Jamie Oliver's tuna fettuccine and mozzarella bread
It’s been 25 years since Jamie first learnt to make fresh pasta - and the love affair continues. Now he’s back from a special journey through Italy, and he’s in our kitchen ready to share a thing or two he’s learnt from the Italian nonnas he met along the way.
Jamie joins us with tales of his recent culinary adventure, which you can catch on Channel 4, and to talk about his accompanying new book Jamie Cooks Italy.
Jamie's tuna fettuccine
Jamie says: Cooking with Maria, the only fisherwoman on the island of Procida, just a stone’s throw away from Naples, inspired this dish. I love the way she uses pecorino as a seasoning, which is contrary to the ‘no cheese and fish’ rule, while the crushed almonds give texture, creaminess and depth of flavour. To make this recipe sing like Pavarotti, you really need baby or crunchy courgettes, so it’s best made in the summer.
Recipe taken from Jamie Cooks Italy
Serves: 4
Calories: 581kcal, Fat 23.3g, Sat Fat 4.5g, Protein 34g, Carbs 62.9g, Sugar 8.6g, Salt 0.8g, Fibre 3.7g
Ingredients
50g whole almonds1 small onion2 cloves of garlic4 anchovy fillets in oilOlive oil300g dried fettucine or linguine4 baby courgettes, with flowers300g yellowfin tuna1 x 400g tin of quality cherry tomatoes1 lemon30g pecorino cheeseExtra virgin olive oil
Method
Lightly toast the almonds in a large frying pan on a medium heat, then tip into a pestle and mortar, leaving the pan on the heat. Peel the onion and garlic, finely chop with the anchovies and add to the pan with 2 tbsp olive oil. Fry for 4 minutes, stirring regularly.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Slice the courgette ½ cm thick, reserving the flowers, chop the tuna into rough 1cm dice, then stir both into the frying pan. Scrunch in the tomatoes through your clean hands, squeeze over the lemon juice and leave to tick away, stirring regularly. Finely grate the pecorino. Pound the almonds until fine.
Once cooked, use tongs to drag the pasta straight into the frying pan, letting some starchy cooking water go with it. Toss together, then turn the heat off, tear in the courgette flowers and toss in the pecorino and most of the almonds. Check the seasoning, loosen with an extra splash of cooking water, if needed, and serve, sprinkled with the remaining almonds, finished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Jamie's mozzarella bread
Taken from Jamie Cooks Italy
Serves: 12
Calories: 345 kcal, Fat 18.1g, Sat Fat 5.1g, Protein 14.4g, Carbs 31.7g, Sugar 0.9g, Salt 1.5g, Fibre 1.3g
Ingredients
4 tbsp baby capers in brine500g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting1 x 7g sachet of dried yeastOlive oil250g large green olives (stone in)1 big bunch of fresh oregano or thyme (60g), ideally the flowering kind60g Parmesan cheeseExtra virgin olive oil2 tbsp white wine vinegar2 x 125g balls of buffalo mozzarella cheese200g scamorza (smoked mozzarella cheese)
Method
Soak the capers in a bowl of water. Put the flour and 5g of sea salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the yeast into 300ml lukewarm water, then gradually pour it into the well, stirring and bringing in the flour from the outside to form a dough. Knead on a flour-dusted surface for 10 minutes, or until smooth and springy. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean damp tea towel and prove in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, destone the olives then pound with the drained capers, half the oregano leaves and a pinch of sea salt in a pestle and mortar until you have a rough paste. Finely grate in the parmesan, add a couple of pinches of black pepper, then muddle in 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and the vinegar.
On a flour-dusted surface, pull or roll up the dough out to a rectangle about 30cm x 60cm. Spread the smashed-up olive mixture all over the dough, then randomly tear over the mozzarella and scamorza. Starting from one of the longest sides, roll it up into a giant sausage. Lightly oil a large baking dish or ovenproof pan and dust with a little flour, then either use your hands to squeeze and tear the dough or cut it into rough 5cm pieces, placing them swirl side up in the pan. Poke the remaining oregano sprigs in and around, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Leave to prove for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 200C.
Gently place the dish in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden. Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before tucking in.