Italian food is incredibly comforting. It warms the heart and feeds the soul, and whole families can enjoy its tasty flavours.
If you’re looking for some delicious, easy to prepare Italian-inspired dishes, here are 5 recipes that you can prepare at home in one hour or less.
Buon Appetito!
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Chicken Parmigiana
Chicken Parmigiana is breaded chicken topped with a tomato sauce and parmesan. It is a comforting and delicious Italian-inspired dish, and if you want to know how to recreate it at home, follow the below recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breast fillets
- 700g tomato passata
- 40g parmesan
- 30g plain flour
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 egg
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 30g virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion
- 250g Buffalo Mozzarella
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
- 130g breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- In a bowl combine lemon zest, two crushed garlic cloves, oregano and breadcrumbs and mix together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, egg and milk.
- Toss the chicken breasts in the flour mixture and then press into the breadcrumb mixture, and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken over medium heat until golden. Put aside.
- Heat oil in pan and add the chopped onion and one crushed garlic clove. Cook until softened.
- Add the tomato passata sauce to the pan, season, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Place the chicken and sauce onto a baking tray and top with parmesan.
- Place baking tray under the preheated grill for 5 minutes until cheese is golden brown.
- Season to taste and serve!
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Napoli-Style Pizza
Pizza originated in Naples, Italy, back in the 19th century. A traditional and authentic Neapolitan-style pizza has a thin crust and features fresh toppings – tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil. Historically, this pizza was created to resemble the tri-coloured Italian flag (red, white and green).
This classic pizza is easy to recreate at home. Follow this recipe:
Ingredients (makes 2 pizzas):
- 500g of stone-ground unbleached flour
- 4 grams of dried yeast
- 300ml of warm water
- 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp of salt
Method:
- Mix yeast and water in a bowl.
- Add flour to mixture and stir.
- On a floured work surface knead the mixture for 10-15 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
- Grease the inside of a separate bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside. Cover and leave to prove for 5 hours.
- On a floured surface separate the dough and roll out two discs (thickness of dough dependent on crust preference).
- Add tomato sauce, cheese, basil and any other toppings you desire.
- In an oven preheated at 180 degrees Celsius (preferably on a preheated pizza stone), cook the pizza for approximately 10 minutes until crust is golden brown.
- Serve piping hot!
Or, if cooking your own pizza is too much hassle, you can order delicious pizza in Sydney and enjoy it from the comfort of your own home!
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Beef Lasagne
Lasagne is another delicious and comforting Italian-style dish that is easy to make at home. It consists of sheets of pasta layered with minced meat, tomato sauce, vegetables and cheese. Better yet, you can even substitute the meat for vegetables to make it vegetarian friendly. Here’s how to do it:
Ingredients:
- 600g minced beef
- 250g dried lasagne pasta sheets
- 700g tomato sauce
- 250g cream
- 250g cheddar cheese
- 30g parmesan
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 60g red wine
- 1 tsp sugar
Method:
- Cook onion and garlic over medium heat in a oiled saucepan.
- Once softened, add minced beef for 8-10 minutes until brown.
- Add red wine, tomato sauce and sugar, and season will salt and pepper.
- Bring to boil then reduce heat and summer for 35 minutes until sauce is thickened.
- In a large baking dish, spoon out a layer of sauce and top with dried pasta sheets.
- Spoon another layer of sauce, followed by ¼ cream and sprinkle with ¼ cheddar cheese.
- Repeat layers twice.
- Top with remaining pasta sheets, cheddar cheese and sprinkle with parmesan.
- Place baking tray into a preheated oven (180 degrees Celsius) and cook for 20-30 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
- Leave to stand for 10 minutes and serve!
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Spaghetti and Meatballs
If you’re craving a dish that’s super tasty and filling, spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-inspired dish that is incredibly easy to make and a family favourite.
Ingredients:
- 400g spaghetti
- 400g tomato passata
- 150g pork mince
- 60ml milk
- ½ lemon zest
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese (and extra to serve)
- 2 tbsp mixed herbs (dried)
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1 egg
Method:
- In a large bowl mix pork mince, herbs, egg, lemon zest and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Using clean hands, roll the mixture into 10 small balls. Put aside and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Cook onion and garlic in an oiled pan over medium heat until softened.
- Add tomato sauce and meatballs, bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
- Cook pasta in large saucepan as per packet instructions.
- Drain pasta, add sauce and meatballs and stir.
- Sprinkle parmesan and parsley, on top and season to taste.
- Serve!
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Carbonara
There’s nothing like a creamy, cheesy carbonara on a cosy evening. This carbonara calls for fettuccine for a different interpretation (spaghetti is traditional).
Ingredients:
- 350g fresh fettuccine pasta
- 175 bacon rashers
- 60g cream
- 40g parmesan
- 20g butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary
Method:
- Cook fettuccine as per packet instructions
- Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat and add chopped bacon rashers. Cook for 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Add garlic, rosemary and stir.
- In a bowl whisk eggs, egg yolks, cream and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drain pasta, and add the mixture from the frying pan and the mixture from bowl to the pasta.
- Stir over medium heat for 2 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Sprinkle with parmesan and serve!
Conclusion
The Italian cuisine is adored worldwide, and for good reason. It is tasty, comforting, and can feed a whole family.
Take note of these easy-to-prepare recipes and cook up these tasty Italian-inspired dishes at home in less than an hour!