The Vegetarian Society UK

The 90s Vegetarian

Extracts from the new book by Ursula Ferrigno, (Merehurst £15.99)
Ursula is Pricipal Tutor at The Cordon Vert Cookery School

- from The Vegetarian Autumn 1994


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Tagliatelle in a Fresh Basil and Walnut Sauce

Serves 4
This is a very rich pasta dish. I usually use tagliatelle which are flat, ribbon noodles but for a change I use pappardelle. These are broader noodles which sometimes have wavy edges. Sauce: 1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water as directed on the packet.

2. Put the tomatoes in a bowl, cover with boiling water for about 40 seconds, then plunge into cold water. Peel off the skins. Crush the garlic.

3. Put the tomatoes, garlic, pepper, Parmesan cheese and parsley in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Gradually add the olive oil, drop by drop, then add the basil and walnuts.

4. Drain the pasta and toss in the walnut sauce and cream. Garnish with sprigs of basil and serve at once with Parmesan cheese.


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Hot Asparagus with Red Pepper Sauce

Serves 4 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Put the peppers on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until deflated and slightly charred. Leave to cool then peel off the skins. Cut the peppers in half and discard the core and seeds.

2. Put the peppers and olive oil in a food processor and blend to form a purée. Add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Using a potato peeler, shave the length of each asparagus stalk then, if necessary, cut off the end if it is woody.

4. Steam the asparagus for 6-8 minutes, until tender but firm.

5. Arrange the asparagus in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with a little oil. Bake at 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes. Pour sauce over asparagus and garnish with tarragon.


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Hollandaise Sauce

Serves 6
Serve with vegetables such as asparagus, green beans and artichokes. 1. Gently melt the butter. Put the vinegar, lemon juice and egg yolks into a bowl and whisk with a balloon whisk until well mixed.

2. Place the bowl over a saucepan of hot water and whisk until the mixture is thick and fluffy.

3. Gradually add the butter, whisking after each addition, until the sauce thickens and all the butter has been used. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.


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Green Sauce with Capers and Herbs

Serves 4
This can be served as a dip, for a starter with crusty bread or crudites, or with pasta. 1. Finely chop the cucumbers, parsley, mint and capers. Mash the hard-boiled eggs.

2. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend everything together to produce a smooth, green sauce. Serve warm or cold.


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Focaccia

Makes 1 loaf
This flat bread, found throughout Italy, varies from region to region by the addition of a simple seasoned topping. This one is topped with crushed garlic and rosemary and is my favourite. It is traditionally eaten as a snack. 1. Cream the fresh yeast with 3tbsp / 45ml hand-hot water. If using dried yeast, sprinkle it on to 3tbsp / 45ml hand hot water with the sugar and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes until frothy.

2. Put the flour on a clean working surface. Gently mix in the salt, then form into a mound with a hollow in the centre.

3. Pour the yeast liquid into the hollow and carefully fold the flour over it, then add 3tbsp / 45ml olive oil Add about 4floz / 100ml hand-hot water to make a stiff but pliable dough. Knead for 10-15 minutes.

4. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with a clean tea-towel. Leave in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

5. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a round about ¼in / 0.5cm thick.

6. Brush a baking tray with some of the olive oil and place the dough on the tray. Crush the garlic, put in a bowl and add some more of the oil. Brush on to the dough and sprinkle with salt and rosemary.

7. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 and bake for a further 20 minutes. Serve hot.


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Prune and Chocolate Bread

Makes 2 x 1lb / 450g loaves
I adore prunes and wish they were taken more seriously. They are an excellent source of Vitamin A with iron and fibre. The combination of prunes and chocolate is heavenly. 1. Grease a 2lb / 900g loaf tin, two 1lb / 450g loaf tins or a baking tray. Bend the fresh yeast with ¾pt / 450ml hand-hot water. If using dried yeast, sprinkle it on to the hand-hot water with the sugar and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes until frothy.

2. Mix the flour and salt together well. Make a reservoir in the centre with a wooden spoon.

3. Gradually add about ¾ of the yeast liquid to the flour and mix well together. (I find that different flours absorb different amounts of liquid, so I never add all the liquid at once.) The dough should be firm and leave the sides of the bowl clean. If it looks dry, add some of the remaining yeast liquid.

4. Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out. Knead well for 15 minutes - you should end up with a smooth, elastic dough.

5. Return the dough to a clean bowl, cover with a clean tea-towel and leave to rise somewhere warm and free of draughts for 1 hour, until doubled in size. Meanwhile, chop the prunes, chocolate and butter. Beat the egg.

6. Turn the dough back on to a lightly-floured work surface and knead again to knock out the air bubbles. It will return to its original size. Add the prunes, chocolate, butter and beaten egg and knead well for 10 minutes.

7. Divide and put dough in the prepared tins or shape into ovals and place on the baking tray. Allow to rise for 10 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Bake the loaves for 35 minutes.

9. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm - the chocolate should be melted and the prunes juicy.


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Fresh Egg Pasta

Serves 6-8
This is my basic pasta recipe. The dough can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days or frozen for 1 month. Try to find '00' Italian flour as this will give the best results. 1. Put the flour, eggs and a good pinch of salt in a food processor and mix until it forms a dough.

2. If using plain flour, put the dough in a polythene bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

3. To shape: cut dough in two and cover one half with a polythene bag. Roll remaining half out into a rectangle. Roll out until almost paper thin, sprinkling the surface with semolina if it begins to stick. Carefully transfer the sheet of pasta to a clean tea-towel, which has been sprinkled with semolina. Leave to rest for about 1 hour. Do not allow the pasta to dry out too much. Repeat with the remaining dough.

4. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the sheets of pasta into the required shapes. Spread cut pasta out on to a clean tea-towel. Use within 24 hours.

5. To cook: bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil then add the pasta. Return to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and serve.

Varieties of Fresh Pasta

By adding extra ingredients, a variety of different flavoured and coloured pasta can be made.

Spinach Pasta: Cook 8oz / 225g young tender spinach in only the water that clings to the leaves after washing for 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain well, squeeze out the water and purée in a food processor. Add to the flour mixture.

Tomato Pasta: Add 2tbsp sun-dried tomato purée (see recipe below) and 1tbsp chopped fresh herbs to the flour mixture.

Saffron Pasta: Add a large pinch of saffron to the flour mixture.


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Sun-Dried Tomato Purée

Makes 8oz / 225g
1. Put the tomatoes in a food processor and blend until smooth. Store in a jar, in the fridge and use when tomato purée is required in a recipe.


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Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Makes about one 1lb / 450g jar 1. Using a potato peeler, remove zest from the lemon and put in a food processor. Skin the garlic and add to the lemon zest with the tomatoes, almonds, parsley and basil. Process.

2. With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil. Pour the sauce into a mixing bowl and add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

3. Pour into a sterilised jar and use diluted with a little cream as a sauce for pasta.


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Rocket Pesto

Makes about one 1lb / 450g jar 1. Using a potato peeler, remove zest from the lemon and put in a food processor. Peel the garlic and add to the lemon zest with the rocket, walnuts, almonds, Pecorino cheese, vinegar, salt, pepper and oil. Run the machine until the mixture is smooth.

2. Pour into a sterilised jar and use in dressings, sauces and on pasta.


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Pasta with Garlic, Walnut and Rocket Sauce

Serves 4
This is the quickest of sauces - you just whizz the ingredients in the food processor. Sauce: 1. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes.

2. Put the walnuts and garlic in a food processor and blend. Mix in the marjoram.

3. Put the walnut mixture in a saucepan and stir in the olive oil, cream and rocket. Mix thoroughly, then heat gently.

4. Drain the pasta, pour over the hot sauce and serve immediately.


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Penne with Pepper and Pistachio Sauce

Serves 4
Serve this dish as a starter or part of a main course. 1. Cut the peppers in half, discard the core and seeds and cut flesh into bite size chunks.

2. Put the tomatoes in a bowl. Cover with boiling water for about 40 seconds then plunge into cold water. Peel off the skins and chop the flesh. Chop the onion. Crush the peperoncino.

3. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, add onion and peppers and fry until softened. Add the peperoncino, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes.

5. Chop the pistachio nuts. When the sauce is cooked, stir in the nuts and adjust the seasoning.

6. Drain the pasta, stir in the sauce and serve with Parmesan cheese.


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Tagliatelle with Saffron and Mascarpone Sauce

Serves 6
This is a rich creamy dish which is very simple to prepare. Sauce: 1. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes.

2. Finely chop the shallots and garlic. In a large frying pan heat the oil, add the shallots and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the saffron, then half of the wine and finally add the Mascarpone cheese. Simmer gently for a few minutes, add the remaining wine, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Drain pasta, add sauce and garnish with basil leaves.


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