Lots of families enjoy visiting Italian restaurants – after all, it’s hard to beat a good bowl of pasta or a pizza.
Lockdown is a good opportunity to introduce youngsters to the delights of making Italian food at home.
The pizza recipe comes from Lynne Carledge, who runs Kids in the Kitchen Aberdeen, which offers cookery classes for youngsters.
The Bagna recipe comes from Giovanna Eusebi, of Eusebi Deli in Glasgow, who said: “The sharing starter of Bagna cauda is a fondue-style dish and easy to prepare, served warm and used as a dip for vegetables or bread.”
The pasta recipe comes from one of my own favourite kids’ cookbooks – Kids in the Kitchen by Hamlyn.
Homemade pizzas
Ingredients – makes four
500g white bread flour
½tbsp salt
7g easy bake yeast
½tbsp caster sugar
300g grated cheese
325ml lukewarm water
500g passata (a thick tomato sauce)
Chopped peppers/tomatoes/mushrooms for topping
The method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
- Add yeast and sugar to the water.
- Put flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre.
- Add the water mix to the flour and salt. Using a fork, slowly bring the flour into the inner edge of the well and mix until it looks like thick porridge.
- Keep mixing, bringing in all the flour.
- When the dough comes together, flour your hands and pat the dough into a ball.
- Knead for 10 minutes.
- Place it in a lightly-greased bowl, cover with cling film and let it double in size (45 minutes).Divide the dough into four balls, flour and cover with clingfilm for about 15 minutes.
- Roll into whichever shape you want then place on an oiled baking sheet.
- Cover the pizza base with passata.
- Top with grated cheese and peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms.
- Bake for around 10 minutes.
Visit www.kidsinthekitchenaberdeen.co.uk for more information.
Pasta with tomato and red pepper sauce
Ingredients – serves two adults and two children
- 1 onion
- 1 x 400g jar of red pimientos (peppers)
- 5 pieces of sun-dried tomatoes
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 200g pasta (shapes, linguine or spaghetti)
- 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 150ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 2tsp caster sugar
- 3tbsp double cream (optional)
- A little grated Parmesan cheese
- A few basil leaves
The method
- Peel and cut the onion into small pieces.
- Crush the garlic; drain the pimientos and cut into small squares.
- Thinly slice the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Heat the oil in a small pan.
- Add the onion, fry for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a separate pan, cook the pasta as per the packet instructions.
- Add the pimientos, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic to the onion.
- Fry for two minutes then add the tinned tomatoes, stock and sugar.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Drain the pasta into a colander, then tip back into the pan.
- Pour over the sauce and stir.
- At this stage, add the cream, if using.
- Toss together, then spoon into bowls.
- Top with some Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.
Bagna cauda
Ingredients – serves four
- 200ml extra virgin olive oil
- 12 brown anchovy fillets
- 300ml full fat milk
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- Crudites for dipping (eg raw carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli or even chunky bread)
The method
- Slowly bring the anchovies, garlic and milk to the boil.
- Once brought up to temperature, take off the heat and blitz until the mixture is smooth.
- Whilst still blitzing the mixture, slowly add in the oil.
- Serve immediately with the crudities.
Visit leusebideli.com for more recipes.