Funghi al forno alla pugliese (roasted stuffed mushrooms Puglia-style)

A simple, quick and delicious supper. Large Portobello mushrooms are stuffed with eggs, pecorino cheese, parsley and garlic and then roasted.Thirty minutes or so later they emerge from the oven with a light, cheesy crust and still juicy underneath. I had them with some  prosciutto crudo and a little fennel and roquette salad. This recipe comes from Puglia, the heel of Italy, homeland of amazing vegetables and excellent vegetarian food and I have adapted it from one by food journalist Alessandro Molinari Pradelli, author of many notable cookery books. A liberal hand with the oil is what makes this humble dish stand out. Continue reading “Funghi al forno alla pugliese (roasted stuffed mushrooms Puglia-style)”

Pizzoccheri (Buckwheat pasta with cabbage, potatoes and lots of butter)

Pizzoccheri is a substantial, earthy buckwheat pasta dish from Valtellina, the northeast, mountainous part of Lombardy, near to the Swiss border. It is an earthy dish with lots of cheese and butter, with potatoes and savoy cabbage,  suitable for cold weather and big appetites – comfort food. Actually, there is also a lighter, more spring-like version of pizzoccheri, where cabbage is replaced by fagiolini, fine spring green beans. In other words, there is always a right time to enjoy this beautiful pasta dish. Continue reading “Pizzoccheri (Buckwheat pasta with cabbage, potatoes and lots of butter)”