Australia Day Recipe: ‘Spinach Linguine with Orange Fennel & Wild Rocket’
Styling: Renee Lenzarini & Anita Parise
Blog/Photography: Anita Parise with Renee Lenzarini
Recipe & Inspiration: Corinne Lenzarini
“We finished the year that was 2016 with a wonderful Christmas celebration and welcomed in the New Year with a fresh start and lots of resolutions! I’m sure like me, you ate and drank merrily and celebrated often with family and friends over this period. It was during this time that Renee and I often spoke about all the wonderful food we ate and tried at our own functions and others we attended. It was here that the discussion arose about perfect side dishes that complete a summertime meal…
Renee’s mum, Corinne, is renowned for her inventive salad dishes … not the boring old lettuce, tomato and cucumber ones (you know the ones that are always on nonna’s table) but the aesthetically pleasing, equally delicious, healthy and refreshingly different salads that you might find in an edition of Gourmet Traveller or the likes.
The recipe inspiration began with thoughts surrounding upcoming Australia Day festivities. I personally love this day as it represents our beautiful country and its wonderful, multicultural diversity which makes Australia so great! So we thought why not start 2017 with a recipe that will be a perfect accompaniment to your celebrations. Whether it be a BBQ, picnic or backyard cricket competition you are either hosting or attending, this dish can be prepared earlier, transported with ease and even served cold. That’s right you guessed it! It’s a pasta salad … but not just any pasta salad … its GR’s Spinach Linguine with Orange, Fennel & Wild Rocket.
This recipe has all the makings of summery vibes and seasonal produce. It is a perfect balance of citrus, crunch, texture and yumminess that we all crave. Perfectly served with seafood, chicken breast, lamb chops, or wonderful on its own with a chilled glass of rose, you’ll be going back for seconds, I guarantee it!
Our styling inspo came from the beautiful Australian interiors magazine Adore Home, that featured sea jewel tones as an on trend colour this summer … and we fell in love with it! The fresh opal gleam colour we used on the natural pine boards gave our dish a pop of freshness that complemented our gorgeous David Jones plates (which Renee found on sale) and ultimately the perfect canvas to serve our vibrantly fresh salad on. The hand painted salad servers are a treasure of Renee’s which she found in the Tuscan town of San Gimignano on one of her trips to Italy. The pot plant is also Renee’s, which she recently purchased from Ikea. And the fresh flowers? – well, they were a small treat to myself for surviving the school holidays. The crisp and fruity Rose that made its way into the shot, was given to me by my Father-in-law … as he knows it is one of my favourites.
So this Australia Day say goodbye to the plain, boring salad and give this one a go!
Serving suggestion: The ideal Summer side dish to your favourite cut of meat (or fish) of choice.
Wishing you all a very Happy Aussie Day!
Buon Appetito,
Anita, Renee & the GR team”
Ingredients
- 500g of Golden Ravioli Spinach Linguine
- 2 x oranges, cut into according to the look your after
- 2 x fennel bulbs, shredded (Keep the tops of the fennel to garnish)
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 3-4 radishes, finely sliced
- 2 x tablespoons of walnuts, toasted or roasted (whichever you prefer)
- A bunch of rocket, washed and rinsed
- A handful of mint
- Dressing: 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of orange juice, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of cumin & salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: why not be bold and add some pomegranate!
Method
- Place the Spinach Linguine in a pot of salted, boiling water and cook for 2 minutes only. Make sure the pasta is firm to the bite - we want the linguine to hold its shape. Once drained, run under some cold water and add a little olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- Next, toast the walnuts in a saucepan over a medium to high heat for 1-2 minutes until a rich golden brown - stir frequently.
- Remove the skin of the oranges with a knife and either cut into slices (rounds) or segments.
- Place the orange in a bowl with the fennel, onion, radishes and half the rocket. Toss in the walnuts and tear off a handful of mint leaves. Now it's time to stir through the linguine.
- Arrange the salad on a serving platter, sprinkle over the extra rocket, a scattering of mint leaves and the fennel tops.
- Combine all the ingredients to make the dressing and whisk together. Drizzle over the salad just before you serve!
