Orecchiette with Kale and Spicy Pangrattato

Sometimes known as ‘poor man’s parmesan’, and sprinkled on many pasta dishes, pangrattato is Italian for fried breadcrumbs. In this recipe, the pangrattato gives an added kick to a classic rustic pasta dish with the addition of spicy chilli and garlic.

What you'll need

For the orecchiette with kale 

• 350g orecchiette pasta
• 40ml olive oil
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 250g kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped

For the spicy pangrattato

• 30ml olive oil
• 150g sourdough bread, or any crusty bread, a few days old is best
• 1 red chilli, very finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 What to do

1. For the pangrattato, blitz the bread in a food processor until fine crumbs are formed.

2. Add the olive oil, chilli and garlic to a large frying pan and set over a medium heat. Tip in the breadcrumbs and stir to coat then cook, stirring constantly to ensure the breadcrumbs toast evenly, for about 8 - 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasty. Tip onto a baking tray lined with kitchen paper and set aside.

3. Place a pot of boiling, salted water over a high heat and cook the orecchiette according to the packet instructions.

4. In a large frying pan add the olive oil, anchovy fillets and garlic and heat, slowly, until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovies have broken down. Add the chilli flakes, kale and cook for about 5 minutes, until the kale has wilted.

5. Add in the cooked orecchiette along with a ladleful of the pasta cooking water and toss to emulsify everything and coat the pasta.

6. Serve in pasta bowls sprinkled with the pangrattato.

Baby Gem Chopped Salad with Grated Pecorino, Spiced Bread Crumbs and Simple Caesar Dressing

It’s the crunchy crumbs that take this to a new level and they keep really well so try making double or even triple the recipe and keeping the rest in a sealed container for up to a week to sprinkle on top of your pasta, salads or even sprinkled over your morning bacon and eggs!

What you'll need

 For the salad 

• 4 baby gem, quartered then cut in wedges on the diagonal
• 40g pecorino, coarsely grated
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the caesar dressing

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp greek or natural yoghurt
• 3 anchovies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1-2 dashes of worcestershire sauce
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 15g parmesan, finely grated

For the spiced breadcrumbs

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 20g unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• ¼  tsp hot smoked paprika
• Finely grated zest of a lemon
• 60g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

 What to do

1. Put the baby gem and pecorino into a large serving bowl.

2. Blend all the ingredients for the dressing together, season to taste and set aside.

3. For the spiced breadcrumbs, heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, paprika, lemon zest and breadcrumbs, toss to combine and fry until golden and crispy. Tip into a bowl and toss with the parsley.

4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad leaves and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and serve.

Self Saucing Blackberry & Lemon Pudding

The tartness of the blackberries (which can be fresh or frozen) and zing of the lemons in this warming pudding are offset by the sweet, fluffy sponge mix. The perfect comforting finale to a family Sunday lunch.

Serves: 4-6

Time: 50 minutes

What you'll need

• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 180g caster sugar
• 3 medium free range eggs, separated
• Lemon, finely grated zest and juice
• 50ml apple juice
• 50g plain flour
• 250ml whole milk
• 200g fresh blackberries
• Icing sugar, to dust

 What to do

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the butter with the caster sugar - it will sort of look like breadcrumbs - then gradually beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
3. Add the lemon juice to a measuring jug, and pour in enough of the apple juice to bring the total quantity of liquid to 100ml. Pour this into the large bowl and beat in with the lemon zest, flour and milk.
4. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks but are not stiff and fold these into the batter.
5. Scatter the blackberries into a 1 litre ovenproof dish and stand it in a deep roasting tin. Pour the batter over the top of the blackberries then pour just boiled water around the sides of the dish into the roasting tin so it comes halfway up the side. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the sponge is set. Allow it to stand for a few minutes then dust with icing sugar and serve.