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Anna and Sara's family recipes

In Italy, our grandmothers (Nonna) and mums (Mamma) used to cook without any kind of measurement, if you asked Nonna for a recipe, she would easily say to you “You have to put in a bit of this and a bit of that”, and you never knew exactly how much “a bit” was, unless your passion and taste for cooking was really inside you and you had the opportunity to cook beside someone who had that gift. 

We remember that we used to ask: “Nonna, how much is a bit of salt? How many grams?”

Our Nonna’s answer would always be the same: “I have no idea! A bit is a bit… just enough.”

Eventually you’d learn to cook that way, following your inner gut, but it is really something that you have to have inside you.

We learned to cook that way, but in this little book we have tried to write down a few recipes that you can use and be satisfied with, to obtain a delicious and tasty Italian meal like our Nonna would have prepared.

Our wish for you is that you enjoy cooking these recipes and always remember that love is the secret ingredient of any recipe in the world.

When you love someone, you cook for them, you nourish them, you help them grow, you take care of them…this is a pure act of love. 

Have fun!  Buon divertimento!

Anna and Sara  

What we offer and what to expect from our classes

Sara's family recipes

Our Family Recipes

Torta Pasqualina di Nonna Milla

( Grandma Maria's Savoury Easter cake)

It is a traditional Ligurian dish that was prepared for Easter, my Nonna used to prepare it with artichokes which in that region are super tasty.

If I close my eyes, I remember every detail of Pasqualina cake, I can even smell the aroma of this savory cake and in less than two seconds it takes me back to when I was a kid again and my mouth starts to water.

This recipe is really something that speaks about the roots of my family and my nonna Milla, who was an exceptional cook and extremely talented.

If she had been born at a different time, she would surely have become an acclaimed chef.

I’m happy to share this recipe with you and I hope you will enjoy cooking it, and I know that you will love it as much as I do.

For the filling.

  • 1 onion
  • 1 kg of silver beet or artichokes (my favorite was with artichokes)
  • 6 eggs
  • chopped marjoram and garlic to taste.
  • 70 g grated parmesan
  • 0.5 kg of prescinseua ( which is a Ligurian cheese, impossible to find here, so just swap it with ricotta cheese)
  • Salt
  • Butter

 

For the dough.

  • 300 gm plain flour
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 135 ml water (warm, but not hot!)
  • Salt

Pour the flour onto a board or your work bench.

Add oil and water to taste.

Knead until you obtain an elastic dough.

Divide into two loaves and grease them with a little oil.

Let them rest covered for 30 minutes.

Prepare the filling.

Wash the silver beet or artichokes, then cut them into thin fillets.

Finely slice the onion.

Pour a little oil into a pan.

Stew the onions with the silver beet or artichokes for 5 minutes.

Leave to cool down.

In a bowl combine the cold silver beet or artichokes and onions with ricotta, two eggs, chopped marjoram and garlic, parmesan, and salt to taste.

Roll out one block of dough as thin as possible.

Place the pastry in a round 24cm diameter greased round oven tray and fill with the prepared filling.

Dig 4 holes in the freshly placed filling at equal distances from each other.

Crack an egg into each hole.

On top of each yolk put a pinch of salt and a dollop of butter.

Roll out the other block of dough equally as thin as the first.

Place it on the pan and roll up the edges, leaving a small flap open to blow air in to inflate the pastry.

Tuck in the dough.

Grease the surface with a drizzle of oil.

Place in the oven at 180° degrees for about 30 minutes.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and pour a drizzle of oil on top of the cake (this will help the typical ripple to form)

Leave to cool and take the cake out of the oven.

Buon appetito! =Enjoy it!

Our Family Recipes

Il Salame di carne e mortadella di Nonna Pea

(Grandma Pea’s mince and mortadella meatloaf)

My grandmother Pea was a big woman with a proud gaze (SGUARDO) and a big heart, she wasn’t an exceptional cook, but she was still a good cook and some of her dishes couldn’t be beaten.

Among these are his Insalata Russa (Russian salad) and Il salame di carne e mortadella (the meat and mortadella salami).

I was torn in choosing which recipe to share with you, but then the meat and mortadella salami won.

Here is the recipe, I am very sure that you will like it and that your children will love it too.

This is one of my comfort foods, one of the dishes that I cook when I need to be cheered up or I want to spoil myself and feel “safe at home”, trust me, I don’t know any other way to say it in words…

  • 400 g mince (beef and pork, or just beef)
  • 100 g Mortadella
  • 30 g Onion
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Milk
  • 1 Egg
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • a bit of Flour to roll the ‘two big meatballs/salami”
  • Extra virgin olive oil (two spoons more or less)
  • 1 ½ glasses dry white wine

Put mortadella, onion, garlic and grated cheese in a mixer and blend until you obtain a creamy result.

Put this creamy mixture into a bowl with the minced meat together with the breadcrumbs, milk, and egg. Add salt, pepper, and mix with your hands until everything is combined.

With wet hands, form two big meat loaves (more like two big salami), then roll them in flour and flatten them slightly.

Heat a non-stick pan with a bit of Extra virgin olive oil, then lay the two big meatloaves/salami into the pan and fry them on both sides until they turn a bit brownish (approx. 2-3 minutes per side). Deglaze with a glass and a half of white wine.

Add a little water, season with salt and pepper, close the lid and finish cooking for approx. 25-30 minutes, taking care to turn the two big meatloaves every now and then and add more water if they dry out too much.

Once cooked, place the two big meatloaves on a plate.

Pour the sauce into a container with high sides and blend everything with an immersion blender, then pour back into the pan, add the meatloaves, heat together for a couple of minutes and serve your “Salame di carne e mortadella” with mashed potatoes or polenta… and don’t forget the bread, it will be used to make the SCARPETTA (= the act of dipping the bread in the sauce and clean the plate, please don’t forget to lick your fingers!!!!)

Our Family Recipes

Torta Serh Gut Emma di Mamma Rita

( Rita’s version of Auntie Emma’s Sehr Gut Cake )

It was very difficult to choose just one recipe from my mum, so I decided to ask my sister and she chose one, I chose another one, but then I added my favorite cake that she often baked for us, because I thought we needed something “sweet” to properly remember her.

 I lost my mother when I was 23 years old, since then, not a single day goes by, for one reason or another, without a thought for her.

She was a very good cook, a cheerful empathic person, always smiling and truly kind to others, looking at her I understood what kind of person I wanted to become. I hope I succeeded and I hope that she is proud of me, but in any case, I know that she is certainly always with me.

These recipes are like hearing John Lennon’s “Woman” read to me and makes me feel a mixture of joy, gratitude and melancholy.

Try these recipes, and If you are a mum or a daughter, I know you are going to add a pinch of special Love to them…

Enjoy cooking them, enjoy every bite.

  • 6 eggs
  • 374 g sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
  • 375 g butter
  • 175 g plain flour
  • 175 g potato starch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Using a mixer, blend the eggs and sugar in a bowl for at least 20 minutes (don’t cheat with the time! It’s essential), then add the sifted flour and two teaspoons of lemon juice. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, gradually add the melted butter (must be very hot).

Pour it into a round cake pan, lined with baking paper and well buttered.

The oven must already be hot at 175 degrees (static oven), bake and cook for 1 hour.

Then look at it, it must rise a lot, look at the color and if necessary, leave it for 5 more minutes in the oven .

Remove from the oven and let cool, remove from the pan only when the cake is very cold.

Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

It’s even better after a day or two… For me the flavor of this cake and its aroma are exactly how I imagine Heaven.

Our Family Recipes

Spaghetti alla Claudio di Mamma Rita

(Rita’s version of our friend Claudio’s spaghetti)

Claudio’s spaghetti is a simple recipe that, if I close my eyes, I can smell and feel the taste of it in my mouth. When I was a child, Claudio was the partner of my mom’s dear friend Gabriella, and I remember him as a big man with a thick, long beard, yet with a gentle soul and a sweet gaze. He worked with leather, and his hands seemed capable of creating anything.

One evening, he cooked his famous spaghetti with this fantastic sauce for us, and I was enchanted by it. At home, I would always ask my mother to cook it for us, and even today, I can still hear her saying, “Again? Aren’t you tired of eating it yet?” It was my favorite and, made by her, it was even more delicious to me, as a kid totally in love with his mom.

Try it; every time I cook it for my guests, they compliment me, and I… smile and look towards the sky, where Claudio and my mom flew too early, as a sign of my gratitude and love.

  • 200 g Pancetta affumicata (bacon is not the same, but you can use it instead of smoked Pancetta)
  • 1 onion
  • 1/2 glass of white wine
  • 150 g Gorgonzola (or creamy blue cheese)
  • 100 g Mascarpone cheese (Aldi’s double cream could be a good substitute)
  • 600/700 ml crushed or diced tomato /passata
  • 50 g grated Parmesan
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Basil leaves
  •  
  • 400-500g spaghetti (to cook in boiling water, as usual, when the sauce is ready)

Heat a tablespoon and a half of extra virgin olive oil in a pan.

Cut the onion and bacon into small cubes.

Fry the onion and bacon for 3 minutes, add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, salt, sugar and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the Gorgonzola and Mascarpone, mix to melt the cheese well.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti, draining them of “al dente” is a must.

Toss the well-drained spaghetti into the pan with the sauce, simmer together for 2/3 minutes, mixing well and then serve. Add the parmesan on top of every plate. Smell the plate and then enjoy!

Our Family Recipes

Caponata di Mamma Rita

(Mum Rita’s Caponata)

Like a lot of children, I didn’t like eating vegetables, but when my mother made Caponata, well then I couldn’t get enough of it. Caponata is a Sicilian recipe that was taught to my mother by Sicilian friends we met during a holiday. We tasted it and fell in love with it, so it became part of our “home recipes.”

I have memories of my mother and grandmother sitting and chatting while they washed, cleaned, and chopped all the vegetables into small pieces. I remember the smell of the eggplants frying in oil, and my mother scolding me because, sneaking by like a little mouse, I would steal the fried vegetables.

I sigh as I write because having lost my mother many years ago, these memories are often a big part of what I have left of our time together, and I realize how precious they are.

Make this recipe as a sweet memory and try preparing it with the help of someone you love. It seems like a complicated and lengthy recipe, and indeed it’s a bit laborious, but it’s worth it because all the effort turns into something truly delicious. Cooking it with someone you love will make it a moment to remember forever.

  • 2 eggplants (large purple)
  • 4 capsicums (red and green)
  • 2 potatoes (medium, if small 3)
  • 150 g celery (inner stalks)
  • 1 onion (medium red = Tropea onion)
  • 350 g cherry tomatoes
  • 100 g green olives (pitted)
  • 30 g pine nuts
  • 30 g raisins
  • 10 g capers
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½  glass vinegar (white wine)
  • Basil, to taste
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • Vegetable oil, to taste (peanut or sunflower)

 

Instruments you need:

Colander

26 cm non-stick pan

30 cm non-stick pan

Vegetable knife

Chopping board

Paring knife

Wooden spoon

Skimmer

Start by washing the eggplants and cutting it into cubes. Place a layer in a colander, distributing a moderate pinch of coarse salt over it.

Repeat the operation until the eggplant cubes are finished. Cover with a saucer topped with a weight and leave like this for about half an hour.

Don’t take too long because the eggplants could absorb too much salt.

Desalt the capers by rinsing them well under running water and then leaving them in a small bowl containing cold water for at least half an hour.

If the capers are in vinegar, wash them and squeeze them a few times.

In a small bowl, soak the raisins in warm water.

Toast the pine nuts in a non-stick pan over medium heat and turn often until golden.

Wash the potatoes and clean them. Cut them into cubes, and place them in a bowl, covering with water until ready to fry.

This operation will prevent the potatoes from becoming dark and will also cause them to lose part of their starch, allowing for crispier fried foods.

Wash and clean the capsicum, removing the peduncle and the point where it is attached, the seeds and the internal filaments.

Cut it into small pieces

Clean the tender stalks of the celery by removing the leaves and the external covering of the stem, which is stringy by nature.

Blanch the pieces of celery for 5 minutes in boiling water, then drain them.

If you want a less intense flavor than pitted green olives, blanch them too for 5 minutes and then drain them. They can be cut in two, but it is better to cut four parts from an olive.

After washing the cherry tomatoes, cut them into small pieces.

Also cut the onion into small pieces.

Place a not too large non-stick pan on the heat with plenty of seed oil.

When you immerse the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and many bubbles form all around it, it will be ready for frying.

Rinse the eggplant well, removing all the salt and after drying them with a clean kitchen towel, pour them into the oil.

Once fried, place the eggplant on absorbent paper.

Then fry the capsicum after dabbing them with a cloth. When ready, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper.

If you want, the peppers can be fried in the same oil as the eggplant.

To fry potatoes, however, I recommend changing the oil, as the potatoes would absorb the odors released by previous frying.

For healthy fried food, it is also good practice to change the oil often to avoid keeping it at high temperatures for a long time.

Before frying, the potatoes should also be dried well with a cloth and, after frying, they should be placed on absorbent paper.

Once all the various ingredients have been prepared, you can move on to the actual making of the caponata.

In a large non-stick pan, fry the onion in extra virgin olive oil, add the celery, and cook until the onion and celery are golden and soft.

To limit the use of oil, at this stage I usually add a few tablespoons of water to make a more delicate sauce.

Then add the olives, capers, toasted pine nuts and raisins, let them flavor for a few minutes, and lightly salt.

Be careful when adding salt because, since this dish contains savory ingredients such as capers and olives, the risk of a final dish that is a little too tasty is always around the corner.

Better to proceed with caution, tasting as you go.

Add the tomatoes and cook for about five minutes or a little more, until everything is well flavored, cooked and there is no liquid in the bottom.

Add the eggplant, capsicum, fried potatoes and basil, stir.

Taste and adjust the salt if needed, add half a glass of white wine vinegar for cooking and a good spoonful of sugar.

Allow the vinegar to evaporate for a few minutes, stirring.

 The caponata with potatoes is now ready.

It’s quite a procedure, but the time you spend it is totally worth it, the caponata will be ready to eat, but much better in the following days.

Anna's family recipes

Our Family Recipes

Pasta e fagioli

( Bean Soup)

This dish is one that my father would often ask my mother to prepare because it reminded him of his humble origins. It’s the quintessential peasant food, a hearty dish that speaks to the soul as it encapsulates all the flavours of the land, a harsh place where my grandparents back in southern Italy raised a family and instilled a rigid and strong work ethic. To come home to such a substantial and filling dish after a long and tiring day working in the fields was just what they needed and for me, it’s almost a winter comfort food that I turn to frequently.  I never met my maternal grandmother, but I carry her name and my cousins in Italy tell me I am very much like her.  I like to think that she watches over me whenever I prepare the dish my father so loved.

  • 400gm of dried borlotti beans
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 2 small onions or better still, 5-6 spring onions complete with stalks
  • 1 medium fresh tomato
  • 2-3 tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Soak the beans overnight in cold water.

In the morning, drain and rinse the beans.

Add beans to a large pot / saucepan together with the chopped celery, onions, tomato and olive oil. Cover with water, ensuring there is at least 1 ½ litres.

Bring to the boil then lower the heat and allow to simmer, covered, for at least two hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Served in my house traditionally with elbow shaped pasta and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Our Family Recipes

Passata di fave secche - ''Maco''

( Velvety broad Bean Soup)

This recipe, together with the next three, all hold very fond memories of Silvio.  He was an exceptional cook and prepared all of his dishes following the maxim “a dish must always be well balanced”.  I hear his voice in my head whenever I improvise or try and embellish an already complex or structured dish. Everything served a purpose in his dishes. Every ingredient held its own space and reason for being and everything contributed to the final product.  This “passata”, a velvety pureè of broad beans, is an example of that. All the ingredients come together to create an explosion of flavour with its creamy texture.  I love it so much, and again it’s a staple autumn dish in my….in our kitchen. From us to you!

  • 500 gms dried broad beans, skins on
  • 1 stalk of celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large onion or a small bunch of spring onions, complete with stems – coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium tomato, quartered
  • 3-4 tabs extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt & pepper – to taste

Soak the broad beans in cold water overnight.

In the morning, peel off the skin discarding any that you cannot as they will still be hard.
Add the peeled broad beans and all the other ingredients, except the salt and pepper, to a large pot and cover with cold water ensuring there is at least 1 /12-2 litres.

Bring to the boil and then lower the flame, gently simmering until the broad beans begin to become soft and they break up as you stir the pot.

When done, blitz the contents of the pot with a stick blender or use a food processor to liquidise the soup.  It should be a rather thick soup consistency.

If it is still a little too liquid or runny, return the blended mixture back onto a medium heat and allow to come to a rolling boil where it will remain until it thickens.

You can now add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toasted bread croutons and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

When done, blitz the contents of the pot with a stick blender or use a food processor to liquidise the soup.  It should be a rather thick soup consistency.

If it is still a little too liquid or runny, return the blended mixture back onto a medium heat and allow to come to a rolling boil where it will remain until it thickens.

You can now add salt and pepper to taste. Seve with toasted bread croutons and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Our Family Recipes

Spaghetti alla ''Pirata''

(The Pirate's Spaghetti)

I first met Silvio during the summer of 1994 and being on the Tuscan coastline, fish was always a huge component of his dishes.  I never ate fish before I met him; he often said it was because I had never eaten it cooked in the right way and he was so right. I learnt the art and the tricks necessary to prepare and serve so many Tuscan seafood delicacies that now, if I have a choice, I will always choose fish over meat, hand down.  This recipe, The Pirate’s spaghetti, was his compromise and enticement which allowed me to gain an appreciation for mussels, which I would always refuse to eat. He cleverly hid them amongst all the other ingredients and that way they too served their purpose in the dish.  I am sure he was trying to trick me into eating them, and it worked every time! Enjoy!

(much like our Italian Nonnas, this dish has no specific fish ingredients but is borne out of whatever is available at the fishmonger on the day you decide to prepare it. You can add or take away according to your own tastes but this is our basis)

  • 500 gm mussels, in their shell
  • 250gm fresh clams or pipis – rigorously no sand, in their shell
  • 250gm calamari, cut into small rings, include the tentacles.
  • 250gm fresh octopus, cut into smallish pieces
  • 250gm fresh prawns or shrimp, (we used them unshelled but you can use the cleaned version if you don’t want to get your fingers dirty – but to me, that’s half the fun)
  • 250gm mantis shrimp – if you have the good fortune of finding these, they add a world of flavour, cut down the middle length ways for approx. ¾ of the length
  • 200gm scallops, no shell
  • 2 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ a glass of dry white wine
  • 300gm of fresh chopped tomatoes, peeled or a punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved.
  • Salt and chilli to taste.

Scrub your mussels well, eliminating all the excess sea grass and place into a pot where you will add cold water to cover them.

Bring to the boil and when the mussels begin to open, drain off, keeping some of the water to one side.

Do the same with the clams or pipis.

In a large frying pan add 3-4 tablespoons of oil and the finely chopped garlic. (If you don’t like a strong garlic flavour, you can simply peel the garlic and add it whole to the pan, eliminating just before serving.

DO NOT ALLOW THE GARLIC TO BURN.

Add the calamari and octopus and allow to sauté lightly 5 or 6 minutes. Add the scallops and allow to sauté another 3-4 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and allow to evaporate.

Add the remaining fish in no particular order and mix well.

Add the tomato, season to taste, also adding the chilli if you like a little heat.  Add a generous dusting of chopped parsley and cover, allowing to simmer for approx. ½ an hour.

Bring your salted water to the boil and cook your spaghetti “al dente”.

Drain off the cooked pasta and toss into the pan, stirring into the fish mixture.  If it is a little dry, you can add a few spoons of the liquid from either the mussels or the pipis, taking care not to disturb the sand which will have settled to the bottom of the water.

Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, as you “toss” or mix your spaghetti in the pan. This will allow the paste to release its starch and create a velvet consistency which will coat the pasta nicely.

Finish with a good sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and serve, distributing the fish evenly among the serving plates. Buon appetito!

Our Family Recipes

Spezzatino con le patate in bianco di Silvio

(Silvio’s hearty white meat stew with potatoes)

My husband wasn’t a fan of heavy tomato based dishes; in fact when we met and I cooked for the first time, I made the dishes I had learnt from my mother, who learnt to cook to make my father happy. Her repertoire was almost entirely based around recipes which always had the addition of either thick tomato passata or tomato pureè.  Silvio quickly informed me that if we were going to get along  I needed to modify my culinary techniques to exclude the colour red.  This dish was one of his favourites and one which I mastered well……after all the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right?

  • 500gms lean, diced pork
  • 500 gms diced beef (chuck beef, gravy beef whatever your butcher suggests for a slow cook)
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • A stick of celery, fine chopped
  • 3 or 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into large cubes
  • ½ glass of dry white wine
  • 5-6 bay leaves
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • 3-4 tabs extra virgin olive oil

In a large saucepan, better if terracotta, add the oil, onion and celery, and lightly sauté.

Add the two meats and continue to brown, approx 10 minutes.

Deglaze with the white wine and allow to evaporate.

Add the bay leaves, season to taste and cover the meat with cold water.

Bring to the boil then lower the heat and allow to gently simmer about an hour, until the meat is tender when you insert a fork into a piece.

At this point, add the potatoes.  If the pot is a little dry add a small amount of water, approximately 1 glass, enough liquid to allow the potatoes to cook another 30 minutes or so.

Your stew will be done when the potatoes just begin to break apart.

Serve with toasted slices of crusty bread and a garnish of sage leaves or rosemary. Accompany with a glass of good red wine (It was the only colour red I was allowed to keep!)

Our Family Recipes

Il Biancomare

(literally: The White Sea)

My love for the sea came from my time spent on the Etruscan Coast, in a gorgeous little seaside town called San Vincenzo, very popular during the summer months with people from all over who either make their way to Elba or drop in and holiday on our lovely shores.

It is only natural that Silvio would have a special pasta dish, which captures the essence of the sea and summer and Biancomare is just that:  a delicate creamy cheese sauce which generously coats freshly opened clams and is topped off with beautifully aromatic basil. If I close my eyes, I can hear the waves in my heart and taste the scent of  this summertime dish.

  • 500 gm fresh live clams or pipis – rigorously no sand, in their shell
  • 350gm cream cheese sauce (if you cannot find a good quality mixed cheese sauce you can make your own – recipe below)
  • A bunch of fresh basil
  • 3-4 tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste.

 

NB:  homemade creamy cheese sauce – if you cannot find one at your local grocery store

In a double boiler add:

  • 50 gms of sweet gorgonzola cheese
  • 50 gms grated parmesan cheese
  • 50 gms grated swiss cheese
  • 50 gms fontina ( or another sweet cheese of your choice – not a problem if you cannot find the fourth cheese)
  • 200 ml fresh pouring cream

 

Melt gently over a low heat until the cheeses are amalgamated.

 

Clams should be deprived of their sand by placing a deep plate upside down in a large bowl and placing the clams on top of it.

Cover with water and add 4 handfuls of coarse or rock salt.  Allow to sit for half a day (better if overnight) and if the clams are still alive, with the salt water they will spit the sand out.  It’s quite funny to watch if you catch them!

When your clams have finished de-sanding themselves, rinse them well and place in a pot of cold water. Bring to the boil and when the clams begin to open, drain off, keeping some of the water to one side.

In a large frying pan, add the olive oil, creamy cheese sauce, the clams and half the basil leaves, roughly hand torn NEVER chopped.

Allow to warm through, mixing lightly to coat the clams.

Bring your salted water to the boil and cook your spaghetti “al dente”.

Drain off the cooked pasta and toss into the pan, stirring into the creamy mixture.  You can add a few spoons of the liquid from the clams, taking care not to disturb the sand which will have settled to the bottom of the water.

Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, as you “toss” or mix your spaghetti in the pan. This will allow the paste to release its starch and create a velvet consistency which will coat the pasta nicely.

Finish with the remaining freshly hand torn basil and serve, distributing the shellfish evenly among the serving plates. Summer on a plate – enjoy!