Dining in Italian style: Can home cooking compete with the local deli’s charm?

Dining in Italian style: Can home cooking compete with the local deli’s charm? (Picture: Tenuta Marmorelle)

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If you’re anything like me then any second not spent in Italy munching on the most delicious food is a second wasted.

Pasta, pizza, salt-crested bubbles on golden focaccia, creamy burrata, oil-drenched crusts, crisp and creamy cannoli, all washed down with a swig of Limoncello… what could be better?

The thing is that up until now I thought this was just a ‘holiday thing’ – I’m no master chef and would have usually preferred leaving the culinary creations to the professionals.

That is until I stumbled across Tenuta Marmorelle and their huge range of authentic Italian ingredients and hampers (all currently with an exclusive 15% off for Metro readers with code IND15, by the way).

Helping you to cook up delicious and authentic flavours of Italy without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen, Tenuta Marmorelle are a family-run business that sources produce from other artisan food producers from across Italy to create a one-stop shop for an authentic Italian tastes in the UK.

Even their award-winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil ‘ZERO’ is made from their own olive groves in Puglia. Now that’s proper Italian.

From their much-loved selection of gluten free pasta and Limoncello made to a traditional recipe, to their artisan Italian Classic Panettone Log infused with Vin Santo Liqueur (which has been awarded the 3 Star Great Taste Award, snazzy), their unmatched selection of delicacies is set to transform dinner time.

Now, I was lucky enough to receive a fabulous hamper from Tenuta Marmorelle absolutely jam-packed with ingredients to help create my very own Italian feast from home.

The wicker basket the products came in was a great starting point – it’s the perfect way to present a gift and I’ll be using it for picnics for many years to come.

The real ‘wow’ moment, however, was opening the hamper to find it full of tasty-looking bits and pieces – including Hazelnut Chocolate Cannoli, a bottle of Limoncello, Puttanesca pasta sauce and Orecchiette pasta.

There were also a few jars of delicious morsels perfect for charcuterie spreads, including Chargrilled Artichokes, Chargrilled Aubergine Slices and Spicy Bomba Pugliese, not forgetting some crunchy Lemon Biscotti and Amaretto for a sumptuous desert.

I kept it simple for my first go, however. In-between sneaking bites of Pistachio Nougat, I boiled the Orecchiette Pasta, whose disk-like shape was EXTREMELY satisfying to eat, and then, once cooked, added the Puttanesca Pasta Sauce.

The dish was absolutely delicious. The sauce: rich, savoury and totally moreish. The pasta: perfectly al dente (and pretty failsafe in getting it perfect) and chewy. Honestly? It felt a bit like chowing down at a proper Italian restaurant.

Washed down with a glass of Limoncello (which was absolutely bonkers good, by the way), I really felt like the real deal.

But the best part? It was just so damn EASY.

Got a mate or a loved-one who loves Italy and enjoys a brief stint in the kitchen? You’re going to want to take a look at what Tenuto Marmorelle has to offer.

As a gift or a treat for yourself, an array of Italian essentials is truly a lip-smacking showstopper. Buon appetite!

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Mamma Mia this was tasty…