LCBO Food & Drink Travel 2026

1/2 cup (125 mL) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more to garnish 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup (80 mL) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp (5 mL) salt 1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground pepper Olive oil for frying TOMATO SAUCE 1/2 cup (125 mL) onion, finely chopped 2 medium-size garlic cloves, finely minced 2 cups (500 g) tomato polpa, such as Mutti Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup (60 mL) small or torn basil leaves 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, eggs, cheeses, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix everything together with your hands until you get a dough-like consistency. (It should be moist but firm enough to shape into balls. If it feels too wet, add a little more bread crumbs.) Form into balls about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. You should get 10 to 12 balls. 2. Fill a large sauté pan about one third of the way with olive oil. Place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add balls to pan. Cook, gently turning them occasionally, until golden brown and crispy on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 3. Pour off and strain all but 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil into a heatproof container to save for another use. Place pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Carefully add tomato polpa—it will splatter—and season with salt and pepper. Simmer sauce for 15 minutes. 4. Place pallotte (balls) into sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, very gently turning occasionally so they absorb flavours of sauce. Gently transfer to a large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with Parmigiano and basil.

2. Place pistachios, icing sugar and salt in a small food processor or blender. Pulse until it resembles coarse sand, stopping and scraping down sides as needed. 3. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and milk. Warm in short bursts, 15 seconds at a time, until butter is melted and milk is hot. Stir in white chocolate chips until smooth and fully melted. 4. Place pistachio and white chocolate mixtures in a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth and creamy, pausing to scrape down sides as needed, 20 to 30 seconds.

1. Place eggplant in a colander and season with 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt. Let stand for 20 minutes to draw out bitterness. Pat dry with paper towel. 2. In a large, heavy-duty pot, heat 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil over medium. Fry eggplant, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. (Work in two batches if pot isn’t big enough to accommodate eggplant in one layer, adding more oil if pan gets dry.) 3. In same pot, heat remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in anchovies and chili flakes, if using. Add canned tomatoes with juices and raise heat to medium. Crush tomatoes with back of a wooden spoon to break them down. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they break down into a thick sauce, about 20 minutes. 4. While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) salt. Add pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup (250 mL) pasta water then drain. 5. When sauce is done, remove from heat and stir in half of eggplant. Add pasta and stir gently to coat. Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) reserved pasta water and stir. The sauce should cling to the pasta but not be soupy. Add more pasta water, if necessary. 6. Transfer to large serving platter and top with remaining eggplant. Sprinkle with 2 oz (55 g) ricotta salata and serve rest on side. Garnish with basil and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately. PALLOTTE CACIO E UOVA (CHEESE & EGG BALLS) This dish is a rustic specialty born in the mountain villages of Italy’s Abruzzo region. Shepherds and farmers created them with simple, inexpensive ingredients they always had on hand. Today, this humble dish is celebrated as classic comfort food, especially in the highlands, where it is enjoyed with crusty bread to soak up the flavourful sauce. PALLOTTE 3 cups (750 mL) coarse fresh bread crumbs (see TIP) 2 large eggs 1 cup (250 mL) finely grated Pecorino Romano Serves 4 to 6

5. Transfer to a glass jar, cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Makes 2/3 cup (150 mL)

Grape Expectations from page 33

PASTA ALLA NORMA Named after Vincenzo Bellini’s opera Norma , this iconic pasta is a true Sicilian classic. With tomatoes, eggplant, basil and ricotta salata, the dish embodies the spirit of cucina povera (peasant cooking), transforming humble ingredients into something extraordinary. 2 medium-size eggplants, about 11/3 lbs (605 g) total, cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) cubes 11/2 tsp (7 mL) salt, divided, plus more to taste 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (60 mL + 30 mL) extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving 3 medium-size cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 anchovies, drained, finely chopped (optional) 1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried chili flakes (optional) 1 can (796 mL) San Marzano plum tomatoes

Serves 4

TIP Fresh bread crumbs are made by crumbling stale rustic bread, crusts and all. If bread is hard, soak it in warm water for 5 minutes then squeeze out excess moisture before crumbling.

Freshly ground pepper to taste 1 lb (455 g) dried Italian rigatoni 5 oz (140 g) ricotta salata, grated Basil leaves for serving, torn if large

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TRAVEL 2026 ————————