passata Archives | Recipes to Remember

Neapolitan Pork Fillets

Pork fillets cooked in wine and flavoured with oregano, then covered with mozzarella cheese and a dollop of thick passata sauce.

Neapolitan Pork Fillets

4 servings

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Marinading time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
450 g (1 lb) pork fillet/tenderloin
3 fresh oregano sprigs
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and freshly milled black pepper
150 ml (5 fl oz) red wine (⅔ cup)
2 tbsp flour
4 tbsp olive oil
28 g (1 oz) butter (⅛ cup, or ¼ stick)
4 tbsp chicken stock
300 ml (10 fl oz) passata (1¼ cups)
115 g (4 oz) mozzarella cheese, cut into four thick slices
2 tsp dried oregano
½ red pepper, sliced thinly
½ yellow pepper, sliced thinly
½ orange pepper, sliced thinly

To serve

pasta, fettuccini works well

Method
Prepare as much as possible before beginning to cook this recipe. There are a number of steps required towards the end of cooking and having everything ready will just make them easier to work through.
First, the pork needs to marinade for one hour.
Cut the fillet/tenderloin into four equal pieces. Flatten a little by placing each piece between cling film/plastic wrap and bashing with a rolling pin.
Place them side by side in a shallow dish.
Season and add the sprigs of oregano and crushed garlic.
Then pour over the wine, cover the dish, and marinade.
Meanwhile prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Pour the passata into a small pan and stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season and put to one side.
Have a pan ready to cook the pasta.
Next, put the peppers in a bowl, pour over 2 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Put to one side.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) gas 6.
Once the pork has marinaded, spread the flour over a plate.
Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Reserve the marinade.
Coat both sides of the fillets in the flour.
Now heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter over a moderate heat in a large frying pan/skillet. The butter will begin to foam and, when this almost stops, add the pork. Sear on both sides for 2–3 minutes.
Transfer the pork to a warm plate.
Strain the reserved marinade and add to the pan/skillet.
Let it bubble for 30 seconds.
Remove the pan/skillet from the heat and stir in the stock and seasoning.
Then bring the sauce to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a low setting and return the pork to the pan/skillet, cover the pan, and cook them for a further 10 minutes.
Now bring the passata mixture to the boil over a moderate heat and let it bubble, uncovered, to reduce to a thick sauce, about 5 minutes.
Bring a kettle of water to the boil for the pasta and then cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet.
Heat a large pan in which to sauté the peppers. Tip them into the pan and sauté, turning frequently, until soft.
Once the pork is cooked through, transfer the fillets to an ovenproof dish which will snuggly hold them in a single layer.
Add 1 tablespoon water to the frying pan/skillet, stir, and then reduce the liquid to 3–4 tablespoons. This will only take a couple of minutes.
Spoon over the pork.
Cover each fillet with a slice of mozzarella and then add a large spoonful of the passata sauce in the middle of the slice. (Keep any remaining sauce warm.)
Sprinkle over the oregano.
Pop in the oven until the cheese just starts to melt, about 4–5 minutes.
To serve, spoon any remaining passata on four serving plates and then top with the pasta.
Arrange the pork on the pasta and spoon over any remaining sauce from the ovenproof dish.
Now add the peppers.

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Updated: July 14, 2020

Rich Beef Stew

4 servings

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the stew
675 g (1½ lb) stewing steak, cut into 5 cm (2 inch) chunks
3 tbsp oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
4 sprigs thyme
knob of butter
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
120 ml (4 fl oz) red wine (½ cup)
300 ml (10 fl oz) passata (1¼ cups)
300 ml (10 fl oz) good beef stock (1¼ cups)
450 g (1 lb) Chantenay carrots (baby carrots*)
450 g (1 lb) swede/rutabaga, cut into small chunks (about half a small one)

Note

*Chantenay carrots found in the U.K. are lovely small, sweet carrots. The baby carrots found in Canada are smaller and can be a good substitute, or just use ordinary carrots roughly chopped, small.

Equipment

For this recipe you will need a deep-sided frying pan/skillet with lid.
For the garlic mashed potatoes
800 g (1¾ lb) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (5 medium)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 sprig of rosemary
2 sprigs of sage
knob of butter

Method
For the stew
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the pan and brown the beef, in two batches, over a medium heat. Set to one side.
Add a little more oil to the pan, if necessary, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. The onion should be just beginning to brown.
Next, add the garlic, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, wine and a good knob of butter. Now return the beef to the pan with any of its juices. Give it all a good stir and then increase the heat and let it bubble for a couple of minutes to reduce.
Stir in the passata and stock. Season well. Cover and let it simmer very gently for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the carrots and swede/rutabaga and cook for a further hour. The meat should be really tender and the vegetables cooked through.
Remove the thyme sprigs before serving.
For the garlic mashed potatoes
Peel and cut the potatoes into even-sized pieces. Cook in boiling salted water for 20 minutes until tender.
In a separate pan, over a low heat, add the oil, garlic, rosemary, and sage. Then simmer very gently for about 10 minutes to flavour the oil. Remove the sprigs of rosemary and sage.
Drain the potatoes and mash with the oil. Add a knob of butter, season, and beat until creamy.

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