SIGNATURE DISH

BUON appetito! PHOTOS ANASTASIA KARIOFYLLIDIS

chef’s tip

Make marinated mixed olives using the vegetable oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes. To give the oil a rich flavour, add thinly sliced fresh garlic, fresh rosemary and a pinch of Italian dried herbs. For an extra kick, fresh chilli can be added.

SPAGHETTI FRESCA CON GAMBERI (FRESH SPAGHETTI WITH PRAWN)

This beautiful dish should be celebrated for its simplicity, and is more of a pasta in the traditional sense. The sauce, with its base of olive oil and butter, plus a dash of tomato, lightly coats the pasta so as to not overpower the seafood. We had a similar dish aft er making our way into a restaurant in the beautiful city of Venice. Our family stumbled into this amazing little local restaurant where they dished up the most delicious spaghetti and prawns. Match this dish with an Italian pinot grigio or even a light Italian sangiovese red that is slightly chilled to a European room temperature.

300g fresh spaghetti 12-15 local Mooloolaba prawns, clean, peeled and de-veined 3 tbsp passata tomato sauce 1 tbsp butter ¼ cup dry white wine 3 cloves of garlic

INGREDIENTS

2 fresh long red chillies, de-seeded for a milder dish 3 pinches of cracked black pepper Handful of fresh chopped basil Handful of chopped parsley Grana padano or pecorino cheese (optional)

METHOD

Sauté prawns, red chilli, pepper and garlic in a splash of extra virgin olive oil and butter; be careful not to burn the garlic. Once the prawns have changed colour and are almost cooked add your tomato passata and white wine, and continue to reduce your sauce. Season to taste. In the meantime, put your fresh spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until al dente. Once cooked combine pasta with sauce and then add the fresh basil and parsley. Plating: You are now ready to serve the pasta and garnish with the freshly grated cheese (optional). Add a little bit more extra virgin olive oil for a little bite.