Cafe Murano; Food waste recipe

We're here to tempt you to create a new pasta dish, designed to use up surplus ingredients. As part of our Food Waste Pledge series, we’ve collated recipes from participating restaurants.

Cafe Murano St James’s is a sophisticated and intimate space that specialises in classic Northern Italian dishes. A restaurant from Angela Hartnett and Group Executive Chef, Samantha Williams, Cafe Murano offers a simpler approach to Italian cuisine and has become a firm favourite in the London dining scene.

With Cafe Murano a committed member of the Regent Street & St James’s Food Waste Pledge initiative, the culinary team have created a special food-waste-friendly recipe for you to use up leftover ingredients from your fridge and larder. Keep reading to learn how to create this dish at home:

Spinach Strangolapreti, homemade ricotta, wild garlic, hazelnuts (serves 4)

Ingredients

For the Strangolapreti

• 150g spinach puree (from 300g raw spinach)

• 400g pasta flour

• 250g stale white bread (approx. 6 slices)

• 250g milk

• 30g grated parmesan

• Salt - black pepper - nutmeg

• 1 whole egg

For the Ricotta

• 500g milk

• 5g distilled white vinegar

To Finish

• Freshly-made Strangolapreti and ricotta

• 25g peeled baby onion

• 50g butter

• 50g chopped toasted hazelnuts

Preparation

For the Strangolapreti

• Slice the bread into 1cm slices, keeping the crusts and evenly pour the milk over and allow to fully absorb.

• Blanch the spinach in salted water, squeeze out the excess water, blend and chill over ice.

• In a food mixer add the soggy bread, the spinach puree, and the egg to create a smooth paste.

• Add the parmesan and the flour slowly until and dough forms, if it is still too wet and sticky, add more flour.

• Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

• Allow the dough to rest and chill fully.

• Roll long sausages on a floured surface and cut into small 2cm pillow shapes.

For the Ricotta

• Heat the milk to 85°C

• Add the vinegar and allow the milk to split completely.

• Strain the curds from the liquid with a muslin cloth.

• Chill and season the ricotta with salt and good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Bringing the dish together

• Slowly sauté baby onions in a knob of butter until golden and soft.

• Blanch the Strangolapreti in salted water. Once they rise to the surface, continue to cook for 30 seconds and then remove into the pan with the onions, add a little of the blanching water to create an emulsion.

• Add a few chopped leaves of wild garlic and allow them to wilt. (substitute with rocket or watercress if you can’t find wild garlic)

• Add a small handful of chopped toasted hazelnuts and check the seasoning of the dish.

• Transfer into a warm bowl and garnish with a few spoons of homemade ricotta on top.

Discover more food waste friendly recipes from participating restaurants from Hawksmoor here and tibits here.

You can also follow our social channels @RegentStreetW1 and @stjameslondon for further updates on our pioneering food waste pledge, as well as further inspiration on 'How To... At Home' from our 'Behind Our Doors' series.