Easy pistou

For ➍

80 g pine nuts

40 g basil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

10-12.5 cl olive oil

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until they are nicely browned. 

Set aside 12 basil leaves. 

Place the rest of the basil leaves, garlic and half the pine nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. While the machine is running, pour in as much oil as needed for a runny sauce in a trickle. Taste and season the pistou with salt and pepper.

♥︎Tray bake of giant beans with ratatouille vegetables & pistou

For ➍

2 cans giant white beans (400 g each), rinsed & drained

2 red onions, peeled, cut into 8 wedges each

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 eggplant, in pieces

1 zucchini, in pieces

4 small tomatoes on the vine, each cut in 4 wedges

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tbs rosemary needles, coarsely chopped

1 red chilli pepper, in rings

pinch chilli flakes

salt pepper

4 tbs olive oil

For the pistou*:

80 g pine nuts

40 g basil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

10-12.5 cl olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

Put the beans, all the vegetables, the garlic, rosemary, chilli pepper and chilli flakes, four tablespoons of olive oil, a good pinch of coarse salt and a pinch of pepper in a bowl and toss. Divide the mixture over two baking trays lined with parchment paper.

Slide the baking trays into the oven and roast for 45-60m, until the vegetables are tender and the beans are just a little crunchy. Switch the baking plates halfway through, so that they both receive the same amount of top and bottom heat.

For the pistou, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until they are nicely browned. Set aside 12 basil leaves. Place the rest of the basil leaves, garlic and half the pine nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. Then, while the machine is running, pour in as much oil as needed for a runny sauce in a trickle. Taste and season the pistou with salt and pepper.

Transfer the beans and vegetables to a serving platter. Sprinkle over the rest of the pine nuts and the reserved basil leaves. 

Serve the pistou separately.

*Pistou is the Provencal version of Italian pesto. It's basically the same sauce without Parmigiano.

Strudel di mele (apple strudel)

For ➍-➏

 for the dough:*

150 g flour 

a pinch of salt 

2-3 tbs granulated sugar 

1 egg 

2-3 tbs olive or vegetable oil (or melted butter) 

water

for the filling:

750 g (1-2) apples 

75 g granulated sugar

handful of raisins, pre-soaked in rum 

handful of pinoli (pine nuts), or slivered almonds 

1-2 tbs cinnamon 

75 g breadcrumbs 

a good nob of butter 

for baking and finishing: 

more flour 

melted butter 

powdered sugar 

If using homemade dough, prepare it by mixing the dry ingredients, then the egg and oil, then finally just enough water to form a ball. Knead briefly until the dough is soft and elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then in a towel, and let rest for a good 30 m or more. 

While the dough* is resting, peel, core and slice the apples as thinly as you can. 

Add the sugar, cinnamon and raisins, drained and squeezed dry, and the pine nuts or almonds.  Mix things all together, moistening the mixture with a bit of the rum in which the raisins have been soaked. Set aside. 

Sauté the breadcrumbs in the melted butter over very gentle heat until they are lightly browned. Do not over-brown the crumbs. When the dough* has rested at least a good 30 m, mold it into a flat, rectangular shape and place it on a well-floured cotton dish towel. 

Roll the dough* out as thinly as you can manage into a large, rectangular shape. Older recipes tell you to stretch it further with your hands, as you might a thin-crust pizza.

Brush the dough* liberally with melted butter, leaving the edges dry.  Spread the sautéed breadcrumbs in a thin layer all over the dough, leaving the edges clear. 

Pour the filling over the breadcrumbs and spread it out even, again avoiding the edges. 

With the aid of the towel, roll up the dough into a large lozenge-shaped loaf. 

Once the strudel is fully rolled up, tuck the edges under and, very gently, transfer this loaf onto a baking pan or sheet. Brush the loaf liberally with melted butter. If you prefer a ‘shiny’ surface to your strudel, brush the surface with milk or egg wash instead. 

Bake the strudel in a hot (200°C) oven for a good 30-45 m, until golden brown all over. (I find it helps browning if you brush it once or twice with more melted butter while it bakes.) Let the strudel cool entirely. Top with powdered sugar before serving in thick slices, perhaps with a nice side of whipped cream or ice cream if you’re feeling decadent.

*If using store-bought pastry dough, just lay it out flat on the sheet it is usually attached to and lay the breadcrumbs and filling out on top, then roll it up as usual. You won't need to brush it with butter, as pastry dough already has a high fat content, [although brushing it with milk will help it brown]. Use puff pastry or phyllo dough, which makes a particularly delightful Strudel, lay out one sheet, brush it with melted butter, then repeat until you have 4 or 5 layers of dough, before laying on the breadcrumbs and apple filling.

Caponata

For ➍
2 eggplants
½ celery
2 medium onions
2 tbs pine nuts
6 tbs traditional olive oil
400 g canned tomatoes
200 g green olives stuffed with lemon
5 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs granulated sugar
2 tbs raisins
2 tbs capers
15 g fresh basil

Cut the aubergine into 1½ cm pieces and sprinkle with salt. Leave standing for 5 m. Pat dry with kitchen paper. 
Meanwhile, cut the green celery and chop finely. Cut the stems into thin arcs. Slice the onion in thin rings. Heat a frying pan without oil or butter and roast the pine nuts 3 m golden brown. Let cool on a plate. 
Heat half of the oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry half of the eggplant golden brown . Remove from pan and repeat with rest of oil and eggplant. Put all the eggplant together in the pan, mix with the onion and celery and bake for4 m. Add the diced tomatoes, olives, vinegar and sugar. 
Stew with the lid diagonally on the pan over low heat for 30 m until done. 
After 15 m, add the pine nuts, raisins and capers. 
To prevent sticking, toss from time to time. Season with pepper and salt if desired.
Remove from heat and toss in the basil leaves and celery greens.

* Delicious with grilled fish, or / and couscous or ciabatta.
** You can also eat this dish as a starter.
*** You can eat the salad warm, lukewarm or cold.
**** You can make this dish two days in advance, but don't add the basil until just before serving. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

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.

Tagliatelle frisinsal (Venetian tagliatelle with roasted chicken, fennel & pine nuts)

For ➍-➏
2 fennel bulbs, with fronds attached
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken, neck reserved if possible
3 lemons
2 stalks fresh rosemary
1 ts minced fresh rosemary leaves
40 g golden raisins
50 g pine nuts
2 glasses white wine
40 cl (plus extra) good chicken stock, preferably homemade
500 g tagliatelle or pappardelle
a good handful of flat parsley leaves if your fennel didn't have its fronds attached

Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Remove the fronds from the fennel stalks and reserve.
Trim the stalks from the fennel bulbs and reserve.
Trim the root ends from the fennel bulbs, slice the bulbs in half, slice into thin wedges*
Place the fennel in a good sized, heavy-bottomed roasting tin (stove top safe), along with the chicken neck if they’ve included it with your chicken, and toss with a generous glug of olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper.
Clear an area in the center of the pan for the chicken. Pat dry the chicken with paper towels and use a sharp knife to slice through the thigh and leg meat in 3-4 places on each side. Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Quarter one on the lemons and place in the cavity along with the fennel stalks and 2 stalks of rosemary. Rub the skin with olive oil and season with plenty of salt and pepper, being sure to rub some into the cuts you’ve made in the thighs and legs.
Place the pan in the center of the oven. After 15 m, reduce the heat to 180°C. Roast for 1.15 h or until the legs move freely in their joints and the juices run clear.
Meanwhile, boil some water and pour it over the raisins. Allow them to soak for 30 m.**
Place a small sauté pan over very low heat and toast the pine nuts, stirring often.
Lift the chicken from the pan and allow to rest and cool at least 15 m on a plate to catch the juices. Use a slotted spoon to lift the fennel out and reserve in a bowl. Leave the chicken neck in the pan and set it on the stove top.
Add the wine, and turn the heat to high. Allow the wine to reduce by half, using a spoon or metal spatula to help loosen the fond.
Drain the raisins and add along with the minced rosemary, along with any juices that have collected in the plate the chicken is resting on.
Then add 40 cl chicken stock. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to reduce by half again. Remove the chicken neck and discard. Check the seasoning with more salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and reserve.
Meanwhile, shred all of the chicken flesh and skin into bite-sized pieces. Be sure not to let any of the juices escape. Add to the juices in the pan.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt generously. Add the pasta to the water and cook until just al dente and then drain.
Heat the chicken sauce in a large pan if it’s cooled. Be careful not to bubble too long and lose too much liquid. You can always top it up with more hot chicken stock if the sauce gets too dry. Meanwhile mince the fennel fronds or parsley.
When the pasta is done, add the juice of 1 lemon to the chicken, check the seasoning one more time with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if necessary, and add the pasta to the chicken, tossing to combine. Add half the pine nuts and most of the minced herbs. Plate immediately. Garnish with the remaining pine nuts and herbs. Serve immediately.

*Thin enough to caramelize and be tossed with the pasta later.
**Alternatively, braise the chicken on stovetop until done. Remove the chickened use the same for the fennel sauce.
**The sauce can hold up to 3 days. Meat braises tend to develop better flavor overnight.

Grilled salmon & lemon

For ➍
3 lemons
1 red onion
1 clove garlic
6 tbs olive oil
3 tbs boiling water
2 tbs capers
4 Scottish salmon fillets
2 tbs parsley

Scrub the lemon and juice 1 the lemon. Chop the onion and chop the garlic. Heat ⅔ of the oil in a saucepan and add the red onion. Cook 4 m until the onion has softened.
Pour in the lemon juice and boiling water and add the garlic. Simmer on low heat for 3 m to reduce.
Add the capers.
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and brush lightly with the remaining oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut the remaining lemons. Heat a grill pan and grill the salmon fillets in 6 m. Overcooked. Turn halfway. After 2 m, add the lemons (cut side on the grill pan) beside the salmon until they are caramelized. The cutting edge is brown.
Cut the parsley finely and mix with the capers mixture. Place the salmon fillets and lemon halves on plates and spoon the mixture caper over the fish.
Serve with stir-fried spinach, pine nuts and couscous.

Pesto pasta with avocado

For ➍
1 avocado, diced into bite-sized cubes
250 g pasta, any kind
extra sea salt or kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
green pesto*

Prepare the green pesto*.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, or however you like to cook your pasta. Drain well.
Combine it all. Toss the prepared pasta with your prepared pesto until well combined, then gently toss together with the diced avocado, being careful not to break up the avocado.
Give it another little sprinkle of sea salt or kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to serve.

*Use a red pesto instead.

Salmon & broccoli puree

For ➍
4 salmon fillets, each 125g
2 tbs lemon juice
750 g broccoli
10 cl semi-skimmed milk
2 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 scallion, in rings
2 tbs neutral oil

Rub the salmon fillets with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Let them stand for 10 m.
Divide the broccoli into florets. Cut the logs into slices.
Boil the broccoli in salted water for 4-6 m. Drain and puree the broccoli with the milk in a food processor or blender to a fine puree. Heat olive oil in a pan with a thick bottom and fry the garlic gently until fragrant. Stir the garlic in the broccoli puree. Reheat the puree well until it is slightly thicker. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss the spring onions in. *
Pat the fillets dry. Brush them lightly with oil. Fry the fillets in a hot frying pan (without additional oil) in 6-8 m.
Spoon the broccoli puree on 4 warmed plates with the fish.

*Alternatively, add 4-5 tbs olive oil to the broccoli. Add 4 tbs of garlic, finely cut, 6-8 shredded leaves of basil,  2 tbs roasted pine nuts, a turn of the pepper mill. Puree.

Papaya & halloumi watercress salad

For ➍
salad:
200-250 g halloumi, sliced
1 ts ghee*
1 medium punnet of cherry or baby plum tomatoes, halved
4 huge handfuls of watercress
1 medium red onion, finely sliced
1 medium ripe papaya or half a large one
1 large ripe black skin avocado, flesh scooped out & sliced
1 handful of pine nuts, or substitute pumpkin/sunflower seeds
dressing:
extra virgin olive oil
raw apple cider vinegar or lime or lemon juice
sea salt & black pepper
a squeeze of raw runny honey

Take a large flat serving dish and distribute the watercress (you can roughly snip into the stems a little for slightly more elegant eating).
Scatter the tomatoes, onion and avocado over the bed of watercress and sprinkle on a touch of sea salt if desired.
Gently toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and set aside.
Halve the papaya and scoop out the seeds.
Using a flattish spoon, scoop out thick slivers of the papaya flesh and pile onto the salad. If you're struggling to make it look nice then try slicing or cubing the fruit.
Ask everyone to be seated as this salad is best consumed when the halloumi is hot from the griddle/pan.
Heat the ghee to a high temperature in a large frying pan and lay down the halloumi slices without overcrowding (you might have to do this in batches if your pan is too small).
Fry the halloumi for approximately a minute on each side until each piece takes on a golden brown colour.*
Lay them across the salad.
At the table, sprinkle over the pine nuts, drizzle over a generous amount of olive oil, a squeeze of honey, a splash of vinegar and a good grinding of black pepper.

*or you could grill/griddle the halloumi.

Iced zucchini velouté

For ➍
250 g natural yoghurt
10 large mint leaves
2 medium zucchini (600g), diced, unpeeled
pepper & salt
4 tbs pine nuts
2 cubes low-fat broth

Bring 50 cl of water to a boil with the stock. Add the zucchini and cook for 8 m.
Grill the pine nuts in a non-stick pan without fat.
Take the cooked courgettes from heat, add 25 cl of cold water, pour into a bowl and let cool completely.
Add the yogurt and mint leaves to the cold soup. Mix until smooth and put in the refrigerator.
If necessary, add some ice cubes in the soup when serving.

Insalata caldo (Italian warm salad)

For ➍
3 zucchini, finely sliced
2 carrots, peeled & finely sliced
2 leeks, finely sliced
5 tbs Italian olive oil
6 tbs toasted pine kernels

Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the courgettes, carrots and leeks for 2-3 m. Add the pine kernels and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve with lamb casserole.

Veneto sweet & sour shrimps

For ➍
4 tbs olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
10 cl dry white wine
250 g of prawns, thawed
40 g sultanas
5 cl white wine vinegar
40 g pine nuts

Heat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion for 3 m on low heat. Add the wine. Gently cook the onion over very low heat for 30 ms with the lid on the pan. Stir frequently. Add some extra water or wine if the mixture is too dry .
Meanwhile, peel the shrimps with a sharp knife and remove the intestinal tract but leave the tail down. Pat dry and sprinkle with pepper and salt. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the shrimps for 5 m.
Put the raisins in the onion mix and cook for 2 m. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Put in a bowl and let cool for 10 m. Mix with the shrimps. Season with pepper and salt. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 h.
Heat a frying pan without oil or butter and toast the pine nuts in 3 m until golden brown.
Add the shrimps' mixture.
Serve with salad or as a snack on toasted bread. Serve with a glass of prosecco.

Quinoa, herb & pomegranate salad

For ➋
150 g quinoa
½ vegetable stock cube
75 g pine nuts
1 pomegranate, seeds removed (or chopped dried apricots)
a small handful mint, chopped
a small handful coriander, chopped
juice of 1 lime
extra-virgin olive oil or walnut oil

Cook the quinoa, adding the vegetable stock cube to the cooking water. Leave to cool, then break up with a fork.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until lightly golden. Mix the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, herbs, lime juice and 4 tbs oil through the quinoa.
(Add some shredded cooked chicken.)

More pomegranate salads: pomegranate,endives & feta, pomegranate, tomatoes & garlic, warm lamb salad with pomegranate & mint, pomegranate & cucumber salad, Friuli winter salad, pomegranate fruit salad

Salmon with cold basil romesco sauce

For ➋
250 g salmon fillet
olive oil
salt & pepper
sauce:
2 roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove, peeled
sea salt & pepper
small handful of basil leaves
3 tbs pine nuts
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs olive oil

Drizzle a little olive oil over the salmon, sprinkle a little salt and pepper over. Put in a preheated oven of 200°c and cook for 12 m.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place chopped tomatoes, pine nuts and garlic in food processor, pulse until coarsely ground up. Add pepper, salt, vinegar, oil and basil. Pulse until basil is minced.

Top cook fish with sauce.

This is a very basic version of Spanish romesco sauce, omitting the peppers, bread and more. Try a full recipe.

Easy green pesto

For ➍
60 g pine nuts
80 g Parmigiano (freshly grated)
60 g basil
1 clove garlic
15 cl olive oil
½ lemon
salt & pepper

Put pine nuts, bits of Parmigiano, garlic and basil into a blender. When well blended, add olive oil and mix at full speed until a smooth pesto. Add the lemon juice.
Season the pesto with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.

Basil, named after 'basileus', Greek for 'king' because it was believed to grow on the place where supposed remains of the Holy Cross were discovered. It is originally found in Iran, India and other Asian tropical regions and has been used for 5,000 years. The 'holy basil' and Thai basil, used in Asian cuisine, differ from the sweet basil, used in Italy and Europe.
Tip: To keep home made pesto longe, use a clean jar, add some oil on top of the paste and keep refrigerated. Might last a few weeks. Fresh Pesto can also be frozen in small quantities. Omit the Parmigiano, and add when used. Might last a year.

A quick spaghetti

For ➍
500 g spaghetti
4 slices pancetta (½ cm thick)
12 small tomatoes
3 onions*
1 clove garlic
bunch arugula or rucola
bunch fresh basil
100 g pine nuts
Parmigiano cheese
5 cl olive oil
black pepper & salt**

Put a large pot of water on the fire. Add a generous portion of salt and bring water to a boil. Add the pasta. Cook the spaghetti al dente, 7-8 m.

Scatter the pine nuts in a fireproof dish. Toast them under a hot grill until golden brown, 2-3 m. Shake a few times to colour the seeds evenly colored.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges.***

Chop the onion and garlic. Heat olive oil. Cook them without browning.****

Cut pancetta into strips. Add to the onions mix. Reheat.

Add tomato chunks, be careful to keep the chunks intact while warming.

Drain the pasta. Add the pasta into the mixture of onion, garlic, pancetta and tomatoes. Add black pepper.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Just before serving, add the rucola and basil leaves.

Sprinkle the pine nuts over the pasta. Add some shavings of Parmigiano cheese.

*Use large shallots instead.
**Salt can be omitted, as the pancetta and the Parmesan already contains salt.
***When using larger tomatoes, peel and deseed them.
****Put a lid on the pan.

Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, scallops & rucola spaghetti, spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti with vegetables, shrimps Fra Diavolo, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with clams, spaghetti with small clams, spaghetti with oil & garlic, spaghetti alla puttanesca, Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes & mint, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.

Pear & gorgonzola salad

For ➍
4-6 slices of walnut bread, cut into long triangles*
olive oil
6 small pears, halved
125 g rucola
150 g Gorgonzola, pulled into pieces
50 g toasted pine nuts
1 lemon, halved

Brush the walnut bread with a little oil and grill it until crisp on both sides. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the pears cut-side down until they brown, then flip them and cook the other side for 2 m or until they start to soften. Divide the walnut toast between 4 shallow bowls and heap some rocket on top, then scatter the cheese and pine nuts over. 
Add 3 pear halves to each bowl and dress with more olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and seasoning.

*Use brown bread, and add 50 g chopped walnuts.
**Or toast bread, spread with room-warm cheese, push chopped nuts in, and cover with slices of cold pear.