Gnocchi

I have always been a big fan of gnocchi. That texture yum yum yum.

Check out this post at The Age

I’ll keep you posted when I try this out.

Osteria dei Sapori

151 Broadway
Nedlands 6009 WA
Phone: (08) 9386 4243
Open: Lunch Monday - Friday; Dinner Monday - Saturday



Do yourself a favour and visit Osteria dei Sapori.

It boasts delicious, generous serves of traditional Italian food.

Excellent service - italian waiters full of life, paying attention to every last detail. They will even clap and sing to you if it is your birthday!!

Very reasonable prices.

Last time I had:
- Antipasto plate - Osteria is famous for this
- the pasta dei giorno - Ox Tail Ragu with tagliatelle - absolutely delicious homemade pasta with the best meaty ragu
- Profiteroles
- Panna cotta with strawberry sauce

There was not a snip of food left on any plate.

Entree: $15-$19
Mains: $16-$35
Dessert: $7.50
Payment accepted: MasterCard, Visa and American Express

Licensed. Wine is available by the glass.

Hollis’ Spaghetti Carbonara

450g bacon
450g spaghetti
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
3 Tb butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
freshly ground black pepper

Fry the bacon until it is just crisp, drain on a paper towel, and chop into bite sized pieces.
Cook the spaghetti in a very large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile warm a serving bowl.
Drain the spaghetti well and toss in the bowl with the bacon, cheese, butter and lots of freshly ground black pepper for a few seconds, allowing it to cool slightly.
Add the eggs and stir vigorously to coat all the strands.
Serve immediately with some more cracked black pepper.

Grublover comment
Hollis says: This recipe doesn’t have cream - so the result is a less wet carbonara. It is really easy

Red capsicum and chorizo pasta

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 large serving spoons marinated red capsicums (antipasto)
1 chorizo, sliced
ricotta
olive oil



Fry the onion and garlic in a pan until it starts to colour.
Add the chorizo and cook until it is starting to brown.
Add the capsicum and a good lug of olive oil.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes, pouring through a little of the cooking water, and some extra olive oil. Toss it around so all the flavours are mixed through.
Serve with some crumbled ricotta over the top and a good crack of salt and pepper.

Grublover comment
I made this delicious simple sauce yesterday when I bought my pasta maker. It is so simple and the flavours are so nice and it compliments the fresh pasta so well. An absolute winner. Check out the link for making fresh pasta.

Funtastico

12 Rokeby Rd Subiaco 6008
(08) 9381 2688


We visited Funtastico last week on our lunch break after a grueling PLT exam.
I have always had a love/hate relationship with this restaurant. Hate the service, hate the characters, hate the acoustics…but love love love the food.

Funtastico is full of the sleaze of Subiaco and the attitudes in the staff reflect this. But I will continue to return as the food is just so good. Beautiful, traditional italian food, generous servings, nice wines. Leave with a full belly, one button less, and a big smile on your face.

One of my favourite dishes at Funtastico is the spaghetti alla marinara – it is baked in a cartouche (a bag made out of baking paper) which they bring to your table and slide the pasta out. This makes it really yum – the flavours all get richened and exaggerated.

This time I had the Spaghetti alla arrabiatta ($19) – it was cooked with pancetta and chili and was delicious. The pancetta had a richy, smokey flavour that penetrated the spaghetti. We also shared a pizza covered in hot sausage, mozzarella, olives and artichoke which was hot and crunchy and delicious (although I prefer a more modest pizza with only a couple of flavours where you can enjoy the dough).
My friends ordered the Risotto del Giorno (risotto of the day) which was a delicious, creamy risotto with a generous amount of prawns and mussels, finished with fresh spinach.

You won’t be disappointed with the food at Funtastico, but you may not be a fan of the service.

Spaghetti alla Norma

Serves 4

2 large firm aubergines
extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a large bunch of fresh basil, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved
1 teaspoon good herb or white wine vinegar
2 x 400g tins of good-quality chopped plum tomatoes, or 565ml/1 pint passata
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g dried spaghetti
150g salted ricotta, pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated

• optional: 1 dried red chilli, crumbled

First of all, get your nice firm aubergines and cut them into quarters lengthways. If they’ve got seedy fluffy centres, remove them and chuck them away. Then cut the aubergines across the length, into finger-sized pieces. Get a large non-stick pan nice and hot and add a little oil. Fry the aubergines in two batches, adding a little extra oil if you need to (but you don’t want to make it too greasy). Give the aubergines a toss so the oil coats every single piece and then sprinkle with some of the dried oregano – this will make them taste fantastic. Using a pair of tongs, turn the pieces of aubergine until golden on all sides. Don’t undercook them because this is where all the flavour comes from - they should be coloured all over. Once you’ve done the first batch, remove to a plate and do the same with the second batch.

When the aubergines are all cooked, add the first batch back to the pan – at this point I sometimes add a sneaky dried red chilli, but that’s my addiction coming through so feel free to ignore this! Turn the heat down to medium and add a little oil, the garlic and the basil stalks. Stir so everything gets evenly cooked, then add a swig of herb vinegar and the tins of tomatoes, which you can chop or whiz up so they’re not too chunky. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Tear up half the basil leaves, add to the sauce and toss around.

Cook your spaghetti, Get your spaghetti into a pan of salted boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. When it’s al dente, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water, and put it back into the pan. Add the Norma sauce and a little of the reserved cooking water and toss together back on the heat. Taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning, then divide between your plates by twizzling the pasta into a ladle for each portion. Any sauce left in the pan can be spooned over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining basil leaves and crumble the ricotta over the top and drizzle with olive oil.

Grublover comment
At least one person ordered this everytime we dined in Sicily - it is their specialty or national dish and is absolutely delicious.
This recipe is another Jamie classic - you can see I am a big fan of his - his recipes are just always winners! This is from his book ‘Jamie’s Italy’.
For two of us I used 1.5 eggplants (I like extra because that is where all the flavour comes from), 1 jar of passata and 2 cloves garlic. I served it with Rigatoni which was delicious because it is such a robust pasta, perfect for this kind of chunky sauce.

Jamie’s Penne with tomatoes, basil, olives and pecorino

750g pomodorino tomatoes
olive oil
sea salt and freshly . ground black pepper
good-quality balsamic vinegar
500g penne
200g black olives, stoned and halved
a small bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked
a chunk of pecorino cheese, to serve

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.

Throw the tomatoes into a large roasting tin, drizzle them with olive oil, season with some salt and pepper and pop them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Once they’re roasted, squash the tomatoes with a fork to get the juices going and drizzle over some balsamic vinegar.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and add the roasted tomato sauce and the olives. Tear over most of the basil leaves and toss everything together. Season and serve with the reserved basil leaves scattered over and some freshly grated pecorino.

Grublover comment
This is another Jamie Oliver classic. All of his recipes are so simple and so delicious and rely on having the freshest ingredients. Again, this dish can be modified to suit your tastes and stock on hand - swap the pecorino for another strong cheese like Parmesan; add some capers.

Jamie’s Oven-baked Rigatoni with Wild Boar Salami

a good glug of extra virgin olive oil
½ a wild boar salami, sliced (or use Napoli salami)
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
400g tin chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons crème fraîche
a large bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g rigatoni
a ball of buffalo mozzarella, sliced

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, and fry half the salami until quite crisp. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly until the onion is soft. Add the balsamic vinegar, chopped tomatoes, crème fraîche and basil. Mix together, season to taste, and simmer for a few minutes.

Cook the rigatoni according to the packet instructions until ‘al dente’. Drain, and drizzle over a little olive oil and seasoning. Tip into a baking dish and pour over the sauce.

Lay the mozzarella over the top with the rest of the salami. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden. Delicious.

Grublover comment
This is a great dish for when you’ve got mates coming round as it’s easy to make and looks fantastic. The wild boar salami tastes great, and as well as cooking with it you can use it in sandwiches.

Ruocco’s Pizzeria and Restaurant

213 South Tce South Fremantle 6162
(08) 9335 6939

Have you ever left a restaurant and found yourself licking your fingers in the car ride home because the food was so good?

That is what I caught myself doing after dining at Ruocco’s Pizzeria and Restaurant.
The night started out with the typical Tuesday night dilemma. Tired, hungry, cold, and desperate for something warm and delicious to fill the void. Limited time to choose a restaurant before the man gets impatient and decides to throw it in.
Not willing to settle on an average bowl of pasta which I could cook better myself for a ridiculous $32 in the Claremont area, we headed south to the hidden gem of South Terrace, Fremantle. South Terrace is pocketed with casual, warm restaurants, full of people from all walks of life.

Ruocco’s epitomises the traditional family Italian restaurant. Kinda kitsch, walking in you are flooded with the warmth and smell of pizza cranking in the woodfired over; look around and see Frescos of the Amalfii coast, and homemade tiramisu and sticky pudding in the dessert cabinet.

The menu is simple which is what I love in an Italian restaurant. All the classics: pizza, pasta, carne. And the prices are very reasonable: average around $15 for a pasta or pizza, $19 for steak.

The food was sensational: unassuming, uncomplicated and simply delicious.
Had to wait for a while to order –service was slow, but Danny and I chatted and took in the warm, relaxed atmosphere while enjoying a glass of the Outboack Chase Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra in south Australia. Not bad for only $4.50 a glass

We started with some garlic bread ($3.50 for 4 slices).
Sometimes we get the bruschetta which is great - lots of galic, roughly chopped tomato, parsley. Drizzled with olive oil. Yum.
The mains arrived and were more than generous. I had a large chilli mussels ($13 small, $19 large), and Danny had the penne picante ($14). An entrée would have been ample for both.

The mussels were exactly what I was craving – tasty, traditional tomato sugo, freshened with some finely chopped parsley. Not trying to complicate things by adding too many ingredients. Just enjoying the taste of the local Fremantle mussels and the fresh tomato. The mussels were served with a crusty thin loaf don’t know what its called but it was warm and delicious.

The penne picante was fresh but a little overpowering with the sausage. It was demolished very quickly though and Dan sat and watched me as I ate every last mussel, savouring every mouthful.

No room for dessert we paid only $44.50 for this most enjoyable evening.

Of course, Ruocco’s is famous for its pizzas and I have tried the calzone on another occasion and it certainly lives up to the expectations. Very large, beautiful dough, full of meat. Yum!

Food: 3.5 stars
Wine: 2.5 stars
Service: 2 stars
Ambience: 3 stars
Price: 5 stars
Overall: 3.5 stars

Unfortunately since this review I have revisisted Ruocco’s and the chilli mussels were a little watery - I like it when they are served in a thick, rich tomato sugo. I will visit again soon and let you know if the good mussels are back..

Osso Bucco Milanese

Serves 4

1 kg shin of veal sawn into pieces 2 inch thick (you can get osso bucco pieces from most good butchers)
125ml white wine
125ml stock
500g fresh tomatoes
parsley
1 lemon
1 clove garlic
butter

Brown veal in butter. Arrange in bottom of a pan tightly packed so marrow
wont fall out. Pour in white wine, cook for 10 minutes, then add tomatoes.
Let them reduce then add stock. Season, cook for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Prepare 1 handful of chopped parsley, 1 clove of garlic, and grated peel of lemon, sprinkle thickly over the veal just before serving.

Grublover comment
I just love osso bucco - it's one of those warm comforting foods that is good to eat when you need a big hug.
This dish is fabulous served with some risotto milanese, or risoni (pasta that looks like rice), or some mash. Yum!

Pesto

Serves 4

1/2 a clove of garlic, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 good handfuls of fresh basil, stalks and all
a handful of pine nuts, lightly toasted
a good handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese
evoo
optional: small squeeze of lemon juice

Pulse the garlic, basil, and a pinch of salt in a food processor.
Add a bit more garlic if you like, but I usually stick to 1/2 a clove.
Add the pine nuts and pulse again.
Turn out into a bowl and add half the Parmesan. Stir gently and add olive oil - you need just enough to bind the sauce and get it to an oozy consistency.

Season to taste, then add most of the remaining cheese. Pour in some oil and taste again. Keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency. You may like to add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to give it a twang, but it’s not essential.

Grublover comment
Pesto is so useful. You can rub it on roast chicken, spread it on toast, add it to mussels, or fish, or just toss it through some freshly cooked pasta.