Greek flavoured Sicilian Pasta alla Norma

Traditionally Pasta alla Norma consists of Maccheroni with tomatoe sauce topped with fried aubergines and salted ricotta. It was apparently named by the playwriter Nino Martoglio after Bellini’s opera.

At present I live in the UK, so retrieving salted ricotta is a very difficult quest. Therefore I have dared and replaced it with Greek feta.

INGREDIENTS

• 250 gr Maccheroni
• 400 ml passata or a tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 aubergine
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 50gr Greek Feta

DIRECTIONS 

• Chop up the aubergine in small cubes and soak in cold water for 10 minutes

• Bring a saucepan of water to the boil 
• Meanwhile heat up 3 tbsp of olive oil and shallow fry the aubergines until brown in a frying pan.

• In a small saucepan heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook for a couple of minutes the garlic and pour in the tomato. Simmer for 10 mind. 
• When the water is boiling add salt and cook the pasta.
• As the three pans are ready combine the ingredients and sprinkle the pasta with the Feta.

Braciole – Sicilian style meat skewers

• Servings: 2
• Time: 40 mins
• Difficulty: medium
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To a Sicilian from the city of Messina, Braciole means HOME

Spiedini di Braciole - Meat rolls skewers

To a Sicilian from the city of Messina, Braciole means HOME. In a skewer (or better ‘A Spiedino’) of Braciole you will find a joyful bunch of one-bite soft, moist, rich and tasteful meat truffles.

To make the meat more tender, a cooking hammer is vital. This recipe will help you release all that anger out 🙂

For extra Sicilianity, you can add ground pistachios to the breadcrumbs and to the finalised Braciole before cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp of parmiggiano
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 30gr of melty cheese into small cubes
• softened butter
• 300gr of very thin veal fillets (or beef)
• long skewers

Directions

1. In a flat big plate season the breadcrumbs, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and mix in the parmiggiano.
2. Cut the meat into little pieces as big as the palm of your hand. HAMMER IT DOWN and spread it out with the flat side of the hammer.
3. On each piece of meat spread a little bit of butter, add in the middle of the little meat sheets a few cheese cubes and a tsp of breadcrumbs mixture.
4. Roll the little sheets of meat and put them in the skewers.
5. Once the meat truffles are on the swekers, press the sides on a flat surface, so they will become nice and neat.
6. Press the skewers on the breadcrumbs so all the meat is nicely covered.
7. Cook on a medium-high heat in a pan or under the grill until cooked.

The little sheets of meat ready to be buttered, then add small cubes of cheese and a tsp of breadcrumb mixture

Put the little meat truffles on the skewers

Press the skewers on a flat surface on each side to make them nicely even

Sicilian Stuffed Inkfish

• Servings: 2
• Time: 60mins
• Difficulty: medium
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A summery recipe that reminds me of the sea and the outdoors of Sicily.

Ingredients

• 4 small inkfishes
• 2 garlic cloves
• a handful of cherry tomatoes cut in quarters
• 1/2 bottle of tomato passata
• 1/2 glass of red wine
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs
• parsley to garnish
• seasonings
• 4 toothpicks

Directions

1. Clean the inkfish and, if available, cut the tentacles in small pieces (if no tentacles available, cut one ring out of each inkfish, and cut in small pieces). Leave the rest of the inkfish aside for later.
2. In a frying pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil and cood the garlic, the tentacles and the cherry tomatoes for a couple of minutes on a medium heat. Season to taste.
3. Increase the heat and add the wine, cook until the wine has vanished. Set aside.
4. Season the breadcrumbs and add a tbsp of olive oil. Mix with the tentacles.
5. Fill the inkfish with the breadcrumbs mixture and close the aperture with a toothpick. Make sure not to overfill the inkfish, as while cooking it will shrink and might crack open.
6. In a frying pan add 1tbsp of olive oil and a garlic clove. Add the tomato passata and cook for a couple of minutes.
7. Add the stuffed inkfish and cook throughly for at least 10 minutes with a lid on, stirring from time to time.
8. When cooked, add a tbsp of olive oil and parsley to garnish.
9. Eat.