Italian classics
Style and functionality meet in these kitchen design classics, making for memorable meals in style.
Style is an important part of the buying equation: choose a model that works with your kitchen design and won’t date. Italian cuisine and style converge winningly in the kitchen.
Pizza Caprese Prep time 20 mins, cook 30 mins (plus proving)
Makes 4
400 gm canned chopped tomatoes, drained (juice discarded) 375 gm buffalo mozzarella (about 3 small), thinly sliced
100 gm cacciatore salami, thinly sliced
250 gm cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup (loosely packed) basil
Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
Pizza dough
2 tbsp olive oil
7 gm (1 sachet) dried yeast 1 tsp caster sugar
450 gm (3 cups) plain flour
1 For pizza dough, combine olive oil, yeast, sugar, ½ tsp salt and 350ml lukewarm water in a bowl and stand until foamy (2-3 minutes). Gradually add flour, mix until a rough dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes). Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in size (1-1½ hours). Knock back, knead lightly, then cover and stand until doubled in size (45 minutes to 1 hour)
2 Preheat oven to 250C.
Place 2 heavy oven trays in oven to heat. Divide dough into quarters and roll each into a 30cm-diameter round and place on a sheet of baking paper. Spread tomato over bases, top with mozzarella and salami, then place on trays using baking paper for support and bake in batches until cooked through, swapping trays halfway through cooking
(6-8 minutes). Repeat with remaining pizze. Scatter pizze with cherry tomatoes and basil, drizzle with oil, season to taste and serve hot.
Polpetti with roasted tomato sauce and pappardelle Prep time 20 mins, cook 30 mins Serves 4
4 ripe vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 golden shallots, thinly sliced
2 tbsp oregano
1 small red chilli, halved
140 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp caster sugar
250 gm extra-lean finely minced beef
250 gm coarsely minced pork with good fat marbling
90 ml dry white wine
400 gm dried pappardelle
Finely grated parmesan, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 220C. Combine tomatoes, garlic, shallot, oregano and chilli in a roasting pan, drizzle with 90ml olive oil, scatter with caster sugar, season to taste and roast until vegetables soften and start to caramelise around the edges (about 20 minutes).
2 Meanwhile, combine meats in a bowl and season to taste. Heat white wine and 2 tbsp remaining olive oil in a deep frying pan over high heat. Form walnut-sized meatballs and add to pan. Cover with a lid and cook without stirring for 3 minutes, then remove lid and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until liquid reduces and meatballs start to fry (3-4 minutes).
3 Cook pappardelle in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water, then return to pan and toss with remaining oil and enough pasta water to coat. Serve topped with meatballs, sauce, parmesan and cracked black pepper.