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10 ways to impress nonna with a jar of passata

We always knew tomatoes were romantics at heart and these saucy numbers prove just how much.

Garganelli alla Norma

Garganelli alla Norma Source: Sharyn Cairns

--- Embrace the joy of Italian food with Italian chef Masha Rener, Nadia Sawalha's guest in the first episode of Nadia’s Family Feasts, 8.30pm Monday 23 November and then every Monday on SBS Food and SBS On Demand ---

 

The fresh tomato puree that many Italian families gather to make at the end summer is certainly worth the mess. The Italians sure know how to wield their passata and here's how you can paint your plates red.
A slice of Liguria. While it is a pizza it can also be classified as focaccia topped with olive oil, garlic, white anchovies and olives.
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Pizza all'Andrea.
Meatball with ease. Scatter with parmesan and basil and grab some crunchy bread to mop up all that rich sauce.
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Hailing from Sicily, garganelli alla Norma will make your pasta nights interesting again, combining eggplant and a creamy ricotta salata topping.
Garganelli alla Norma
Garganelli alla Norma Source: Sharyn Cairns
Take your spuds and turn them into polenta-like gold. Topped with Pecorino or Gruyère cheese, you can keep this simple and vego-friendly or top with sausages or meatballs.
Potato polenta with onion, cheese and tomato
Potato polenta with onion, cheese and tomato Source: Alan Benson
That cheesy greens combo is back and this time it's stuffing this homemade ravioli. For the record, this recipe does feed a lot, but you can always freeze half for another time. Yay to leftovers!
Spinach and ricotta ravioli with passata
Source: Prue Ruscoe
This hearty and warming Italian seafood stew can be served with crusty sourdough bread or in pie form, depending on what you're in the mood for.
Cacciucco – Italian seafood stew
Cacciucco – Italian seafood stew. Source: Sotto Sopra
Italian chef Masha Rener shared this easy one-pan dish when she joined Nadia Sawalha in Nadia's Family Feasts. It's an easy combination of onion, garlic, sausages, passata ("we’re obsessive with this!" Rener says of this classic Italian ingredient) and cannellini beans and truly easy to make. This Italian favourite makes a good hearty breakfast but you could just as easily eat it for dinner. Serve with toasted sourdough to mop up all the rich, tomato sauce!
Salsicce e fagiole
Salsicce e fagiole Source: Nadia's Family Feasts
Let the tomatoey sauce simmer away until thick and rich while you cook the spaghetti. This one-pan wonder takes weeknight pasta to a new level.
Italian pork sausage spaghetti
Saucy rice, pork and veal mince coated in a cheesy crumb - arancini balls are perfect weekend fare.
Arancini
Source: Feast
It is one of Italy’s most famous dishes and with its abundant use of eggplant and cheese yet its origins remain in dispute. The name of this cheesy eggplant bake infers that it is cooked "Parma-style" and therefore hails from the Emilia-Romagna region in the north. "Alla parmigiana" also refers to Parma’s most famous cheese, parmesan, which is frequently included. However, the recipe is just as often dubbed a southern creation due to its abundant use of eggplant.
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Source: SBS Food
Also, make your own with

Tomato passata
Tomato passata Source: Petrina Tinslay

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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only.
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3 min read
Published 20 November 2020 8:54am
Updated 24 November 2020 11:52pm
By SBS Food bite-sized
Source: SBS


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