Ciao Gusto – The new way to shop Italian!

Ciao Gusto – Making shopping on line that little bit easier

Cheese, soft in texture or slightly firmer, mild in taste or with a slight kick, our options are vast and Italy houses some incredible and yet diverse varieties of cheese. From the more familiar of hard grating cheeses such as Parmigiano and Pecorino to lesser known brands. Italian shopping has now just got that much easier with a simple push of a button. Ocado welcomes the Ciao Gusto shop to its site with a dedicated tab and unique page.

From the Ciao Gusto tab – picking up all your favourite authentic Italian food and drinks has become even easier with the arrival of Ciao Gusto at Ocado. For the first time, a simple tab brings together over 30 of Italy’s most popular brands, so you can find exactly what you’re looking for – and discover new and exciting ingredients – with just one click.

By selecting the Ciao Gusto shop when ordering your shopping, you’ll be able to search recipes and add ingredients straight into your basket. Browse the delicious recipes according to ingredients preparation time, course or occasion, and explore the joys of Italian cuisine through tips, advice and information about each product. It couldn’t be easier.

Familiar brands that I’ve been using for many years are also included, such as Valsoia (featuring my favourite chocolate spread), Ponti, Mutti, Barilla, Cirio, Lavazza, Santa Rosa and Riso Gallo to name but a few of which I’m sure you will most certainly recognise a few brand names.

I have chosen to share with you a recipe featuring the Italian cheese brand ‘Aurricho’. Aurrichio offers a range of cheeses through the Ciao Gusto page. From a sliced provolone, dolce and piccante flavour along with a fantastic little terracotta bowl of auricchio that once baked, melts into an utter indulgent gooey mass. Ideal for dipping in toasted bread, to have as a treat, as an individual starter or as part of your antipasti sharing buffet.

Spinach tortellini filled with ‘Auricchietto’ cheese, drizzled with butter sage & pan-fried speck

A filled tortellini pasta, simple to master, verdant and rich in colour and now with the most fantastic filling. The cheese I am using for the tortellini is called ‘Auricchietto’. It is a semi hard cheese will a delicate sweetness to it. In-cased in a firm outer skin, this cheese makes for the perfect pasta filling, saying that it would also be delicious sliced and toasted in a panino with a little cured meat and finely sliced artichokes. Hopefully this recipe will encourage you to try something a little different with the benefit that Italy feels that little bit closer, with thanks to Ciao Gusto!

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Pasta dough

300g 00 flour

150g spinach

50g basil leaves (no stems)

Pasta filling

540g Auricchietto cheese

160g Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

150g spinach, blanched

2 egg yolks

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper, to season

25g fresh basil

Dressing

125g salted butter

Pinch Maldon salt

Twist of black pepper (extra to serve)

8 slices of speck

Into a food processor add the 00 flour along with the spinach and basil. Process for 1 minute until almost breadcrumbs are formed.
Tip the dough out onto a wooden board and combine into a ball of dough and knead for 3 minutes until smooth. Cover and allow the dough to rest at room temperature.
Wash and dry the food processor.
Prepare the filling. Peel the outer skin away from the auricchietto cheese. Roughly chop it and add it to the food processor along with the Parmesan. Blitz for 30 seconds.
Add the blanched spinach, nutmeg, salt, pepper, basil and egg yolks. Pulse for an additional 10 seconds.
Taste the filling for additional seasoning and season as required. Spoon into a clean bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut the pasta dough in half. Cover one half of the dough up until required, this will stop the dough from drying out.
Roll the pasta dough out with a rolling pin to the thickness of a 5 pence piece. Cut small squares of dough, approximately 4cm x 4cm square.
Take the filling out of the fridge. Pinch small pieces of the filling and place the filling on each square of dough, a tiny hazelnut size of filling would be ideal.
Take a piece of dough with the cheese filling in the centre. Make a triangle with the dough, pinching to secure the filling all the way round. Hold the triangle with the main point facing upwards, attach each corner together forming a finished tortellini. Repeat with all of the squares and also the remaining covered pasta dough.
Place a large pan of water onto boil. Once boiling salt well.
Pan-fry the speck in a dry frying pan with no additional fat until deliciously crispy.
Once the speck is crispy, remove it from the heat and place on to a kitchen towel.
In the same frying pan, brown the butter with a little salt, pepper and the sage leaves.
Cook the pasta for 2 minutes until aldente (with a bite).
Using a slotted spoon, scoop up the tortellini and add them into the browned butter and gently toss to incorporate.
Spoon onto warmed plates with a little grated Parmesan and a seesaw of speck.