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Cannelloni of Artichoke

Ben O'Donoghue - Cannelloni of Artichoke


Ingredients

Pasta dough
  • 500 g pasta Flour

  • 6 egg yolks

  • 2 Whole Eggs

Filling

  • 2 tinned artichoke hearts

  • 500 g Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled

  • 2 Garlic

  • 2 tablespoons Thyme

  • 500 ml Cream

  • 1 Lemon

  • 2 tablespoons Parsley

To finish

  • 100g butter, melted

  • 200 g Crecenza Cheese soft fresh cows milk cheese or mozzarella

  • 50 g fresh black truffles or truffle oil, a few drops

  • 100 g Parmesan, grated

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method

Pasta dough

  • To make the pasta, start by combining your eggs with your pasta flour one at a time in a food processor until coffee bean size balls of dough form. Turn the dough out and knead dough by hand on a floured surface until you get a smooth dough.

Filling

  • Cut the peeled Jerusalem artichokes into similar sized pieces and fry in a heavy bottom saucepan with a little olive oil until golden. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Splash with a dash of water and place a lid on the saucepan to braise the artichokes until soft but not completely broken down. The water should evaporate away. If the artichokes are still hard repeat with a little more water.

  • Prepare half the globe artichokes by gently simmering it with cream and two cloves of garlic until the liquid is reduced by half. Then puree it to a smooth consistency with a hand held blender.

  • Dice the remaining artichokes and reserve.

  • Sauté the spinach in a little oil in a pan until wilted. Drain and allow to cool. Mix the spinach with the braised Jerusalem artichokes, reserved diced artichokes and a few tablespoons of the artichoke cream. Season with the zest of one lemon and a teaspoon of chopped parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To finish

  • Roll the pasta out into 6 lasagna sheets.

  • Divide the artichoke mixture into six and spoon onto the lasagna sheets. Roll them into cannelloni.

  • Butter an ovenproof dish large enough to hold the cannelloni. Spread a few tablespoons of artichoke cream on the bottom of the dish and arrange the cannelloni on top.

  • Cover with the remaining cream sauce with slices of Crecenza cheese, truffle oil (or fresh truffle, optional) and Parmesan cheese.

  • Place into a preheated oven at 180 degrees C and bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and lightly golden.

  • Allow to rest for 10 minutes then serve.

As seen in the LifeStyle FOOD Channel production The Best In Australia. For more recipes from the series visit www.LifeStyleFOOD.com.au

Pumpkin, Spinach & Goats Cheese Lasagne

Ben O'Donoghue - Pumpkin, Spinach & Goats Cheese Lasagne


Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut pumpkin

  • 1 small bunch of rosemary, finely chopped

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 500 g blanched spinach

  • 750ml tomato passata

  • 250 g fresh goats cheese (crumbly texture)

  • 75 g parmesan cheese, grated

  • 100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 1 - 2 packets fresh lasagne sheets

  • Salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper


Method

  • Peel and de-seed the pumpkin. Cut into 2cm cubes and toss with a little olive oil, chopped garlic and 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and place in a moderate oven on a tray and roast until soft and just coloured. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

  • Squeeze the blanched spinach of water so it is as dry as possible. Then chop and toss with salt, pepper and a little olive oil.

  • Take a roasting tray (size equivalent to A4 piece of paper) and rub it with a little olive oil. Spoon in some tomato passata to cover the base of the tray.

  • Lay down the pasta sheets to roughly cover the bottom (tear them if you need to). Then spread a thin layer of the passata on the pasta. Spread some spinach on top followed by some roasted pumpkin. Try and keep the amounts even. Crumble a little goat’s cheese and season lightly.

  • Repeat this process of tomato passata, spinach, pumpkin, goat’s cheese; until all the pumpkin and spinach is used up. Press down gently between each layer. For the final layer top off with the rest of the passata, goat’s cheese and sprinkle the remaining chopped rosemary and parmesan cheese.

  • Allow to stand for 10 minutes before cooking in a preheated oven at 175 degrees C for about 35 minutes. If the lasagne starts to colour too much on top, just cover the tray with aluminium foil.

  • Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 15 mins before serving.

As seen in the LifeStyle FOOD Channel production The Best In Australia. For more recipes from the series visit www.LifeStyleFOOD.com.au

Zucchini & Prawn Linguini

Serves 4 to 6


Ingredients

  • 500 g Linguine

  • 500 g chopped cooked Prawns or shrimps

  • 3 medium Zucchinis yellow or green or both

  • 2 Cloves Garlic

  • 1 dried birds eye chilli

  • ½ tin Peeled & chopped plum tomato

  • 1 teaspoon Rosemary finely chopped

  • 4 - 5 tablespoons Fruity, extra virgin Olive Oil

  • 280 ml Water

  • Salt & Pepper


Method

  • Wash, halve and roughly slice your zucchini.

  • Gently heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and add the zucchini. Gently fry until just starting to become golden on the edges (not much colour at all).

  • At this point season with salt and pepper and add a splash of water about 1/4 of a cup. Allow this to evaporate while stirring and mashing the zucchini. When the liquid has evaporated, fry for about 1 minute and repeat with more water.

  • The idea is to fry/ steam and mash the zucchini slowly so as to enrich the flavour and break it down. This should take about 10-15 minutes over a medium heat.

  • The next step is to add the chopped garlic and dried chilli and cook for a minute or two.

  • Add the prawn meat and cook into the zucchini for about 5 minutes stirring the from time to time so that the bottom does not catch. Make sure that you control the heat and if it starts to colour, turn the heat down.

  • Add your chopped tomato and rosemary, and then repeat the process of slow frying. Season again as tomatoes will add acidity to the dish. Cook this stage for a further 5 minutes.

  • While this is cooking start to cook your pasta in a large amount of fast boiling salted water, linguini should take about 12 minutes to cook (remember that with hard pasta of the same size the longer cooking time means it’s normally a better quality).

  • Just before you drain your pasta, finish the sauce with the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil. Then add your pasta and combine thoroughly.

  • It’s important to note that you should not drain your pasta completely as a little pasta water will help loosen the sauce and help it coat the pasta. Just make sure its not too wet or you’ll end up with noodle soup.

As seen in the LifeStyle FOOD Channel production The Best In Australia. For more recipes from the series visit www.LifeStyleFOOD.com.au

Linguine with Bortaga and Mullet

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 400g linguine

  • 8 small (15-20g each) red mullet fillets, pin-boned

  • 70ml extra virgin olive oil

  • 100ml dry white wine

  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

  • 1 small dried red chilli

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice

  • Zest of 1 lemon

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

  • Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the linguine according to packet instructions.

  • Meanwhile, season the red mullet. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Cook the fish, skin-side down, for about 30 seconds. Add wine, immediately cover with a lid and remove from the heat.

  • In another pan, heat remaining olive oil over low heat. Add garlic and chilli. Infuse for a minute, then add the cooking liquid from the fish pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol has evaporated.

  • Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Remove chilli and discard.

  • Drain cooked pasta and add to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and add the fish, gently breaking the fillets through the pasta.

  • Divide among 4 serving bowls, then garnish with the lemon zest and flat-leaf parsley.

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