Slow Food

The Slow Food movement was founded by Carlo Petrini in 1989 following a demonstration for an intended McDonald’s restaurant at the Spanish Steps in Rome.

Petrini envisioned a movement that meant people could access and enjoy food that was good for themselves, the growers and the planet as well as preventing the disappearance of local food cultures and counteracting the fast pace of life and people’s diminishing interest in the food they ate.

We invite you to clear your next Sunday schedule and to dedicate a day to some slow food Italian cooking inspired by the heritage of Carlo Petrini.

Mangia, mangia, mangia!

Slow Food MenU & recipes

Aperitif: Negroni Sbagliato
Antipasti: Malfatti al pomodoro
Primi: Tagliolini con zucchine e menta
Dolce: Torta della Nonna
Digestif: Amaro Montenegro

Malfatti al pomodoro

Ingredients

MALFATTI

250g of ricotta, drained overnight in a sieve lined with muslin cloth
500g of spinach
1 egg
50g of flour
50g of semolina flour
70g of Parmesan, finely grated
1 pinch of nutmeg
salt

TOMATO SAUCE

400g of tinned tomatoes (Mutti Polpa finely chopped tomatoes works well)
1 onion, small
2 garlic cloves
Salt

Method

To make the malfatti, wilt the spinach down with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Transfer to a sieve and allow to cool.
Once cool, squeeze out as much water as you can from the spinach, then finely chop.
Place the ricotta in a mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix well until everything is evenly incorporated.
Roll the mixture into neat 4cm balls using your hands.
Cook in salted boiling water – they are ready when they rise to the surface. Once cooked, allow to drain and steam-dry a little.
To make the tomato sauce, sweat the onion and garlic until soft with no colour, then add the tomatoes, crushing them lightly. Cook out over low-medium for 10–15 minutes until it starts to thicken. If desired, blitz in a blender until smooth.
Serve the malfatti on a bed of the tomato sauce

autumn flora sculptures

IMAGE > Sebastian Haeusler

Tagliolini con zucchine e menta

IMAGE > Sebastian Haeusler

Ingredients

PASTA

200g Tipo 00 flour (separated into two bowls – 170g and 30g extra)
2 eggs

TOPPING

1 zucchini, grated
1 handful mint, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Tip 170g flour onto a board and create well in the centre.
Beat the eggs together in a small dish.
Pour the beaten eggs into the well of your flour.
Using your fingers, slowly integrate the flour into the egg using a rhythmic circular motion until it is mostly combined.
Give the dough a quick knead, if it feels sticky slowly add your extra flour until it doesn’t.
Now, give the dough a proper knead for 10 minutes. Imagine your hand is a gentle wave lapping at the dough – the palm pushes it away and the fingers pull it pack. Knead like this until the dough forms a log, then rotate 90°, fold in half and continue as such until the 10 minutes is up.
Next rest the dough for 30 minutes at room temperature in a lidded bowl or one with a clean tea-towel over the top.
When ready roll the dough out until it is 2mm thick and then cut into 3mm ribbons using a knife.
Bring a pot of salted water (salty like the sea) to the boil and add the pasta. Cook for 5 minutes or until al dente
Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Toss the toppings through the pasta and serve immediately.

Torta della nonna

Ingredients

PASTRY

300g of 00 flour
1 tsp baking powder
130g of caster sugar
150g of unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes (plus extra for greasing the tin)
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk, lightly whisked
1 unwaxed lemon, zested

CUSTARD FILLING

5 large egg yolks
100g of caster sugar
30g of 00 flour
600ml of whole milk
1 unwaxed lemon, zest peeled into thin strips
1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

TO SERVE

80g of pine nuts, rinsed in cold water
icing sugar, for dusting

autumn flora sculptures

IMAGE > Sebastian Haeusler

Method

Start by preparing the pastry. Combine the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl and rub the butter into the flour using the tips of your fingers until you have a coarse, crumbly mixture. Add the egg, the yolk and the grated lemon zest, and knead until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. Wrap it in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the custard. In a medium glass bowl, whisk the yolks with half of the sugar until the sugar has dissolved completely. Slowly add the flour and keep whisking until fully combined. Pour over 60ml of the milk, whisk it in and set the bowl aside temporarily
Place the rest of the milk in a saucepan with the rest of the sugar, the lemon zest strips and vanilla seeds. Set the saucepan over a low heat and bring to a slow simmer. Remove from the heat, discard the lemon zest and pour the hot milk over the custard base in the glass bowl in a thin stream, whisking continuously until smooth
Place the custard back in the saucepan and set it over a low heat. Cook the custard until dense and glossy, stirring frequently and trying not to scorch it (don't let it boil). Once thickened, remove the custard from the heat and place in a clean glass bowl
Set the bowl over an ice bath so the custard can cool more quickly. Cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool to room temperature
Next, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Butter and flour a 26cm deep tart tin and set it aside
Take the pastry out of the fridge and divide it into 2 pieces, one being 2/3 of the total. Roll the larger piece into a 2mm-thick circle that is large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the tin. Flip it onto the tin, press it with your fingertips so it sticks to the surface of the tin and cut off any overhanging. Pierce the surface all over with a fork
Fill the pastry shell with the cooled custard and level the top. Roll the remaining pastry into a thin circle that is large enough to cover the top of the tart completely. Trim any excess, then pinch the top and bottom edges together
Top the surface of the tart with the slightly damp pine nuts and press them down gently so as to make them adhere to the pastry
Bake the tart for 45 minutes, or until deeply golden all around. Allow the tart to cool completely before dusting it with icing sugar, slicing and serving.

IMAGE > Sebastian Haeusler

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