Chef Theo Randall is offering a selection of classic Italian pasta recipes ideal for summer dining. These dishes emphasize fresh, seasonal ingredients and are designed to be both delicious and relatively simple to prepare.
Among the featured recipes is Spaghettoni with Swordfish, Mint, and Courgettes. This dish combines thick spaghetti with tender swordfish, thinly sliced courgettes, and fresh mint, finished with white wine and pangrattato (fried breadcrumbs). Randall notes that fresh tuna can be substituted for swordfish if needed, and that the mint adds a unique flavor.
Another summer-appropriate recipe is Casarecce with Pistachio Pesto. This dish utilizes pistachios, a product abundant in Sicily, blended into a pesto with basil, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese. The casarecce pasta shape is highlighted for its ability to capture the sauce.
For those who prefer seafood, Randall presents Spaghettoni with Fresh Sardines, Pine Nuts, and Fried Breadcrumbs, a dish inspired by his experience in Palermo. It features lightly cooked sardines, pine nuts, sultanas, and saffron, tossed with spaghettoni and topped with pangrattato.
Red Prawn Linguine is also on the menu, utilizing the rich flavor from the shells of red prawns or large tiger prawns to create a stock for the sauce. The dish is finished with flat-leaf parsley and extra virgin olive oil.
Fettuccine Amatriciana is presented with a focus on traditional ingredients: guanciale, tomato passata, and pecorino romano. Randall suggests using good-quality pancetta if guanciale is unavailable, and emphasizes cooking the fettuccine al dente before combining it with the sauce.
Mezze Maniche with Smoked Prosciutto, Pistachio, and Cream offers a creamy sauce made with speck, onion, and a pistachio pesto. The mezze maniche pasta shape is noted for its ability to hold the sauce within its tubes.
Risotto Primavera is described as a dish that celebrates the arrival of spring vegetables like asparagus and peas. A purée of blanched vegetables is incorporated into the risotto to give it a creamy texture and vibrant green color.
Tagliatelle with Clams, Mussels, Prawns, and Squid, known as Pasta allo Scoglio, is a popular coastal Italian dish. This version features fresh tagliatelle tossed with a medley of shellfish and squid, with the mussel and clam juices forming the base of the sauce.
Finally, Pesto alla Trapanese, a Sicilian variation of pesto, uses almonds instead of pine nuts and incorporates fresh tomatoes for a lighter flavor. It is recommended to be served with fusilli or busiate pasta, shapes that effectively hold the sauce.
These recipes are featured in Randall's book, "The Italian Table," published by Quadrille. The book is available for purchase through the Mail Shop.