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Vegetarian lasagne

Spicy vegetarian lasagne
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 8
  • Serving size: 350g
  • Calories: 661
  • Fat: 34 g
  • Saturated fat: 17 g
  • Unsaturated fat: 7g
  • Carbohydrates: 51 g
  • Sugar: 20 g
  • Sodium: 872 mg
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Protein: 43 g
  • Cholesterol: 76 mg
Recipe type: Vegetarian Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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A vegetarian lasagne with everything, This is the type of dish you make for your friends to prove just how great being a vegetarian is. It is brimming with great flavours, texture and spiciness ! Great for food for entertaining non-vegetarians. Buon appetito
Ingredients
  • For the Lasagne
  • Lasagne pasta sheets – approx. 300 grams
  • Chilli flakes – one teaspoon
  • Parmesan cheese – two tablespoons
For the meat sauce
  • Soya protein granules - 120 grams
  • Seitan bacon – 250 grams ( cut into bite size pieces)
  • Olive oil - two tablespoons
  • Tinned plum tomatoes – 2 tins
  • Onions 2 medium (diced)
  • Garlic – 2 cloves (, finely chopped)
  • Vegetable stock – one cup
  • Red wine- one small glass
  • Bay leaves 3 to 4
  • Chilli powder - 2 teaspoons
  • Fresh oregano - one tablespoon (which can be substituted by ½ teaspoon dried)
  • Fresh red chillies- 2 to 3 (finely chopped)
  • Pepper one teaspoon
  • Ground nutmeg – ¼ teaspoon
For the white sauce
  • Whole fat milk – 750ml (3 cups)
  • Leeks – 2 large (finely chopped)
  • Black peppercorns – ½ teaspoon
  • Whole cloves – 4
  • Butter – 75 grams
  • Plain flour – 50 grams
  • Mozzarella cheese (shredded) - one cup
  • Cheddar cheese – 50 grams
Instructions
Making the meat sauce
  1. Fry the bacon seitan in a tablespoon of the olive oil . Keep to one side
  2. Add the onions to a skillet with the remaining oil. Fry on medium heat until translucent
  3. Add the garlic and Chillies. Fry for a minute, then add the bay leaves and Chilli powder
  4. Add the tomato paste.
  5. Sprinkle with nutmeg and cook for a minute
  6. Now add the pepper, oregano, tomatoes and stock. Cook for 20 minutes
  7. Add the Soya mince and the red wine
  8. Cook for 10 minutes. Add more water if necessary
  9. Take off the heat. Add the Seitan bacon and stir
Making the white sauce
  1. Melt the butter in a pot
  2. Add the peppercorns, cloves and leeks. Stir for two to three minutes
  3. Add the flour and stir until the mixture is nutty brown.
  4. Slowly incorporate the milk, stirring, to create a thick sauce
  5. Blend the sauce with a handheld blender while still in the pot
  6. Now add the cheeses for the sauce
  7. Stir and allow the cheeses to melt
Putting the lasagne together
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius ( conventional)
  2. Scoop a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of an oven to table baking dish
  3. Cover this layer with lasagne sheets
  4. Now add a layer of white sauce
  5. Continue creating layers in this way ( with a sauce layer on top) until all the ingredients have been used
  6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Chilli flakes
  7. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top browns
  8. Serve
Notes
This recipe yields 6 -8 portions ff about 400 to 500 grams

Keyword: Spicy vegetarian lasagne

 

Spicy Linquine – Italy

Spicy Italian linguine
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 2 to three portions
  • Serving size: 300 g
  • Calories: 332
  • Fat: 18 g
  • Saturated fat: 5 g
  • Unsaturated fat: 12 g
  • Trans fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34 g
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Sodium: 1111 mg
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 9 g
  • Cholesterol: 1 mg
Recipe type: Pasta and noodles
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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In the originals sauce for this dish - puttanesca.- olives are used as an accompaniment to the anchovies and capers. In this particular recipe they are left out so that the distinct character that Chillies provide comes through more clearly . Cooking, however, is an art. If you like olives, feel free to add about 50 grams of pitted olives when you add the tomatoes
Ingredients
  • Linguine – 200 grams ( dried)
  • Anchovies in oil – three to four
  • Onion – ½ medium ( diced to 6mm)
  • Capers – one tablespoon
  • Red chillies – two to three ( chopped)
  • Olive oil – two tablespoons
  • Garlic – two cloves ( finely chopped)
  • Chilli flakes – ½ teaspoon
  • Sugar - one teaspoon
  • Tomatoes – 2 medium ( blanched and skin removed)
  • Fresh flat leaved parsley– two tablespoons ( chopped)
  • Dry white wine – three tablespoons
  • Lemon juice – 25 ml
Instructions
  1. Cook the linguine in salted water according to package instructions. Drain
  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onions and cook until starting to turn translucent.
  3. Add the garlic and chillies and fry for a further minute.
  4. Add the tomatoes and wine. Fry for two to three minutes
  5. Now add the lemon juice and basil.
  6. Bring the heat to a steady simmer then add the linguine, sugar, capers and anchovies.
  7. Heat through and sure the pasta is covered in the sauce.
  8. Serve sprinkled with chilli flakes and garnished with parsley
Notes
Keywords: Spicy Italian liguine with chillies

Serves : 2 to 3 big portions

 

Roasted Pepper Bruschetta – Italy

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Roasted pepper bruschetta
 
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Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 6
  • Serving size: 250 g
  • Calories: 328
  • Fat: 21 g
  • Saturated fat: 7 g
  • Unsaturated fat: 10 g
  • Trans fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26 g
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 376 mg
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 9 g
  • Cholesterol: 30 mg
Recipe type: Snacks
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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This snack is super tasty and, if you already have made the Italian roasted pepper salad, super quick to make as well. It is so good, you may want to consider making the salad and keeping it in the fridge for when the urge for this dish rises again. It is virtually guaranteed that that will be soon. Buon appetito
Ingredients
  • Sourdough bread - 6 slices
  • Olive oil - one tablespoon
  • Feta cheese - 200 grams ( crumbled)
  • Italian roasted pepper salad - about 450 grams (see note)
  • Garnish - basil, flat-leaved parsley or sliced cucumber
Instructions
  1. Drizzle the bread with the olive oil
  2. Heat a pan until medium heat has been reached.
  3. Place the bread ( olive oil drizzled side down) in the pan. ( two to three slices at a time)
  4. Hold down the slice with a spatula until golden brown.
  5. Once browned set bread down on plates.
  6. Sprinkle feta cheese equally on each slice
  7. Top with Italian salad
  8. Garnish and serve
Notes
Find the recipe for Italian roasted pepper salad here

This recipe yields 6 portions

Keywords: Buschetta with roasted peppers and cheese

Image credit Paul Longinidis /CC By 2.0/ via Flickr

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Roast pepper salad – Italy

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Italian roasted pepper salad

Insalata di pepperoni arrosto
 
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Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 4
  • Serving size: 260 g
  • Calories: 391
  • Fat: 35 g
  • Saturated fat: 5 g
  • Unsaturated fat: 25 g
  • Trans fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12 g
  • Sugar: 0 g
  • Sodium: 146 mg
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
Recipe type: Salads
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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This great-tasting salad not only goes well as an antipasto but is also fantastic on bruschetta ( Italian open toasts). In this recipe, sweet peppers are roasted until chargrilled and then combined with a great dressing with Chilli flakes, olive oil, garlic, capers and vinegar for a fantastic taste sensation. Buon appetito
Ingredients
  • Sweet peppers – one kilogram ( Red and yellow)
  • Garlic – two cloves ( minced)
  • Extra virgin olive oil – ½ cup ( see note *)
  • Red wine vinegar ½ cup
  • Capers – one tablespoon ( optional)
  • Chill flakes – one teaspoon
  • Basil – for garnishing
  • Salt – to taste
Instructions
  1. Roast the sweet peppers by holding over an open flame or in the oven ( see note **)
  2. Once the skin of the peppers is blistered and charred, put them in a glass bowl covered by a plate or cling film for minutes.
  3. Mix the remaining ( see note) olive oil with the capers ( if using), garlic, pepper flakes, red wine vinegar and salt. Taste. If too acidic add a bit of sugar ( see note)
  4. At this point, the peppers should be cooled enough to handle. Remove the skins. Removing the skins should be easy as the steam from the covered bowl will have loosened them.
  5. Cut the peppers open and remove the seeds and pith
  6. Slice the pepper into strips
  7. Pour the dressing over. Garnish with basil leaves
  8. Serve immediately or can be refrigerated until needed.
  9. Great on its own or served on bruschetta
Notes
* If roasting peppers over an open fire, the quantity of olive oil needed is only a third of a cup

**For great guide to roasting peppers follow this link

This recipe yields 4 - 5 portions

Keywords: Italian roaste pepper salad

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio – Italy

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Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

Spicy spaghetti with chillies
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 12 portions
  • Serving size: 100g
  • Calories: 391 kcal
  • Fat: 16 grams
  • Saturated fat: 4.8 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 51 grams
  • Sugar: 1.8 grams
  • Sodium: 0.38 grams
  • Fiber: 3.6. grams
  • Protein: 14 grams
Recipe type: Spicy pasta with chillies
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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The Italians, who are internationally recognised as being the best pasta makers in the world, know one thing above all - Chillies and pasta are a marriage made in heaven. This recipe, which is pasta in served in one of its simplest forms showcases just that. Extremely simple to make but just brimming with flavour. To get the absolute best of this recipe, use only the very best ingredients. You will not be disappointed
Ingredients
  • Spaghetti - 200 grams - see note
  • Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tablespoons
  • Garlic – 4 cloves (finely diced).
  • Fresh chilli – 2 (finely sliced)
  • Chilli flakes – 1 teaspoon ( see note)
  • Flat leafed parsley (Fresh) – 2 tablespoons (finely chopped)
  • Parmesan cheese – ½ cup
Instructions
  1. Bring a medium-sized pot to the boil.
  2. Add spaghetti and cook according to package instructions.
  3. In the meantime, gently heat olive oil.
  4. Once at medium heat, add garlic and chillies. Cook until the garlic has changed colour (be careful not to burn).
  5. Drain the spaghetti in a colander
  6. Place in serving bowl and top with heated olive oil. Mix through
  7. Sprinkle with chilli flakes
  8. Serve immediately with parmesan cheese in a separate bowl (each diner should sprinkle the cheese over the spaghetti according to own preference)
Notes
This recipe yields 2 servings

Note: this recipe is based on dried pasta. For fresh increase the quantity to 300 grams


Keywords: Easy to make spicy Spaghetti

 

Spicy lasagne – Italy

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Spicy lasagne

Spicy lasagne
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serving size: 100g
  • Fat: 8.5 grams
  • Saturated fat: 4.4 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 10 grams
  • Sugar: 2.5 grams
  • Sodium: 0.73 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Protein: 7.9 grams
Recipe type: Pasta with chillies
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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Lasagne is comfort food of the highest order. This baked pasta dish with chillies has a lovely browned crust when it comes out the oven. When served, it oozes a great tasting cheesy white sauce over wonderfully browned mince meat with fantastic flavour. This dish is one that your friends and family will beg you to make over and over again
Ingredients
For the lasagne
  • Lasagne pasta sheets – approx. 300 grams
  • Chilli flakes – one teaspoon
  • Parmesan cheese – two tablespoons
For the meat sauce
  • Minced beef – 500 grams
  • Bacon lardons – 250 grams
  • Tinned plum tomatoes – 2 tins
  • Onions 2 medium (diced)
  • Garlic – 2 cloves (, finely chopped)
  • Beef stock – one cup
  • Red wine- one small glass
  • Bay leaves 3 to 4
  • Fresh oregano - one tablespoon ( see note)
  • Fresh red chillies- 2 to 3) (finely chopped)
  • Salt – ½ teaspoon
  • Pepper one teaspoon
  • Ground nutmeg – ¼ teaspoon
For the white sauce
  • Full fat milk – 750ml (3 cups)
  • Leeks – 2 large (finely chopped)
  • Black peppercorns – ½ teaspoon
  • Whole cloves – 4
  • Butter – 75 grams
  • Plain flour – 50 grams
  • Mozzarella cheese (shredded) - one cup
  • Cheddar cheese – 50 grams
Instructions
For the meat sauce
  1. Fry the lardons in a skillet with the olive oil until the fat has rendered.
  2. Add the onions and fry until translucent.
  3. Add the bay leaves, oregano and garlic.
  4. Fry for a couple of minutes
  5. Add the mince, salt and pepper and cook until all pinkness has disappeared and is beginning to brown.
  6. Sprinkle with nutmeg and tomato paste
  7. Stir in
  8. Add the tomatoes and stock.
  9. Allow to simmer for about an hour.
  10. Add the lardons and stir
For the white sauce
  1. Heat the butter in a pot
  2. Add the bay leaf and cloves. Stir for 30 seconds
  3. Add the leeks and fry for two to three minutes, stirring continuously
  4. Add the flour. Stir and combine with flour. Allow to become a slightly light brown nutty colour
  5. Add the milk. The sauce will begin thickening. Add the peppercorns
  6. Using a blender, blend the sauce until smooth (whilst still in the pan)
  7. Now add the mozzarella and cheddar.
  8. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is entirely thick
To assemble
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius ( conventional)
  2. Using a ladle, scoop a layer of the meat sauce into an oven to table dish
  3. Next, cover the meat sauce with lasagne sheets.
  4. Now scoop a layer of the white sauce over the sheets.
  5. Continue creating layers in this fashion, ending with a layer of white sauce
  6. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and chilli flakes over the top layer.
  7. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until browned.
  8. Remove and serve
Notes
This recipe yields 6 -8 portions ff about 400 to 500 grams

Keyword: Spicy lasagne with chillies

If using dried oregano, add only after meat has browned and reduce quantity to a teaspoon (step 5)

Image credit Szymon Stasik / CC BY SA 2.0/ via Flickr

 

Italian Chilli oil

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Italian Chilli oil recip

Olio di peperoncino
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 35 -36 tablespoons
  • Serving size: 100g
  • Calories: 826 kcal
  • Fat: 92
  • Saturated fat: 13
  • Carbohydrates: < 0.5g
  • Sugar: < 0.5g
  • Sodium: 0.46g
  • Fiber: < 0.5g
  • Protein: 0.7g
Recipe type: Chilli Oils
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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I will never forget being In Sorrento in Italy. Looking over a beautiful blue sea, birds singing, hot sun shining, a wonderful Italian pasta and sigh ! ….. A bottle of Olio di pepperoncino. It is one of those memories that will stay imprinted in the mind for ever. Okay, so I love my Chillies but the Italians do make some seriously good Chilli oil. When combined with their fabulous pizza and pasta, the flavours are quite phenomenal. This authentic recipe attempts to capture the magic of that particular day on the Amalfi coast.
Ingredients
  • Olive Oil - 2 Cups
  • Ground dried red Chillies - 25 grams (* see note)
  • Whole red Chillies - 4 to 5 whole
Instructions
  1. Gently heat the oil and add the whole Chillies. Cook for 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Drain and reserve the whole Chillies.
  2. Using a funnel, place ground Chillies in a sterilized glass bottle (** see note). Pour in oil and add the Chillies. Seal.
  3. Keep in the fridge. Shake once a week to ensure that Chillies infuse into the oil. Will reach optimum flavour after 3 to 4 weeks.
Notes
* Whilst Italian Chillies should preferably be used any other dried red Chilli will do.

** Always ensure that food safety is observed. Sterilization of bottles is important.

For a step by step guide for this recipe follow this link

Keywords: Italian chilli oil

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Italian sausage with Chilli

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Italian sausage recipe

Italian sausage with Chilli
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serving size: 100 grams
  • Calories: 229 kcal
  • Fat: 17g
  • Saturated fat: 6
  • Carbohydrates: <0 .5g
  • Sugar: <0 .5g
  • Sodium: 0.63g
  • Fiber: <0 .5g
  • Protein: 18g
Recipe type: Sausages
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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Some Sundays when we lived in Brussels, Belgium we would take a leisurely stroll to the open-air market held at Place Flaget (an open community square in Ixelles). Very typical of a French open market, this weekly get-together had a great ambiance and sense of joy de vivre. Between stopping of at a champagne tent for a flute of the best and a few oysters, you could buy wonderful produce from local artisan producers ,including – amongst others - freshly baked bread, cheese and sausages. On discovering this fantastic sausage - in the refrigerator van of an authentic Italian produce merchant - I became an immediate fan. No amount of bribing or charm would persuade him into sharing his recipe (a closely guarded secret) so I had no choice, but to try and replicate one of my own. I think this one is close, but out of respect for his great sausage will never claim it to be the same. Buon appetito
Ingredients
Meat
  • Pork shoulder - 1 Kg (2¼ lbs)
  • Belly of pork - 1 Kg (2¼ lb)
  • Sausage casings - 3 meters (± 10 feet) 32/34mm (approx. 1 11 /32 inches wide) (see note)
Spices
  • Fennel seed – 4 teaspoons
  • Fine sea salt – 1 tablespoon
  • Chillies - 4 Birds-eye – finely chopped
  • Chilli powder - 4 teaspoons
  • Black pepper - 2 teaspoons
Other
  • Ice cold white wine – ¼ of a cup
Instructions
Making Sausage
  1. Cut the meat into 25 mm x 25 mm (1-inch x 1-inch) pieces. Keep cool in a big mixing basin (plastic, porcelain or enamel-coated).
  2. Combine all the spices with salt. Mix well
  3. Prior to beginning mincing of meat, rinse the sausage casing in fresh clean water and then soak in lukewarm water for 30 minutes.
  4. Mince the meat into a coarse mince using a 4.5 mm (0.177 inch) mincing plate.
  5. Using your hands, mix spices and wine into minced meat for 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Place mince into a sausage stuffer and fill casings. Ensure that the mixture is not filled too tightly as the sausage will burst when it is cooked.
  7. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours for flavours to develop.
Notes
Sausage casings can be bought on-line or from your butcher.

This recipe yields approximately 20 sausages

Keywords : Italian sausages with chillies

Image: Steven Depolo / CC BY 2.0 / via Flikr

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