Potatoes and cabbage were staples of winter meals in Istria; plentiful, filling and affordable. Speck or pancetta add fat and flavour to this simple dish, based on one Alice, my friend Tamara’s mother, would make, using savoy cabbage and potatoes from her husband Erminio’s garden. I also add sauerkraut for acidity, and caraway seeds for complexity, as I love their fragrant anise-like taste. To make this a complete wintery meal, I like to include a few good-quality pork sausages or partially cured chorizo. Some mustard and a bit of horseradish on the side wouldn’t go astray either.

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Risotto with Sausage and Tomatoes

Paola Bacchia · At Nonna's Table

I introduced Mamma to the idea of cooking risotto directly in passata when she was living alone after my father had passed. She was open to new tricks in the kitchen well into her 80s and loved the simplicity of it. You can leave out the sausages in this dish to turn it into a simple vegetarian tomato risotto.