Rigatoni with Pecorino, Tomato, Butter and Balsamic Vinegar
Conchiglie with Ricotta and Rocket
Farfalle with Mint, Prosciutto and Peas
Ziti Carbonara with Salami and Sage
Tagliatelle with White Truffles
Penne with Cavolo Nero and New Olive Oil
Risotto with Clams and Zucchini
Wet Polenta with Fresh Porcini
Grilled Polenta with Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce
Grilled Polenta with Mascarpone, Marjoram and Gorgonzola
Penne, spaghetti, conchiglie, tagliatelle, pappardelle, farfalle and rigatoni – each of these types of pasta is cooked with very specific types of sauce. They range from the exquisitely simple Spaghetti with Lemon to the more rich and complex Pappardelle with Hare.
In the spring series the pastas were light, using fresh tomatoes, rocket, lemon and peas. In the autumn series we celebrate the arrival of the precious white truffle, using it on its own with tagliatelle, and the simple dark cabbage, cavolo nero, with the new olive oil and and penne.
Risotto, regional to the Veneto, is best made at home for a small number of people. We show you the basic method for making risotto because, once you have learnt this, all you need for a perfect risotto is the right rice, good stock and the time, care and concentration while you cook.
The choice of rice for a particular risotto is important. Arborio rice is the most widely available risotto rice as there is more production of this type than any other. It is a long grain rice which absorbs flavours easily, and the period during which it remains al dente is longer than that of other varieties. Carnaroli rice is not produced in the same quantities as arborio and is consequently more expensive. Like arborio it has a long grain but it is less polished which makes it a little more difficult to cook and get right. It is delicious, though, and we feel that the extra care is worth it. Vialone nano rice is rounder and each grain can absorb twice its weight in liquid. It is chosen by the Venetians for their very wet, soupy risotto nero or risi e bisi.
Polenta is one of the staples of the northernmost regions in Italy. Most people don’t realise that it is also very seasonal. The corn is grown in the summer, then harvested in October, after which it is dried and milled. Bramata polenta is the traditional blend made from five different varieties of corn – some with small, even yellow kernels, some with larger orange ones, some with a mixture of kernels on the same cob. The wheat germ is removed so that only the outside of the kernel is ground. It is the blending which gives the finished Bramata so much flavour and it is the one we always choose to use.
This is probably one of the most successful pasta recipes in our books. It is Genovese in origin, and very easy to make. You need only lemons, olive oil, Parmesan and a packet of spaghetti, but each of these must be of the highest quality: the best, most flavourful extra virgin olive oil; unwaxed organic lemons with lots of juice and good thick skins; top-quality dried spaghetti, and freshly grated Parmesan. The trick is to get the right amount of lemon juice, but this is difficult to specify in a recipe as lemons vary so much in size and juiciness. Use your sense and taste when you stir in the olive oil and Parmesan: if it’s too lemony, add more oil and cheese.
This is a combination of ingredients from the north (the balsamic and butter) with Pecorino and tomatoes from the south. The generous amount of butter is melted on to the pasta, and should coat each tube. Then the balsamic vinegar is added to flavour and colour the pasta; the tomato sauce is gently folded through the pasta, not totally mixed in. Lastly, grated Pecorino, a softer, saltier cheese than Parmesan, is stirred through. This sweet pasta is very popular with children. Large penne rigate works just as well as rigatoni in this recipe.
This pasta sauce is very simple and quick to cook. The shape of conchiglie is perfect for holding a sauce of this consistency. The ricotta is mild so it is combined with the strong flavours of the rocket and chilli. Try to find ricotta in basket-impressed mounds; this will be fresh, crumbly and moist.
Rocket leaves vary; we grow the large-leaved rocket, the thinner, spear-like Capri rocket and the wild, very peppery Turkish variety. Try to buy bunches of mature rocket from ethnic shops or markets, large leaved, and dark green in colour, as they have more flavour.
In this recipe, half the rocket is cooked until it wilts, when the flavour is subtle; the remainder is added at the end, so the rocket retains its pepperiness and texture.
Farfalle, known as butterfly or bow-tie pasta, can take a thick sauce. This pea sauce uses the lovely young peas that arrive in the early summer, though it can be made with frozen petit pois. If some of the pods are larger than others it is really worth grading the peas as you shell them. The larger peas take longer to cook so add the small, sweet ones at the end.
Ziti is a long, fat tube-shaped pasta. When cooked they are difficult to pile on the plate but delicious nevertheless as the egg sauce runs down both the inside and the outside of the tubes.
Carbonara is usually made with pancetta. In this recipe we use a coarse spicy, peppery salami called Felino. Buy it in the piece with its skin on, and ask for a soft one.
If possible, buy live crabs and cook them yourself for this sauce. There are two reasons for this. One, you can make sure that you don’t overcook the crabs which makes the meat harder and less flavourful, and two, warm crabmeat is still slightly soft so it comes out of the shell more easily. If you buy a crab that is already cooked, the meat will be cold so it becomes more difficult to mix with the other ingredients.
We buy male crabs as they have more white meat and use the long, red Dutch chillies which are not too hot, an addition which is probably more River Cafe than traditional.
This is a dish for a very special occasion, as truffles are expensive. It is a very seasonal treat, for the white truffles from Alba in Piedmont are only available from October to January. Truffles are unique among vegetables as their pungent aroma overwhelms you even more than their taste. The price can vary enormously, as can the quality; they should feel firm. People often store them in rice or among eggs, both of which absorb the truffle flavour, but if you are going to use the truffle for shaving over pasta or risotto, wrap it in very light kitchen or tissue paper which has been moistened and then put in a sealed box in the lower part of the fridge.
The ‘sauce’ is simply a little of the pasta cooking water, some butter, Parmesan, and then lots of white truffle shaved over the top. Preferably use a truffle shaver, or alternatively a very fine potato shaver. Fine shavings are vital because as you shave you break the tiny little cells which contain the flavour molecules (thick shavings would release much less).
Pappardelle is a fresh pasta ribbon, up to 2.5 cm (1 in) wide. Adding fine polenta flour to the white flour gives texture to the pasta. You can buy handmade Italian pappardelle dried. The thicker the pasta the sturdier it is, and will hold its shape when tossed with the rich, thick gamey sauce, the only fresh meat sauce we make at the River Cafe.
This sauce is made with hare meat that has been marinated over several days in Chianti Classico, and then cooked slowly in its marinade.
Cavolo nero is one of the cabbages that should only be cooked having been exposed to frost, when the texture and flavour are fantastic. Once again, this recipe is made only when the basic ingredients are available at the same time. In November, when cavolo nero is found in every Tuscan vegetable garden, the frosts have started and so have the oil presses producing thick, peppery green oil.
The idea of having borlotti beans with rice may appear unusual, two carbohydrates together, but this is a tradition. The flavour of the risotto comes from adding pancetta and rosemary to the base. The borlotti beans are cooked separately. A small amount of the beans is then puréed, and stirred through the risotto to make it more creamy before adding the whole beans.
The ‘black’ of the recipe title comes from the ink of octopus and cuttlefish. The ink is found in a sac inside the body. In octopuses it is the size of gull’s eggs, in cuttlefish it is much smaller and sweeter. The sac is hard and silvery: take care when bursting it as the ink stains. The ink is thick and sometimes grainy with a wonderful sweet smell, not at all fishy. Pound it in a pestle and mortar until it is the consistency of double cream. The bodies and tentacles of the cuttlefish are cut up and fried separately as the Venetians do.
Never serve Parmesan cheese with fish risotto. Instead, use extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over at the end.
The clams usually eaten with spaghetti in Italy are small and sweet, and are fished all around the coast, particularly in the early summer. Do not overcook them, and be sure to keep the fragrant juices. The fennel, anchovy and Martini all contribute flavour to the risotto; the zucchini add freshness and colour.
In the autumn, when the new season’s polenta has just arrived, serve it with the fresh porcini which are available. You can use the softer large mushrooms with open caps as well as the young firm ones. Use the stalks as they are equally delicious.
This sauce was taught to us by an Italian, and it has an incredibly intense flavour. It is cooked for a long time, in order to let all the liquid juices evaporate. You are left with a very thick sauce to which you can add basil at the last minute; in the winter you could substitute marjoram.
This sauce consists purely of mascarpone melted with Gorgonzola. The mascarpone is very creamy in contrast to the sharpness of the Gorgonzola, and both are perfectly complemented by fresh marjoram, the one herb able to cut through that creaminess.
