'Gennaro's Fast Cook Italian': Recipes from pea and burrata salad to squid with olives

From one of the best Italian chefs is the key to cooking quick, but delicious, food, promising to be from fridge to fork within 40 minutes

(Photo Kim Lightbody (Photography by Kim Lightbody)

Insalata di piselli freschi e burrata –fresh pea and burrata salad, with sunflower seed crostini

This is a lovely salad to make during the spring, when fresh peas are available. For speed, you can buy ready-podded peas. Burrata is a fresh cheese from Puglia which looks like mozzarella but has a very creamy interior. Good Italian delis will stock it, but if you prefer, you can use bufala (buffalo) mozzarella instead. This dish makes a fantastic starter or can be enjoyed as a delicious, light lunch, accompanied by the crostini.

Cook: 15 minutes

Serves 4

175g fresh peas, podded weight
85g watercress
Leaves of 2 gem lettuce hearts
250g burrata, or buffalo mozzarella

For the crostini

50g sunflower seeds 
A handful of fresh basil leaves
1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
A pinch of sea salt
A pinch of dried chilli (hot red pepper) flakes
4 slices of good-quality crusty, seeded wholemeal bread, toasted

For the dressing

2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
​1tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the peas and cook for about 2 minutes, until tender but not overcooked. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain well.

Meanwhile, prepare the crostini. Place the sunflower seeds, basil leaves and olive oil in a blender or food processor and whiz until you obtain a smooth consistency. Combine with the salt and chilli flakes. Toast the bread and spread with the sunflower seed paste. Set aside.

Combine the dressing ingredients.

Arrange the watercress and gem lettuce leaves on a large serving plate, sprinkle over the cooked peas, and pour over half of the dressing. Gently break up the burrata or mozzarella and scatter over the greens. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve with the crostini on the side.

Penne integrali con broccoli e patata dolce – wholemeal penne with broccoli and sweet potato

Cooking time: 20 minutes (not including prep)

Serves 4

320g wholemeal penne
400g broccoli florets
250g sweet potato, cut into cubes
Sea salt, for the cooking water
3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus an extra splash
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ fresh red chilli, finely chopped
60g grated parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling, if desired

Pasta with broccoli is a common dish in Italy, where it is usually flavoured with garlic and chilli. In this recipe, the broccoli is mashed in a blender and served with small chunks of delicious sweet potato, adding extra nutrients and colour to the dish. It makes a healthy combination, which goes really well with wholemeal (wholewheat) pasta. If you prefer, you can substitute the wholemeal penne with white-flour penne.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta, broccoli and sweet potato. Cook until the broccoli is tender, 4-5 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain in a colander. Continue to cook the pasta and sweet potato, until the pasta is al dente, 8-10 minutes (check the instructions on your packet).

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat, add the garlic and chilli, and sweat for about 30 seconds. Add the drained broccoli and stir-fry for 1 minute or so. Remove from the heat and transfer the broccoli mixture to a food processor. Add a further splash of olive oil and the grated parmesan and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the frying pan.

Drain the pasta and sweet potato, reserving some of the cooking water. Add to the broccoli mixture, mix well and heat through, together with a little of the reserved cooking water, if needed. Serve with an extra sprinkling of parmesan, if desired.

Calamari alle olive – squid with olives

A traditional southern Italian dish which is perfect to enjoy with a group of friends for a casual supper. Serve with lots of toasted country-style bread to mop up the tomato sauce.

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serves 4-6

1kg squid
4tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100ml white wine
240g tomato passata (strained tomatoes)
200g black olives
Toasted country-style bread, to serve

Wash the squid under cold running water, pat dry on paper towels and cut into rings.

Gennaro Contaldo’s Fast Cook Italian, published by Pavilion Books. Image credit to Kim Lightbody.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and parsley and sweat for a couple of minutes. Stir in the squid rings, season with a little salt and pepper, increase the heat to high and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add the white wine and allow the alcohol to cook off. Add the tomato passata and olives, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Serve at once with the bread on the side.

‘Gennaro’s Fast Cook Italian’, published by Pavilion Books (£20), is out now