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The Best Gifts for Pasta Lovers this Easter and a Recipe!

AD: This month I’m working alongside Wildgrain to share their wonderful quality subscription boxes and a quick and easy pasta recipe for a Spring celebration. #WildgrainSpring #sponsored


Are you searching for a great gift for the pasta lover during the Spring holiday celebrations? Plus a dish to entertain over Easter/ Pasqua as we call it in Italy?

Maybe you need a quick and easy dish to wow your guests but also to make sure you don't spend long in the kitchen? Are you on the hunt for the perfect gift for adults and want something a little more thoughtful than chocolate?

If so, we have you covered!

We've been trying a Wildgrain Bread and Pasta Subscription box, which is a must have for Spring and beyond. They make brilliant gift ideas and are such a lovely surprise to receive.

Wildgrain is a small team based in Boston, MA. They're passionate about delivering fresh, bake-from-frozen, slow fermented sourdough, fresh homemade pasta and artisan pastries directly to your door. 

With Spring in the air we thought we would share a great recipe which you could create using the Tonnarelli pasta from your Wildgrain box.

This is just one reason why a Wildgrain Subscription box is a must have this Spring!

Wild Garlic and Goat's Cheese Tonnarelli

Wild garlic can be found in woodlands and meadows from mid-March to April. We look forward to this short season every year so we can do some foraging and make delicious meals. It has a wonderful delicate flavor and a beautiful vibrant green color.

If you've never used it, wild garlic is green, leavy garlic sometimes with pretty white flowers. Other names for wild garlic are ramsons, buckrams, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek or bear’s garlic. The plant is native to Europe and Asia and can be found in markets in the USA. If you can't get your hands on this though you can use regular garlic bulbs.

The great thing about this dish is that, like most Italian food, it only has a handful of ingredients and is very quick to make. It's also the best way to cook for the holiday season as you don't want to be away from the fun and festivities for long.

The taste of this is a bit like a more luxurious version of a pesto traditional pasta sauce. The delicate garlic, mixed with the creamy goat's cheese is incredible and I love knowing I'm eating something that is in season for a few weeks and then gone again. It definitely makes you savor it more.

If you are not a fan of goat's cheese you could add cream cheese and some grated Pecorino. We are serving this sauce with Wildgrain Tonnarelli. If this is a new Italian pasta for you it is also sometimes called Spaghetti alla chitarra.

Spaghetti alla chitarra literally translates to 'guitar spaghetti' as, traditionally, it is pressed into long, square-shaped spaghetti strands using a stringed chitarra pasta cutter.

There are lots of different shapes of pasta. Tonnarelli is like Spaghetti but the cross section is flat and square instead of round. It's always fun to try new pastas and fit them with the correct sauce. We are using Tonnarelli as the flat ribbons coat the pasta and cling to it.

As this is fresh pasta it cooks in just 6-8 mins.

How To Make Wild Garlic and Goat's Cheese Tonnarelli

Ingredients:

  • A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

  • 1 bunch of wild garlic leaves or 2x fresh garlic bulbs (garlic powder can be used).

  • 2x banana shallots

  • 150g mild goat's cheese - crumbled

  • 340g Fresh pasta Tonnarelli from Wildgrain

  • Salt and black pepper to taste.

  • Pecorino cheese - grated

Method:

  • Finely chop the shallots and cook gently (on a medium heat) in the olive oil in a deep saucepan.

  • Bruise the wild garlic leaves and then chop finely. Or blitz in a food processor.

  • Once shallots are translucent add the Wild Garlic, and crumbled Goat's Cheese.

  • Heat and stir until the cheese has melted and everything has combined.

  • Add salt and pepper to taste.

  • Add the fresh pasta to salted, boiling hot water. Check the packet for the exact cooking time. All pasta shapes and brands differ. Here we are using Wildgrain Tonnarelli which is cooked in 6-8 minutes al dente. 

  • Drain the hot pasta and be sure to add the cooked pasta to the saucepan with the garlicky sauce. Slowly combine together the pasta mixture on a low heat until the Tonnarelli is coated in the creamy sauce.

  • Serve with a sprig of fresh herbs, we love thyme with this dish and drizzle of olive oil.

  • If you like a sprinkle of cheese on your own pasta you can add Pecorino to serve.

Serves 4.

Such a simple, light and incredibly delicious pasta dish.

Tips:

  • Fresh Tonnarelli works better than dried pasta.

  • If the sauce is drying out add a little pasta water and stir.

  • You can add a dash of white wine to the wild garlic before adding the cream and cheese.

  • Don't add lemon juice as it will curdle but a grating of lemon zest can make a lighter dish.

Tell Me More About Wildgrain?

If you'd love to know more about Wildgrain, the company began with Johanna and Ismail, who had the idea of replacing supermarket carbs at home with clean, high quality ingredients to gain all those nutritional benefits.

These are examples of their delicious boxes of goodies (which have rave reviews!) and a lovely personal touch, they offer FREE croissants and $10 OFF your first order with code: MAMMAPRADA10

This is a great way of giving a pasta gift and making your loved ones happy with a regular arrival of a bread and pasta box!

Here's what's in their Spring boxes:


April Mixed Box: 

Plain Sourdough Loaf 

Sesame Sourdough Loaf 

Slow Fermented Cranberry Pecan Loaf 

Fettuccine Pasta 

Tonnarelli Pasta 

Fudge Brownies 

+ free Croissants 

 

April Bakery Box: 

Plain Sourdough Loaf 

Sesame Sourdough Loaf 

Slow Fermented Cranberry Pecan Loaf 

English Muffins 

Brioche Rolls 

Fudge Brownies 

+ free Croissants 

If You'd Like To Know More Or Gift A Wildgrain Box This Spring Click Here. Get $10 OFF First Order With Code: MAMMAPRADA10


A Wildgrain box is a wonderful gift, not only as you receive amazing treats but it can create opportunities for the family to spend time together in the kitchen holding their own little cooking class! To be honest they had me at free croissants and free shipping!

As an Italian/ English family we know bread and the best pasta brings you all together and creates memories, especially during the holidays.

We hope you love the recipe as much as we do. Creating less effort for the hosts with maximum enjoyment is our aim.

Click here to order a Wildgrain bread / mixed box for Spring

Remember to get $10 OFF First order use code: MAMMAPRADA10




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