RECIPE NOTE: You can also use store-bought fresh lasagne sheets for the maltagliati.
I’m Italian-Australian, and so is my food. While I can do the traditional stuff, I like to play with flavours and bring a bit of an Australian vibe to my Italian cooking at Pixie in Byron Bay. I wanted to share some recipes that you can make at home, but also require you to use a bit of brain power. I think it’s good to have a challenge in the kitchen; it makes you appreciate the final product more. What I love about these dishes is that they are very shareable, and showcase a bit of my heritage in each of them.
Every Tuesday, we used to do family dinner at my grandmother’s place and she would make a big sauce with pork and fennel sausages in it. She’d make a pasta di casa, which is a really simple pasta made of flour and water. But for my Sicilian pork & fennel ragu (p 83), I chose to use maltagliati, which means ‘poorly cut’, as it’s a fun way of making pasta. The ragu is based on a sausage recipe that I learned at a family friend’s butcher. They would use veal, but I like pork. I’ve been using this recipe for years, so it’s quite close to my heart. Buon appetito!”
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ROASTED BROCCOLINI, ZUCCHINI & PEA COUSCOUS SALAD WITH BROAD BEAN, MINT & WALNUT PESTO
SERVES 4
2 bunches broccolini, ends trimmed500g zucchini, cut in half lengthways and cut diagonally into 1cm-thick slices150ml extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbs extra3 garlic cloves, crushedFinely grated zestJuice of ½ large lemon1 cup (200g) instant couscous1 ½ cups (375ml) boiling water300g podded fresh or frozen peas, blanched and cooledFresh herbs (we used basil, mint and parsley), and lemon cheeks, to serve
