Dinner, sorted.
Six dinners from the Zia Nina cupboard. Plain home cooking: a jar, a bag or a box, and a few things you already have.
Penne with tomato basil
The weeknight one. Ten minutes for the pasta, two for the sauce, and a ladle of pasta water to bring them together.
You need
- 1 bag (16 oz) Zia Nina Penne Rigate
- 1 jar Zia Nina Tomato Basil sauce
- A handful of fresh basil
- Grated parmesan, to serve
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Method
- Boil the penne in plenty of well-salted water until just tender.
- Warm the sauce in a wide pan while the pasta cooks.
- Drain the pasta, keeping a cup of the water. Toss the penne in the sauce with a splash of the water until glossy.
- Tear in the basil, finish with olive oil and parmesan, and pass it round.
Spaghetti all’arrabbiata
Angry pasta, and the quickest dinner on this page. Add more chilli if the table can take it.
You need
- 1 bag (16 oz) Zia Nina Spaghetti
- 1 jar Zia Nina Arrabbiata sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- Chopped parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pecorino or parmesan
Method
- Cook the spaghetti in salted water.
- Soften the garlic in olive oil over a low heat, then add the sauce and let it bubble.
- Toss the drained spaghetti through the sauce with a little pasta water.
- Finish with parsley and a little cheese.
Eggs in purgatory
Eggs poached in simmering marinara. Breakfast, lunch or a late supper, with bread for the pan.
You need
- 1 jar Zia Nina Marinara
- 4 eggs
- Chilli flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil
- Crusty bread or Zia Nina Sea Salt crackers
Method
- Simmer the marinara in a lidded frying pan for five minutes.
- Make four hollows and crack an egg into each.
- Cover and cook gently until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.
- Scatter with basil and chilli and bring the pan to the table.
Farfalle al pesto
No cooking for the sauce at all: the jar, the hot pasta and a spoonful of its water do the work.
You need
- 1 bag (16 oz) Zia Nina Farfalle
- 1 jar Zia Nina Pesto Genovese
- A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- Grated parmesan
- Salt
Method
- Cook the farfalle in salted water.
- Loosen the pesto in a warm bowl with a few spoonfuls of the cooking water.
- Toss in the drained pasta and the tomatoes.
- Top with parmesan. Do not heat the pesto: it keeps its colour.
An aperitivo board
Not a recipe so much as a way to say come in, sit down. Everything comes out of a jar or a box.
You need
- 1 box Zia Nina Rosemary Olive Oil crackers
- 1 box Zia Nina Sea Salt crackers
- 1 jar Zia Nina Mediterranean Olives
- 1 jar Zia Nina Roasted Red Peppers
- 1 jar Zia Nina Artichoke Hearts
- A wedge of parmesan
Method
- Drain the olives, peppers and artichokes and put them in small bowls.
- Break the parmesan into rough pieces with a knife.
- Lay everything on a board with the crackers between.
- Add something cold to drink and call everyone in.
Pizza night, finished at home
A frozen pizza with a few things from the kitchen. The basil goes on after the oven, never before.
You need
- 1 Zia Nina Margherita pizza
- Fresh basil leaves
- Zia Nina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Chilli flakes or cracked pepper
Method
- Bake the pizza from frozen as the box says, on a hot tray or stone.
- Let it rest for a minute on a board.
- Scatter over the basil and a thin thread of olive oil.
- Add chilli or pepper, slice and share.
- Pass the good stuff.
- Made for gathering.
- Italian comfort, anytime.
- Bring everyone to the table.
Look for the red name on the cream label: sauces and pasta in the dry aisle, crackers by the deli, pizza and dinners in the freezer.