Zuppa Minestrone

By Matthew Luca

A Classic Italian Zuppa Minestrone with a flavoursome base of vegetables and the addition of small pasta shells. Perfect to beat away the winter chill and fill you with that loving feeling at any time of the day, well perhaps not breakfast.

Ingredients
100g diced Pancetta
2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
2 Carrots (diced)
1 red onion (finely diced)
2 Celery sticks (diced)
2 Red rooster potatoes (diced)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 Litre Chicken stock
1 Can Cannellini beans
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp tomato puree
1 cup baby Conchigliette pasta (or small cuts of spaghetti)
2 handfuls Spinach leafs
Grated parmesan cheese or gran pandana
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Method
In a heavy based pan, on a high heat add the olive oil, pancetta and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Then add the garlic & onions and cook until onions soften. Put in the carrots, potato, basil, oregano then continue cooking (stirring occasionally) for around 4-5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, tin tomatoes and tomato puree, season with salt and pepper then leave on a moderate high heat for 3-5 minutes.
Add the celery, cannellini beans and pasta shells then continue cooking for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta becomes al dente (cooked with a slight bite). Toss in the spinach, stir until wilted, check seasoning and add a little more salt & pepper according to your taste.

Serve in small bowls with a shaving of Parmesan or Gran Pandana cheese and some fresh ciabatta bread.


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Autumn Bresaola with caramelised sweet red wine fig and apple.

By Matthew Luca

This dish is all about bringing the Autumn season together for an amazing salad that's meaty but light and refreshing. Serve with an aperitif of your favourite red wine, crusty bread and some gorgonzola cheese on the side for extra pleasure.

Ingredients
Pack of cured Bresaola
1 Apple (cut into quarters)
2 figs (cut into quarters
50ml red wine
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 lemon for zest & juice
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method
Arrange the bresaola (spreading out the slices) on a serving platter or plate
In a frying pan add the sugar, red wine, figs and apples and cook (tossing occasionally) until caramelised and sticky.
Carefully arrange the apples and figs on the bresaola, drizzle over good quality extra virgin olive oil and a little freshly squeezed lemon juice, then grate over a little lemon zest. Garnish with fresh mint and thyme.

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Pork Ravioli with Marinara

By Matthew Luca

Ravioli needs no introduction but this recipe certainly makes a statement. Luxurious hand crafted ravioli filled with balsamic pulled pork and rolled in a marinara sauce, this plate has got moxy.

Ingredients

Pasta Dough

Italian Pulled Pork

Marinara sauce

1 egg (beaten)

Parmesan cheese (grated)

Thyme and parsley for garnish.

Truffle oil for drizzling

salt

olive oil

Method.

Roll out a large thin sheet of pasta on a floured surface, cut out narrow rectangles and using a pastry brush egg wash the pasta dough on one side. Space out teaspoon size portions of the Italian pork on the bottom side/half of the pasta sheet (remembering that you'll want to lift the other half of the pasta sheet over the top of the filling to form the ravioli.

Carefully fold over the top half of the pasta and using two fingers gently press out any air around the filling. Using a pasta wheel cut out the ravioli shapes (squares).

Heat up a pan of hot water with a little salt and olive oil and cook the ravioli on a gentle boil for 11 minutes. When ready drain off excess water, return to the pot and stir in the marinara sauce (click links above for the recipes). Garnish with parmesan, fresh herbs and a little drizzle of olive oil.

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Pappardelle Maiale Balsamico

By Matthew Luca

Nothing beats homemade pasta and this dish packs a tommy gun. The over elaborate cut of the Pappardelle combined with the pulled balsamic pork holds a rustic charm that you would kill to try.

Ingredients
Pasta Dough (or pack of Pappardelle)
Italian Pulled Pork
Rosemary Sprig
Some fresh thyme and Parsley (chopped) for garnish.
1 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method
Roll a large thin sheet of pasta on a well floured surface using 00 flour. Cut out a large rectangle shape and then cut into long 2 inch wide ribbons (1 side with a knife and the other with a pasta wheel cutter).
In a high sided saucepan bring some water to the boil, add a little salt and olive oil, then cook the pasta for 10 minutes.
Drain off excess water through a sieve when cooked and return pasta to the saucepan, add some pulled pork and a bit of the pork cooking stock and cook on a high heat while gently stirring/mixing the pasta for 2 minutes until hot. Sprinkle in some fresh thyme and parsley and serve immediately.

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Italian Style BBQ Pulled Pork in Brioche

By Matthew Luca

A definitive crowd pleaser, these quick to make Italian BBQ brioche baps will give you just another excuse to make a batch of my Italian style pulled pork.

Ingredients
Balsamic Pulled Pork (Maiale tirato Balsamico)
4 Brioche Baps
4 Large Vine tomatoes
1 bag of rocket leafs
1 bottle BBQ sauce

Method
Spread some BBQ sauce on the base of the brioche baps, top with thickly cut vine tomatoes, some pulled pork mixed with it's stock (click above link for recipe). garnish with rocket leafs.

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Balsamic Pulled Pork (Maiale tirato Balsamico)

By Matthew Luca

Pulled pork is all about impact flavours and impact cooking, I wanted to create my own Italian version of this popular versatile roast. After around 10 hours and two attempts it was insanely good. The idea came from a balsamic braised lamb shank dish that I used to make in the restaurant but wanted to keep the smokiness that pulled pork is famous for. Plan this dish ahead of time and pop in the oven while you carry on with your day.

Ingredients

1 Pork shoulder (off the bone) 3.5kg weight

500ml Balsamic Vinegar

500ml Water

100g Caster sugar

1 Whole Garlic Bulb (cut down the middle)

3 sprigs rosemary

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (or one red chilli chopped)

1 teaspoon dried Oregano

1 heaped tablespoon Smoked Paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Method

Score the top of the pork shoulder with a sharp knife and place in a deep oven proof dish (as pictured above).

In a mixing bowl add the Balsamic, water, sugar, chilli flakes, salt, pepper, oregano and smoked paprika then stir to combine all ingredients. Pour the mixture over the pork shoulder in the dish.

Scatter in the rosemary sprigs and garlic then cover the dish tightly with 2 layers of kitchen foil to ensure no moisture can escape when cooking.

Place in a preheated oven at 225c and leave to cook for 4 hours. When ready remove the dish from the oven, keep covered and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the foil from the dish and transfer the pork to a baking tray or carving dish ready for pulling.

With the balsamic stock/juices in the cooking pan, transfer through a fine sieve into a pouring jug or saucepan, pressing the garlic through then set aside.

Using two forks start pulling the pork apart, it should look a little bit like string and remove any fat/cracking/skin.

Place the pulled pork into large containers or bowl and when ready to use just pour over a little of the balsamic stock and mix back into the pork. reheat if required in a saucepan.

Note: you can also remove fat from the stock by leaving it to cool and removing from the top but some fat left in will add more flavour to the pork.

You can store the cooked pulled pork in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days and is very versatile in a number of dishes, see my other recipes for some amazing ideas.

Italian Style BBQ Pulled Pork in Brioche

Pappardelle Maiale Balsamico

Pork Ravioli with Marinara Sauce

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Lazy Mary's Tiramisu

By Matthew Luca

This recipe is dedicated to an Italian restaurant that served me Coffee Cake when I ordered a Tiramisu, how I held my head down is disbelief at that atrocity.

I wanted to make the best Tiramisu recipe I know and started off separating egg whites from yolks and made a technically challenging mousse combining this with mascarpone cheese then leaving it to set in the fridge for 8 HOURS!!! and after making it I honestly though it was a totally unnecessary process. My philosophy is beauty is in the simplicity of cooking and my second version proved far superior in texture and taste without waiting a day to eat it. Oh and I named this dish after a famous Italian tarantella by Lou Monte "Lazy Mary"

Ingredients

16 ladyfingers (sponge fingers)

500g Mascarpone cheese

400ml Double cream

50ml Vin Santo dessert wine (or Masala wine or Amaretto Liqueur)

1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

200g Caster Sugar

1teaspoon icing sugar

2 large cups filtered coffee "double shot" (using instant coffee is an Italian form of disrespect)

1 Orange for grating zest

100g Dark chocolate for grating

Cocoa powder for dusting

Method

In your favourite dessert dish with shallow sides lay the sponge fingers covering the base of the dish, add 25ml of the vin santo wine to the coffee and pour over the sponge fingers a bit at a time and allow them to soak it up but not get drenched, put in the fridge for 5 minutes to cool.

In a mixing bowl add the Mascarpone cheese, sugar, 25ml of Vin Santo, a tablespoon of the double cream, vanilla extract and a grating of orange zest. Using an electric whisk combine until loose and smooth in texture.

In another mixing bowl add the double cream along with a teaspoon of icing sugar and using an electric whisk, mix until thick and stiff peaks form.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cheese until combined and then spoon on top of the sponge fingers in the dish, evenly spread to cover the sponge. then simply dust generously with cocoa powder, grate over some more orange zest and a grating of the dark chocolate. It's now ready to serve and can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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