Fregola Sarda alla vongele (fregola with clams)

For ➋

200 g fregola Sarda

500 g vongele clams

3 cloves of garlic, pressed or chopped

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

15 cl white wine

100 g Parmigiano

2 tbs mascarpone

zest of 1 lemon

handful of parsley, finely chopped

salt & pepper

olive oil

Fry the onion and garlic in a dash of olive oil over medium heat until they start to colour. Add the celery and let it stew a little. Rinse the clams well under cold water and let them drain. Add them to the pan and deglaze with the white wine. Let them cook for 3-4 m with the lid on until the clams open. Remove them with a slotted spoon, so that the cooking liquid remains in the pan. 

In the meantime, cook the fregola as indicated on the packaging (probably 10 m). 

Let the clam juice in the pan simmer for another 2-3 m for extra flavour. 

Add the cooked fregola to the pan with the reduced clam juice. Stir in the mascarpone, salt and pepper, chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano. Add the clams (either shelled or with shells). Finish with some extra pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and some more parsley.

♥︎Fregola Sarda with clams & fennel

For ➍ 

350 g fregola Sarda

1.5 kg clams/ vongele

1 l fish or vegetable stock

2 cloves of garlic

2 large fennels, cut in small cubes, stems reserved

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely

1 organic lemon, juice & zest

1 glass of white wine

sea ​​salt & pepper

extra virgin olive oil

If you still have to clean the shells yourself, soak them in a large container of cold water beforehand. Then rinse them under the tap. The mussels will then open for a moment and you can rinse away the sand.

Boil a pan of water with the fish or vegetable stock.

Take a deep pan and now add a dash of olive oil. Cut 1 clove of garlic into slices and fry it together with the fennels for 5 m on medium heat until the fennel is translucent and just turns a brown color. Add the fregola and stir well.

Add enough stock (approximately the same volume as the pasta) to the risotto, reduce heat and cover with a lid for +/- 10 m. Fill if necessary. add extra stock.

5-6 m before the end of the risotto cooking time, cook the clams. Place a large frying pan or wok over low heat with a dash of olive oil. 

Crush 1 clove of garlic and fry with the skin on briefly in the oil. Remove after the oil has been seasoned. 

Add the shells, increase the heat and add a dash of white wine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the shells for a few m. Shake the pan regularly to ensure they all open. 

After 10-12 minutes, when the fregola is just al dente and the mixture looks soupy, stir in the clams and the cooking liquid with a little chopped parsley and the lemon zest.

Squeeze half a lemon and add it, season the pasta with salt and pepper.

Serve the dish in bowls with some of the fennel fronds kept aside and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

♥︎Fregola, cucumber & orange

For ➋ 

2 small cucumbers about 150 g* 

1 tbs caster sugar 

1 ts sea salt 

1 ts coriander seeds 

5 tbs white wine vinegar 

2 tbs dill, finely chopped

150 g fregola Sarda** 

2 tbs olive oil 

1 large orange

2 spring onions, finely chopped 

a handful of watercress 

To make the pickle, thinly slice 1 cucumber and put in a small mixing bowl. Mix the sugar, sea salt, coriander seeds, vinegar and dill and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the cucumber, cover and place somewhere cool for at least 1 hour. The cucumber will darken a little in colour and soften slightly, but should retain its crunch. 

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, salt it lightly, then tip in the fregola. Simmer for about 10 m, testing regularly for tenderness. Drain thoroughly, tip into a bowl then sprinkle a few drops of olive oil over it and toss to coat evenly. This will stop the beads sticking together as they cool. 

Peel the second cucumber, halve it lengthways and cut it into 1cm chunks. Peel the orange with a kitchen knife, taking care to remove the white pith, then cut into thin slices. Warm the oil in a shallow pan, add the raw cucumber pieces and continue to fry them gently. 

Add the spring onion to the pan with the drained fregola. Season with salt and black pepper. Fold the pickled cucumber and its liquid into the ingredients, add the watercress then stir briefly. 

Divide between plates and place the orange slices at its side. 

*When using larger cucumber, cut the slices in half. 

**Use Sardinian roasted fregola. Or plain pearl couscous

tip: Risottatura pasta

For ➋
100 g pasta
20 cl hot water or chicken broth
2 tbs olive oil

Heat 2 tbs oil in pan, fry pasta for 1 m.
Add hot water or chicken broth, cover and cook for 10 m. (Or let liquid evaporate, when stirring the pasta for 7 m).
If there is some liquid left in the pan, stir and let evaporate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSHIagz6f0Q

https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/hacks/pasta-risottata-an-alternative-cooking-method

Broccoli pasta with fennel sausage, lemon & chilli flakes

For ➍

600 g broccoli, in florets & the stem in pieces

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 fresh fennel sausages (about 250 g in total), skin removed

chilli flakes, to taste

400 g orecchiette pasta

1 lemon, juice & zest

3 tbs unsalted butter, cubed

50 g Parmigiano, grated + extra for garnish

Cook the broccoli in a large pan with plenty of salted water in 3 m until al dente. Remove the broccoli from the pan with a slotted spoon and let it cool. Save the cooking water for the pasta. Chop the broccoli into small pieces. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large skillet or skillet over medium heat. Fry the garlic until it starts to change color and smell, about 2 m. Remove the garlic from the pan and fry the sausages in the oil. Break the sausage meat into pieces with a wooden spatula and season with chili flakes. Bake until sausage is cooked through, about 6-8 m.

Bring the broccoli water to the boil again and cook the pasta until almost al dente, about 9 m (set the timer 3 m shorter than indicated on the package).

Remove about 10 cl of cooking liquid from the pasta pan and pour over the sausage. Add the garlic and broccoli. Season with 1 ts of lemon juice and zest. Mash the broccoli with a potato masher.

Remove the pasta from the pan with a slotted spoon and mix with the broccoli. Add a generous splash of cooking liquid and cook the pasta for a few more m until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is cooked through. Now add the butter and stir until it melts. Season to taste with the Parmigiano.

Serve the pasta with more Parmigiano, lemon zest, olive oil and chilli flakes.

Miso butter pasta with mushrooms

For ➋

120-200 g spaghetti

400 g oyster mushrooms

pinch of chili flakes

40 g walnuts or pecans, chopped

clove of garlic, crushed to a pulp

30 g butter

1 tbs white miso

1 tbs lemon juice

salt & black pepper

Cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente.

Cut the mushrooms into pieces and fry together with the chili flakes and chopped nuts in some oil over a medium heat until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Lower the heat, add the crushed garlic clove and stir-fry for 30 s before adding the butter and miso to the pan. Mix until the butter has just melted and deglaze with lemon juice and 100 ml of the pasta cooking water. Let it simmer until you have a smooth sauce.

Turn the heat very low and add the drained pasta to the pan. Mix about 1 m very well so that each strand has a nice layer of sauce and the sauce is almost completely absorbed. Add a few tbs of extra pasta cooking liquid while mixing if the sauce becomes too dry.

Divide the pasta between plates and season generously with freshly ground black pepper.

Orecchiette con cime di rapa (orecchiette with turnip tops)

For ➋ 

250 g orecchiette,

3 garlic cloves, sliced 

½ red chilli, sliced or 2 tsp red pepper flakes

5 anchovies*

200 g turnip tops (leaves teared from stems, chopped)**, or tenderstem broccoli

pecorino or toasted breadcrumbs (optional) 

alt:

150 g Italian sausage

fresh rosemary

white wine

Begin by making and cooking the orecchiette and cooking it in salted boiling water. If using dried pasta, add the shredded turnip tops and cook together. If not, cook the shredded turnip tops in oil in a pan.

Meanwhile, gently fry the garlic and chilli with the anchovies in a little of their oil until the has softened a little and the anchovies have dissolved.

Drain the pasta (reserve 1 tbs of the cooking water), then add the pasta and broccoli to the anchovy pan and toss a few m to coat the pasta evenly. If needed***, add 1 tbs of the cooking water.

Add some pecorino, or crumbled toasted breadcrumbs if wanted.

*or use meat from an Italian sausage instead. 

:: In a pan, add olive oil and sliced garlic in a cold pan.  Add the red pepper flakes and finely chopped fresh rosemary, then crumble the sausage meat. Turn on the heat and cook for 10 m.  Add the chopped turnip tops until soft and tender. Add a small glass of white wine.

Cook the orecchiette in boiling water for 8 m. Drain and add the orecchiette to the vegetables. Add some pecorino, or crumbled toasted breadcrumbs if wanted. ::

**or use tenderstem broccoli.

***when using fresh pasta

Tortiglioni con carciofi (pasta with artichokes)

For ➍
350 g tortiglioni*
4 fresh artichokes**
2 tbs unsalted butter
10 cl dry white wine
vegetable bouillon cube
2 cloves garlic
juice of ½ lemon***
5 cl extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs parsley
salt & pepper
Parmigiano cheese****

Set pasta water to boil. Clean the artichokes, stripping off the outer leaves and removing the fuzz from the choke if need be, and then slice them, putting the pieces in a bowl of water acidulated with the lemon juice as you go, to keep them from darkening.

Heat the oil and butter, sauté the garlic for a few minutes. Add the drained artichokes. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, add the wine and the bouillon cube, cover, and simmer for about 30 m. Add more liquid if the sauce appears to be drying out.*****

Meanwhile, cook the pasta, season it with the sauce, and serve (with Parmesan cheese****).

*Or any other short tubed pasta.
**Use thawed and cleaned artichokes instead.
***Only when using fresh artichokes.
****Optional.
*****Use a mix of artichoke hearts and canned tomatoes instead. Simmer for 20 m.

Spicy & bright Brussels sprouts pasta

For ➋-➌

fine sea salt

200-300 g Brussels sprouts 

5 garlic cloves 

1 shallot (optional) 

200 g orecchiette pasta 

1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tbs butter 

zest of 1 lemon 

½ ts crushed red pepper flakes 

80-90 g grated Romano cheese 

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, chop the Brussels sprouts into ribbons. Transfer the shredded sprouts to a bowl and set aside. Slice the garlic and the shallot, if using, into half-moons. When the pasta water is boiling, add the orecchiette and cook according to the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. 

While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and melt the butter. Add the garlic and shallot and sauté until fragrant, about 1 m. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Cover memove the lid and stir the vegetables—you should see some browning and the Brussels sprouts should be bright green and just tender. Reduce the heat to low, add the lemon zest and red pepper flakes, stir and cook until the pasta is done, about 4 m more. When the pasta is done, use a strainer or slotted spoon to transfer it directly into the pan with the vegetables. (Reserve the pasta water.) 

Stir to combine, then add 40-45 g of the grated Romano and 12 cl or so of the pasta cooking water. Stir briskly, adding more of the Romano and loosening with more pasta water as needed, up to 16 cl, until the pasta is loose and saucy. 

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more lemon zest, red pepper flakes or Romano. 

Top with a bit more Romano before serving.

Veal piccata

For ➍

600 g veal steaks

½ cup flour

50 g butter

3 dl olive oil

1.5 dl dry white wine

3 dl chicken stock

2 lemons*

30 g capers

flat leaf parsley

fresh pasta

parmigiano

arugula salad

sun dried tomatoes

white wine vinegar

Ask your butcher to flatten your veal steaks. Or place the pieces between plastic wrap that you have slightly moistened, and then gently flatten the meat with a large flat object such as a pan. .

Season the veal steaks to taste with salt and pepper and then roll them in the flour. Gently knock off the excess flour. 

Heat some butter and olive oil in a pan and fry the veal steaks for about one and a half to two minutes on both sides over a medium heat. Do not bake all the veal steaks at the same time, because then they will not have enough space and you will cook them rather than bake them. Remove the steaks when they are baked, cover them with aluminum foil, add butter and olive oil and fry the rest of the veal steaks.

Once the veal steaks are cooked, add the white wine and gently stir all the browning bits off. Let the wine reduce for a few minutes. Then add the chicken stock. Cut 1 of the lemons into thin slices, them  and let everything reduce by 7-8 m.*

Add 20 g of soft butter, some lemon juice, the finely chopped parsley and the capers and season with salt and pepper. Allow the butter to completely dissolve into the sauce over a low heat. 

Place the veal steaks in the sauce, make sure they are nicely covered, and let them warm up a bit over a low heat.

Serve with fresh pasta, with some olive oil and Parmigiano. Delicious with a rucola salad with some semi-sun-dried tomatoes with pepper, salt, some olive oil and a dash of white wine vinegar. Sprinkle some Parmigiano flakes on the salad.

*or replace lemon slices with lemon zest and add at the end

Mushroom lasagne

For ➏

750 g chestnut mushrooms, halved 

500 g oyster mushrooms 

13 cl olive oil, plus extra for greasing 

60 g dried porcini 

30 g dried wild mushrooms 

2 dried red chillies, roughly chopped, (remove the seeds for a less spicy result) 

50 cl hot vegetable stock 

1 onion, peeled, quartered 

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 

1 carrot, scraped, quartered, 90 g 

2-3 roma tomatoes, quartered, 200 g 

75 g tomato paste 

13 cl whipped cream* 

60 g pecorino romano, finely grated* 

60 g Parmigiano, finely grated* 

5 g basil leaves, finely chopped 

10 g parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus 1 ts extra for dressing 

250 g dried lasagne sheets (approx. 14 sheets)** 

salt & black pepper

Heat the oven to 230 °C. 

Place the chestnut and oyster mushrooms in three or four batches in the large bowl of a food processor and chop finely using the pulse button (or chop by hand). In a large mixing bowl, toss the chopped mushrooms with 3 tbs oil and 1 ts salt and spread on a large, parchment-lined baking tray with a raised edge measuring 40 x 35 cm. Bake them in the top of the oven for 30 m, turning them three times in between until the mushrooms are golden brown; the volume will have shrunk considerably. Set them aside. Lower the oven temperature to 200 °C.

Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, mix the dried mushrooms with chilies and hot stock and soak for 30 m. Strain the liquid into a third bowl and press as much moisture as possible out of the mushrooms, you will need about 34 cl in total; top up the soaking water with fresh water if necessary. Chop the soaked mushrooms very coarsely (so that there are also large pieces) and chop the chilies. Set aside the stock and mushrooms separately. 

Chop the onion, garlic and carrot in the food processor with the pulse button (or by hand). Heat 6 cl oil in a large sauté pan over medium to high heat. When hot, add the onion mixture and cook for 8 m, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and golden brown. 

Chop the tomatoes in the food processor with the pulse button (or chop them by hand), add them with the tomato paste, 1½  ts salt and 1¾ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper. Let everything simmer for 7 m, stirring occasionally. Add the soaked mushrooms, chilies and toasted mushrooms and let everything cook gently for 9 m, resist the urge to stir: the mushrooms should be slightly crispy and brown on the underside. 

Stir in the reserved stock and 80 cl water, turn the heat to medium-high when everything is simmering gently and let the sauce simmer for about 25 m, stirring occasionally until it has the consistency of ragout. Stir 10 cl of whipped cream into the sauce and let it simmer for 2 m more then take the pan off the heat. 

Mix the pecorino and Parmigino with basil and parsley in a small bowl. When assembling the lasagna, spread one-fifth of the sauce over the bottom of a round baking dish of 28 cm in diameter (or a rectangular dish of 30 x 20 cm), spread one-fifth of the cheese mixture on top, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, broken where necessary to make them fit. Repeat these layers three times in the same order, finishing with a layer of sauce and cheese: a total of five layers of sauce and cheese, and four layers of pasta. 

Drizzle the top with 1 tbs of cream and 1 tbs of oil, cover the dish with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 15 m. Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 220 ° C and bake the lasagna for another 12 m, turning the dish halfway through the baking time. Switch the oven to the grill setting and grill the lasagna for 2 m until the edge is brown and crispy. 

Put the bowl aside, let the lasagna cool for about 5 m, then drizzle the top with the remaining whipped cream and oil. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, finally grind a generous twist of pepper and serve. 

*Discard for vegan version.

**Make it ahead of time and refrigerate it to serve it with pasta or polenta and save yourself the trouble of putting together a lasagna if you don't have much time. You can prepare the lasagna in advance, put it in the refrigerator and bake it the next day (after it has reached room temperature). 

This special ragout pays tribute to the penne all'Aconese,  served at Restaurante Pizzeria Acone, a community-run restaurant in the Tuscan town of Acone. The recipe is a carefully kept secret, but the complex, earthy and full umami flavor of dried porcini is not to be missed. This is Ottolenghi's meatless take on that mythical sauce.

Mushroom & lemon pasta

For ➍
3 tbs olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

7 cloves garlic, finely chopped

250 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

250 g pasta (penne, rigatoni, spaghetti, farfalle)

250 ml vegetable cooking cream

1 tbs thyme

½ ts black pepper

1 tbs nutritional yeast flakes*

1 tbs miso paste

100 g cherry tomatoes, cut in half

15 g basil + extra for garnish

zest 1 lemon

1 tbs lemon juice

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbs oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Bake for 10 m, stirring, until most of the moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated.

Add the cooking cream, thyme, black pepper, nutritional yeast*, miso paste, tomatoes, basil, the lemon zest and lemon juice to the mushrooms. Stir and let simmer for 2 m. Then add the pasta and 1 tbs olive oil.

Garnish with extra basil and possibly vegan Parmigiano*.

* Replace with Parmigiano for a non-vegan version.

Tagliatelle with dill & mushrooms

For ➋ 

25 g dill 

125 g grated Parmigiano 

25 cl whipped cream 

200 g king oyster mushroom* 

150 g brown shimeji or other small mushrooms* 

30 g chanterelles or other wild mushrooms* 

30 g butter 

3 tbs olive oil 

250 g tagliatelle or fettucine 

Chop the dill and Parmigiano into a fine crumb in a blender or food processor. Pour into a pan, add the cream and bring to the boil while stirring until the cheese has melted. Cover the pan, remove from heat and set aside. 

Cut the oyster mushrooms into 3 mm thick pieces. Clean the other mushrooms and remove the feet. Melt the butter in a shallow pan over medium heat. Fry the king oyster mushroom in 3-4 m until done, add the remaining mushrooms and fry for another 3 m. 

Bring a deep pan of water to the boil, add generous salt and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and return to the pan and toss in the cream, herbs and cheese mixture, followed by the fried mushrooms. 

Divide the dish between two plates. 

* Use any kind of mushrooms you have on hand. Chestnut and small white mushrooms are also fine. Divide the dish between two plates.

Fregola & sausage with harissa

For ➋

2 tbs olive oil 

6 large sausages, herby rather than spicy* 

400 g assorted tomatoes** 

150 g fregola*** 

1-2 tbs harissa paste

olive oil 

Warm the oil in a large, shallow-sided pan and fry the sausages over a low to moderate heat until nicely browned. Remove the sausages, slice them thickly then return them to the pan. 

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the sausages, letting them soften and collapse into a rough sauce over a moderate heat. ut a large pan of water on to boil and add a little salt. Tip in the fregola and leave to boil for 10 m. Check its progress regularly, draining it as soon as it is tender. Stir the harissa paste into the tomatoes and season with a little salt. Cook until you have a rich, thick sauce then stir in the drained fregola. 

Check the seasoning and serve. 

*Use eggplant chunks for a vegetarian version. Use more oil. 

**Add a little sugar for a stronger taste.

***Fregola (or fregula) is a Sardinian couscous-like toasted pasta from durum wheat. 

Spaghetti alle cozze (spaghetti with mussels)

For ➍

2 kg fresh mussels 

3 cloves garlic 

15 g fresh flat parsley 

300 g spaghetti 

3 tbs traditional olive oil

15 cl white wine

425 g canned diced tomatoes

1 ts chilli flakes

Rinse the mussels under cold running water. Remove the mussels that are broken or left open when you tap them. Drain. Cut the garlic into slices. Remove the parsley leaves from the sprigs. Finely chop the leaves and sprigs, but keep them separate from each other. 

Cook the spaghetti al dente according to the instructions on the package. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan. Fry the garlic 1 m. Add the chopped parsley sprigs and fry 1 m. 

Turn up the heat and add the mussels. Add the white wine and let it steam for a while. Add the polpa and chilli flakes and toss well with a large spoon. Put the lid on the pan and let the mussels stew for 3 m, until all the shells are open. 

Drain the pasta and toss through the mussels. Add half of the chopped parsley leaves. Let it cook for another 2 m on low heat, until the pasta has absorbed the sauce. 

Remove any empty shells. Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley.

Chicken with fennel & lemon

For ➍
600 g skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tbs olive oil
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced & rinsed clean
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
20 cl chicken stock
4 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs sugar
15 grape tomatoes (or 200 g tomatoes, chopped)**
salt & pepper
pasta

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large skillet and add chicken. Sauté on medium heat for 3-4 m on each side. Remove chicken and set aside.
Add fennel, garlic and onion to skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5-8 m until fennel is translucent. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, sugar and lemon peel and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the (grape) tomatoes. Simmer for 5 m, adding chicken to pan for last m to heat through, until fennel and chicken are tender.
Serve with hot cooked pasta.

*Or juice  grated zest of 2 lemons.
**Use 3 large carrots, 3 sticks celery, washed & sliced instead. Add after 1 m. Add fresh oregano to enhance the taste.

Read more citrus fennel combination recipes.
Read the chicken cooking tip.

Battuto for meat stew or soup

For ➍
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 tbs celery leaves, chopped
1 tbs parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs chopped pork*
olive oil

Mix and brown in hot olive oil. 
Use as a base for a meat stew, or add some more vegetables and broth to make a soup.

*Optional.

In Roman cooking, a battuto is an initial preparation, that can be developed into a sauce, a stew or a soup. This basic battuto works also well a pasta sauce.
The ingredients are flexible, as in an Italian fish parcel.
The minestra col battuto soup uses a finely cut battuto, with onion, celery, garlic and a bit of parsley and basil added for more flavour. Read the Lazio variation.

Pasta battuto (pasta with Ligurian pine nut sauce)

For ➍
100 g crushed pine nuts
2 sprigs of marjoram
50 g Parmigiano
pinch of salt
extra virgin olive oil
a little milk

Blend the ingredients, just adding enough olive oil and milk to make the mixture smooth.
Cook the pasta as usual and mix in the fresh sauce when it's ready. Use a roughly textured pasta with battuto.
Serve pasta battuto with a fresh salad. (Or eat it first and follow it with the salad).

Liguria is the Italian Riviera, with San Remo as main attraction. This battuto is close to pesto, and quite different from the traditional battuto, used in Roman cooking, an initial preparation, that can be developed into a sauce, a stew or a soup, like the Lazio minestra col battuto alla romana. Read a related Ligurian recipe, pasta with walnuts sauce.

Pasta with samphire tapenade & sea spinach

For ➍
tapenade:
100 g samphire
1 handfull unsalted cashew nuts
1 clove garlic
4 tbs olive oil, extra virgin
juice ½ lemon (or more to taste)
pepper
pasta:
500 g spaghetti
100 g sea spinach
1 clove garlic
3 hands of sun-dried tomatoes
olive oil
shaved lamb's cheese or pecorino

For the tapenade, wash the samphire and cut the garlic into large pieces. Pour the olive oil into the food processor, adding a handful of the samphire. While turning, add the rest of the samphire, the garlic, and the lemon juice. Also add the cashew nuts and turn into a coarse pasta. Season with pepper.
Wash the sea spinach and cut the garlic into small pieces. Put the wok on the fire and let it get well hot. Pour some olive oil in the pan and add the garlic. Then quickly sprinkle the sea spinach in the wok and stir-fry very briefly while constantly stirring.
Cook the spaghetti al dente. When the spaghetti is ready, stir in the tapenade. Put the spaghetti on the plates and carefully mix the sea spinach and the sun-dried tomatoes into the pasta.
Toss small pinch of pepper and possibly some olive oil and some cheese on the pasta

Carbonara alla romana

For ➋
200 g pasta (penne or straight macaroni)
3 yolks of organic eggs
70 g pecorino romano (18 months old)
80 g guanciale (pork jowl bacon from Amatrice, ideally aged 6-8 months)
penja pepper from the mill

Boil the pasta in strongly salted water (5 to 10 g per l), depending on the time indicated on the package.
In a mixing bowl au bain-marie, beat the egg yolks with half the cheese. Season with pepper to taste.
Bake the pieces of guanciale in a (preferably iron) pan, until golden brown and crispy. Separate the meat from the fat and set it aside so that it can be added later when the preparation is heated in a bain-marie.
Drain the pasta as soon as it is ready and put it in the bowl with the mixture of egg yolks and cheese. Heat au bain-marie like with a sabayon to lighten the dish.
Add 30 g of boiling water and the fat from the cheeks, together with the rest of the cheese and some pepper. If the mixture is too fluid, add some cheese. If it is too dry, add some cooking water from the starchy pasta.
Before serving, sprinkle a little cheese and a large pinch of pepper over the plate. Conclude with the guanciale (who must remain warm during the entire preparation). Serve at room temperature, with a glass of Franciacorta (Lombard sparkling wine)

A recipe from chef Filippo La Vecchia of Osteria Romana in Brussels.