Harts Kitchen
Learn by Harts
Passion for Pasta
by Carmela
Sophia Sereno
is published by
Robinson, £20
Pretty Penne
Fresh pasta is easier to make than you think, says
Carmela Sereno. She’s passionate about passing
on what she learnt in her grandmother’s kitchen
P
asta is an easy thing to be passionate
about and, like anything close to your
heart the more you know about the
object of your affection, the stronger
the feeling grows.
Just ask Anglo-Italian Carmela Sereno
Hayes who in her latest cook book “A Passion
for Pasta”, makes it her mission to teach us how
to make regional pasta dishes from the top to
toe of Italy. Her mantra in print, on her popular
YouTube channel and as a tutor, is cooking
simple, inexpensive dishes using good quality
seasonal ingredients.
She’s the perfect person to pass on the art
of making pasta by hand. Carmela learnt
her cooking in the age old Italian way from
her mother Solidea and grandmother Nonna
Carmela. The same Nonna who stills makes her
pasta with a rolling pin or broom handle at the
age of eighty-seven.
Dubbed the “Pasta Queen”, Carmela believes
in making pasta by hand and shows how it’s
far easier than you think. “I agree ready-made
pasta is affordable and a great staple store-
cupboard ingredient. However, a bowl of freshly
handmade pasta is simply mouth watering from
the first to the last bite”, she says. With a few
simple tools and some good quality flour and
eggs, you can make fantastic fresh pasta in your
own kitchen. With 642 shapes of pasta from all
across Italy, it could be a while before you run
out of ideas.
Aubergine filled ravioli with a
simple tomato sauce
(Bauletti di pasta con crema di
mel anzane)
Bauletto translates as ‘travelling case’, so I make
these ravioli into rectangular parcels and pack
them with my desired filling. To be honest, any
filled pasta shape would work well here. Made
from a dough that combines flours from the north
and south of Italy and filled with the essence,
aroma and flavour of the Mediterranean, they’re
absolutely delicious.
Preparation time 1 hour
Cooking time 20 minutes
Serves 4
For the pasta dough
300g semolina flour
(semola di grano duro)
100g ‘00’ flour
4 large eggs
For the filling
2 medium aubergines
2 whole garlic cloves, skins on
1 tbsp ground almonds
30g Parmesan, grated
Salt and pepper to season
For the sauce (sugo)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
10 basil leaves, roughly torn
Salt and pepper to season
Extra virgin olive oil to finish
80g Parmesan, grated
Method
1. Combine the pasta flours and tumble onto a
wooden board. Make a well in the centre of the
flour and crack in the eggs. Use a fork to whisk
the eggs and gently combine the flour fully.
2. Form into a ball and knead for 5 minutes
until smooth and elastic. Cover with cling
film and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room
temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 190°C (gas mark 5).
4. Take the aubergines and pierce them all over
with a fork.
5. Place the aubergines on a wire rack in the
oven and bake for 30 minutes. Ten minutes
before the aubergines are ready, place
the garlic cloves onto a little foil and bake
alongside the aubergine.
6. Once the aubergines are tender remove
them from the oven along with the sweet garlic.
7. Peel the aubergines and place the pulp in
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