1 cm width. Then squeeze the spinach to drain excess water and set aside. (if you don’t cook curry immediately, keep it in the fridge until required). 

Heat 1 tbs of oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add chopped onions and garlic and fry. When they become soft, add minced meat and fry. When the color of the meat changes, lots of fluid and fat will come out. Absorb it with kitchen paper. Add curry powder and red chili and fry until the curry aroma comes out. Pour 20 cl of water and add salt, ketchup, tonkatsu (or Worcestershire) sauce. After boiling, cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 m. Take the lid off and cook for 5 m. 

Add spinach* to the curry and mix gently, and cook for 5 m. Serve with rice or naan. 

*Before adding spinach, if the curry is too watery, cook for an additional 5 m to reduce excess water. *About seasoning: at first, add less than the amount stated in the recipe, check the taste, and then add if it is not enough. 

-okawarishitene-

Korokke (Japanese meat croquette)

For ➍
vegetable oil
½ onion, finely chopped
150 g mixed minced beef (beef/pork)
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs sugar
500 g potatoes
5 cl full cream
salt
flour
some eggs, knocked loose
panko

Heat a dash of oil in a pan, fry the onion and fry the minced meat in a few m until golden brown. Add soy sauce and sugar and cook on a low heat. Stir frequently. Turn off the heat as soon as the cooking liquid has completely disappeared.
Boil the potatoes and puree them. Add the cream and minced meat. Mix well and season with salt.
Make croquettes in a shape as desired.
Place 3 dishes with flour, eggs and panko on the worktop. Roll each croquette first through the flour, then through the eggs and finally through the panko.
Heat the frying oil at 170°C and fry the croquettes golden brown.
Drain the croquettes on kitchen paper and serve immediately (with rice and a green vegetable salad).

Kibbeh & fattoush (Lebanese lamb meatballs & bread salad)

For ➍
500 g lamb minced meat
100 g of rucola
4 meat tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 little-gem lettuce rougette
½ lemon
1 flat flat parsley
4 sprigs of mint (fresh)
1 red onion
1 clove of garlic
120 g bulgur
2 pita bread
3 tbs raisins
3 dl vegetable stock (½ cube or 1 ts powder dissolved in 3 dl hot water)
6 tbs olive oil
1 ts ground cumin
1 ts ground coriander
½ ts cinnamon
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
black pepper & salt

Put the bulgur in a bowl and pour over the stock. Cover and simmer for 10 m. Let it cool down.
Cut the red onion and garlic into julienne.
Deseed the tomatoes and cut into pieces.
Cut the unpeeled cucumber into 2, length wise. deseed with a spoon. Cut in 0.5 cm thick slices.
Chop the parsley leaves roughly. Pull the mint leaves from the stalks.
Roast the pita bread in the toaster or in a preheated oven.
Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a pan and glaze the onion and garlic with the cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper and coriander. Mix with the bulgur and the raisins through the lamb meat. Add black pepper and salt. Roll the mixture with your hands into balls. Shape each ball into an oval so that they get the shape of a lemon.
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a pan and bake the balls golden brown, 4-5 m.
Mix the lettuce leaves with the rucola, the cucumber, the tomatoes, the chopped parsley and the mint leaves.
Squeeze half the lemon (you need 2 tbs of juice). Stir 3 tbs olive oil in and add black pepper and salt. Mix the dressing under the salad.
Trim the pita bread in coarse pieces and mix under the salad.
Serve the baked balls with the salad.

Kibbeh, Arabic for 'balls', can be made from lamb, camel or beef. Sometimes they are covered in mashed potatoes before baking. Serve them while still hot, with a salad, like in this proposition, while or a snack with yogurt (or sour cream) and lime wedges. They can also be served at room temperature and they go great with pita bread, hummus, babaganoush and/or tabbouleh.
Kibbeh look-alikes are calle quibe or kibe in Portuguese. In the Dominican Republic they call it quipe or pipe.
Fattoush is a classic Lebanese bread salad, that can be eaten on its own or with meat.

Abruzzi lamb & red pepper ragu with penne

For ➑
1 tbs olive oil
2 cups finely chopped red onion
1½ cups chopped yellow bell pepper
1½ cups chopped red bell pepper
4 ts minced garlic cloves
350 g lean ground lamb
10 cl dry red wine
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
4 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 ts salt
½ ts crushed red pepper
4 bay leaves
40 cl fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
500 g hot cooked penne (about 500 g uncooked tube-shaped pasta or other short pasta)*
50 g grated fresh Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Cover and cook 12 m, stirring occasionally. Remove onion mixture from pan.
Add lamb to pan. Cook over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel. Return onion mixture and lamb to pan. Add wine. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 m or until liquid almost evaporates.
Add tomatoes, 3 tbs parsley, salt, crushed red pepper, bay leaves, and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 10 m. Discard bay leaves.
Add pasta and cheese. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1 tbs parsley.

*Or toast some good bread. Put it on a plate. Spon the lamb stew over it.

Boulets liègeoises Lequet (Liège meatballs)

For ➓ meatballs
1 kg of minced pork & beef [avoid to mince the meat too finely].
2 eggs
15 cl milk
½ onion
300 g bread crumbs (or chapelure)
beef fat

1 liter of sauce:
100 g onions
100 g sugar
10 cl white vinegar
400 g Sirop de Liège [*never use a syrup with other ingredients than apples and/or pears]
salt & pepper
½ bay leaf
1 l water
200 g of white roux

Mix the ingredients for the balls. Roll balls with your hands. Dip the balls in beef fat at 160°C for about 15 m. [Caution: do not use the same grease for the frites].
For the sauce, mix all ingredients. Cook 45 m. When the sauce comes to a boil, lower the heat and wait 10 m. Remove the sauce from the heat, and bind with the roux. Pour the balls into the sauce. [The sauce is less liquid on the second day and often better].
Serve with real frites, fresh mayonnaise and a blond Belgian beer.

This is the way Café Lequet serves its famous boulets. Some cooks prefer to cook the balls in the oven. Try this with this sauce with some flour added.

Polpettone con carciofi e mozzarella (Italian meatloaf with artichokes & mozzarella)

For ➍-➏
6 artichokes
rice flour*
600 g of minced meat (half beef, half pork)
200 g of mozzarella
100 g of cooked ham, sliced
50 g of grated Parmigiano
4 eggs
breadcrumbs
50 g butter
nutmeg
1 clove garlic
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Clean the artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves, remove the internal beard and cut into wedges.
In a large pan, put 6 tbs of olive oil and the garlic clove. Pre-heat and add the artichokes, rolled in rice flour*, salt and stir. Add half a cup of water and cook for about 20 m, adding more hot water if necessary. When the artichoke is tender, turn off, remove the garlic and let cool. If you prefer you can coarsely chop the artichokes with the crescent moon.
In a bowl mix the minced meat with 2 eggs, grated Parmigiano, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper, add the breadcrumbs if the mixture is too soft.
Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet while maintaining a thickness of about 3 cm, mix well and cover with slices of ham. Now put the artichokes and then the coarsely chopped mozzarella on top.
Use parchment paper to roll up the meatloaf. Baste with the remaining beaten egg and cover with in bread crumbs. Put it in a lightly greased baking dish and pour over a little olive oil and some butter.
Bake at 200°C for about 1 h, basting occasionally with the sauce that will be formed.
Let cool and cut into slices. Eat warm or cold.

*optional.

Mushroom-blended burgers

For ➑
70 g portobello mushroom caps, gills removed
70 g king trumpet mushrooms (may substitute a gourmet mix of sliced mushrooms)
25 g white button mushrooms
400 g ground beef, preferably 85-15 (lean meat/fat)
2 tbs finely diced onion
1 tbs seeded, finely diced tomato
2 ts finely chopped cilantro
½ ts peeled, finely grated fresh ginger root
1 small clove garlic, minced
½ small red bird's eye chilli pepper, seeded & minced
⅓ ts ground turmeric
⅓ ts onion powder
⅓ ts tomato powder* (optional)
⅓ ts ground coriander
⅓ ts chilli powder
⅓ ts lemon grass powder (optional)
kosher salt
brioche buns, for serving (optional)

Clean and stem the portobello, king oyster and white button mushrooms. Finely chop them, or grind them in a food processor, to about the same consistency as the meat.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the ground beef, onion, tomato, cilantro, ginger, garlic, red chilli pepper, turmeric, onion powder, tomato powder, if using, ground coriander, chilli powder and lemon grass powder, if using.
Use your clean hands to gently blend the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 h and no more than 4 h.
Spray a grill pan with cooking oil spray; heat over medium heat.
Meanwhile, shape the mixture into 8 thick patties of equal size. Lightly salt both sides of each patty; place on a plate or paper towels to catch any juices.
Working in batches as needed, arrange the patties in the hot grill pan, leaving at least an inch of space around each one. Cook for 6 to 8 m or until a good crust forms on the bottom, then use 2 spatulas to carefully turn each one over. Cook on the second side for about 8 m or until firm to the touch and cooked through. The burgers should not be pink inside.
Serve on buns, if desired.

*You can make tomato powder by grinding freeze-dried or dehydrated tomatoes.

A mix of mushrooms, vegetables and spices brings lots of moisture and flavor to these meaty-tasting burgers, a signature dish at Graffiti in New York.
The mixture can be shaped into 24 thick, slider-size patties instead, or grilled over a moderate, direct-heat fire.
Make Ahead: It's best to not to let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for more than the recommended 4 hours, as its mushroom content will exude liquid. The uncooked patties can be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost on a plate in the refrigerator for 2 h, then drain before cooking.

Italian meatloaf

For ➍
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 jar of roasted peppers 300g
20 g parsley
1 mozzarella, 125 g
600 g ground beef, seasoned (oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)
10 cl milk
3 slices of white bread, without crust
160 g pancetta, sliced

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Chop the onion and chop the garlic.
Let the peppers drip in a colander. Cut into strips.
Chop the parsley. Cut the mozzarella into slices .
Mix the minced meat in a bowl with the onion and garlic. Put the milk in a deep plate and soak the bread in the milk for 2 m. Squeeze out and mix with the meat.
Line the bottom and sides of the cake tin with the pancetta.
Divide the meat on the bottom and spread about half of the pepper, parsley and mozzarella. Make another layer. Spread the rest of the meat on top and close with the pancetta around.
Bake for about 30 m in the middle of the oven until golden brown. Take out, let rest 5 m in the mold. Carefully pour the fat out of the mold.
Cut into slices and serve with salad and baked potatoes.

Turkish kofta kebabs with minted yogurt & kohlrabi & carrot salad

For ➍
900 g minced lamb
2 onions, finely grated
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 ts dried chilli flakes
1 small bunch of flatleaf parsley, chopped
oil for brushing
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
salt & freshly ground black pepper
carrot & kohlrabbi salad with minted yogurt

Preheat a charcoal barbecue 40 m ahead of cooking or a gas barbecue 10 m ahead of cooking. If using a cast-iron griddle pan, heat it over a high heat, then lower the heat slightly before cooking.
Cover 8 bamboo skewers with cold water and leave them to soak.
Put the minced lamb into a bowl with the onions, garlic, chilli flakes, parsley, 1 ts of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix together with your hands until bound together.
Divide the mixture into 8 and mould it into long sausage shapes around the drained bamboo skewers.
Brush the kofta generously with oil and lightly oil the bars of the barbecue or griddle. Cook for 5 m, turning occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through.
Spread the minted yogurt over 1 large or 4 individual serving plates. Lay the kofta on top, garnish with the sliced tomatoes and serve with the salad.

Buran (Baghdad meatballs)

For ➍
500 g eggplant
500 g ground lamb*
25 cl yogurt
2 tbs butter
3 tbs sesame oil
2 cloves garlic
¼ ts coriander
½ ts salt
½ ts cumin
1 ts cinnamon

Cut eggplants in thick slices, put in boiling salted water (1.5 l water with 6 tbs of salt) for 7 m. Remove, let stand 1 h.
Roll meat into small meatballs. Fry in butter. When browned, cover with water and simmer.
Fry eggplant in sesame oil until cooked. Peel, mash, add salt and coriander.
Crush garlic, add to yogurt, mix with eggplant. Put the meatballs on top, sprinkle with cumin and cinnamon.
Serve with some basmati rice or flat bread. Have some sliced oranges as a side dish to counter the garlic smell.

*When using beef meat, add some cinnamon.

This is a slightly adapted Persian recipe from around the 10th century, named after the bride of an Arab caliph in 822.
Almost the same recipe exists in Italy, as a traditional Passover dish, lamb meatballs with eggplant sauce.

Vlaamse kippensoep (Flemish chicken soup)

For ➏
3 chicken thighs
2 onions, chopped coarsely
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
3 carrots
2 leeks, chopped coarsely (keep 1 stem apart)
1 celery, chopped coarsely (keep a few stalks apart)
2 sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
5 crushed peppercorns
2 cloves
1 piece star anise
3 l water
50 g alphabet or vermicelli pasta or rice
200 g minced meat*
flour*

Clean the celery and leeks under running water.
Peel the carrots and cut ⅔ of them coarsely. Keep the rest aside.
Pour cold water into the soup pot. Add the vegetables along with the thyme and bay leaves . Bring the soup to a boil.
Crush the peppercorns in a mortar and put them in the pot, along with a pinch of salt .
Add the cloves and star anise.
Add the chicken thighs when the soup is boiling.
Let the soup simmer for 30-45 m.
Meanwhile cut the left carrots, leek and celery in brunoise , tiny cubes of approximately 2 x 2 mm.
Put the diced vegetables in a bowl.
Strain the chicken soup, to have a clear chicken broth. Let the thighs cool.
Sprinkle the brunoise vegetables in the chicken stock. Let the vegetables yarn briefly. Avoid overcooking.
Add the letter pasta. (Check the packaging for correct cooking time.)
Tear the meat  from the thighs. Cut into small pieces of equal size.
Add the chicken to the soup. Season the soup.
Serve with brown bread or toast.

*Optional.

Gnocchi & sausage

For ➍
250 g potato gnocchi
3 smoked pork sausages, sliced*
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs butter
pinch of hot pepper flakes
½ tbs fresh thyme leaves
½ tbs fresh oregano, chopped
100 g (frozen & thawed) peas**
50 g grated Parmigiano**
salt & pepper

Prepare the gnocchi according to package instructions.
While the gnocchi is cooking, heat up a skillet with 1 tbs of butter. Add the sausage* and onions. Cook until sausage is browned and onions are soft. On medium heat, add the garlic, hot pepper flakes, thyme and oregano. Cook for 1 m or until the garlic is softened.
Drain the gnocchi, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the gnocchi to the sausage mixture. Shake the skillet so the gnocchi don't stick. Add the peas and remaining tbs of butter. Salt and pepper to taste.
Top with cheese**. Let the cheese melt slightly before serving.
Serve with a glass of northern Italian white wine, like pinot grigio.

*Or use a dry, not too salty Italian salami, such as salamini alla cacciatora. Melt the onions first, then add the salami, which requires only warming instead of cooking. The smoked pork sausages make it taste rather Austrian.
**Optional.

Serve gnocchi with sauces like vegetables & ricotta sauce, tomato & butter sauce, Tuscan white sauce, Italian meat sauce...

Königsberger Klopse (German meatballs)

For ➍
meatballs:
150 g ground sirloin
150 g ground pork
150 g ground veal
1 large egg, slightly beaten
60 g fine plain breadcrumbs
5 cl milk
⅓ medium white onion, finely chopped
zest of ⅓ lemon, finely chopped
juice of ⅓ lemon
1 tbs capers, chopped
1 tbs anchovy paste or 1 tbs crushed anchovy fillets (or sardines or herring)
20 g melted butter
⅓ ts sea salt
¼ ts ground black pepper
flour (for rolling)
broth
3 dl chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
2 cl cider vinegar
4 cl dry white wine
3 black peppercorns
1 tbs capers
sauce
zest of ⅓ lemon, small finely chopped
juice of ⅓ lemon
1 dl sour cream
1-2 tbs snipped fresh parsley, for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat broth ingredients (stock, bay leaf, cider vinegar, white wine, peppercorns, and 2 tbs capers) to a simmer over medium heat.
Meanwhile, combine meatball ingredients, mix well.
Form meat mixture into golf-ball sized balls. Roll them in flour, and carefully place into hot broth; simmer each batch (10-12) for 15 m, but do not boil. The broth will thicken as you add the flour covered meatballs, which will make a nice sauce.
Carefully remove meatballs from the hot broth with a slotted spoon, and keep them warm in a covered bowl stored in the oven while making the sauce. Discard bay leaf.
To hot broth, stir in the sauce ingredients and heat through, but do not boil.
Add the cooked meatballs to the heated sauce, stir gently and warm through.
Serve meatballs and cream sauce with boiled new potatoes (Salzkartoffel) or hot buttered spätzle noodles and German red cabbage. Sprinkle with snipped fresh parsley, for garnish.

*To serve as an appetizer, make the meatballs smaller and serve warm with toothpicks, buttered rolls and potato salad.

Predecessors of the Königsberger Klopse date back to the Middle Ages. The Prussian name Klops (meat dumpling) didn't originate until the 18th century, when Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia, today known as Kaliningrad in Russia.

Oven-baked sausages

For ➍
4 grill sausages
1 chopped leek
16 Italian bruschetta, cut into chunks.
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Cut the sausage in half and place in a small baking dish. Spread the leek over the sausage. Cover with bruschetta. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Put in the oven for 30 m.

After 20 m remove the foil. Bake for 10 m more to crisp the top.

Serve with potatoes and a green salad.

Or add to a quick risotto. (Cut the sausages in bite-size chunks before baking).

Sausages & mustard

For ➋
3 tbs fruity olive oil
2 onions, peeled, sliced
2 handfuls of small hollow pasta, like conchiglie
4-6 good quality (Italian) sausages (300 g)
1 small handful fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus some extra for serving
1 tbs smooth mustard
1 tbs grainy mustard
30 cl of double cream
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large pan. Add the oil. Fry the onions until they are sweet and soft, not crisp. With lid on, it will take 8-10 m.

Meanwhile cook the pasta in boiling salted water.

Skin the sausages. Rip the meat into good sized chunks. Add to the onions and cook for a few m.

Add the flat leaf parsley and stir in the mustards.

Stir in the cream. Check the seasoning, adding more mustard if you want.

Drain the pasta. And add to the cream and stir well.

Serve immediately with an extra sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Boulets à la Liègeoise (Liège meatballs)

For ➍
1 kg minced meat, pork & beef
2 eggs
3 large onions
handful of parsley
4 slices of white bread, slightly stale
20 cl cold milk
50 g butter

Remove crust from bread. Put the bread in a deep plate. Cover with cold milk.
Chop onions.
In a skillet, heat butter and melt the onions for 5 m. Cool for a few m.
Put the minced meat in a bowl. Add the onions. Mix with a fork.
Stir 2 egg yolks. Keep the whites for another use.
Take the bread. Press it into a ball to discard the milk.
Mix the bread and the meat.
Chop the parsley and add to the mixture.
Make 9 to 10 meatballs
Lightly grease a baking dish.
Place the balls in the dish.
Place the dish with balls in a 180°C preheated oven for 40 m.
Serve with sauce à la Liègeoise and frites. Drink a blond Belgium beer with it.

For the Café Lequet version.

Roasted parsnips

For ➍
2 parsnips*
2 tbs olive oil

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Peel the parsnips. Remove end and top. Cut into pieces of about 1 cm.

Put in one layer in an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with olive oil.

Cook for 25 m.

Serve as a side dish. (With potato mash and coarse meat sausage, for instance).

*1 will suit 2 persons.
**Or cut into chip size slices, sprinkle with olive oil, thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper. Put under the grill for 15 m. You will need about 1 parsnip per person to serve as a replacement for potato chips.
***Or cut 450 g parsnips in large chunks. Mix 4 tbs sherry and 3 tbs honey. Cover the parsnip chunks with the mix. Add Cajun spices and black pepper. Roast for 10 m, turn the chunks over and bake for another 10 m. Or until the parsnips are golden brown. Serve as a side dish with roast meat or fowl like pheasant.
***Or mix 2 tbs olive oil, ¼ ts black pepper, ½ ts kosher salt, ½ ts thyme. Coat the cut parsnips with it and bake in oven for 25 m.

Read tip on cooking parsnips.

Antipasti pasta salad

For ➏
1 or 2 tbs red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
4 tbs olive oil
500 g rotini or other small ridged pasta, freshly cooked to tender, rinsed under cold water, & drained
1 jar marinated artichokes, drained & chopped
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained & cut into 0.5 cm thick strips (or freshly roasted peppers)
250 g mozzarella, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
250 g thinly sliced sweet soppressata or salami, cut into 2.5 cm pieces*
100 g brine-cured black olives, pitted & chopped
a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Whisk together red wine vinegar and olive oil in a large bowl.Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve at room temperature.

*Use 300 g Italian sausage, cut in 1,5 cm cubes before braisng slowly in basil scented olive oil for 8 m. They will form bite-size pearls. Let it cool and remove skin before adding.

Read tip on cooking pasta for a cold salad.
Read more cold pasta salad recipes.

Sugo bianco (Tuscan white sauce)

For ➍/ 75 cl*
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 sweet Italian sausages**
2 large fresh porcini mushrooms, brushed & chopped
1 medium zucchini, grated
4 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tbs fresh cream or mascarpone
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat a saucepan. Heat olive oil. Make the onion soft.
Strip the skins away from the sausages and crumble the sausage meat with a fork or your fingers.
Add the sausage meat to the onions and continue cooking very gently, stirring occasionally, until the meat has browned.
Add the grated zucchini to the pan, also add the sage. Stir well, and cook on medium heat until the zucchini bits are softened. Stir in the chopped mushrooms. Add a few tbs of water. Raise the heat to medium and cook rapidly until most of the liquid has evaporated or been absorbed.
Take the sauce off the heat, and stir in the cream. Return briefly to the heat.
Season to taste.
Serve immediately over gnocchi, fusilli, or other short, curly pasta. Mix the pasta and sauce for 1 m, so the sauce really clings to the pasta, not that the pasta swims around in sauce.

*Leftovers can be frozen for a short period.
**Or any good fresh thick sausage with rather coarse meat. It can also be made with strips of wild boar or pork.

This white sauce, sometimes called ragu' bianco, has no tomatoes, and can be served with a variety of pasta.