From fresh pesto to classic Bolognese: Simple, delicious Italian recipes
FROM super-fresh pesto to a classic Bolognese, pasta master Giovanni Rana dishes up some delicious but simple family meals
Rich Bolognese sauce
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
1 carrot
2 celery stalks
1 white onion
30g (1oz) rosemary
4 tbsps of extra-virgin olive oil
500g (1lb 1½oz) minced beef
100ml (3½fl oz) red wine
1 litre (1¾ pints) passata tomato sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely chop the carrot, celery, onion and rosemary.
To a large pan, add the olive oil and leave it to heat up. Once it is hot, add all the chopped vegetables and fry for a few minutes on a low heat.
As the vegetables begin to turn golden in colour, add the rosemary and minced beef to the pan then increase the heat.
Cook the vegetables, meat and rosemary for 3 minutes then gradually add the red wine.
Cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the wine is absorbed, then add the passata.
Add salt and pepper to taste then leave to cook on a low heat for an hour, stirring from time to time.
Serve with the cooked pasta of your choice.
Giovanni’s tip: “The rich, tasty flavours from my Bolognese sauce are great with other pasta, such as tagliatelle and penne, making a change from the traditional pairing with spaghetti.”
Pappardelle duck ragu
Serves 4
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
90g (3oz) carrot
90g (3oz) celery
90g (3oz) onion
50ml (1¾fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
30g (1oz) rosemary, roughly chopped
30g (1oz) thyme, roughly chopped
400g (14oz) duck meat
400g (14oz) passata tomato sauce
200ml (7fl oz) vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pappardelle pasta:
800g (1lb 8oz) 00 plain flour
A large pinch of salt
7 eggs
To make the pasta, mix the flour with the salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle then crack the eggs into it, one at a time. Using your fingertips, mix well and knead into dough.
Put the dough on a table and knead well with both hands until it is smooth and elastic then roll it out using a rolling pin. Using a pasta cutter or a knife, gently cut into long strings of 1½cm (½in)thickness.
Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion for the sauce.
To a large pan, add the olive oil and leave to heat up. Once hot, add all the chopped vegetables and fry for a few minutes on a low heat.
As the vegetables begin to turn golden in colour, add the rosemary, thyme and duck meat.
Once the meat begins to brown, add the passata, vegetable stock, and salt and pepper to taste. Leave on a low heat and let this cook for 1 hour.
Serve with the pasta (see below).
Giovanni’s tip: “When l prepare this dish at home, l add a drop of olive oil to boiling water to stop the pasta from sticking together as it cooks. I then cook the pasta for just a minute, drain and stir it into the pan containing the ragu before serving. This is a great way to finish cooking the pasta, bringing out all the flavours of the ragu.”
Pesto sauce
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
200g (7oz) fresh basil leaves
15g (½oz) pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
70g (2½oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
50g (2oz) pecorino cheese, grated
100ml (3½fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Wash and dry the basil. Place the basil and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for several minutes until the consistency is thick and smooth.
While the food processor is running, add in the Parmesan, pecorino, olive oil and salt.
Stop the food processor from time to time to scrape down the sides, until everything is blended.
Giovanni’s tip: “I grow basil on my kitchen windowsill and take leaves as l need them for cooking. The trick is to ensure the leaves are dried thoroughly after washing to make them easier to chop. The beauty of pesto is that it doesn’t need to be warmed up before being added to pasta or meat.”
Chicken and rosemary ravioli
Serves 2 to 3
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 4 minutes
For the pasta dough:
250g (9oz) plain flour, plus extra for the worktop
A large pinch of salt
2 eggs
2 tbsps olive oil
For the filling:
50g (2oz) onion, chopped
300g (10½oz) chicken breast, cut into small cubes (about 1cm/½in)
100g (3½oz) mascarpone cheese
A pinch of chopped rosemary
50g (2oz) Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving
A pinch each of salt and pepper
For the sauce:
250ml (9fl oz) valpolicella or amarone wine
2 tbsps sugar
30g (1oz) red onion, sliced
To make the pasta, mix the flour with the salt in a large bowl.
Make a well in the middle then crack the eggs into it, one at a time, gradually adding the olive oil at the same time. Using your fingertips, mix well and begin to knead the mixture into fresh dough.
Put the dough on a table and knead well with both hands until the dough is smooth and elastic, rolling it out using a rolling pin if needed. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
To make the filling, pan-fry the onion and chicken cubes until the chicken browns. Set to one side to cool down for 20 minutes, ready to be used when the dough is removed from the clingfilm.
Once the filling cools, add the mascarpone, rosemary, Parmesan, salt and pepper.
Unwrap the dough and scatter flour over a worktop.
Roll the pasta out as thin as possible into sheets – one for the bottom and one to cover the filling
Spoon individual teaspoons of filling on to the bottom sheet, leaving a gap of about 2cm (¾in) between each portion of filling.
Cover the filling with the top sheet of pasta so that both sides meet, gently using your fingers to seal the parcel together.
Using a pasta cutter or knife, gently cut into squares and check that all edges are sealed before cooking.
Cook the ravioli in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, avoiding over-cooking.
Drain the ravioli thoroughly and put them in a large saucepan with melted butter.
To make the sauce, boil the red wine with the sugar and onion until it thickens.
Drain the onion from the sauce, so it is smooth.
Serve the ravioli with the sauce poured over and some Parmesan grated on top.
Giovanni’s tip: “The thickness of the pasta should be no greater than that of a wafer to ensure the perfect balance of the dough and filling.”
For more information on Giovanni, his recipes and pasta ranges, visit his Giovanni Rana UK YouTube channel or his website, giovannirana.co.uk.
Home economist: Gavin Woods mEarthenware dinnerware, from a selection at Cox & Cox (0844 858 0744, coxandcox.co.uk)