A few things make my father’s eyes water, and talking about his grandmother is undoubtedly one of them. He grew up very close to her, and just like a little prince, she spoiled him with her cuisine. Italian nonnas are very often like that; the emblem of kindness, sweetness and devotion to the people they love.

Her food and those flavours represent some of the happiest memories of his life.

February is when we celebrate my father's birthday, and this year, my sisters, mamma and I decided to honour nonna Memetta and prepare a whole lunch featuring her greatest kitchen staples. Mozzarelle “in carrozza”, pasta timballo, lamb “scottadito”, and an almond, lemon custard tart. The Italian version of Proust’ Madeleine, as if she were here, cheering with us all to her little “Francuccio”.

Mozzarella in “Carrozza”

Serves 4

8 slices brioche/toast bread, crusts removed
½ litre full-fat milk
12 anchovies (deboned and in olive oil)
100 g flour
8 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
2 to 3 eggs (depending on how much the bread will absorb)
half a glass of milk
salt
pepper
frying oil

In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, season with salt and pepper and combine. In another shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place the sifted flour on a plate.

Top four slices of the bread with four single mozzarella slices and two anchovies apiece, making sure that there is no overhang. Top with the remaining four slices of bread and press down gently.

Dip both sides and the edges of each sandwich in the flour, then the egg to coat fully, followed by the bread crumbs (don’t overcoat with breadcrumbs otherwise it may become too dry). Place on a large plate. In a large skillet, heat the frying oil over medium heat. Check whether the oil is ready by dropping a few bread crumbs in; they should bubble gently. Fry each sandwich, turning once with a slotted spatula or a fork, until the outsides and edges are golden brown and the cheese has melted, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel. Season with salt, halve diagonally and serve.

For extra indulgence, you can place a slice of mozzarella on top of the mozzarella in carrozza and place it in the oven for a few minutes until melted.

Maccheroni Timballo with shortcrust pastry

Serves 8-10 people

For the meatballs:

200 g ground veal
200 g ground pork
2 slices bread, crusts removed
½ cup / 120 ml full-fat milk
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
salt
pepper
1 egg
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
A knob of butter for browning

For the tomato sauce:

1.5 litres tomato passata
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic
2 large yellow onions
2 pork sausages
2 sprigs rosemary
3 bay leaves

For the béchamel sauce:

1 litre milk
60 g flour
60 g butter
4 tablespoons grated parmesan
ground nutmeg
salt
pepper

For the sautéed green peas:

250 g fresh green peas (frozen work well too)
half onion, diced
half glass white wine
half glass warm water
a knob butter
a handful chopped parsley
salt
pepper

For the shortcrust pastry:

500 g flour
150 g sugar
5 egg yolks
grated zest of a lemon
300 g butter

Other ingredients:

500 g of half-cooked rigatoni
4 “appassite” or dry mozzarella
6 tablespoons grated parmesan
4 boiled eggs, cut into small pieces
extra pepper for seasoning
egg wash for the pastry shell

Start by preparing the shortcrust pastry. You can follow this recipe for directions. Allow to rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the meatballs. In a large bowl place the two types of ground meat, pepper, salt, balsamic vinegar, and lastly, the egg. In another smaller one, place the milk and soak the bread slices for a few seconds. Squeeze well to remove any excess liquid. Add the bread to the bowl with the meat, and lastly, add the grated parmesan. Mix very well with your hands, making sure that everything is well combined. Shape the meat mixture into teeny, tiny meatballs (about the size of a hazelnut); this may take some time, so the more people in the kitchen, the better! Once the meatballs are shaped, brown them briefly in a large casserole with a knob of butter. You don’t need to cook them all the way through; you just need to “seal” the outside. Let them rest on a tray over some kitchen towel.

In the same casserole, add the olive oil, garlic and chopped onion. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the sausage. Let it brown, then add the tomato passata and herbs, and season everything generously with salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to cook for about an hour at low temperature, then add the tiny meatballs and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce reaches a good thickness (it should be neither too liquid nor too dense). At this point, you can take out the sausage, chop it into small pieces and mix it back into the sauce.

In the meantime, prepare the béchamel. Place the butter in a medium-sized pot, allow it to melt completely, then add the flour all at once and whisk quickly with a wooden spoon. Gradually stir in the cold milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let the béchamel cook until it reaches a thick consistency. Once ready, remove it from the stove, let cool for a few minutes, and then add the grated parmesan and whisk carefully. Leave it on the side.

In a small casserole, melt the knob of butter, then add diced onion. Let it sweat for a few minutes, then add the peas. Mix well with a wooden spoon, season with salt and pepper, and add the glass of white wine. Let the alcohol evaporate, then add the glass of warm water. Cover, and continue cooking for a further 10-15 minutes or until soft and cooked through. Once ready, add the chopped parsley. Leave it on the side.

I usually do all of these preparations a day in advance to assemble the ingredients the following day, but you could do everything on the same day. The only thing to keep in mind is that all ingredients should be at room temperature.

I use a springform cake tin that is covered, both bottom and sides, with parchment paper.

On a floured wooden board, roll out the shortcrust pastry dough to a ½ cm thickness. Cut out one circle to be placed at the bottom of the tin (hence it should be the same size as the base). Then make one long rectangle that will line the sides of the tin. I make several rectangles and connect them, merely adjusting them with my hands, being sure to leave some excess dough coming out from the sides (I do that because it will be easier to close the whole timballo later). Press the sides with your fingers, making sure the pastry is at an even thickness and that the sides are well connected with the bottom, without any holes or gaps. At this point, make sure you have leftover pastry to place on top of the filling to close the pastry shell once filled with its stuffing.

Throw the half-cooked pasta into the tomato sauce, add the peas and half the béchamel. Check the seasoning, keeping in mind that the pastry shell will be sweet, so there should be a right balance of flavours.

With the help of a fork, poke holes into the pastry - this will help it to cook all the way through.

Place a layer of pasta and its sauce into the pastry shell, then add a few tablespoons of béchamel on top of this layer, sprinkle generously with parmesan and scatter over the chopped eggs and mozzarella. Add another layer of pasta and continue this way until you have filled the tin. Cover with the pastry lid and trim off the excess dough. I decorate mine with some pastry leaves, but you can skip this step. However, it is crucial to leave a hole in the middle as it will allow the steam to go out. Brush the surface with egg wash and cook it into a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about an hour. Let the timballo rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Fried lamb chops:

Serves 4 to 6 people

12 lamb chops, flattened slightly

For the marinade:

2 garlic cloves
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
half glass white wine
lemon zest
orange zest
salt
pepper
rosemary
2 eggs
fresh bread crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper
frying oil

Start by preparing the marinade. Mix all ingredients in a blender and pulse until you reach a pesto consistency. Distribute the lamb chops on a large tray and coat them with the marinade. Mix well and gently massage them with your hands. Allow resting covered in the fridge for half a day.

Remove from the fridge and allow them to stay at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, then gently dip each lamb chop into the seasoned bread crumbs and place them onto a plate.

In a skillet, heat the oil and fry the lamb chops on both sides until golden in colour, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place them over some kitchen towel. In Italian, we call them “scotta dito” literally “finger burners”, because you’re supposed to eat them immediately while they are still very, very hot :)

Enjoy x

Heirloom family staples