make it special.
Italian comforts
Nothing says ‘food hug’ quite like Italian cooking, and it doesn’t need to be meaty to have the cosiness factor. Christine Smallwood’s lovingly collected classics are the sort of dishes you’ll return to again and again
FOOD STYLING GENEVIEVE TAYLOR
VEGGIE FEAST
PHOTOGRAPHS MIKE COOPER
HIDDEN GEMS Mushroom-filled potato gnocchi
MELTING WITH JOY Cheese-stuffed buckwheat fritters
VEGGIE RECIPE
Cacio e pepe
SIMPLICITY IS EVERYTHING Cacio e pepe
SERVES 4. HANDS ON TIME 25 MIN
“Some Italian dishes are so well known we don’t need a translation in the recipe title, and in recent years, cacio e pepe pasta (cheese and pepper, of course) has entered that category. Making it at home requires organisation and speed, but once everything is set up and you’re ready to go, it really is Italian fast food. This recipe comes from Andrea di Bello, who was born and raised in Rome.
His grandmother (who, he says, makes the best cacio e pepe he’s ever tasted) has passed on her hints and tips for success: the pasta has to be cooked in far less water than you might usually use (about 500ml of water for every 100g of pasta), because the sauce relies on a heavy concentration of starch in the cooking water. If you find the sauce too rich, add a little lemon juice.”
KNOW-HOW
Tonnarelli pasta is similar to spaghetti but has slightly thicker, rougher edges to hold the sauce and help it stick to the pasta. It’s available online from specialist suppliers such as latuapasta.com or melburyandappleton.co.uk.