Serves 4-6


Ingredients:

500g spaghetti or vermicelli
2 bunches baby onions
1 tbsp olive oil
4 rashers bacon, chopped
2 tsp plain flour
1 cup (250ml) light chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup (125ml) white wine
1 cup (160g) shelled fresh peas
freshly ground black pepper
fresh oregano sprigs, optional, to garnish


Method:

1. Add the pasta to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain well in a colander, then return to the pan. While the pasta is cooking, trim the outer skins and ends from the baby onions, leaving only a small section of the green stem attached.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based deep pan. Add the chopped bacon and the trimmed onions and stir over low heat for 4 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle the flour lightly over the top and stir for 1 minute.
3. Combine the stock and wine in a jug and add them to the onion and bacon mixture; increase the heat and bring to the boil. Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions and peas are just tender.
4. Grind the black pepper onto the sauce. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss gently to combine. Serve in warmed pasta bowls and garnish with fresh herb sprigs, if desired.

Note: Frozen peas may be used if fresh peas are unavailable.

(Spaghetti with clam sauce)

Serves 4


Ingredients:

1kg fresh small clams in shells or 750g canned clams in brine
1 tbsp lemon juice
⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 x 425g canned tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
250g spaghetti


Method:

1. If using fresh clams, clean thoroughly (see Note). Place in a large pan with the lemon juice. Cover the pan and shake over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until the shells open; discard any clams that do not open. Remove the clam flesh from the shell of the opened clams and set aside; discard the empty shells. If using canned clams, drain and rinse well, then set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the undrained, crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the freshly ground black pepper and the clams and stir until heated through.
3. While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pan of water to a rapid boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until just tender; drain thoroughly in a colander and return to the pan. Add the sauce and the chopped parsley and stir gently to combine. Place in a warm serving dish and serve immediately. Caper berries and a slice of lemon peel make an attractive garnish for special occasions.

Note: To clean the clams, any sand and grit needs to be drawn out of the shells. Combine 2 tablespoons each of salt and plain flour with enough water to make a paste. Add to a large bucket or bowl of cold water and soak the clams in this mixture overnight. Drain and scrub the shells well, then rinse thoroughly and drain again.

Serves 4-6


Ingredients:

1 medium onion
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 celery stick
2 tbsp olive oil
500g very ripe cooking tomatoes
½ cup (125ml) water
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g spaghetti
fresh herb sprigs, optional, to garnish


Method:

1. Chop the onion, carrot and celery. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, then add the onion, carrot and celery. Cover the pan and cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally, taking care not to let the vegetables colour (this procedure is known as 'sweating' and brings out the flavour of the vegetables).
2. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the vegetables, then add the water, parsley and sugar. Bring the sauce to the boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and freshly grouns black pepper. If the sauce becomes too thick, add ½-¾ cup extra water until the required consistency is reached.
3. About 15 minutes before serving time, add the spaghetti to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until tender. Drain thoroughly in a colander and return to the pan. Pour about two-thirds of the sauce over the pasta and gently toss until combined. Serve in warmed bowls or on a platter. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs, if desired. The remaining sauce can be served in a jug at the table.

Note: The sauce in this recipe is typical of the traditional tomato sauces of Naples. It may be reduced down to a very thick, concentrated version by cooking for a longer period. Store in the refrigerator and add water or stock to thin the sauce, if necessary, the next time you use it.

(Spaghetti with capers, olives & anchovies)

Serves 4-6


Ingredients:

500g spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
¼-½ tsp chilli flakes or powder
2 x 425g can tomatoes, crushed
1 tbsp capers
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
3 tbsp black olives
black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Method:

1. Add the spaghetti to a large pan of rapidly boiling water. Cook the pasta until just tender, then drain in a colander and return to the pan and keep warm.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan. Add the garlic, parsley and chilli flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute over medium heat.
3. Add the undrained, crushed tomatoes (see Note) to the pan, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
4. Add the capers, anchovies and olives and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minutes. Season to taste with the black pepper and stir to combine. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss gently until the sauce is evenly distributed. Serve immediately in warm pasta bowls, garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Note: One way of crushing tomatoes is to leave them in the can and chop them with a pair of kitchen scissors. Otherwise, drain them, reserve juice, and chop on a board. You may use fettucine instead of spaghetti, if desired, in this recipe.

Serves 4-6


Ingredients:

12 mussels, beards removed, scrubbed

Tomato sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
425g can tomatoes, crushed
½ cup (125ml) white wine
1 tsp sugar
pinch cayenne pepper

¼ cup (60ml) white wine, extra
¼ cup (60ml) fish stock
1 clove garlic, extra, crushed
30g butter
125g small calamari tubes, sliced
125g boneless white fish fillets, cut into cubes
200g raw medium prawns, shelled and deveined
½ cup (30g) fresh parsley, chopped
200g can clams, drained
375g spaghetti


Method:

1. Soak the cleaned mussels for 2 hours in cold water, then remove and discard any opened or damaged mussels.
2. To make the Tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a medium pan. Add the onion and carrot and stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned. Add the chilli, garlic, tomatoes, ½ cup white wine, sugar and cayenne pepper and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, heat the extra ¼ cup wine, the stock and extra garlic in a large pan, then add the unopened mussels. Cover the pan and shake it over high heat for around 3-5 minutes. After 3 minutes, start removing any opened mussels and set them aside. After 5 minutes, discard any unopened mussels and reserve the wine mixture.
4. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the calamari rings, fish and prawns; stir-fry for 2 minutes, and then set aside and keep warm. Add the reserved wine mixture, mussels, calamari, fish, prawns, parsley and clams to the tomato sauce and reheat gently just prior to serving time. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water until tender, then drain well in a colander. Gently combine the sauce with the pasta and serve at once.

Note: Delicious tomato sauces are a traditional part of Italian cooking and they are often combined, as in this dish, with other food. Take care not to overcook the seafood as it toughens the longer it is cooked.

Serves 4


Ingredients:

500g spaghetti
1.5kg mussels in the shell
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup (125ml) white wine
1 cup (250ml) cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method:

1. Add the spaghetti to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain and keep warm. While the pasta is cooking, remove and discard the beards from the mussels; wash mussels well and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pan; add the garlic and stir over low heat for 30 seconds.
2. Add the wine and mussels. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, then remove mussels, discarding those that do not open.
3. Add the cream and basil to the pan; season. Simmer for 2 minutes. Serve sauce and mussels over the spaghetti.

Serves 4


Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
250g beef or veal mince
2 x 425g can tomatoes
½ cup (125ml) red wine
1 tbsp chopped capers
½ tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp dried basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
500g spaghetti
fresh herb sprigs, optional, to garnish


Method:

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan. Add the garlic and stir over low heat for 1 minute. Add the mince and brown well, breaking up any lumps with a fork as it cooks.
2. Add the undrained, crushed tomatoes, wine, capers, marjoram, basil, and salt and pepper to the pan; bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, incovered, for 20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the parsley to the pan and stir to combine.
3. While the sauce is cooking, add the pasta to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain in a colander and return to the pan. Add the sauce to the pan and toss until well mixed. Serve immediately with the herb sprigs, if desired.

(Spaghetti with creamy egg and bacon sauce)

Serves 4-6


Ingredients:

8 rashers bacon
500g spaghetti
4 eggs
½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1¼ cup (315ml) cream
freshly ground black pepper
fresh herb sprigs, optional, to garnish


Method:

1. Remove and discard the bacon rind, then cut the bacon into thin strips. Place in a heavy-based pan and cook over medium heat until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
2. Add the pasta to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain well in a colander, return to pan and keep warm.
3. Beat the eggs, cheese and cream in a bowl, then add the bacon. Pour over the hot pasta in the pan and toss gently until well combined.
4. Return pan to heat and cook over very low heat for ½-1 minute, or until slightly thickened. Serve seasoned with pepper and garnished with herb sprigs.

Serves 4-6


Ingredients:

¼ cup (7g) parsley sprigs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
500g beef mince
2 cups (500ml) beef stock
1½ cups (375ml) red wine
2 x 425g cans crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
500g spaghetti
2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese, to serve


Method:

1. Chop the parsley very finely and set aside. Heat the oil in a large deep pan. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes over low heat until the vegetables are golden.
2. Increase the heat, add the mince and brown well, stirring and breaking up any lumps with a fork as it cooks. Add the stock, wine, undrained crushed tomatoes, sugar and chopped parsley.
3. Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.
4. While the sauce is cooking and shortly before serving time, add the pasta to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain well in a colander, and then place in warm serving bowls. Pour the sauce over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Note: This famous and much-loved sauce came originally from the city of Bologna. It is delicious with many types of pasta -- try it with your favourite noodles or as one of the layers in a lasagne.