I Just Can't Get Enough
By on June 30, 2010 10:28 AM
I'm the type of personality that becomes easily fixated with places and things, but more so with things. In the past I have played the same, favourite CD for eight months straight, without interruption, consequently driving the rest of the household to the brink of crazy. I have also been known to wear the same pair of favourite shoes day in, day out until the soles wear thin and have loyally worn the same fragrance, without falter or pause for three years.
As one would expect, I also tend to demonstrate this same kind of obsessive, repetitive tendency with food. Hence, whenever I stumble across something that I like I tend to make it over and over again, despite the loud protests from the little people in my world.
And so the following recipe is yet again another example of me becoming fixated with something utterly simple and delicious. Hence, I have now made Antonio Carluccio's famed rigatoni with spinach balls and courgette sauce at least seven times and that is saying something as I have only been in possession of his latest book for just a little over a month.
But consistent with Antonio's cooking style and true of the theme of his latest book, this recipe is simple, honest cooking at its best and unbelievably moreish!
Go on, I dare you to stop at just once!
A Mediterranean Feast of the
Mythic Islands of Malta & Sicily
June 7th-17th, 2011
Ten day fully escorted gastronomic tour
Download 'A Mediterranean Feast' 2011 Tour Brochure (
111kb pdf)
Sign-up for the free Gourmet Worrier - Live Eat Dream newsletter
As one would expect, I also tend to demonstrate this same kind of obsessive, repetitive tendency with food. Hence, whenever I stumble across something that I like I tend to make it over and over again, despite the loud protests from the little people in my world.
And so the following recipe is yet again another example of me becoming fixated with something utterly simple and delicious. Hence, I have now made Antonio Carluccio's famed rigatoni with spinach balls and courgette sauce at least seven times and that is saying something as I have only been in possession of his latest book for just a little over a month.
But consistent with Antonio's cooking style and true of the theme of his latest book, this recipe is simple, honest cooking at its best and unbelievably moreish!
Go on, I dare you to stop at just once!
Rigatoni with Spinach Balls & Courgette Sauce
Adapted from Simple Cooking 2009
For the Spinach Balls
Ingredients
500g fresh spinach, blanched & finely chopped
2 organic eggs, beaten
100g fresh white bread crumbs
50g Parmesan, freshly grated
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Some freshly grated nutmeg
Olive oil for shallow frying
Method
1. Put the spinach, breadcrumbs, eggs, Parmesan and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well until you achieve a binding consistency. Season to taste. If the mixture is too wet, add an extra tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs.
2. Roll the mixture into walnut sized balls. You should end up with 24 little spinach balls. Shallow fry the spinach balls in hot olive oil for 5-7 minutes or until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a very low oven.
For the Courgette Sauce
Ingredients
3 organic courgettes, trimmed and finely grated
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tsp dry chilli flakes
60g Parmesan, finely grated
A good glug of olive oil
500g rigatoni
Method
1. Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the instructions on the packet.
2. To make the sauce fry the garlic and chilli in the olive oil for about a minute, be careful not to let the garlic brown. Add the courgettes and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the courgettes have softened.
3. Drain the pasta reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the Parmesan to the sauce, season to taste, then toss thoroughly with the rigatoni and reserved cooking water. Serve hot with the warmed spinach balls on top.
Adapted from Simple Cooking 2009
For the Spinach Balls
Ingredients
500g fresh spinach, blanched & finely chopped
2 organic eggs, beaten
100g fresh white bread crumbs
50g Parmesan, freshly grated
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Some freshly grated nutmeg
Olive oil for shallow frying
Method
1. Put the spinach, breadcrumbs, eggs, Parmesan and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well until you achieve a binding consistency. Season to taste. If the mixture is too wet, add an extra tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs.
2. Roll the mixture into walnut sized balls. You should end up with 24 little spinach balls. Shallow fry the spinach balls in hot olive oil for 5-7 minutes or until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a very low oven.
For the Courgette Sauce
Ingredients
3 organic courgettes, trimmed and finely grated
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tsp dry chilli flakes
60g Parmesan, finely grated
A good glug of olive oil
500g rigatoni
Method
1. Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the instructions on the packet.
2. To make the sauce fry the garlic and chilli in the olive oil for about a minute, be careful not to let the garlic brown. Add the courgettes and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the courgettes have softened.
3. Drain the pasta reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the Parmesan to the sauce, season to taste, then toss thoroughly with the rigatoni and reserved cooking water. Serve hot with the warmed spinach balls on top.
A Mediterranean Feast of theMythic Islands of Malta & Sicily
June 7th-17th, 2011
Ten day fully escorted gastronomic tour
Download 'A Mediterranean Feast' 2011 Tour Brochure (
111kb pdf)Sign-up for the free Gourmet Worrier - Live Eat Dream newsletter
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I am definitely making this!
Gosh... that looks super yummy. I am quite like you. There are some things that I don't get tired of easily.
Fantastic! I've been searching for new vegetarian meals too. Can't wait to make this for dinner soon.
I have also been wearing the same fragrance for ages - 10 years! I was just thinking the other day that I should get a new one this year for my 30th birthday :)
30!!! - Your such a spring chicken my dear x