Poor man's italian dinner (broccoli and pesto farfalle)

If you've ever had one of these (pictured below), you know you want to make some Italian food to go with it.

I have recently found out that Italians have a very interesting ingredient - Pangritata, also called 'poor man's parmesan'. It is basically fried breadcrumbs. Oddly enough, it's nothing like parmesan, but it does taste good.

This dish goes well with a glass of medium-bodied red wine, something not too punchy, like Malbec or Torrontes. You could go with white, but the dish would overtake the flavour of the wine. The recipe below should be enough for two people.

First, make the pangritata:

3 tbsp oil,

1 garlic clove, sliced

2 tbsp chopped rosemary or thyme

50g breadcrumbs

1 or less chopped chilli

1) Mix the above ingredients and fry in oil for 2 minutes until crisp golden;

2) Season with salt and pepper and dry on kitchen paper.

For the pasta:

200g Farfalle pasta (or something boring like Penne)

150g broccoli,

2 tbsp pesto,

Zest of 1/2 lemon,

2 tbsp parmesan, grated

1) Cook the pasta, leaving tiny bit of the cooking water;

2) Mix in the rest of ingredients and sprinkle over the pangritata. Done.

The green bastard spaghetti (curly kale pesto with stilton)

 

This is getting ridiculous: It's 9 PM, I'm posting this blog (blogging this post?) and helping myself to a second sitting of this... I should post a warning that it is addictive.

I was never a fan of kale. Why would you - it's tasteless. Well, it isn't, it has a taste: it is bitter and reminds me of antibiotics. Anyway, you knew this was coming - I cooked the green bastard and I love it now. I want to buy more kale tomorrow.

The cheese gives it a savoury mouthwatering taste, which combined with the kale pesto-smothered spaghetti, a slice of fresh ciabatta and a glass of red wine makes this dish a true evening sensation...
And the recipe is sooo easy you wouldn't believe!

Ingredients:
1) 100g chopped curly kale
2) 2 garlic cloves
3) 4 tbsp grated parmesan
4) 3 tbsp oil
5) 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
6) 6 basil leaves

7) 150g spaghetti
8) 50g crumbled stilton or other salty cheese (you can double that if you want!)


Directions:
1) Blanch the kale with boiling water, then drain.
2) Blitz the first 6 ingredients in food processor.
3) Cook the pasta and then mix with the blitzed pesto and add the cheese.


Goes exceptionally well with a glass of red wine. I have managed to accidentally make a perfect pairing - with full-bodied 2007 rioja riserva which had a hint of vanilla oak. You can also get yourself a nice loaf of bread to lick the plate clean, because you're going to want to.