Celebrity chef, Theo Randall, brings a taste of the mediterranean to Coventry with this flavoursome feast from his new book, The Italian Deli Cookbook, that’s perfect for any occasion. What’s more, we’ve got two copies of the book to give away.
SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA
Pronounced poo-ta-neh-ska, the traditional spaghetti puttanesca recipe
doesn’t include anchovies, but I think they make this simple dish even better. Because of that simplicity, it’s important not to compromise on the ingredients, so if you can get spaghetti di Gragnano from your local Italian deli, do so. Gragnano, in Campania on the Amalfi coast, is the birthplace of dried pasta and, as a result, the dried spaghetti from there is the best.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
6 salted anchovies in oil, drained
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
1 tbsp miniature capers in vinegar, drained
pinch of good-quality dried oregano
10 Taggiasce or niçoise olives, pitted
300ml (10½fl oz) tomato passata
500g (1lb 2oz) spaghetti
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a warm, non-stick frying pan, add the olive oil, anchovies, garlic, capers,
oregano and olives. Cook gently on a low heat for about 2 minutes, so that the anchovies melt. Add the tomato passata and cook gently until reduced by half (about 5 minutes).
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 2
minutes less than the packet cooking time. Using tongs, remove the spaghetti from the water and place it in the frying pan with the sauce.
Add 2 ladlefuls of the pasta cooking water and cook on a medium heat,
giving the pan a shake from time to time, for about 2 minutes, until the
pasta and sauce come together. Swirl the pan to emulsify the pasta
and sauce, then divide between 4 warmed bowls. Drizzle with a little
extra olive oil, sprinkle with black pepper and serve immediately.
’Nduja focaccia with tomatoes and rosemary
INGREDIENTS
900g (2lb) strong white bread flour
100g (3½oz) semolina, plus extra for the tin
35g (1¼oz) fresh yeast, 15g (½oz) salt
pinch of caster (superfine) sugar
30ml (1fl oz) good olive oil, plus extra to finish
500–550ml (17–19fl oz) lukewarm water
150g (5½oz) cherry tomatoes, halved and
tossed in 3 tbsp good olive oil
100g (3½oz) ’nduja flaky sea salt
roughly chopped rosemary leaves
Mix together the flour and semolina in a large bowl. In another bowl
mix the yeast with the sugar. Add the salt, olive oil and 500ml (17fl oz) of
lukewarm water to the yeast and sugar and mix together. Tip the yeast mixture into the flour and mix – by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook – to a soft but not sticky dough (you may need to add more water or flour). This will take about 5 minutes in a machine. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with cling film (plastic wrap) and
leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
During this time, oil a roasting tin and sprinkle it with semolina. Gently spread out the dough in the prepared tin to a rectangle or square.
Mix the halved cherry tomatoes and ’nduja together in a bowl, then scatter all over the dough, positioning the tomatoes cut-sides upwards and pushing them down level with the top of the dough. Sprinkle over the flaky salt and rosemary. Leave to prove in a warm place for 10–15 minutes, until risen.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Place a
tray of water in the bottom of the oven at the same time. Once proved, bake the focaccia for 10–15 minutes, until golden and it sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Drizzle more olive oil over the top as soon as the bread comes out of the oven, then leave to cool on a wire rack.
Serve in slices with some burrata or mozzarella, or on its own.
WIN
We’ve got two copies of Theo Randall’s The Italian Deli Cookbook to give away to our DLUXE Coventry readers.
For your chance to WIN, head over to our DLUXE Coventry Facebook page @DluxeCoventry and enter via the competition post.
Competition closes 25th October. Winners will be drawn at random and contacted directly via Facebook messenger.
