This is a remarkably simple recipe where quality ingredients really bring out the flavour of the dish. If anything, this recipe is all about highlighting the unique sweet flavour of Tropean onions, something which the town, and the wider region of Calabria, is renowned for. Paired with Fileja pasta, the sauce clings to the twists and promises authentic Italian flavour in every mouthful. Tropean onions are exported worldwide and can be bought from specialist shops, but if you’re in a pickle, normal red onions will do. BIRRA MORETTI Sale Di Mare pairs perfectly, with the sweet and delicate flavour of the sauce complementing the full-bodied taste of the new premium lager.

• Ready in: 45 mins
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• Four red onions (preferably Tropean)
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• White Wine 237ml
• 00 Grade Flour 500g
• Fresh Basil to finish
• Parmesan cheese to finish

Cooking instructions

1. Peel and thinly slice all four red onions. It's important to remove and discard the centre sections of the onions as they take longer to cook and can taste a little bit bitter
2. Add a very generous glug of Olive Oil to your frying pan (around 6 tbsps), then add all of the sliced onion
3. Season the onions with two healthy pinches of salt and three healthy pinches of freshly ground black pepper
4. Fry the onions over a medium heat for two minutes
5. Add 237ml of White Wine and 237ml of Water to the frying pan and cover with a lid and leave to cook for around 15 minutes
6. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add a couple of generous pinches of salt
7. Add 500g of flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add small amounts of water, whilst mixing with the dough by hand, until 250ml is added. Mix until dough forms into a ball.
8. Knead the dough with hard pressure until it is smooth and not sticky
9. Tear off a small piece of dough and roll into long thin sticks around 8cm long
10. Grab a round skewer or chopstick, hold one end of the rolled dough against the stick with your index finger. With your other hand, wrap the rest of the dough around the stick to form a spiral. Be careful not pull or stretch the dough too much. (watch the video to see this technique)
11. Put your stick, with the dough, on a lightly floured surface. Gently roll the stick with the palm of your hand. lift up the stick, hold the pasta in the palm of your hand and slowly pull away the stick. Add to a lightly floured tray and repeat for all of the pasta dough (watch the video to see this technique)
12. Add the shaped pasta to the boiling pot of water and cook on a high heat from 2 to 5 minutes
13. The red onion sauce should now be ready, the liquid mostly cooked off and the onions having a soft and creamy texture. Add your cooked pasta to the sauce, along with some roughly chopped basil and parmasan cheese (optional). Toss together until the pasta is fully coated and serve.