Latest news with #SilviaColloca
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Top chef spills on the dish she always avoids ordering when dining at restaurants: 'It's not snobby'
When cookbook author and TV personality Silvia Colloca heads out for dinner, you'd think a plate of pasta would be a no-brainer. After all, the Italian-Australian chef is best known for championing the soulful simplicity of traditional Italian cuisine on her shows and in her seven best-selling cookbooks. At home in Sydney 's Northern Beaches, Colloca often makes pasta and pizza from scratch several times a week. And it seems the renowned chef is extremely picky about one dish in particular when dining out - and rarely orders it when she's not cooking it herself to avoid disappointment. Colloca explained that pasta, especially dried varieties, must be cooked al dente - meaning it should have a slight bite. 'It's more important than you think, and not as snobby as it sounds,' she told SMH. Overcooked pasta is a deal breaker for her. She explained that cooking al dente is particularly relevant to dry pasta, advising home cooks to take it off the stove a couple of minutes before the packet suggests, as it will continue cooking from the residual heat. For example, if the packet's instructions say to cook it for 12 minutes, Colloca suggests taking it out after 10 to 11 minutes. The top chef's passion for pasta goes beyond personal preference - she's also an ambassador for family-run pasta brand San Remo, which, like her, puts al dente at the heart of good cooking. And Colloca isn't the only expert dishing out pasta wisdom. London-Sardinia-based chef Francesco Mattana previously went viral after revealing the real mistake shoppers make when buying dried pasta at the supermarket - and why your favourite yellow penne might not be the best choice. 'There are many great companies that make incredible dry pasta out there, so instead I'm sharing a few key points for how to choose the best,' he said. According to Mattana, when it comes to quality, colour and texture are key. Pale, floury-looking pasta is actually a good sign - it means the dough has been dried slowly at a low temperature, preserving nutrients. In contrast, brightly coloured yellow pasta has often been dried quickly at high heat, a process that can damage flavour and texture. He also suggests running your fingers along the surface. 'The surface of the pasta should be rough and opaque,' he said, explaining that this texture - often labelled as trafilatura al bronzo or bronze drawn - helps sauces cling better and gives your dish that luxurious, creamy finish. And what about how the pasta cooks? 'When pasta is made with good quality durum wheat semolina, it will hold its shape and not go mushy,' Mattana added. Shoppers in the comments were quick to name their go-to store brands, with De Cecco, Barilla, Molisana, Garofalo and Rummo topping the list. So next time you're reaching for your favourite packet at the supermarket, skip the shiny yellow stuff and look for something with a rough edge - literally. And if you're dining out, maybe take a page from Silvia Colloca's book: unless the pasta is perfectly al dente, it's probably not worth it.
SBS Australia
6 days ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
12 great end-of-week recipes to use up bits and pieces
Tomato and chickpea pasta soup. Credit: Donal's Real Time Recipes Donal's Real Time Recipes "We have all been there. That moment at the end of the week, where the kitchen is bare, and you need to make magic out of nothing," says TV chef, cookbook author and maestro of easy home cooking Donal Skehan. If you're nodding along in agreement, look no further. Here's a round-up of clever recipes, from Skehan and other great cooks, that give you delicious ways to use up bits and pieces from the fridge and pantry. The end of the week meal has never looked so good! Donal Skehan's "seriously good" mac and cheese recipe is ideal for using up whatever's in the fridge. Swap the cauliflower for broccoli if you like, or add in any little bits of leftover veg, and use whatever bits and pieces of cheese you have. "Roast chook never goes to waste in my house as there are countless ways to produce new dishes from leftovers, like this yummy salad with soba noodles and a fragrant ginger dressing. I use snow peas and spring onions in my recipe but change it up depending on what you love and have on hand," says Justine Schofield of this easy meal. This recipe from Silvia Colloca is a great way to use up leftover pasta (in any kind of sauce). All you need is eggs, milk, cheese and olive oil. Cooked on the stove-top, it's ready in 15 minutes. Just as the name suggests, this curry (or soup!) recipe from Alexx Stuart is a great way to use up what you have on hand. "Don't be bound by my ingredients list – make this curry your own by using any limp veg. For a yummy soup, add another cup of stock, remove the cinnamon stick at the end, and blend on high for a few seconds," she says. Fried rice is such a good way to use up leftover rice. "I love fried rice and you can really pump it up with healthy vegetables when you make it at home. I've used leftover cooked ham in this version, but you can really add whatever you like to it, says Skehan of this easy and filling bowl. "In my mind, soup is the final destination for anything you've got hanging out in your fridge. I can pretty much guarantee you that whoever's eating a nice hot bowl of this soup isn't going feel like they're eating this week's leftovers," says Mary Berg. This soup is a great way to use up leftover chicken and/or cooked sausage, cooked vegetables and any small amounts of herbs. Who wouldn't love sitting down to this at the end of the week? This nourishing, comforting soup from Donal Skehan uses many pantry ingredients, along with plenty of vegetables, and the pasta cooks in the pot along with everything else. Serve with garlic toasts for a fantastic, filling and easy family meal. Ready in just 15 minutes, this satisfying pasta dish brings together pantry staples including dried pasta, tinned tomatoes, stock powder and evaporated milk. If you have yoghurt and self-raising flour on hand, you can make the easy pizza bases in this recipe and top it with whatever you like. The meat topping shown, inspired by Turkish pide, is delicious but the possibilities are endless, and it's a great way to use up what you have in fridge and pantry: Leftover roast veg; cold cuts or other leftover meat; various kinds of cheese; the last few sprigs of a bunch of herbs... Adam Liaw's method for clearing piled-up bread: a savoury bread pudding complete with ham, cheese and spinach. He suggests making it for breakfast, but it also works brilliantly as a an end-of-week supper if you plan ahead (it needs to soak for at least 2 hours). This Italian family recipe embraces the spirit of pizza in a cheesy, tomato-y bake. Add some salad or cooked green veg to round out the meal. You could also add leftover veg to the bake. Watch now Share this with family and friends
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Carrie Bickmore raises eyebrows with laid-back dinner hack
Italian Australians are up in arms after radio star and former The Project host Carrie Bickmore shared a seemingly innocent dinner hack to Instagram. The mother-of-three posted a video of herself this week recreating a 'fun mum' dinner idea where she served a spag bol directly onto her kitchen bench. Using a couple of pieces of baking paper in lieu of plates or bowls, she spread out the pasta and encouraged everyone to dig in. 'Thought I'd be a fun mum and let the kids just eat in a more relaxed manner,' she said alongside a video of herself preparing the meal, 'they loved it (thought it was so weird!) but loved it.' The idea wasn't as loved by a couple of prominent Italian Australians who had a laugh expressing their concern with her treatment of a traditional Italian staple. The comedians behind Sooshi Mango said, 'The souls of our nonnas just entered our bodies and screeched in deep pain and agony!' Meanwhile television chef Silvia Colloca exclaimed, 'I can hear my Nonnas and their Nonnas writhing in agony in this new circle of hell designed for Italians!' Other Italian Australians got in on the joke with one person saying, 'Oh dear my little Italian self is cringing.' 'My nonna just re-alived and gasped,' wrote another, and a third confessed, 'I see the fun. I do. I'm Italian and we love the fun but this is pushing us to the brink.' Social media being the natural home of critics, others who were unoffended by the lack of bowls narrowed in on Bickmore's choice of parmesan cheese. One person remarked that a Grana Padano would have really elevated the meal, while another added a little more snark, saying, 'The fact that you are rich and famous but still use the weird dry Parmesan cheese makes me feel so validated.' Bickmore, who has raised over $25 million for brain cancer research with her Beanies 4 Brain Cancer, was Of course it was all just a bit of fun and sure to spawn many more bowl-less family dinners around the country this week.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Not as snobby as it might sound': Silvia Colloca on why cooking pasta al dente matters
Italian-Australian TV personality and cookbook author Silvia Colloca makes fresh pasta four days a week at the northern beaches Sydney home she shares with her husband, actor Richard Roxburgh, and their three children. But when she's eating out, it's almost the last thing she'd order – unless it meets her strict standards. 'It's imperative the pasta is not overcooked,' says Colloca, who will share a heaped helping of her cooking knowledge in the third series of Silvia's Italian Masterclass when it airs on Network Ten later this year. 'The concept of al dente [resistance to the tooth] matters to Italians and it matters to me. It's more important than you think and not as snobby as it might sound. 'It mostly applies to dry pasta,' she says. 'As a rule of thumb, if the packet says 11 minutes, take it out after 9 or 10 minutes because it continues to cook with the residual heat.'
The Age
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘Not as snobby as it might sound': Silvia Colloca on why cooking pasta al dente matters
Italian-Australian TV personality and cookbook author Silvia Colloca makes fresh pasta four days a week at the northern beaches Sydney home she shares with her husband, actor Richard Roxburgh, and their three children. But when she's eating out, it's almost the last thing she'd order – unless it meets her strict standards. 'It's imperative the pasta is not overcooked,' says Colloca, who will share a heaped helping of her cooking knowledge in the third series of Silvia's Italian Masterclass when it airs on Network Ten later this year. 'The concept of al dente [resistance to the tooth] matters to Italians and it matters to me. It's more important than you think and not as snobby as it might sound. 'It mostly applies to dry pasta,' she says. 'As a rule of thumb, if the packet says 11 minutes, take it out after 9 or 10 minutes because it continues to cook with the residual heat.'
