Recipe | Mussel Puttanesca

Serves 3 - 4 

Ingredients

440g tin diced tomatoes 

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 red wine

fettuccini

1/2 cup pitted and halved kalamata olives

1tbsp mussel paste (use other paste made from seafood if unavailable)

1 cup baby spinach, ripped

parmesan cheese, grated for serving

caviar

In a frypan, at a medium heat, place diced tomatoes, vegetable stock and red win. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to low. Let this mixture simmer until it thickens; mine took about an hour, give or take. 

Once your tomato mixture has thickened, place a large pot of water on to boil. Place the pasta in the water once boiling. 

Meanwhile, add chopped olives and mussel paste to the tomato mixture. Combine and heat through. Add the ripped up baby spinach, cook until wilted before removing the pan from the heat. 

When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the frypan. Toss to combine. Serve out desired portions and top with grated parmesan, fresh baby spinach and caviar. 

Hey presto! You're done. 

I cooked this for my brother a few days ago and, being the seafood and pasta lover that he is, he demolished it and asked for more. I am aware that the mussel paste may be hard to find but if you can get your hands on it, don't be afraid to try it. If you read my last blog post, you'll see I found mine my local delicatessen, Louis & Sons. 

Happy Sunday, food lovers!

Erin xx

Recipe | Mozzarella Meatballs

I've had a real craving for cooking homely Italian/Australian type food of late. The more cheese and carbohydrates the better (and a bit of meat doesn't hurt either). This is the first of cheesey recipes that will grace the blog in the coming weeks so I hope you're not lactose intolerant!

Serves 4
Ingredients
500g minced lean beef
3tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1tbsp garlic (about 2 cloves), crushed (or finely chopped) 
2tsp hot chilli paste
220g bambino bocconcini (small buffalo mozzarella)

400g can of chopped tomatoes
50g tomato paste
1/4 cup black kalamata olives, sliced in half
1 long red chilli, chopped

cooked pasta - enough for your serving requirements 
quality olive oil
sea salt and cracked peper

In a mixing bowl, place minced beef, parsley, garlic, chilli paste and salt and pepper. The best method to mix these ingredients together is with your hands; feel free to wear gloves if touching raw meat freaks you out. 

Take about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and flatten into a circle-like shape. Place one bambino bocconcini in the centre and wrap the meat around it. Continue to roll it into a round meatball shape. Repeat this process until you run out of mixture or cheese (see picture). Because this meatball recipe lacks breadcrumbs and eggs, placing these in the fridge for 2+ hours helps to hold them together whilst cooking. 

Heat oil in a large frypan over a medium heat. Brown half your meatballs, remove from the pan, brown the other half before returning all of them to the pan. Pour over canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Add olives and chilli, salt and pepper and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

Drizzle some olive oil over your cooked pasta before serving. Serve with several meat balls on a bed of pasta and a generous spooning of tomato sauce over the top. Garnish with some flat leaf parsley and salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!

Erin xx

Recipe | Insalata Caprese

After a big weekend travelling by coach up and down the coast for my cousin's wedding the last thing I wanted to do come Sunday night was cook dinner. Tara was over and suggested bruschetta when this dish (that we love to eat at our favourite Italian restaurant, Vapianos) sprang to mind. It is so simple to put together for those times when you really can't be bothered but can't bring yourself to eat junk OR when you're looking for a quick easy starter dish for a dinner or party. 

Recipe | Tomato and Basil Pasta

I am a big enthusiast for deliciously simple food; some of us call it peasant food. A few really simple, yet beautiful, ingredients can make a really special dish. This pasta dish has been a favourite of mine, and my family's, forever. It is quick and easy to cook and full of rich flavour. After an overload of dumplings (recipe coming soon) and other Asian delights, I invited Jess over for a night of classic Italian where we enjoyed this dish.