As an avid home cook, I appreciate recipes that can be quickly prepared during the holidays. However, I’ve grown tired of my usual summer dishes like niçoise salad or caprese salad. The following recipes are flavorful and require minimal effort. One dish, in particular, is a refreshing fish lunch perfect for hot days. Most of the preparation can be done the night before so that it can be quickly assembled the next day.
Tagliolini with clams, courgettes, parsley, and garlic
This sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight. Alternatively, using clams from a jar can save you time without sacrificing taste. Serves 4
– 1.5kg clams
– 3 small courgettes (about 300g)
– 1 clove of garlic
– 1 small bunch of parsley
– ½ dried chilli
– 1 tablespoon of olive oil
– 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
– 1 tablespoon of butter
– 250g of egg tagliolini or tagliatelle
Start by thoroughly washing the clams in multiple changes of water, discarding any that are open. Heat a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over high heat and add the clams along with a large spoonful of hot water. Quickly cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, shaking it occasionally until all the clams have opened. Remove the clams from the pan, saving the liquid. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells.
Next, grate the courgettes coarsely and chop the garlic and parsley. Crush the chilli. In a wide pan, generously coat the bottom with olive oil and add the garlic over medium heat. Once hot, add the chilli, parsley, and anchovies. When the anchovies dissolve, turn up the heat and add the courgettes. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Then, pour in the clam liquid and let it reduce slightly. Finally, add the clams and butter.
Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and add it to the sauce along with a ladle of the starchy cooking water. Toss thoroughly before serving.
Spelt, cucumber, and chickpea salad
“I make this salad with a mix of cucumbers, if available.” This spelt, cucumber, and chickpea salad is best when the grain is cooked shortly before serving to bring out the flavors of the vegetables. It’s far superior to pre-prepared salads. Serves 4
– 150g carrots (preferably smaller ones)
– 250g cucumbers
– 1 clove of garlic
– ½ fresh chilli (optional)
– 150g yellow cherry tomatoes
– 200g spelt or farro (preferably pearled)
– 50ml red wine vinegar
– 1 teaspoon of salt
– 1 teaspoon of sugar
– 400g cooked chickpeas or 200g dried chickpeas (soaked overnight and boiled)
– Olive oil
– Fresh mint leaves, torn
Scrub the carrots and cut them into 1cm pieces. Slice the cucumbers into 5mm slices. Peel and cut the garlic in half. Slice the chilli. In a medium pot of boiling water, score the tomatoes and blanch them for 20 seconds. Transfer them to cold water and peel the skins off. Boil the carrots for 4 minutes while removing the skins from the tomatoes. Place the carrots and tomatoes in a bowl with the cucumbers, garlic, and chilli.
Mix the red wine vinegar with 3 teaspoons of salt, 200ml of water, and the sugar. Pour this solution over the vegetables and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Shortly before serving, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spelt until tender, about 35 minutes. Drain and add it to a large salad bowl with the chickpeas. Remove the vegetables from the vinegar mixture using a slotted spoon and mix them with torn mint leaves and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Add a couple of spoons of the vegetable vinegar liquid and season to taste.
I like to save the leftover vinegar liquid for later use with different vegetables or as a salad dressing.
Grilled green peppers and sardines
“Feel free to add a fresh jalapeño or other green chilli”: grilled green peppers and sardines. This sauce pairs well with any oily fish and can be enjoyed warm or cold after resting. While it’s great for barbecues, grilling the sardines under the grill is a hassle-free alternative. Serves 4
– 150g small green peppers (padrón or similar)
– Olive oil
– Salt
– ¼ clove of garlic
– 1 small bunch of coriander
– Juice of 1 lime or lemon
– Black pepper
– 4 sprigs of rosemary
– 8 scaled and gutted sardines
Preheat the grill. Remove the stems from the peppers and lightly coat them with olive oil and salt. Place them on a baking sheet and grill under high heat, turning after 5 minutes, until fully cooked and blistered with golden spots.
Finely chop the garlic and roughly chop the coriander, including the stalks. Cut the grilled peppers on a cutting board, combining them with the garlic and coriander. On a serving plate, dress the mixture with lime or lemon juice, salt, pepper, and more olive oil. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Break the rosemary sprigs in half and place them inside each sardine. Lightly salt and oil the sardines before grilling them, turning after 5 minutes. Once cooked, transfer them to the serving plate and cover them with the pepper sauce, additional juice, and olive oil if desired. Let them sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Peaches in red wine
Ripe yellow peaches are peeled and soaked in a strong red wine syrup for a simple and refreshing dessert. Serves 4
– 350ml red wine
– 4 ripe peaches
– 60g sugar
– ½ lemon
Bring the red wine and 350ml of water to a boil. Wash the peaches and boil them for about 3 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl of cold water and use a small knife to peel off the skin. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits, and place them in a serving bowl. Sprinkle each peach half with a spoonful of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Add the remaining sugar to the wine mixture and reduce it until one-third of the volume remains. Turn off the heat and pour the syrup over the peaches. Let them cool for at least 2 hours in the fridge before serving.
Joe Trivelli is one of the head chefs at London’s River Café (rivercafe.co.uk).
We strive to provide recipes featuring sustainable fish options based on the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide.
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