Category: Home Cooking

Sicilian Cunnighiu (rabbit) as cooked in Ragusa, ‘a Portuisa’ 

The Sicilian recipe for rabbit – Cunnighiu a Portuisa as cooked in Ragusa includes olives, capers, wine, and herbs. This is one of my Sicilian aunt’s favourite ways to prepare rabbit, and it remains one of the most distinctive Ragusano dishes I cook.

In dialect, cunnighiu is coniglio in Italian and simply rabbit in English, but each Sicilian province has its own name for this recipe.

Ragusa, Sicily

When I began researching the dish, I discovered that two respected Sicilian food writers refer to it differently: Giuseppe Coria calls it Cunnighiu a Portisa, while Pino Correnti spells it Cunnighiu a Portuisa. (This demonstrates the variations in the Sicilian dialect).

In Italian the Portisa and Portuisa  becomes alla Portoghese—“in the Portuguese style.” No one seems completely certain why the Portuguese are credited, but given Sicily’s long Spanish rule, the Iberian connection is clear enough. Portugal itself did not gain independence from Spain until 1640, and across the region olives, olive oil and capers abound—ingredients shared by both Sicilian and Spanish cooking.

SPANIARDS IN SICILY

Sicily was ruled by the House of Aragon (1282–1516), the Kingdom of Spain (1516–1713), the Duchy of Savoy (1713–1720), the Habsburg Monarchy (1720–1735) and the Kingdom of Naples (1735–1806).

Located on the southwestern tip of the European continent in the Iberian Peninsula are Spain, Andorra and Portugal. Portugal only gained independence from Spain in 1640. Olive oil, olives and capers are extensively used in Sicilian and Spanish cuisine.

ABOUT THE RECIPE

There are several variations of rabbit cooked alla Portoghese in Ragusa. Most versions include green olives and capers; some add white wine, others vinegar. Some cooks enrich the colour with a spoonful of tomato paste, while others add sugar or a little chilli. It’s a wonderfully adaptable recipe.

I recently cooked this dish for friends in Adelaide, and the photos say it all—golden rabbit pieces nestled with olives, capers, herbs and potatoes, the whole kitchen fragrant with wine, vinegar, wine and mint.

There are various versions of this recipe for rabbit cooked in the Portuguese style as cooked in Ragusa and most seem to contain green olives and capers. Some contain vinegar, others white wine. Some recipes suggest adding a spoonful of tomato paste (mainly to enrich the colour), some add a little sugar, others chilli.

I recently cooked this dish for friends in Adelaide, and the photos say it all—golden rabbit pieces nestled with olives, capers, herbs and potatoes, the whole kitchen fragrant with vinegar, wine and mint.

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THE RECIPE

To make it, I sectioned one rabbit into about five pieces and browned them gently in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil. Salting as I went,

I added green olives, capers (well-rinsed , soaked and in several changes of water if salted), 2–4 cloves garlic, fresh thyme, and, in true Ragusano style, a few fresh bay leaves.

Next came one glass of white wine mixed with ½ cup white wine vinegar, poured over the rabbit before covering the pan and letting everything simmer over low heat. A tender rabbit will cook by the time the liquid evaporates. If not, simply add a splash of water—or more wine—and continue cooking gently until soft.

For the final 20–30 minutes, I added partially cooked potatoes so they could absorb the juices. A handful of fresh mint finished the dish, providing aroma, freshness and a very typical Ragusano touch.

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Browned rabbit pieces in olive oil with herbs for Sicilian Cunnighiu.

If the rabbit is tender and cut into small pieces, it may be cooked by the time all the liquid evaporates. If it’s not as young or tender as you hoped (wild rabbits are tougher), and you need to cook it longer, add water, cover with a lid, and simmer gently until soft. Keep adding wine and water.

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Rabbit ‘a Portuisa’ with olives, capers and potatoes, cooked the Ragusano way.

One way to cook Rabbit like a Sicilian

POLLO OR GALLINA ALLA CONTADINA, ALLA PAESANA. Braised Chicken or rabbit with Olives, Sicilian style

RABBIT with cloves, cinnamon and red wine (CONIGLIO DA LICODIA EUBEA)

CONIGLIO A PARTUISA (Braised rabbit as cooked in Ragusa)

POLLO AL GUAZZETTO (Sardinian Chicken or rabbit braised with Saffron)

 

SICILIAN SUMMER SOUP – made with tendrils of a Sicilian squash

This information provides instructions for making a summer Sicilian soup using a Sicilian squash, the tendrils and leaves of the vine.

The tendrils of the Sicilian squash are called tenerumi and this soup is particularly easy to make if you have a Sicilian friend who grows this vegetable in her garden. I have bought some of this squash at a farmers’ market but it is only available for a short time in the season.

The squash is a long, light green trumpet-shaped squash. It is called a zucca lunga (long squash) or zucca trombetta (trumpet squash) or zucca serpente (serpent squash). she had no squash available  but she knew I had some zucchini to replace the squash, and the soup tasted delicious.

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simple ingredient_ tendrils with leaves, zucchini, basil leaves, garlic and tomatoes.

It is a summer dish, and red tomatoes, a little garlic (optional) and basil are also added ingredients. Broken spaghetti are used to thicken the soup…when in Sicily you are unlikely to eat soup without pasta.

PROCESS

Strip and use the soft tendrils and soft leaves off the long, hard curly stems.

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the tendrils and leaves stopped from the hard stalk.

Place the leaves and tendrils ( and some squash or sliced zucchini)  in some boiling water with a little salt.

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When they are nearly cooked add some broken spaghetti.

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These vegetables are cooked separately.

The tomatoes are left cut in half. Soften the tomatoes in a little extra virgin olive oil with some garlic and basil. It is just a tomato salsa!

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The half tomatoes- cut made into a summer salsa.

Add the tomato mixture on top of the pasta. Drizzle on some good extra virgin olive oil, more basil leaves and some chilli flakes if this is your want.

You will find more photos (including the zucca lunga) and information about this recipe and ingredients on previous posts:

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The Sicilian summer soup called Minestra di Tenerumi.

ZUCCA LUNGA SICILIANA – long, green variety of squash

MINESTRA ESTIVA CON ZUCCA LUNGA SICILIANA, Sicilian Summer soup made with the long, green variety of squash

TENERUMI (and I did not have to go to SICILY to buy it). The Melbourne Showgrounds Farmers Market

KOHLRABI and TENERUMI, shared between cultures of Sicily and Vietnam

MINESTRA DI TENERUMI (Summer soup made with the tendrils of a Sicilian squash)

 

HAPUKA(fish)WITH SICILIAN FLAVOURS

I used Hapuka cutlets to cook with Sicilian Flavours, but any fish can be cooked in the same way.

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Hapuka fish cutlets.

The Sicilian flavours are simple – grated lemon peel, lemon juice, anchovies, fresh mint and parsley.

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Flavours – Anchovies, parsley and lemon.Roasted peppers as a side plate.

Procedure

Cut anchovies into small pieces.

Grate some lemon peel and squeeze some lemon juice.

Chop parsley and mint. Use greater amount of parsley. You will need a double small pile of the herbs: one for pan-frying and the other mixed with the lemon peel for decoration and flavour.

Fry one side of the fish, then flip it and top with chopped parsley and mint and anchovies. Cook the other side until desired, as it’ll be flipped again briefly.

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Slices of pan fried fish with Sicilian flavours. Notice the vibrant fresh colour of the herbs.

The anchovies should have softened. Turn the fish over and season the other side with salt and lemon juice. Evaporate the lemon juice and the fish is ready.

Scatter with more chopped parsley and mint mixed with the grated lemon peel for colour and flavour.

So Simple and so Tasty!

FISH STUDDED WITH FLAVOURS

COOKING CLASS, SMALL FISHY BITES, MERCATO

Pork Hock, Polish Wedding Sausage, Borlotti and Sauerkraut =IOTA (a lean version)

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Iota is made with Pork Hock, Polish Wedding Sausage, Borlotti and Sauerkraut = IOTA (a lean version) sounds very complicated, but it is not.

Iota (also known as Jota) is one of those dishes that always brings a smile to the table—not just because it’s delicious, but because it sparks great conversation. Many of my friends are genuinely surprised to learn that this hearty, rustic soup is actually an Italian traditional dish from Trieste, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, just north of Venice.

Classic Iota can be quite rich, especially when made with fatty cuts of pork. But it doesn’t have to be a heavy dish at all. With just a few tweaks—mostly in the choice of meat and how you handle the broth—you can make a beautifully fragrant, deeply satisfying lean version without losing any of its soul.

Beans to start: Borlotti

Begin with borlotti beans—those gorgeous pink-flecked beans that turn creamy and chestnut-like once cooked. Soak them overnight so they soften up, and then simmer them until tender. Their earthy sweetness is one of the foundations of a good Iota.

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Borlotti beans soaked and ready—creamy, earthy, and essential for a good Iota.

The pork element: Hock for flavour, not fat

Instead of adding fatty cuts, use a pork hock. It still gives you that deep, savoury flavour but with much less richness. Place the hock in a pot of cold water and let it come to a gentle simmer. Slow cooking is key here—let it bubble away until the meat is soft and ready to fall off the bone.

About half an hour before the hock is done, drop in some peeled potatoes. They’ll cook in the porky broth and help thicken the soup later. Once everything is tender, lift out the hock, pick off the lean meat, and set it aside. The broth will have a layer of fat on top—skim this off to keep the dish light.

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Lean pork hock simmering slowly to create a rich, flavourful broth without the heaviness.

Sauerkraut in IOTA

Sauerkraut is what gives Iota its distinctive zing. Cook it gently in the skimmed pork broth—it softens, mellows, and absorbs a lovely depth of flavour. When the sauerkraut is tender, stir in roughly half the cooked borlotti beans and some of the potatoes. Use a potato masher to lightly mash this mixture. You’re not aiming for a purée—just enough to create body and texture.

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Assembling your Iota

Now for the satisfying part: bringing everything together.

Add the remaining whole borlotti beans, the rest of the cubed potatoes, the chunks of lean pork hock meat, and slices of Polish Wedding Sausage. I love using this particular sausage because it’s traditionally made from lean cuts, lightly smoked, and subtly seasoned. It adds protein and flavour without making the dish greasy or heavy.

Stir it all together, let it warm through, and enjoy how the flavours mingle—tangy, smoky, earthy, comforting.

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Wedding sausage.

And there you have it: a lighter, leaner version of traditional Iota that still feels like it has been simmering on a Triestine family stove for generations.

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Sauerkraut cooking gently in the skimmed pork broth, adding tang and depth to the IOTA.

There are other posts for making Iota and these include quantities of ingredients:

IOTA (Recipe, a very thick soup from Trieste) Post 1

IOTA FROM TRIESTE, Italy, made with smoked pork, sauerkraut, borlotti beans – Post 2

MARINADED FISH and a recipe for PESCE IN SAOR

Pesce in Saor is one of the iconic dishes of Venetian cuisine, and it is marinated fish. It is also popular throughout  the coastal areas of the Veneto region.

Pesce in Saor—describe a traditional method of preserving fish by frying it and marinating it in vinegar, onions and other flavourings, creating the distinctive Italian balance of agrodolce (sweet and sour).

Long before refrigeration, marinating or ‘sousing’ fish extended its shelf life and is still a popular method. Vinegar inhibits microbial growth in a manner like salt while sugar acts as a preservative and softens the vinegar’s sharpness. This practical necessity has evolved into one of Italy’s most memorable regional dishes.

 

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Pesce in Saor – Sweet-and-sour marinated fish, one of Venice’s and Trieste’s most celebrated traditional dishes.

Pesce in Saor and My Family Traditions

The Italian word for fish is pesce, but in the Triestine dialect it becomes pesse. I lived in Trieste as a child, where pesse in saor was commonly prepared with sardines and served with soft white polenta.

My Sicilian grandmother also made marinated fish, known in Sicilian as pisci ammarinatu, but her flavourings reflected the cuisine of  Catania in Sicily. She preferred mint, bay leaves and garlic in the vinegar marinade, whereas the Venetian and Triestine versions include raisins and pine nuts.

These regional variations demonstrate how a simple preservation technique became adapted to local tastes and ingredients.

Marinated Fish Throughout Italy

Venice is not alone in its love of soused fish. Similar preparations appear throughout Italy:

  • Pesce alla scapece from central and southern Italy, with regional versions flavoured with saffron, garlic or sage.
  • Pesce in carpione from Lombardy, scented with celery and carrot.
  • Scabeccio from Liguria, featuring garlic, rosemary and peppercorns.
  • Sardinian versions that may include chilli, garlic and tomato.

The idea extends well beyond Italy. Escabeche is found throughout Spain and Portugal and travelled to North Africa and Latin America. Nordic countries also have long traditions of preserving fish in acidic marinades. Even a German friend of mine prepares soused fish, adding coriander seeds to his recipe.

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Part of the bay of Trieste
Trieste, Ponte Rosso

 Childhood Memories of Trieste

My maternal grandmother always had pottery terrines of marinated fish in her Sicilian kitchen, covered simply with plates used as lids. When she visited us in Trieste, she continued the same practice, and our kitchen would soon fill with the unmistakable aroma of fish and vinegar.

She especially loved eel. We would walk together to the Pescheria on the waterfront in Trieste, where she would select a live eel from a large tank and the fishmonger would prepare it for her. I never enjoyed watching that part, but I loved visiting the fish market overlooking the bay.

The Old Pescheria of Trieste – now EATALY

Today, the fish market building has been fully renovated and found a new life as Eataly, but my memories remain tied to the sounds, smells and traditions of the old Pescheria.

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The Old Pescheria of Trieste as I remembered it

Using Coorong Mullet Instead of Sardines

Traditionally, pesce in saor is prepared with sardines that are lightly dusted with flour and fried until crisp. However, many small firm fish are suitable.mullet, sand whiting, garfish, flathead or leatherjackets, cleaned and filleted

On some regular trips from Melbourne to Adelaide, I drove through Meningie at the northern end of the Coorong and bought freshly caught Coorong mullet. Their firm flesh made them an excellent substitute, and I used them to prepare this version.

Traditionally, the fish is lightly dusted with flour and salt before it is fried in very hot, extra virgin, olive oil. Although the flour helps to hold the fish together, the oil used to fry the fish will need to be discarded (the sediment will taint the taste of the oil) and the flour coating will often come away from the fish in the marinade.

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Coorong mullet and how it is sold and wrapped in newspaper
Recipe: Pesce in Saor

Serving suggestion: White polenta is traditionally used as an accompaniment for fish and yellow polenta is usually an accompaniment to meat.

Good bread is also good.

Ingredients

Serves 4–6

  • 12–16 fresh sardines or other small fish such as mullet, sand whiting, garfish, flathead or leatherjackets, cleaned and filleted
  • Plain flour
  • Salt
  • Olive oil for frying
  • 2–3 large white onions, finely sliced
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • White wine (enough to soak the raisins)
  • 250 ml white wine vinegar
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Soak the raisins in the white wine for about 30 minutes.

Lightly dust the fish with flour and a little salt, shaking off any excess.Fry the fish in plenty of hot olive oil until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.

Gently sauté the onions in a little olive oil until soft but not browned.

Add the vinegar and freshly ground black pepper and simmer for a few minutes.

In a deep terrine or ceramic dish, place a layer of fish followed by onions, drained raisins and pine nuts.

Continue layering until all the ingredients are used, finishing with onions, raisins and pine nuts.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the fish, ensuring everything is well coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Like many marinated dishes, the flavours improve with time.

Serve at room temperature, traditionally with soft white polenta.

 

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Coorong Mullet fillets, a very suitable fish to make in Saor

See: PISCI ALL’ AGGHIATA – PESCE ALL’AGLIATA (Soused fish with vinegar, garlic and bay)

 

RAGÙ DI CAPRETTO – Goat/ kid ragout as a dressing for pasta

Ragù di capretto (kid) used as a dressing for pasta is a showstopper exquisite tasting dish!

INGREDIENTS and PROCESS

Sometimes, it is easier to tell a story and describe a recipe by photos.

Goat or kid is a popular ingredient in Spring.

The mint on my balcony is thriving, celeriac is in season, the last of the red tomatoes are also in season and there is a glut of carrots in Victoria at the moment. All of these ingredients, are cooked on low heat for a long time and it makes a delicious ragù as a pasta sauce. On this occasion and a good quality Pecorino cheese is essential.

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CAprettoKid –  lean and pale meat

Kid cut into cubes – you can tell that it is not an old goat by the pale colour of the meat. It is trimmed of fat.

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SOFFRITTO

The usual onion , part of the soffritto in most Italian soups and braises.

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Celeriac

Add a chopped carrot and instead of celery I used some celeriac, some of the bulb and some of the inner leaves of the celeriac.

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Browning the meat (KID/Capretto ) and soffritto has been set aside

Remove the soffritto, add a little more extra virgin olive oil and brown the meat.

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Rosemary, sage, bay, cloves

Add the herbs and spices. Recognise them? Salt and pepper too.

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A couple of red tomatoes.

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KID/Capretto ready to be braised

Top with liquid. I added a mixture of chicken stock (always in my freezer) and some Marsala, to keep it in the Sicilian way of things. On another occasion I may add white wine or dry vermouth.

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Cover the pan and braise slowly.

Cooked capretto

It does not look as good as it tasted…the perfume was fabulous too.

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Casarecce and ragout/ ragù

Serve with fresh mint leaves and grated Pecorino.

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Pecorino grating cheese

N.B.  Real Pecorino is made from pecora (sheep)..i.e. sheep’s milk. I used a Pecorino Romano. See how white it is in colour?

OVEN COOKED KID (capretto)

BRAISED KID (capretto) in a simple marinade of red wine, extra virgin olive oil and herbs

RICETTE per capretto (e capra) – Recipes for slow cooked kid and goat

SLOW COOKED LEG OF GOAT WITH HOT MINT SAUCE

KID/GOAT WITH ALMONDS (SPRING IN SICILY, CAPRETTO CON LE MANDORLE)

 

PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions). INSALATA DI POMODORO (Tomato salad)

POMURORU is the Sicilian word for tomatoes, POMODORO is the Italian, and simple tomato salads feature very frequently in my kitchen.

This is not surprising as local tomatoes and basil in summer are at their best.

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ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS in Tomato Salad

When I say simple, I mean made with basic ingredients – in season tasty tomatoes, fresh basil, spring onion, the inside part of the celery, salt and extra virgin olive oil. In fact, so simple that I have not written the recipe for a tomato salad in my blog.

Just writing about tomato salad makes me want to have some – I can taste the fresh bread that I particularly like to use to mop up the juices. Good, extra virgin olive oil is as important as the quality of the tomatoes.

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SO many types of tomatoes

A SIMPLE FAMILY AFFAIR

I have inherited my like of tomato salads from my father; it is one of the things my father made well and my parents, especially when they were elderly would eat a tomato salad almost every day for lunch (accompanied with some sort of cheese, smallgoods, frittata, or left over meat or fish from the night before). This sort of tomato salad  was not considered special enough to present to guests – it was family, simple, every-day food and to a certain extent it has remained so in my present home.

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Beautiful tomato produce
ABOUT SQUEEZED ONION

Apart from the simple tomato salad made with spring onion, my father excelled in the salad his mother used to make (NONNA Rosa lived in Ragusa, Sicily). this salad  was made with squeezed onions or as he used to call  it – cipolla dolce (sweet onion) – the onion is made sweet by having the bitter juices squeezed out of it before it is used.

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Tmatoes in California. I found so many varieties

The squeezed onion makes the taste of the salad unique and my children and nephews still mention this legendary version of a nonno-tomato salad. When they were in season the large, fresh, salad onions were his favourites (sold in bunches with the bulbs and part of the green stalk still attached) but the ordinary white or the red onions sufficed at other times.

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Tomatoes I bought in South of France

HOW TO MAKE squeezed  CIPPUDDA (onion) for salad

Cipudda is the Sicilian word for onion and cipolla the Italian.

Probably because it is used extensively in Calabria, red onion is called cipolla calabrese or cipolla di Tropea in Italian, Tropea is a very picturesque, old fortified town built on a cliff overlooking a spectacular beach in Calabria.

I now have the old colander my father used to use to strain the onion – this was one of the very few, kitchen implements that came with us from Trieste where we lived before coming to Australia.

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In Italian a colander or strainer is called a scolapasta

Amusing: in Italian a colander or strainer is called a scolapasta – scola means strain…and where would Italians be without an implement to drain their pasta!

 RECIPE for PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions)

To sweeten onion: Expect to shed tears during this process.

Place 2 large, thinly sliced onions in a colander, sprinkle with about 2 heaped tablespoons of salt and leave it for about 30 minutes. Do not be concerned about the quantity of salt, it will draw out the onions’ strong juices. If fresh onions are in season, leave the sliced onions with the salt for about 15 minutes.

Use your fingers and palms to squeeze the onions inside the colander – the juices and the salt will just dribble through the perforations.

My parents have always made tomato salad with firm, slightly golden, unripe tomatoes. Interestingly in Italy, tomatoes (pomodoro) were first called pomo d’oro, apples of gold and these early specimens were not necessarily red in colour.

My father was making salad well before the heirloom varieties of tomatoes were available – he would have enjoyed using these tomatoes that come in a multitude of colours and variety of shapes. Interestingly, not all are coloured red.

In most parts of Sicily, the most common tomato salad is as follows:

6-8 tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil at least ½ cup
fresh basil (or dried oregano)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk of celery from the inside part of the celery and include some of the pale green leaves – all sliced thinly
1 spring onion sliced thinly or replace the spring onion with the sweetened onions

Cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces and add everything else and serve.

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My son’s Alex’s tomatoes

REGIONAL VARIATIONS by other Sicilians

From Comiso and Vittoria (towns south of Ragusa) and popular inland (in Enna and Caltanissetta) it is common to cut large tomatoes called (cuore di bue — ox heart), horizontally into halves, remove the seeds and stuff each crevice with chopped garlic, salt and extra virgin olive oil. On visits to the South of France I found that these tomatoes are popular and eaten in the same way. Surprise, surprise!

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In my last post I made reference to Sicilian tomato salad. See post:

RICOTTA, TOMATOES and Basil. A perfect summer dish.

These little beauties below were left by a neighbour at my door.

I feel a tomato salad coming on.

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Yellow Tomatoes
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So many excellent varieties of tomatoes

RICOTTA, TOMATOES and Basil. A perfect summer dish.

GREEN TOMATOES: Pickled under oil

TOMATO SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA (INSALATA DI POMODORI E GORGONZOLA)

SPAGHETTI with PRAWNS and ZUCCHINI

Spaghetti with prawns and zucchini is a quick and impressive dish.

I do not purchase prawns frequently, but when I do I prioritise sustainability.

Having lived in South Australia before moving to Melbourne, I have always been drawn to prawns from the Spencer Gulf, particularly from the Prawn Trawl Fishery. In December, some were available at the Queen Victoria Market, but I had to search for them. Around the same time, I discovered the T.O.M.S Sustainable Seafood stall at the South Melbourne Market. This small stall offers a limited selection of certified MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) and FOS (Friend of the Sea) seafood. I purchased sustainable prawns from Queensland from this stall.

I buy green peeled prawns to cook, those that are sold with their tails.

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Spaghetti with Prawns and Zucchini sprinkled with pangrattato

Last year I purchased a spiraliser, which transforms zucchini into strands similar to spaghetti. I found the device enjoyable initially but the novelty wore off. It is stored in a cupboard in a spare room, so it is out of sight and out of mind. Prior to using the spiraliser, I used sliced zucchini, which provided the same taste but a different appearance.

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Spiralizer and Zucchini spaghetti shapes

When I use the spiralizer, rather than short pasta I use spaghetti to compliment the long strands of zucchini.

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Zucchini strands/ spaghetti

What makes this pasta and zucchini dish ultra special is the topping of toasted breadcrumbs – an embellished “mollica” or “pangrattato” –  breadcrumbs made with day old bread and made golden in a hot frypan in olive oil. To this I add pine nuts, a little cinnamon, sugar and grated lemon peel – flavours of Sicily.

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Pangrattato ready for the cooked dish

RECIPE for fried breadcrumbs (often called mollica or pangrattato in Italian) use 1-3 day old  good quality white bread (crusty bread, sourdough or pasta dura).

The term for breadcrumbs, in Italian is pane grattugiato/ grattato – it means grated bread. Mollica is the white inside part of the bread.

Remove crust, break into pieces, place into a food processor and make into coarse crumbs. They can also be crumbled with fingertips or grated. You will need about 1 cup.

Heat about ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and add breadcrumbs . Stir continuously on low temperature until they are just beginning to colour.

Add 1/2 cup pf pine nuts and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, stir until the nuts and breadcrumbs are an even, light golden brown.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and grated peel of one small lemon.

Remove from the pan when they are ready otherwise they will continue to cook; set aside until you wish to use them. they can be made and stored in a glass jar with a lid in the fridge up to a week.

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A mezza luna cuts parsley and garlic very efficiently
RECIPE: Spaghetti with Prawns and Zucchini

For 6 people

400g spaghetti
extra-virgin olive oil
4 green zucchini, use spiralizer or sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
600g green prawns, peeled
a large handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste

Add some olive oil in a large frying pan on high heat. Add the zucchini, salt and pepper and cook until slightly softened. Remove from the pan and place them aside. If the zucchini have released liquid drain the liquid and set aside.

Add more olive oil to the same pan and on high heat add the garlic and prawns. Toss them around until they begin to colour. Add the parsley, a little salt and pepper and cook until the prawns are cooked and the parsley has wilted.

Cook the pasta.

Sometimes the prawns release liquid. If this is the case remove the prawns and set them aside and evaporate the liquid to concentrate the flavours. The zucchini juice can also be added to be evaporated.

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Once the juice has been reduced, add the prawns and zucchini and heat through.

Dress the drained pasta.

Serve with the pangrattato sprinkled on top. Add torn basil or mint leaves for visual effect and a fresh taste.

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Round zucchini

Another simple pasta and zucchini recipe (posted in 2009):

PASTA CON ZUCCHINE FRITTE (Pasta and fried zucchini)

An alternative pangrattato recipe that includes anchovies:

SPAGHETTI with ‘NDUJA, SQUID, VONGOLE AND PAN GRATTATO

CASTAGNACCIO – made with Chestnut flour

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Castagnaccio, ingredients

Castagnaccio is made with chestnut flour. Castagna is the Italian word for chestnut.

Apart from chestnut flour, Castagnaccio, is made with raisins, grated lemon peel, fresh rosemary, extra virgin olive oil, a little sugar, pine nuts and walnuts, mixed with water and made into batter, then baked.

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Chestnut flour

The recipe for making castagnaccio is on a blog post I wrote in May 2011 – as you can see I have been making it for a very long time.

I am now using Australian chestnut flour rather than the Italian imported variety and both are quality products.

SEE: CASTAGNACCIO (A Tuscan sweetened bread made with chestnut flour) 

 

RICCI DI MARE – Sea Urchins

Ricci di Mare  are sea urchins.

Sea urchins and they are now available (July) at the Queen Victoria Market at George The Fish Monger.

They are called ricci in Italy (di mare means from the sea) and are considered a culinary delicacy – the two most common ways to eat them are very fresh and raw with a squeeze of lemon juice (like oysters) or in a dressing for pasta. The roe (the edible part) is never cooked directly – it is much too delicate in flavor and consistency. In the pasta dish it is the hot, cooked pasta that warms (and ‘cooks’) the roe – flip and toss the roe over and over until all of the ingredients of the pasta sauce are evenly distributed.

I have written a previous post about sea urchins and a recipe for preparing spaghetti SPAGHETTI CHI RICCI – SPAGHETTI CON RICCI DI MARE (Spaghetti with sea urchins). This recipe is also in my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking.