Pasta Irritata, which is Italian for irritated is upset, but not quite as angry as Penne all’Arrabbiata. One day as my mother was visiting, we were playing around with some of our favourite food combinations, such as spinach with pasta. I knew that she liked her food spicey but also that she can’t stomach (pun intended) garlic and does not eat meat. So wanting to show off our new Imperia Pasta machine, which has completely revolutionised our lives, we decided to transform one of our favourites into a vegan feast.
Scrumptious Recipes
Pesto Genovese is one of those Italian recipes that we’ve all had before, some good and some not so good. Most people will make it using a food processor. However, the original and much creamier version is made with a pestle and mortar (and a little patience). Combining the right amounts of garlic, pine nuts, basil leaves, olive oil, and parmesan cheese make for a truly marvellous pesto that you can easily whip up.
Creamy Risotto Ai Funghi is a classic Italian dish that can be enjoyed all year round. It is a perfect marriage of simple and honest ingredients that only require little preparation and a bit of patience. If you follow the recipe closely, you will be rewarded with the most scrumptious mouthwatering risotto you’ll ever have had.
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe is one of the most ancient dishes of Italian cuisine. For centuries, cacio e pepe has been the perfect meal of the Roman shepherds. The dried pasta, aged pecorino, and black peppers are easy-to-carry ingredients that are hard to spoil. Despite many recipes online, this traditional way of making cacio e pepe does not call for any oil, cream or butter. The perfect balance of starchy pasta water and grated pecorino combined in the right way are enough to create the creamy cacio e pepe sauce.
Penne all’Arrabbiata is a classic Roman dish that is known the world over. Heck, even Darth Vader had it is Eddie Izzard’s space canteen and it featured in Ferreri’s La Grande Bouffe. So it can’t be all that bad now, can it? There are many variations of Penne all’Arrabbiata out there. However, the base of garlic, chilli, and parsley are the same for all.
I’ve just returned from a fantastic and inspiring time in Rome, filled with new ideas and recipes to try. This afternoon we made some wonderful Sicilian Cannoli filled with Ricotta. They are not the easiest to make, but if you have the time and patience, well worth making – just like being back in Italy.
About Gunnar Mallon
I am absolutely passionate about cooking and sharing my culinary adventures with other keen cooks. Instead of using fancy expensive ingredients, I like to make simple honest ingredients shine.
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