Raisin And Olive Fettuccine Recipes

SICILIAN BUCATINI WITH SARDINES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 1/4 cups cooking water, then drain. Reserve the pot.
• Meanwhile, put the raisins in a small bowl and add hot tap water to just cover; set aside. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil with the breadcrumbs and 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds; toast in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Wipe out the pasta pot and heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fennel bulb and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the pine nuts, turmeric and remaining 1 teaspoon fennel seeds and cook, stirring, until the oil is golden and the nuts and spices are toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the raisins and soaking water and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water; remove from the heat.
• Add the pasta, sardines and fennel fronds to the pot. Return to medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until coated, adding the remaining cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with the toasted breadcrumbs.

SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVES AND TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. When water comes to a boil, add pasta, stirring constantly for the first minute to help prevent spaghetti from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• In a large saute pan, heat oil. When almost smoking, add olives and red pepper flakes. Saute for 3 minutes over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and carefully pour in tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Drain pasta in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Add pasta to the sauce and toss to coat completely. Add pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce a bit. Plate pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

SICILIAN-STYLE PASTA WITH SARDINES

Steps:

• Finely chop fennel bulb. Combine saffron, raisins, and wine in a bowl.
• Cook onion, fennel bulb, and seeds in oil with salt to taste in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fennel is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Add wine mixture and half of sardines, breaking sardines up with a fork, and simmer 1 minute.
• While sauce is cooking, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain in a colander.
• Toss hot pasta in a bowl with fennel sauce, remaining sardines, fennel fronds, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste. Add bread crumbs and toss again.

PICADILLO

Steps:

• Put the olive oil in a large, heavy pan set over a medium-high flame, and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add onions, chorizo and garlic, stir to combine and cook until the onions have started to soften, approximately 10 minutes.
• Add the ground beef, and allow it to brown, crumbling the meat with a fork as it does. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• Add tomatoes, vinegar, cinnamon, cumin, bay leaves, cloves and nutmeg and stir to combine. Lower the heat, and let the stew simmer, covered, for approximately 30 minutes.
• Uncover the pan, and add the raisins and the olives. Allow the stew to cook for another 15 minutes or so, then serve, accompanied by white rice.

GARLIC LOVER'S FETTUCCINE WITH OLIVE OIL, GARLIC AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Steam the zucchini 5 minutes and remove from the heat.
• Begin bringing water to a boil in a large pot for the pasta. (I would add a generous amount of grated sea salt to the water.).
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil with the garlic in a small pan over very low heat. The garlic should simmer very gently, never turning brown, but just golden. (If it cooks too quickly, it will burn.) It should simmer for about 10 minutes. When it is golden and the oil aromatic, remove from the heat.
• Have a warmed serving dish ready.
• Cook the pasta al dente, and when it is done, spoon into the serving dish and toss with the oil and garlic, and the remaining ingredients.
• Serve at once, passing additional Parmesan cheese.

SPAGHETTI WITH WALNUTS, RAISINS & PARSLEY

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in boiling water, following pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions until soft and golden brown - about 8-10 mins. Add the raisins and stock and cook for 2-3 mins until hot through. Toss with the pasta, Parmesan, walnuts and parsley.

SICILIAN AUBERGINE, PINE NUT & RAISIN FUSILLI

Steps:

• In a heavy based pan, heat ½ tbsp of oil and gently cook the onion, garlic and chilli until soft with half the oregano.
• Meanwhile, heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in another frying pan and start browning the aubergines. Once cooked, add to the onion mixture. Fry the raisins in another ½ tbsp oil and, when they have puffed up, add to the aubergine mix. Add the tomatoes, purée and rest of the oregano. Cook on a medium heat for 15-20 mins so all the flavours come together.
• Finally add the capers and the vinegar and leave on a low heat while you cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water. If the mixture becomes very thick add 100ml of water. Toss the pasta through the aubergine sauce and sprinkle with fresh mint and the pine nuts. Let everyone grate over their own cheese.