I don’t remember my first mouthful of pasta, I just know it has always had the starring role at most family mealtimes since. On Sundays, it particularly took centre stage at our table. Lunch was pasta with braised meat in sugo and green salad. Every Sunday, we were awoken by the scent of tomatoes bubbling on the stove before breakfast. As a five-year-old, I had two responsibilities to contribute towards lunch. These were the ritual of breaking my father’s favourite ziti pasta by hand and setting the table, even though I was barely able to see over it. For me, Sunday lunch was and still is a big food hug.
The premise of making fresh pasta daily in the restaurant came straight from my Nonna’s table in Italy and the rest of the women in our family. In the original Shettleston deli, we hand-rolled pasta every single day. A group of women ranging in ages from 30 to 90, united around a table kneading, stretching and chattering over the dull sound of the cranking imperia pasta machine. We made the pasta the same way every day, as my grandmothers and their grandmothers did. There is a simple beauty in the bond of friendship that unites us through cooking together.
When we wrote the business plan for Eusebi, the constant on the page was making everything from scratch and slowing things down when it came to cooking, eating and socialising. We want to honour our family traditions that connect us to them at any moment in time. Every dish has a story, an origin and a purpose. From my grandparents in the Italian mountains through to my love of tomatoes, everything we do in the restaurant is because of our passion for real, authentic food that puts a smile on your face and warms your soul.
I’m so proud of the chefs that have worked with us on our journey at the restaurant. They have honoured our family traditions and above all, they each cook with their heart. They have also pushed the boundaries, including working with different types of flour and vegetables to colour pasta and have even created multi-colour stripe and tartan pasta. They also understand the diverse culinary regions of Italy and their respective produce and cooking cultures.
Fresh pasta is born from a traditional Italian home: our kitchen is an extension of that family table. Made with generations of love.
Eusebi Deli is located at 152 Park Road in Glasgow. For more information visit the website at http://eusebideli.com/.
Fettuccine , Gorgonzola fonduta and red onion
Like all of my favourite pasta recipes, this is simple, quick and delicious! In the cold winter months, there’s nothing better than coming home to a bowl of hot fresh pasta. This recipe packs a real punch of flavour with the Gorgonzola cheese and fresh rosemary. As with all recipes, it can easily be adapted with extra vegetables or anything else that you’ve got left in the fridge. It also makes a great dinner party dish as it’s quick and easy to prepare – it feeds four comfortably or two very hungry people!
I like to accompany it with some fresh focaccia and a glass of my favourite red wine. It’s especially tasty served in a big sharing bowl in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves and you can use the focaccia to mop up any extra sauce!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
300g Gorgonzola cheese
50ml reserved pasta water
100ml double cream
1 red onion
10ml olive oil
400g egg fettuccine
Salt and pepper, for seasoning
To serve:
1 sprig of rosemary, stalk removed
Method:
1. Quarter the onion and drizzle with olive oil. Season the onion with salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes or until it is soft and sweet. Remove the onion from the oven and set aside.
2. Cook pasta as directed on the pack. Make sure not to overcook it! Drain the pasta but keep back some of the cooking water.
3. While pasta is cooking, warm the cream in a pan on a moderate heat. Add the Gorgonzola and a little of the pasta water. Cook gently until the cheese has melted evenly. Taste the sauce and season as required and add a little more of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Add the cooked onion and pasta and toss together until the sauce evenly coats the pasta.
4. Garnish with the rosemary and serve immediately.
Image credit: Gerardo Jaconelli
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel