Only Recipes, by Alessandra Zecchini ©

I cannot wait for summer, capsicums and eggplants! Nearly there, in the meantime I use char grilled veggies preserved in oil, they are very versatile for a quick meal. For this dish I cooked a packet of Israeli cous cous (but fregola pasta is perfect too) with just water and salt, then I drain it and rinse it under cold water to cool it down and separate the 'grains'. I added extra virgin olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, and finely chopped herbs and garlic. Then I mix it with the eggplants. Finally I filled some of the capsicums with it. It needs to rest for a few hours at room temperature, so that the cous cous gets more flavour. Easy and quick, and it makes such an impression! And now just some pretty things I saw: loved this wallpaper with plates, + real plates! Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©

 In NZ it is very difficult to find  fregola , but Israeli couscous is readily available in many shops now, and can be a great substitute.  Fregolotto 1 small onion 1 capsicum (any colour) 1 celery stalk with leaves 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 400 g fregola (or Israeli cous cous) 1 cup Italian tomato passata 1.5 l vegetables stock Parsley and cherry tomatoes to decorate (optional) Chop the onion, capsicum and celery, then sauté with olive oil. Add the fregola and stir, when hot add the Italian tomato passata and then, ladle by ladle, the vegetables stock, stirring constantly like when making a risotto. When the fregola is cooked and all the liquid absorbed serve, decorated with parsley and cherry tomatoes (optional). Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©