A lost love...

Mimmo is a dear friend and a wonderful chef. He tells a beautiful story of a lost love and the recipe that inspired him. He shared this with me and I realised that I simply must share it with you

Here is my story/ recipe.

Tired of the fast and furious life of being a restauranteur in the West End. I took myself  off to Tuscany for a detoxing holiday in a agriturismo. Agriturismo are farm houses converted in to beautiful apartments usually in the middle of nowhere.

I had been in the pretty hamlet of Gavignano for a week and I was bored.

On the Saturday of the first week a new guest arrived at the apartments late in the evening and when she needed help with her luggage I offered to help. She was beautiful. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to see her again and being a chef I invited Pavla for Sunday lunch.

In the morning I drove to Poggibonsi, the nearest town, to buy my ingredients. Being a Sunday in Italy every shop was closed. Exasperated, I returned to my apartment.  I had no option but to cook with the ingredients I could find in the garden; some courgettes that were ripe and flowering, the most delicious sun ripened vine tomatoes and wild basil.

It was all I needed.

I cooked egg tagliatelle (I am Italian and always have pasta in the cupboard) with the courgette flowers, buffalo ricotta (which I had in my fridge), vine tomatoes and basil.

It was divine. Romantic. Memorable.

Pavla now lives and works in New York. We are still friends and often reminisce about this improvised and beautiful lunch.

Here is my recipe

In a skillet heat 3 table spoons extra virgin add the courgettes and fry for 3 minutes until they are golden coloured.

Add garlic and fry for two minutes making sure that it does not burn.

Add the tomatoes roughly chopped and cook for 5 minutes season to taste and sprinkle with basil.

Set aside.

Cook the tagliatelle until al dente.

Drain and then add the pasta to the sauce heat through and add half of the ricotta.

Stir the ricotta into the pasta and sauce while your pan is off the heat.

Serve in large pasta bowls with a quenelle of the remaining ricotta on top of the pasta and drizzle with extra vigin olive oil.

Buon Appetito