Olive and Rosemary Grissini

Grissini look quite tricky and time consuming to make, but I promise you they're not - they're really easy. They're great with a Campari and soda before dinner, as part of an antipasto platter, or any time you just need something to munch on.

500 grams bread flour
10 grams salt
10 grams sugar or honey
15 grams dry yeast
15 mls olive oil
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
50 grams black olives, chopped
250 mls water
1 tablespoon olive oil, extra
1 tablespoon sea salt flakes

Preheat your oven to 170˚C.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, and then add the rosemary, olives, and olive oil. Mix well, aerating the flour with your hands. Slowly add the water, combining until a rough dough is formed. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a floured surface until smooth (about 5 minutes).

Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave the dough in a warm spot, until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl, and gently knead for 1 minute. Divide the dough in half and roll into a rectangle. With a knife, cut 1cm strips along the width of the rectangle. Roll each strip with your hands quickly, to form a grissini approximately 20cm long. Transfer the grissini to a tray covered with baking paper, leaving a little room between each.

Leave the grissini to prove for 10 minutes in a warm place. Brush the grissini with the extra olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp.

Linguine Con Le Vongole (Linguine with Baby Clams)

Vongole are small clams (sometimes called pippis) and are available from most fishmongers. This dish, which can be found throughout southern Italy, is best served with the clams still in their shells.

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves large of garlic, chopped
small handful of parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 kilogram vongole
500 grams linguine
lemon wedges, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the garlic, parley and chilli. Cook on a very low heat for around 3 minutes, so that the oil becomes fragrant, but the ingredients don't colour. Add the clams and cook over medium-high heat, shaking the pan frequently, until all the clams have opened (around 5 minutes). Discard any clams that have remained closed.

Meanwhile cook the linguine in plenty of salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the clams and toss over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, adding a little of the cooing water to moisten if necessary. Serve the pasta in warmed bowls with lemon wedges on the side.