Top recipes from Eat Like a Sardinian

Summer is quickly approaching and we have destinations on the mind. Today, we’re thinking about Italy, home to iconic pastas, sun-kissed coastlines, Roman relics, fashion-forward cities, and lovely Mediterranean cocktail recipes.

But there’s so much more than Florence and Milan. Take Sardinia, one of five autonomous regions in Italy. It’s a fascinating land floating in the Mediterranean and ripe with incredible cuisine and equally incredible wines.

Artichoke and Guanciale Risotto

The following recipe serves four and takes advantage of a lovely way to prepare artichokes.

Ingredients:

6 artichokes
1 lemon
7ounces guanciale, chopped into small cubes
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked
1 garlic clove
12 1/2 ounces arborio rice
1 onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup Vermentino or a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
1 1/2 quarts hot vegetable stock
5 ounces pecorino or Grana Padano, grated, plus extra to serve
1 1/2 ounces cold unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly
Ground black pepper

Method:

First, prepare the artichokes. Fill a bowl with water and squeeze in the juice from the lemon halves, then drop the squeezed halves into the bowl. Hold an artichoke firmly with one hand and use a small, sharp knife to remove and peel off the tough, dark green outer leaves at the base. Cut off the top 1–2cm (1/2–3/4 inch) of the artichoke, where the leaves are still tough, and leave about 2.5cm (1 inch) of the stem attached. Using a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, peel the tough outer layer of the stem. Cut the artichoke in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the fuzzy choke in the middle. Cut it in half again so that it is quartered. Place the artichoke quarters immediately in the lemon water to prevent browning. Repeat with the remaining artichokes, leaving the quarters in the water until needed.

Put the guanciale into a small, dry frying pan over a medium-low heat along with the rosemary and the whole garlic clove. Cook slowly for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the guanciale releases its natural fat and turns golden. Meanwhile, toast the rice in a deep sauté pan or saucepan over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, or until it’s hot to the touch, then remove it from the pan and set it aside. Add a drizzle of oil to the same pan and add the onion along with a good pinch of salt. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until the onion is soft and golden but not brown.

Now stir the rice into the onion, add the wine and cook off the alcohol. Keep the pan over a medium heat and gradually add the stock, one ladle at a time, stirring continuously until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Meanwhile, thinly slice the artichoke quarters. Discard most of the fat from the guanciale and then stir in the artichokes. Cover and cook for a further 8–10 minutes until the artichokes are soft but still holding their shape. Remove the garlic from the pan and either discard it or mash it to a purée and add it back to the rice.

When the risotto is just about ready, turn the heat off. The rice should be fully cooked but still a little firm. Add half of the artichoke and guanciale mix, the cheese, butter, a touch of black pepper and another two small ladles of the stock. Stir well,
then cover and leave to rest for at least 5–7 minutes. Once rested, the risotto should be creamy, so add another half ladle of stock if it needs to be loosened up. To serve, top each plate of risotto with the remaining crispy guanciale and artichokes, as well as the crispy rosemary and some more grated cheese, if desired.

Live to 100 Minestrone

Here’s a soup for the ages, an excellent take on an Old World classic.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 ounces dried borlotti (cranberry) beans
3 1/2 ounces dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 onion, roughly diced
2 celery sticks, chopped into 1cm (1/2 inch) cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 ounce basil
1/2 ounce parsley, finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped (or halved if using small tomatoes)
1 large potato, peeled and chopped into 3/4-inch cubes
4 large Savoy cabbage leaves, tough stalks removed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 ounces pecorino, grated
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

The night before, wash the beans and chickpeas in cold water. Place them in a large bowl and cover them with fresh cold water; they will expand as they soak, so make sure the container is large enough and there is plenty of water. Cover the bowl and leave them to soak for at least 12 hours (or longer – check the packet).

The next day, drain and then rinse the beans and chickpeas thoroughly with fresh water. Set aside. Place a large casserole dish (Dutch oven) or ceramic pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and olive oil and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes. Tear the basil leaves and stir them in along with the chopped parsley and cook for another minute. Next, add the tomatoes and potato, give everything a stir and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the tomatoes are starting to soften. Add the drained beans and chickpeas and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cover with water and bring it to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat back to medium, cover and cook for 1–1 1/2 hours, or until the beans and chickpeas are soft. If needed, top up with water so that the vegetables are always submerged. Once the beans and chickpeas are cooked, add the cabbage, cover and cook for a final 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving. To serve, use a slotted ladle to divide the vegetables, beans and chickpeas equally between serving bowls, then pour over the warm broth. Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle over some olive oil.

Paella from Alghero

This dish comes from and is named after the northwestern Sardinian city, coated in beautiful cobblestone.

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper (capsicum)
6 large raw peeled prawns (shrimp), intestines removed
7ounces squid with tentacles, cleaned and sliced into 1/2-inch thick rings and tentacle pieces
2 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, chopped into small pieces
7 ounces pork sausages, casings removed and chopped into small pieces
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 1/2 ounces green beans, topped and tailed and then chopped into thirds
10 1/2 ounces fregula (or giant/pearl couscous or bomba rice)
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
generous pinch of saffron threads
4 1/4 cups hot vegetable stock, plus extra as needed
Extra virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (425°F/gas mark 7). Place the whole pepper in a baking tray (pan), drizzle it with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Roast the pepper in the oven until charred all over, then remove from the oven, cover and set aside. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large paella pan or frying pan over a medium heat and gently fry the whole prawns and squid for 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt, then remove them from the pan and set aside.

Add the chicken and sausage to the same pan and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the onion and green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the fregula along with the paprika and the saffron, then season with a pinch of salt and cook for
another 30 seconds. Now, add all the stock, or just enough to cover everything. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. The paella will slowly come to the boil – let it gently simmer until the stock has almost completely been absorbed. Meanwhile, once the pepper has cooled, peel off and discard the skin and slice it into strips.

Taste the fregula to check if it is cooked. If it needs more cooking, add a little more stock or water and keep cooking. Once cooked, lay the roasted peppers, calamari and prawns on top of the paella. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and reduce the heat
to low. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest for 5 more minutes. Once ready, serve the paella in the pan at the dining table.

Tuna Steaks in Tomato Sauce

Ocean and land, the two worlds combine gorgeously here. Double it up for a group as this recipe just serves two. We suggest dining al fresco when you’ve completed the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
4 1/2ounces tuna steaks
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 red chilli, thinly sliced
10 1/2 ounces baby plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Vermentino or a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 ounce parsley, finely chopped, plus 1 sprig for garnish
10 Taggiasca olives, pitted
Fine sea salt and freshly
Ground black pepper

Method:

Heat half the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add the anchovies and cook for 1 minute, then add the tuna steaks and cook for 1 minute on each side. Remove them from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add the remaining oil, the shallot, garlic and chilli to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, before adding the tomatoes and wine. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, piercing half the tomatoes with a fork halfway through cooking so that they release their juices. Taste and lightly season the sauce with salt and pepper as needed, then stir in the chopped parsley and olives. Place the tuna on top, cover again and cook for 1 minute, so it is still pink in the middle. Serve garnished with a few parsley leaves. Tuna steaks can become dry if left too long after cooking, so enjoy straight away.