Fresh Pesto

Don't buy the jarred stuff - it's terrible! Fresh pesto is the way to go - ridiculously easy to make and very fresh and fragrant. Use it as a topping for fish and chicken dishes or simply stirred into pasta.

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Large bunch of fresh basil
50g pine nuts
50g parmesan
150ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for storing
2 garlic cloves, peeled

1. Firstly, dry roast the pine nuts. Simply add them to a frying pan over a medium heat and toss for  few minutes. Make sure you don't burn them.
2. Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until they form a paste.
3. Store in a container. Make sure you add a small drizzle of olive oil to the top to help it preserve for longer. Will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Quick Monday Night Dinner - Spicy Sausage Pasta

Cooking every night can be tricky, with so many things needing attention, sometimes meals go straight out the window.

Everyone needs a go to pasta dish for rustling up in next to no time and we thought we'd share our favourite, spicy sausage pasta!

Serves 4

500g pasta
6 good quality sausages, sausage meat discarded and skins thrown away
1 jar of good quality passata
Chilli flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper
A little olive oil

Preheat the grill

1. Boil the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and leave to one side in a little cooking water to stop the pasta sticking together.
2. In a little vegetable oil, fry the sausage meat until brown. Make sure it's well broken up with the back of a spoon. Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes and the fennel seeds.
3. Heat up the passata in a saucepan. Stir in the sausages.
4. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix together. Grate over the cheese of your choice.
5. Place under a medium grill until the cheese is beautifully golden and bubbly.

Oregano's Specials

Italian cuisine sometimes gets a bit of a hard press. Although we're applauded for our authenticity and traditional dishes, there's a common consensus that we can get 'stuck in our ways' and not be open to trying new flavour combinations.

At Pizzeria Oregano, this could not be more wrong! As well as serving our traditional favourites, head chef Mario is always innovating and creating brand new specials each week which are sure to tickle your taste buds.

Check out these bad boys!

Sea bream with dill sauce, roasted potatoes and carrot puree.

Grilled Calves Liver

Sea bass served with mashed potatoes, mange tout and fresh herbs

Tagliatelle murgesi - mixed mushrooms, sirlion steak, cherry tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive and a touch of truffle oil.

Involtino di merluzzo - Parma ham, fresh fennel and herb sauce

Grilled king prawns served with lemon risotto 

Baby chicken valsugana served in a bed of fresh polenta

linguine al granchio - garlic king prawns, crab meat and fresh spinach.

Don't worry - we haven't forgotten desserts either!

A delicious sweet pancake encases homemade hazelnut ice cream sprinkled with crushed and roasted hazelnuts and honey.

crepes al arancia served with homemade vanilla ice cream.

Don't be shy, come visit and see what Islington's best Italian has to offer! Keep up to date with our latest specials by following us on Instagram! 

Truffles

The mysterious, enigmatic truffle. Sorted by many, found by few.

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There are two main types: black and white. There are hundreds of varieties of truffle with the most expensive, Tuber magnatum, (a white variety) selling for a record £165,000 for 1.5kg (to a Macau business man!) This makes them one of the most expensive food stuffs ever! 

Although attempts have been made to cultivate truffles, the majority are still found growing wild around the roots of Oak, Hazel and Lime trees. Truffles are commonly sniffed out by pigs and dogs which have been trained to recognise their distinct smell. With regards to truffles and Italy, Truffles are found primarily in Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche. During October and November there are many white truffle fairs held in these regions.

Yes, truffles are expensive but for special occasions, they are the perfect, extravagant flourish to add to any meal. Try adding truffle shavings to risottos, pasta dishes and scrambled eggs to make an ordinary meal extraordinary! Cheaper but still containing the distinctive truffle flavours is truffle oil and truffle honey which can be drizzled over dishes or used in salad dressing. 

If you do decide to take the plunge and buy fresh truffles, make sure you store them properly! Keep them in an air tight container in the fridge with a few pieces of kitchen roll to absorb excess moisture as this will cause premature rotting. Add a couple of eggs for sumptuous truffle eggs as egg shells are porous and will readily absorb the heady flavour.