A Gift From the Chef: Mum's Fettuccine with Calamari Ragu

There's nothing quite like your mother's cooking. The comfort and warmth of walking in the door to familiar smells, the second helpings that always await you, and that one signature dish that's so good, no other version quite compares. For many of Australia's most iconic chefs, their passions began with their mum's signature home cooking. In the lead up to Mother's Day, our participating restaurants renowned chefs are opening up their mum's cookbooks to share their most loved recipes. This one comes from Grossi Florentino Head Chef, Guy Grossi.

Grossi Florentino Head Chef, Guy Grossi and His Mum's Fettuccine with Calamari Ragu

It is the promise of this dish to come that subdues the groans in my stomach during mass on Good Friday.  Having fasted all day, I can't wait for the bowl of this steaming hot pasta to be placed in front of me. This was one of Mum's specialities. I make this dish every year at Easter now and it is delicious but it will never be as good as Mum's.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped red chili
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup Tomato Paste
• 500ml fish stock or water
• 200ml white wine
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 500g fresh Calamari, cleaned and cut into strips 1cmx5cm TIP: Cut any calamari tentacles into 5cm bunches.
• 500g fettuccine pasta

Method

• Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan, fry onion, garlic and chili until onion is translucent. Add the coriander and parsley and fry for 3-4 minutes until the onion is golden
• Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until the tomato paste deepens in colour. Deglaze the pan with the wine and allow to reduce for 3-4 minutes. Add stock and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside and keep warm
• Heat remaining oil in a separate pan and fry calamari in 2-3 batches until golden, drain on kitchen paper.
• Add calamari to the sauce and simmer gently for 30 minutes or so. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to the boil, add fettuccine and cook until al dente, drain.  Return pasta to the pot and stir through 2-3 large spoonfuls of the sauce.
• Serve pasta with a generous spoonful of sauce on top and garnish with coriander.

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Mireille Kilgour

Mireille Kilgour has been an entrepreneur for 35 years in the hospitality sector. French born, she has been an accomplished business owner and operator for a number of Sydney venues. Leading the industry with high profile institutions such as Lamrock Café Bondi, she has endless passion for the industry, and now has the pleasure of supporting restaurants to fill their tables with the new Good Food Gift Card program.

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