Italian Home Feast - Cena from Chris and Charmaine



On a Saturday evening in July, the Wans cooked out a menu course Italian meal.  I loved the pasta with pesto sauce  (picture above), full of flavours and texture and yet not heavy to the palate.  I reckoned the four children present also loved this dish, not overly creamy and lightly garnished.  Pine nuts are blended with olive oil to make the pesto sauce in a Genoan tradition.  Freshly made garlic bread started the meal, together with the fresh garden salad -  insalata (photograph below).







Secondo - Neapolitan Ragu or Spaghetti Bolognese?  Italian-Americans pioneered the latter, with a full on tomato gravy, as this is not common back in Italy.  The evolution of such immigrant inspired dishes in new lands reminds me of the history of another home grown USA dish called chop suey.



Prima - pasta gambero,  that delightful combination, light and easy, that can only come from peeled whole prawns,  fresh whole tomatoes (pelati, also peeled)  and an appetising sauce.  It reminds me of good versions also found in Wollongong NSW restaurants.




Dolce  - a chocolate pick me up with a biscuit base.



Aperitivo

Not pictured - my caffe.

For more of Charmaine and Chris, click on

                                                         http://wangirls.blogspot.com.au/



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