Cooking with the Essential Sauce,
Authentic Apulian Passata di Pomodoro

Donatella Arpaia spent her summers on her mother’s farm in Apulia, the “heel of the boot” of Italy, jarring summer tomatoes and making Passata, the traditional tomato sauce. Donatella was raised in a family that cooked homemade meals daily, but she understands how difficult it can be to prepare fresh, appealing food at every meal. Knowing that fast food doesn’t have to be bad food, Donatella has created a line of the finest quality traditionally-made artisinal staples – like fresh Passata, that makes it easy to prepare delicious, fresh meals – every night of the week.

Every September in Southern Italy, families gather for the ritual of making Passata, the much-loved freshly bottled tomato sauce to use for the entire following year. At the peak of harvest in late summer, the tomatoes are picked and sold at roadside markets. Families gather them and bring the seasonal treasure home, where the time-honored bottling process begins. Donatella continues this family tradition with her Passata, made from sweet Neapolitan tomatoes grown in the San Marzano valley. The tomatoes are low in acid, and their flavor quality is unmatched. This is created by the region’s rich volcanic soil, rainy springtime climate followed by a long warm summer that ripens the tomatoes to perfection.

This Passata is only lightly cooked – the tomatoes are blanched to remove the skins, then pulped and preserved in jars with a little fresh basil, onion, garlic and celery, in the Apulian tradition. Taste the difference and make it your own – whether served by itself with pasta, or used as a base for other recipes, Donatella shows you here how easy it is to cook with this mouthwatering Passata every day.

Making the Perfect Tomato Sauce

SPAGHETTI AL POMODORO E BASILICO
This sauce is fresh, simple and delicious. It can be the base for many recipes, or great on its own. Don’t forget the love!

* Use only the best ingredients – fresh basil and whole garlic cloves are a must.
* Gently wipe basil with a moist cloth. Washing basil leaves will remove much of their perfume. Basil leaves should be torn, never cut – they will bruise.
* Sauté garlic gently, and never let it burn.
* Toss pasta and sauce in the pan for 30 seconds, for the best taste.
* To finish, sprinkle a teaspoon of Donatella Fruttato, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and add a sprig of fresh basil.

1 lb of spaghetti
2 tablespoons of Donatella Fruttato, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 jar of Donatella Essential Sauce
2 cloves garlic (chopped fine or leave whole and remove skins)
8 fresh basil leaves
Fresh sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Heat the oil and sauté the garlic until softened. Cover to prevent browning. Add the sauce and cook on medium-high flame, uncovered for 10-15 minutes. At the last minute, add salt and pepper and a handful of 6-8 fresh basil leaves.
Cook pasta following the directions on package. Drain, add sauce, toss and serve. Parmesan is optional.

PENNE AL FORNO CON POMODORO E MOZZARELLA

1 lb penne or short pasta
1 jar of Donatella Essential Sauce
1/2 cup grated parmesan
10 oz mozzarella cheese
8 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs

Cook pasta for half the time given in instructions and drain. Put half the Passata to one side and mix the rest with pasta. Add one-third of the grated cheese. Butter an oven dish and put in half of the pasta. Cover with thin slices of mozzarella, the reserved Passata and half the remaining parmesan. Add the rest of the pasta and cover with remaining parmesan mixed with breadcrumbs. Bake in hot oven at 220°F for 7 minutes.

BUCATINI ALLA MATRICIANA
Always a favorite. So easy, and can be whipped up in a few minutes.

1 lb of bucatini
2 tablespoons of Donatella Fruttato, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
7 oz of pancetta (or bacon)
1 teaspoon of dried chilies
1 jar of Donatella Essential Sauce
2 oz freshly grated pecorino romano
1 medium onion

Heat oil and sauté chopped onion until softened. Add chopped pancetta and sauté until crispy. Add Passata and chilies and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Cook pasta, drain and stir in cheese and sauce. Serve at once.

For a quick easy meal to be complete, any of these pasta dishes can be paired with a fresh salad and crisp bread.

Each should be prepared with only the best staples, like the highest quality olive oil you can find. Donatella’s Fruttato extra virgin olive oil is bright and subtle, perfect for salad dressings, sautéing vegetables or fish, or for enjoying on its own with a warm crusty piece of bread.

Making the Perfect Vinaigrette

* The rule of thumb is 4 parts oil plus 1 part acid equals perfect vinaigrette.
* High quality ingredients are of utmost importance – start with high quality oil, wine, sherry or vinegar as well as fine sea salt and fresh peppercorn.
* For dressing to cling to salad, be sure the leaves are dry.
* Dress the salad just a minute or two before serving, so it won’t wilt.
* Don’t overdress salad – the dressing shouldn’t be a pool of liquid on the bottom.

CLASSIC Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons Donatella Fruttato, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon good aged red wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

FRENCH Vinaigrette
Same as above, but add 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

LEMON CHIVE Vinaigrette
Replace vinegar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and add 3 teaspoons of chopped chives.