Tag Archive for 'primi'

Pasta with cavolo nero, ricotta and pancetta

Published by Lucina, on 21 gennaio 2016 in English Recipes and pasta. 0 Comments Tags: , , .
pasta with cavolo nero, ricotta and pancetta

pasta with cavolo nero, ricotta and pancetta

Can you believe that now you can buy cavolo nero (literally: black cabbage) here in the North of England? For those who don’t know what it is: it’s a cabbage with a longish, knobbly, blackish  sort of leaf, very common in Tuscany. I confess I had never cooked with it before but apparently it’s packed full of minerals and vitamins and really good for you. I made this simple pasta dish not so long ago and was really quite pleased with it. Mind you, I made the mistake of not getting rid of the woody stalk which of the cabbage which was rather hard and chewy. Next time I would only use the leaves. I found the recipe on the Giallo zafferano blog. Continue reading ‘Pasta with cavolo nero, ricotta and pancetta’

Venere rice with courgette and prawns

Published by Lucina, on 4 febbraio 2015 in English Recipes and rice. 2 Comments Tags: , , .
Venere rice with courgettes and prawns

Venere rice with courgettes and prawns

If you have never come across this unusual rice let me enlighten you. Venere rice is a black/purply wholegrain rice which has only relatively recently become known. Originally from China, it is now cultivated in Italy too. Would you believe it was served at the Emperor’s of China court? Apparently it was called the forbidden rice as it was said to be a potent aphrodisiac (hence its name. Venere- Venus in English- was the goddess of love). Well, I can’t pronounce myself on that alleged property but what I will say is that it’s got a very interesting look and texture! AND it would seem it is rich in essential amino acids, fibre, phosphorous and Vitamin B5 and is full of minerals like calcium, iron, zinc and selenium. It has a high content of anthocyanins which are powerful antioxidants. So it would seem this amazing black  rice is very good for your health AND your love life! :-) Unfortunately it is not widely available  here in the UK. I managed to buy a packet in a wholefood shop in London but I have never seen it up North. In Italy, however, you can buy it in any well stocked supermarket. The recipe I am blogging seems to be well known as there are many on the web. I really enjoyed its nutty, unusual flavour and I thought the combination of prawns and courgettes worked really well. Continue reading ‘Venere rice with courgette and prawns’