Seafood-free Italian family dinners

Ingredients

• penne — 400g
• cherry tomatoes — 300g
• mozzarella — 200g
• basil — 1/2 bunch
• olive oil — 3 tbsp

Method

1. Cook pasta, cool slightly.
2. Toss with halved tomatoes, torn mozzarella and basil.
3. Dress with olive oil.

Ingredients

• chicken breast — 4
• breadcrumbs — 1.5 cups
• eggs — 2
• passata — 1 cup
• mozzarella — 200g
• parmesan — 50g
• mixed salad leaves — 1 bag

Method

1. Flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness.
2. Crumb through egg then breadcrumbs.
3. Shallow-fry until golden on both sides.
4. Top with passata, mozzarella and parmesan.
5. Bake or grill until cheese is melted and bubbling.
6. Serve with salad.

Ingredients

• chicken breast — 400g
• mushrooms — 300g
• penne — 400g
• cream — 300ml
• garlic — 2 cloves
• parmesan — 50g

Method

1. Cook pasta.
2. Sauté chicken then mushrooms and garlic.
3. Add cream, toss with pasta and parmesan.

Ingredients

• pizza base — 2
• passata — 1/2 cup
• mozzarella — 200g
• basil — 1/2 bunch

Method

1. Spread passata on bases.
2. Top with mozzarella.
3. Bake 220°C 12 min, finish with basil.

Ingredients

• arborio rice — 1.5 cups
• mushrooms — 400g
• chicken stock — 1L
• white wine — 1/2 cup
• parmesan — 80g
• butter — 40g
• onion — 1

Method

1. Bring stock to a gentle simmer in a separate pot, keep warm.
2. Sauté mushrooms until golden, set aside.
3. Soften onion in butter, add rice, stir 1 min to toast.
4. Add wine, stir until absorbed.
5. Add warm stock a ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting for each addition to absorb before adding more.
6. Continue for 18-20 min until rice is creamy and just tender.
7. Stir mushrooms back through with parmesan.
8. Rest 2 min off the heat before serving.

Ingredients

• veal shanks — 4
• plain flour — 2 tbsp
• white wine — 1 cup
• diced tomatoes — 400g tin
• carrot — 2
• celery — 2 stalks
• onion — 1
• beef stock — 500ml
• parsley — 1/4 bunch

Method

1. Dust veal shanks in flour, brown well on all sides in a heavy pot, set aside.
2. Soften onion, carrot and celery in the same pot.
3. Add wine, scrape up browned bits, simmer 2 min.
4. Return shanks, add tomatoes and enough stock to almost cover.
5. Cover and simmer low 2-2.5 hours until meat is falling off the bone, turning occasionally.
6. Uncover for the last 20 min to thicken the sauce.
7. Scatter with chopped parsley to serve.

Ingredients

• chicken breast — 400g
• penne — 400g
• pesto — 1/2 cup
• cherry tomatoes — 250g
• parmesan — 50g

Method

1. Cook pasta.
2. Pan-fry chicken, slice.
3. Toss pasta with pesto and halved tomatoes.
4. Top with chicken and parmesan.

Ingredients

• beef mince — 500g
• spaghetti — 400g
• passata — 700ml
• onion — 1
• carrot — 1
• garlic — 2 cloves
• parmesan — 50g

Method

1. Soften onion, carrot, garlic.
2. Brown mince, add passata, simmer 20 min.
3. Cook spaghetti.
4. Serve with parmesan.

Ingredients

• eggs — 8
• zucchini — 1
• capsicum — 1
• feta — 100g
• frozen peas — 1 cup

Method

1. Sauté veg.
2. Pour over whisked eggs, crumble feta.
3. Oven 180°C 20 min until set.