Cacio e pepe with fritto misto and stuffed courgette flowers

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the Cacio e Pepe

• Bucatini pasta: 150g/5½oz
• Black peppercorns: 1 tbsp
• Pecorino, grated: 30g/1oz
• Parmesan, grated: 30g/1oz, plus extra to serve
• Unsalted butter: 25g/1oz

For the Stuffed Courgette Flowers

• Oil: for frying
• Baby spinach: 250g/9oz
• Ricotta: 100g/3½oz
• Parmesan, grated: 50g/1¾oz
• Courgette flowers: 4
• Lager: 1 x 330ml bottle
• ‘00’ flour: 100g/3½oz, plus extra for dusting
• Cornflour: 100g/3½oz
• Baking powder: 1 tsp
• Salt: pinch

For the Fritto Misto

• Fennel bulb, cut into slices
• Raw king prawns, heads removed, shells removed, de-veined: 8
• Butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced into half moons: ¼
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Lemon wedges: to serve
• Sage leaves, fried: 4

For the Tomato Sauce

• Ripe San Marzano tomatoes, left whole: 6
• Olive oil: 4 tbsp
• Red wine vinegar: 2 tbsp
• Garlic cloves: 6
• Salt and black pepper

Method

Cacio e Pepe

1. Cook the Pasta: In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions or until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water.
2. Toast the Peppercorns: In a frying pan over medium heat, toast the black peppercorns until fragrant. Transfer them to a pestle and mortar and grind well.
3. Combine Ingredients: Return the saucepan to medium heat. Add the cooked pasta, butter, grated Pecorino, grated Parmesan, and ground black pepper. Toss everything together.
4. Emulsify: Gradually add some reserved pasta water to create a creamy sauce, stirring well. Serve immediately with extra cheese on top.

Stuffed Courgette Flowers

1. Heat Oil: Preheat oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180°C (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous; do not leave unattended).
2. Sauté Spinach: In a frying pan over medium heat, sauté the baby spinach until wilted. Squeeze out excess moisture and chop finely. Set aside to cool.
3. Prepare Ricotta Mixture: Drain ricotta by hanging it in a J cloth or muslin over a colander to remove moisture. Once drained, place it in a bowl and mix with grated Parmesan and chopped spinach. Spoon this mixture into a piping bag.
4. Stuff Courgette Flowers: Pipe the ricotta mixture into each courgette flower and set aside.
5. Make Batter: In a bowl, combine beer, both flours, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Dust each stuffed courgette flower lightly with flour before dipping them into the batter.
6. Deep-Fry: Carefully deep-fry the battered flowers until golden brown, about 2–3 minutes.

Fritto Misto

1. Coat Vegetables and Prawns: Using any leftover batter from the courgette flowers, coat the fennel slices, prawns, butternut squash, and red onion in the batter.
2. Deep-Fry: Deep-fry these coated ingredients for 3–4 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper before serving with lemon wedges.

Tomato Sauce

1. Roast Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas 6). On a baking tray, roast all tomato sauce ingredients together until the tomatoes are blistered.
2. Blend Sauce: Remove from the oven and blend using a food processor or stick blender until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serving

• Serve the tomato sauce alongside the stuffed courgette flowers on one plate.
• Present the cacio e pepe in a separate bowl.
• Serve the fritto misto on another plate with fried sage leaves on top.