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WILD
MUSHROOM AND SUN DRIED TOMATO PARMIGIANA PESTO
Ingredients: |
Method: |
200g
Parmigiana Pesto
250g
Fresh Wild Mushrooms such as Porcini, Chanterelles, Morels, Hedgehog,
Oyster or Cremini Mushrooms or a mixture of any of those
30g
Unsalted Butter
3
tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2
Small Onions finely chopped
5
Large Basil Leaves, torn into very small pieces, or 1 tsp chopped
Fresh Thyme, or 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
4
tbsp Brandy
100g
Puree Tomato
Salt
to taste
250ml
Double Cream
Freshly
Ground White or Black Pepper to taste
500g
Dried Fettuccine or Pappardelle, Tagliatelle or Fresh Egg Pasta
Freshly
Grated Parmesan, to serve |
1-
Remove any dirt from the mushrooms with soft brush or cloth. Trim
the stems, removing any wooden parts. Halve or quarter the mushrooms,
depending on size, then slice thinly and set aside.
2
- Warm the butter and oil in a broad frying pan over a medium
heat. Add the onion and saute until softened but not browned,
about 4 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and basil or thyme,
and continue to saute until the mushrooms are very tender, 5-6
minutes
3
- Pour in the brandy and stir. Dissolve the pesto and puree tomato
and add 1/3 tsp of salt to pan. Allow the mixture to come to a
simmer, then stir in the double cream. When the sauce begins to
simmer, remove the frying pan from the heat and stir in pepper,
according to taste.
4
- Bring 5 litres of water to the boil. Add the pasta and 1 1/2
tbsp of salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, stirring frequently
to prevent the pasta sticking together. Drain the cooked pasta
and transfer it to the frying pan. Toss the pasta and sauce together
thoroughly and serve immediately, passing fresh parmesan at the
table.
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Sun
dried Tomato Pesto Pockets
Ingredients: |
Method: |
Alberto's
Sun dried Tomato Pesto
puff
pastry
mince
cottage
cheese
margarine
Optional
Extras: mushrooms
capsicum
bacon
anchovies
onion
mozzarella
cheese instead of cottage cheese if you wish |
Lay
out pastry on buttered baking tray and fill 1/2 with a generous spread
of Sun dried Tomato Pesto, cottage cheese, mince (and any other optional's)
fold pastry in 1/2 and crimp edges with a fork. Brush top of pastry
with margarine then poke 3 vent holes in the top of pastry and cook
at 180c for 40 min's or till golden brown. |
Alberto's
Sun Dried Tomato & Marinated Mussel Fusilli
Ingredients: |
Method: |
1
tub of Alberto's Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
1
onion - finely diced
2-3
cloves of garlic - crushed
1
red chili - finely sliced
50
ml olive oil
1
tub of Alberto's Marinated Mussels
400
ml pure cream
1
cup of white wine
salt
and pepper to taste
a
handful of baby spinach - well washed and clear of grit
400gm
cooked fusilli pasta
grated
parmesan cheese |
In
a deep-sided frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions, garlic
and chili Add the Mussels and fry lightly. Add Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
and gently stir into the fish. Add white wine and reduce for 2-3 minutes
then pour in the cream. Simmer for 7-8 minutes on a medium flame.
Season to taste. Do not stir excessively as this will crush the mussels.
When pasta is cooked, drain and add the baby spinach. Gently stir
through the pasta and spinach. Serve topped with grated parmesan cheese. |
QUICK
LITE SNACK
Bowl
of cottage cheese and a tablespoon of Sun dried Tomato Pesto mixed
in. cracked pepper optional. |
BEEF AND MUSHROOM
RAGU
Ingredients: |
Method: |
250g
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
100g
Fresh Wild Mushrooms such as Porcini, Chanterelles, Morels, Hedgehog,
Oyster or Cremini Mushrooms or a mixture of any of those
3
tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1
Small Onions finely chopped
60g
Pancetta, finely chopped, or lean Bacon, blanched for 1 minute then
finely chopped
1
small Carrot, chopped
1
large clove garlic, very finely chopped
1
tbsp chopped fresh flat-leafParsley
1tbsp
chopped fresh Basil, or 1 tsp chopped fresh Thyme, or1/2 tsp Dried
Thyme
500g
lean minced Beef
125ml
dry Red Wine
500ml
Water
Salt
to taste
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1-
Remove any dirt from the mushrooms with soft brush or cloth. Trim
the stems, removing any wooden parts. Halve or quarter the mushrooms,
depending on size, then slice thinly and set aside.
2
- Warm the oil in a pan and add the pancetta or bacon. Saute for
2 minutes until golden. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, parsley,
basil or thyme and mushrooms. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
add the beef and saute over a medium-low heat until lightly coloured
but not hard, about 1 minute, using a spoon to break it up.
3
- Stir in the wine and allow it to evaporate. Add the Pesto water
and salt. Bring it to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Cook, partially covered, until the sauce is thick and aromatic,
about 30 minutes.
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RAGU WITH PORCINI
AND SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO
Ingredients: |
Method: |
200g
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
30g
dried Porcini
4
tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1
Small Onions finely chopped
2
large clove garlic, very finely chopped
250g
lean minced Beef
4
tbsp dry Red Wine
500ml
Water
30g
Pine Nuts
1
tsp chopped fresh Rosemary, or1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1
Bay Leaf
625g
fresh or canned drained plum Tomatoes, peeled, de seeded and chopped
freshly
ground Pepper to taste
Salt
to taste
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1-
Soak the dried porcini in 175ml of warm water for 30 minutes.
Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Squeeze out the excess water
and then chop the porcini. Strain the liquid through kitchen paper
and reserve.
2
- Warm the oil in a wide pan over a medium - low heat. Add the
onion and garlic and saute until soft, 3-4 minutes.
3
- Add the minced beef and salt, using a wooden spoon to break
the meat up and turn it so that it browns evenly. Saute until
light brown ont the surface but still pinkish inside, about 5
minutes.
4
- Pour the wine and allow it to evaporate, about 2 minutes. Add
the porcini, pine nuts, rosemary, bay leaf and pesto. Stir, then
add the porcini soaking liquid. Simmer until most of the liquid
has evaporated, 5 minutes.
5
- Stir in the tomatoes and simmer gently, partially covered, stirring
frequently, until the sauce is thick and aromatic, about 45 minutes.
remove the pan from the heat. Check for salt and add pepper.
VARIATION
Substitute
125g of fresh porcini, chanterelles, cremini or shittake mushrooms
for the dried porcini. Brush them well with a soft cloth to remove
any dirt. Cut off any woody tips and slice thinly. Add the mushrooms
to the pan with the meat and stir in 4 tbsp of water with the
pesto
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SUN DRIED TOMATO
BOLOGNESE SAUCE
Ingredients: |
Method: |
250g
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
30g
unsalted Butter
1
small Celery stalk with leave, finely chopped
1
small Carrot, finely chopped
1
tbsp chopped fresh flat- leaf Parsley
1
tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1
Small Yellow Onion finely chopped
250g
good quality lean minced Beef
250g
lean minced Pork
125ml
good dry white Wine
60g
Mortadella, or Prosciutto Crudo, thinly sliced and finely chopped
(optional)
75ml
Milk
1/8
tsp fresh Nutmeg
300ml
light meat broth - plus extra as needed
125ml
Double Cream
freshly
ground Pepper to taste
Salt
to taste
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1-
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed
saucepan or a large, deep frying pan over a low heat. Add the
finely chopped onion, celery, carrot and parsley, and saute gently
until the vegetables are quite soft but not at all browned, about
12 minutes.
2
- Keeping the heat very low, add the minced meat, the mortadella
or prosciutto, if using , and the salt. The meat must heat very
gently, only enough to color it lightly on the outside, for about
2 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat and stir it
as it colours.
3
- Stir in the wine and simmer very gently until the alcohol evaporates
and the liquid begins to be absorbed by the meat and vegetables,
about 3 minutes.
4
- Add milk and the nutmeg. simmer gently for 5 minutes, then stir
in the tomato Pesto, dissolve in 90ml of the meat broth. As soon
as the sauce begins to simmer, turn the heat down as low a s possible
(use a heat - diffusing mat if necessary). Add the remaining broth.
5
- Cover the pan partially and continue to simmer, always over
the lowest possible heat and stirring occasionally, until the
sauce is thick, creamy and fragrant, about 2 hours. Add additional
meat broth, as necessary, several tablespoons at a time, to prevent
the sauce from becoming too dry.
6
- Remove the sauce from heat and stir in cream and pepper to taste.
Taste and adjust for salt
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SUN DRIED
TOMATO PESTO WITH FRESH TOMATO SAUCE
Ingredients: |
Method: |
250g
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
75ml
Extra - Virgin olive oil
6
large cloves Garlic, bruised
1/2
small onion, very finely chopped
2
tbsp very finely chopped fresh flat - leaf parsley, or 8 large basil
leaves
1.25kg
fresh, mature vine ripened plum tomatoes, peeled, de seeded, coarsley
chopp and drained
1/2
tsp salt
freshly
ground black pepper to taste |
1
- Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium to low heat. Add
the bruised garlic cloves, onion and parsley, if using. Saute until
the onion softens and the garlic turns pale golden. Remove and discard
the garlic.
2
- Add the tomatoes, pesto and salt. Use a masher or fork to break
up the tomatoes into fairly small pieces. raise the heat to high
and bring the tomatoes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium to
low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes
acquire a thick, sauce like consistency, 20 minutes.
3
- Add pepper to taste and then remove the sauce from the heat. If
using basil instead of parsley, shred it finely with your fingers
and stir it gently into the sauce just befor serving. |
TAGLIATELLE
WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT AND SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO
USING
ALBERTO'S DELICACIES
MARINATED
EGGPLANT SLICES
Ingredients: |
Method: |
1
container of Albertos Marinated Eggplant Slices, sliced into small
pieces
250g
Albertos Sun dried tomato pesto
salt
to taste
90ml
of extra virgin olive oil
6
garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1kg
vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, chopped
100g
fresh mozzarella, diced
freshly
ground black pepper
500g
tagliatelle, or fresh egg pasta |
1-
Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat.
Add the garlic and saute just until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the
tomatoes and pesto,1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste, and stir well.
Simmer gently untill the excess water evaporates, about 15 minutes.
2-
Add the sliced eggplant, mozzarella and pepper to taste and toss
well. Check the seasoning. Turn off the heat and cover pan for several
minutes until the mozzarella is soft and almost melted.
3-
Bring 5 litres
of water to the boil. Add the pasta and 1 1/2 tbsp of salt. Cook
the pasta until al dente, stirring frequently to prevent
sticking. Drain pasta toss with sauce, and serve |
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Delicacies