Man Can Cook

“Let’s make truffle pasta alla zozzona”

Pasta alla zozzona is a rich Roman dish that combines the best parts of carbonara and amatriciana, finished here with fresh black truffle 🤤

Ingredients

* 400g rigatoni
* 150g pancetta or guanciale, diced
* 200g Italian pork sausage, casings removed
* 1 small onion, finely diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 400g crushed tomatoes
* 4 egg yolks
* 50g Parmesan, finely grated
* 50g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
* 5g fresh black truffle, finely grated
* 30g fresh black truffle, shaved for serving
* 1½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Method

1. Cook the pancetta until crisp and set aside, reserving the rendered fat.
2. Brown the sausage in the same pan.
3. Add the onion and cook until softened, then stir in the garlic.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 15–20 minutes.
5. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, Parmesan, Pecorino, black pepper, 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat and 5g of finely grated truffle.
6. Cook the rigatoni until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
7. Toss the pasta through the tomato and sausage sauce.
8. Remove from the heat and stir through the egg and cheese mixture, adding a little pasta water until the sauce becomes glossy.
9. Fold through the crispy pancetta.
10. Finish with freshly shaved black truffle, extra Parmesan and cracked black pepper.

Do what you do… with a splash of

A classic banoffee pie, made just a little more indulgent with homemade Kahlúa caramel and dark chocolate ganache.

Save this one for your next BBQ.

Kahlúa Banoffee Pie

Biscuit Base

250g biscuits
110g unsalted butter, melted
Blitz the biscuits into fine crumbs. Mix with the butter and press firmly into a 24cm loose-bottom tart tin and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

180g 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
150ml pouring cream
20g butter
25ml Kahlúa
Heat the cream until steaming, pour over the chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth, then mix through the butter and Kahlúa. Pour over the chilled base and refrigerate until set.

Kahlúa Caramel

100g unsalted butter
100g brown sugar
1 x 395g condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
½ tsp fine sea salt
20ml Kahlúa
Melt the butter, stir in the brown sugar, then whisk in the condensed milk. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and stir through the vanilla, salt and Kahlúa. Cool slightly before spreading over the ganache. Chill until firm.

Topping

3 ripe bananas, sliced
500ml cold pouring cream
45g icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
20–30g dark chocolate, finely grated
Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to medium peaks. Arrange the bananas over the caramel, spoon over the whipped cream and finish with finely grated dark chocolate.

Enjoy!

Baking & Poetry 🧁 📔

Red Velvet Cookies

Makes 8 large cookies

Ingredients

* 160g cream cheese frosting
* 300g plain flour
* 1 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder
* 1 tsp baking powder
* ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
* Pinch of salt
* 125g unsalted butter, room temperature
* 150g caster sugar
* 100g light brown sugar
* 1 large egg, room temperature
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 tsp red food colouring
* 300g white chocolate chips

Method

Scoop the cream cheese frosting into 8 x 20g balls onto a lined tray and freeze until firm.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

Beat the butter for 2 minutes, add both sugars and beat for another 3–5 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in the egg, vanilla and red food colouring.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then fold through the white chocolate chips.

Divide the dough into 8 x 130g portions. Flatten each piece, place a frozen cream cheese ball in the centre and wrap the dough completely around it. Shape into tall balls and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Bake at 180°C on a lined tray, spaced well apart, for 16–18 minutes or until golden on top.

Cool for 10–15 minutes before digging in.

This is why I don’t let Fraser on social media unsupervised.

Happy Margarita day 🍹

🍍 Pineapple Margarita

60ml tequila blanco
30ml Cointreau
60ml pineapple juice
20ml fresh lime juice
10ml agave (optional)

Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice into a Tajín- or salt-rimmed glass. Garnish with pineapple and enjoy 😉