Secrets of the Italian Studio

Crema fritta – fried custard Ingredients CREMA FRITTA   500ml of Arla Cravendale whole milk   1 slice of lemon zest   3 egg yolks   100g of caster sugar   40g of plain flour   40g of corn starch   2 eggs, lightly beaten   fine breadcrumbs, as needed   1l sunflower oil, for frying Method 1 Line a square baking tray –approximately 23x23cm in size – with cling film and put it in the fridge to cool 2 To make the custard, pour the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and set it over a low heat. Add the strip of lemon zest and bring to a simmer 3 Meanwhile, in a large glass bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until it has dissolved. Add the cornstarch and flour and whisk to incorporate, then add a ladle of hot milk to loosen up the mixture 4 Remove the lemon peel and add the egg mixture to the milk. Whisking all the while, cook the custard until it has reached a thick, velvety, pudding-like texture 5 Remove the lined baking tray from the fridge; pour in the hot custard to a 2cm depth and and spread it out with a spatula. Allow the custard to come to room temperature 6 Once the custard has cooled and hardened a little, cut into squares or diamonds. Dip them into the beaten egg and then roll them in the breadcrumbs 7 Heat up the sunflower oil in deep-fryer or pan to 180°C and fry the breaded custard squares until golden on all sides 8 Drain with a slotted spoon and carefully place on kitchen paper to absorb any excess fat. Serve immediately

Risotto with egg yolk, liquorice powder and green asparagus Ingredients RISOTTO   700g of carnaroli risotto rice   3.5l vegetable stock   200g of egg yolk, hard boiled   100g of butter   liquorice powder ASPARAGUS   20 asparagus spears YUZU SABAYON   150g of cream   50g of egg yolk   40g of yuzu juice   salt, to taste Method 1 To begin, blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes. Drain well, slice in half lengthways and reserve the tips for garnish  • 20 asparagus spears 2 For the sabayon, place all of the ingredients a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Bring to 80°C, whisking continuously, then allow to cool  • 150g of cream  • 50g of egg yolk  • 40g of yuzu juice  • salt, to taste 3 Toast the rice in a dry pan, then gradually add the stock, stirring all the time. Cook for another 14–16 minutes, or until the risotto is al dente  • 3.5l vegetable stock  • 700g of carnaroli risotto rice 4 Add the chopped asparagus and finish cooking the rice. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the egg yolk and butter and stir until creamy. Finish with a sprinkle of licorice powder  • 150g of egg yolk, hard boiled  • 100g of butter  • liquorice powder 5 To serve, place portions of risotto into bowls and spoon over the sabayon. Caramelise the risotto under a hot grill or with a blowtorch, garnish with the asparagus tips and serve.

Pasta alla sorrentina Ingredients   olive oil   3 garlic cloves, sliced   1kg cherry tomatoes, halved   230g of smoked scamorza cheese, cubed   250g of paccheri   1 handful of basil leaves, torn   salt   pepper Method 1 Add a splash of olive oil to a pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and very gently cook until soft – don’t let it colour though as it will give the sauce a bitter flavour 2 Add the tomatoes and slowly cook down until they start to fall apart, for about 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper 3 Cook the paccheri in heavily salted boiling water for 8–10 minutes, or until al dente 4 Add the cubes of scamorza and torn basil leaves to the sauce, then fold through the drained pasta. Serve once the cheese has started melting

Ingredients FOR THE RAGÙ  3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil  1 Tropea onion, finely chopped  300g of pork mince (https:/...es)  300g of beef mince (https:/...es)  600g of passata (https:/...es)  fine sea salt, as needed  freshly ground black pepper, as needed FOR THE MEATBALLS  200g of stale bread, white  250g of pork mince (https:/...es)  250g of beef mince (https:/...es)  100g of pecorino, grated  2 tbsp of parsley, finely chopped  2 eggs (https:/...es)  2 tbsp of breadcrumbs  fine sea salt, as needed  freshly ground black pepper, as needed  extra virgin olive oil, for frying FOR THE AUBERGINES  2 large aubergines (https:/...s), cut into 0.5cm slices, patted dry with kitchen paper TO ASSEMBLE THE DISH  500g of rigatoni pasta (https:/...es)  200g of provola cheese (https:/...s), diced  150g of soppressata, thinly sliced  4 eggs (https:/...s), hard-boiled, peeled and quartered (optional)  pecorino, as needed Method 1 Start with the ragù. In a large saucepan, fry the onion in oil over a gentle heat until softened. Increase the heat and add the pork and beef and brown evenly, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan. Once browned, add the passata, cover, and cook over the gentlest, lowest heat for about 2 hours. Check often and stir if needed 2 White the ragù is bubbling away, prepare the meatballs. Soak the bread in a little water to soften it. Leave it there for 10 minutes, then drain, squeeze out any excess liquid and crumble in a large bowl. Add pork and beef, pecorino, parsley, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Stir to combine until everything is evenly mixed. Shape the meatballs using your hands – try and make them all the same size, about that of a walnut 3 Fill three-quarters of a frying pan with olive oil and set over a medium heat. When the oil is hot (170–180°C if you have a cooking thermometer), add the meatballs (you might want to work in batches). Fry until cooked through, for 4–5 minutes. Drain with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels 4 Use the same oil (check that the temperature is still around 180°C) to cook the aubergine slices. Fry in batches until tender and golden in colour, then drain and set aside 5 When the ragù is almost ready, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then add the rigatoni and cook until just al dente. Drain and toss with a few spoonfuls of the ragù (reserve most of it for later) 6 Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6 7 In a square or rectangular baking dish, arrange the aubergine slices so as to cover the bottom and edges of the dish. Add a few spoonfuls of the ragù, then a layer of pasta. Top the pasta with some diced provola, slices of soppressata and a few egg slices (if using). Cover with some more ragù, then dust with grated pecorino. Repeat in layers until you get to the top of the dish, finishing with ragù and pecorino 8 Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the dish looks bubbly on the top and edges. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving

Ingredients PASTA DOUGH 4 eggs 400g of 00 flour warm water salt HERB AND RICOTTA FILLING 400g of ricotta 150g of Parmesan, grated 50g of basil, rosemary and oregano 1 knob of butter, melted 1 egg 1 pinch of nutmeg TO SERVE 1 knob of butter grated Parmesan Equipment Pasta machine Pasta cutting wheel Method 1 Begin by making the pasta dough for the ravioli. Mix together the eggs, flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add a little warm water, stirring in a small spoonful at a time until the mixture comes together to form a smooth dough (take care not to add too much water) • 400g of 00 flour • 4 eggs • warm water • salt 2 Bring the dough together to form a ball and wrap tightly in cling film. Transfer to the fridge and leave to rest for at least 1 hour 3 Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Blanch the herbs in boiling water, then drain and mix with a little melted butter. Finely chop and mix with the remaining ingredients. Set aside in the fridge • 150g of Parmesan, grated • 400g of ricotta • 50g of basil, rosemary and oregano • 1 egg • 1 pinch of nutmeg • 1 knob of butter, melted 4 Remove the rested dough from the fridge and roll out into two long, thin sheet using a pasta machine 5 Spoon small mounds of filling down the length of one of the sheets, leaving a 4cm gap between each one. Fold the sheet over the filling, smoothing out any air. Use a pasta cutting wheel to cut out each ravioli and check the edges, using a little water to seal if required. Repeat until all of the filling and pasta is used up 6 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then add the ravioli and cook for 2–3 minutes. Drain carefully, then transfer to a frying pan with a little melted butter and cook for a further 2–3 minutes until tender and golden • 1 knob of butter 7 To serve, divide the cooked ravioli evenly between plates and sprinkle over a generous serving of freshly grated Parmesan