Our Favourite Recipes

Polpette alla diavola

(Photo from My Italian Family Cookbook by Lawrence Dallaglio published by Simon& Schuster Illustrated May 2011.)

Polpette alla diavola - meatballs with diavola sauce

Serves 4

500g lean beef mince
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1 tbsp freshly chopped basil
4 spring onions, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
100g breadcrumbs
pinch of ground cinnamon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a little olive oil
300g jar Dallaglio by Sacla’ Diavola sauce
400g penne pasta
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.

Put the mince in a bowl with the herbs, spring onions, lemon zest, breadcrumbs and cinnamon. Mix it all together and season well.

Take walnut-sized pieces of the mince and roll into balls. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the meatballs lightly until golden.

Heat the sauce in a pan and add the meatballs.

Meanwhile, cook the penne in the boiling water until al dente.

Add a ladleful of pasta water to the sauce and meatballs - this will loosen the mixture and help bring all the flavours together.

Drain the pasta well. Return it to the pan and add the meatballs and sauce. Toss everything together. Divide among four bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Italian Slow-Baked Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Pizza

NEW: Italian Slow-Baked Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Pizza

Serves 4-6

2 x 145g packs pizza base mix
plain flour, for rolling out
190g jar Sacla’ Classic Basil Pesto
190g jar Dallaglio by Sacla’ Italian Slow-Baked Tomatoes Marinated with Chilli or Garlic, drained & sliced lengthways into 2 or 3
125g buffalo mozzarella, drained & torn into smallish pieces
20 small black olives
few fresh basil leaves
small handful rocket leaves
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
salt & freshly ground black pepper

You will also need a large lightly oiled baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 240˚C, 475˚F, Gas Mark 9.

Make the pizza base according to the pack instructions.  On a lightly floured surface, roll and thinly stretch the dough making it into a 35 x 25cm oblong or to fit your baking tray.

Transfer to the baking tray and spread the pesto over the pizza base taking it to within 1cm of the edges. Top with the tomatoes and mozzarella then scatter over the olives and season well.

Bake the pizza on the middle shelf of the oven for about 12 minutes until the base is crisp and golden, and the mozzarella has melted.

Transfer to a board or serving dish and divide into 6. Top with the basil and rocket leaves, drizzle over some olive oil and serve piping hot. Buonissimo!

Penne with Italian Slow-Baked Tomatoes, Garlic & Chilli

NEW: Penne with Italian Slow-Baked Tomatoes, Garlic & Chilli

Serves 4

450g penne
1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil + extra for drizzling
1 large clove garlic, peeled & finely chopped
1 small red chilli, de-seeded & finely chopped (optional)
190g jar Dallaglio for Sacla’ Italian Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Marinated with Chilli, drained & roughly chopped
1 heaped tblsp roughly chopped flat-leafed Italian parsley
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil for the pasta and cook the penne according to the pack instructions.

Meanwhile, in a small non-stick fryinbg pan add the tablespoon of olive oil and heat gently before stirring in the garlic. If, like Lawrence, you like it hot, add the extra chilli at this stage too. Fry briefly for 1 minute over a lowish heat before adding the tomatoes. Heat  through for 2-3 minutes, add the parsley, season and set aside.

Drain the pasta in a colander. Transfer to a warm serving dish, drizzle over some oil, spoon over the hot sauce, lightly toss and serve straightaway. Buon Appetito!

Beef Stew

One-Pot Italian Beef Stew

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
900g stewing beef
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml beef stock
200g chopped tin tomatoes
300g jar of Dallaglio by Sacla’ Diavola Pasta Sauce
8 cloves of peeled garlic (optional)
50g black olives
1 tsp chopped rosemary
Salt & ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4.

Heat the oil for the stew in a large ovenproof casserole dish, add the onion and cook over a moderate heat for 10 minutes until softened.

Toss the diced beef in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then add to the onion along with the stock, tinned tomatoes, Pasta sauce, 8 cloves of garlic (if using), olives and rosemary.  Bring to the boil.  Season and cover with a lid.

Place casserole on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 1 ½ - 2 hours until tender, stirring occasionally.

To finish, top with your choice of Yorkshire pudding, dumplings, garlic mash, or Pesto garlic bread.

To make the Pesto garlic bread…

1 clove crushed garlic
50g butter
50g grated Cheddar cheese
12 slices of French bread
½ jar Sacla’ Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Melt the butter in a pan, add garlic and seasoning.  Cook over a low heat for 1 minute then brush over one side of the bread.  Spread the Pesto on the other side.  Place Pesto-side down on the stew, scatter with cheese and place under the grill until golden.

Pasta Bake

Cheesy Tomato Pasta Bake

Serves 4

350g cavatappi,  macaroni or other tubular pasta
120ml milk
200ml creme fraiche
50g grated Cheddar cheese
50g grated Parmesan cheese
100g defrosted petit pois
300g jar Dallaglio by Sacla' Tricolore Pasta Sauce
40g butter
75g black olives
1 tsp fresh breadcrumbs
Salt & ground black pepper

Put a pan of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Cook the cavatappi according to the pack instructions until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt the butter for the topping in a frying pan over a moderate heat, add breadcrumbs and cook until crisp and golden for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from the heat, then season, and stir in the Parmesan.

In another pan combine the creme fraiche, milk, pasta sauce and the two cheeses.  Heat gently for a couple of minutes, stir occasionally, then season.

Drain the pasta, return it to the pan, pour over the sauce, add the peas and pour into an ovenproof dish.

Refrigerate for up to 24 hours until you are ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 200’c, 400’F, Gas mark 6 .  Bake the pasta dish for 20-30 minutes until everything is golden and piping hot.  Don’t wait a moment longer.  Tuck in.

Diavola Pasta Recipe

Polpettine alla Diavola

500g lean minced beef
Handful fresh parsley and basil, scissor snipped
4 spring onions, finely sliced
Grated zest of 1 lemon
100g breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon each of salt, ground pepper and ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (and extra for pasta)
1 x 300g jar Dallaglio by Sacla’ Diavola Sauce
300g Penne pasta
25g Parmesan, freshly grated

Put the meat, snipped herbs, spring onions, lemon zest, breadcrumbs and the 3 seasonings into a large bowl.

Mix and stir until the meatball mixture is even.

Pinch off pieces the size of a walnut. Roll them to make 30-32 even meatballs.

Heat the oil until very hot in a large, ideally non-stick frying pan.  Brown the meatballs turning them often for 6-8 minutes.

Pour in the Dallaglio by Sacla’ Diavola Sauce, shake the meatballs to coat and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cook the penne following pack instructions and drain.

Spoon the meatballs and their sauce over the pasta and add additional herb sprigs as garnish if liked.

Serve hot with plenty of grated Parmesan.

Bolognese Pasta Recipe

Gnocchi alla Bolognese

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed and sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
250g minced pork or beef (or a mixture)
1 x 300g jar Dallaglio by Sacla’ Barbera Bolognese Sauce
1 x 400g pack potato gnocchi (gnocchi di patate)
1 teaspoons dried oregano or marjoram
1/4 teaspoon salt
20g Parmesan, freshly grated

Heat 1½ tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy-based pan and sauté the onions, garlic and celery for a few minutes.

Add the minced meat, turn up the heat to high and cook until the meat is lightly browned.  Stir in the Dallaglio by Sacla’ Barbera Bolognese Sauce and add herbs and salt to season.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes more.

Cook the gnocchi, following the pack instructions, and drain.  Use the remaining oil to coat a heatproof serving dish.  Tip in the hot gnocchi and spoon over the sauce.  Grate some Parmesan over the surface top and put the gnocchi under a preheated grill for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.

Serve hot with a leafy side salad and extra Parmesan.

Lasagne Recipe

Lasagne Tricolore

250g lean minced beef
1 x 300g Dallaglio by Sacla’ Tricolore Sauce
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon each of salt, black pepper and ground allspice
400g fresh leaf spinach, washed not dried
A little extra virgin olive oil, for greasing
110g plain lasagne sheets (about 6-8)
175g buffalo Mozzarella (drained weight)
20g Parmesan, freshly grated

Combine the meat, sauce, carrots and seasonings in a large, flameproof casserole or sauté pan and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat and add 50ml water. Cook for 10 minutes more.

Wilt the still-wet spinach leaves in a large pan.  Spoon half of them into the base of a lightly oiled 25cm x 17cm (approx) rectangular baking dish and layer half of the lasagne sheets over these.

Spoon over half the meat sauce.  Repeat the entire process once again.

Bake, foil-covered, in an oven preheated to 190°C/375°F/ Gas Mark 5 for 35 minutes.  Uncover and place the sliced Mozzarella on the top.

Continue baking, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted, hot and bubbling.  Serve large rectangles with a crisp green salad and extra Parmesan.