For Italians Ilaria Guidi and Alberto Tombini of Cape Town, the best way to entertain friends is around a dinner table with a selection of simple, wholesome dishes
INGREDIENTS
- 1kg fresh spinach
- 30ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 4 slices of speck (smoked ham), chopped
- 520g homemade fresh tagliatelle
- dollop Ayrshire fresh cream (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 60g Parmesan cheese, grated
METHOD
- Boil the spinach in salted water for 8 minutes. Drain it, then blend it in a blender.
- Place the olive oil in a saucepan with the garlic and add the speck. Cook until crispy then add the spinach.
- Cook the tagliatelle in salted water until al dente. Drain it very well and add it to the rest of the ingredients in the pan.
- For a creamier taste, add a dollop of Ayrshire fresh cream and stir for a few minutes to blend all the ingredients together. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
COOK’S NOTE: You can also use store-bought pasta.
This recipe serves 4 people