Two summery Italian recipes to try at home
Two salaciously summery Italian recipes from Big Mamma, the dynamic group behind some of London’s most beloved Italian spots such as Circolo Popolare, Gloria Trattoria, and Jacuzzi! These gorgeous recipes are from their brand new Italian cookbook, ‘Italian Recipes in 30 Minutes – Shower Time Included.’
Photo credit: Clémentine Passet
NO FIG DEAL
Fig, mozzarella and Prosciutto di Parma salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 300g Prosciutto di Parma (preferably cut into thin slices by your salumiere, as a deli worker is known in Italy)
- 4 buffalo mozzarellas (125g each)
- 200g fresh figs (or substitute with melon)
- Salt QB
- Pepper QB
- Extra-virgin olive oil QB
- Basil QB
Method:
- Roughly tear the mozzarellas into pieces and arrangethem on a large plate. Add bits of Prosciutto di Parma hereand there (we’re relying on you to create something on a parwith a Picasso here). Cut the figs into 4 and spread them
on top.
- Make it rain with basil leaves, salt and pepper, thendrizzle on a healthy glug of plenty of olive oil – now, get tothe table, dinner’s ready!
- In Italy, this salad is typically eaten on toasted slices ofsourdough bread. A salad that will bring the sunshine rightthrough to October.
Photo credit: Clémentine Passet
SPAGHETTI AL LIMONE
Spaghetti with Procida lemon, the traditional recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 500g (1lb 1 ½ oz) spaghetti
- 2 Procida lemons (if these are unavailable, you can use other varieties, provided they’re unwaxed)
- 1 garlic clove
- Chilli flakes QB
- Mint, finely chopped QB
- Basil (optional)
- Extra-virgin olive oil QB
- Salt QB
- Pepper QB
Method:
- Finely dice 1 of the lemons and transfer to a pestle and mortar. Bash the lemon along with the garlic, chilli flakes, olive oil, salt and pepper. When the ingredients are thoroughly mashed together, transfer the mixture to a frying pan and saut. gently in olive oil with the juice of the other lemon.
- Add the spaghetti to a saucepan of salted boiling water, but remove and drain the pasta a few minutes before it is completely cooked (reserve some of the cooking water – it will come in handy in the next step).
- Put the spaghetti into the lemon mixture in the frying pan, pour in some of the reserved cooking water and stir (‘mantecare’, as they say in Italian). A few seconds before turning off the heat, sprinkle on the mint and basil leaves (if using).
- Serve the spaghetti in pasta bowls, adding a drizzle of olive oil to each – and enjoy! It tastes like a summer holiday, right?
Photo credit: Clémentine Passet
Big Mamma: Italian Recipes in 30 Minutes: Shower Time Included is out now, published by White Lion Publishing.
