An Italian obsession

A new range of home cooked Italian pasta sauces is providing ‘more than a mouthful' for grateful fans of classic Italian cuisine in Melbourne. Created in the Surrey Hills kitchen of Italian cook Viv Bortot, More than a Mouthful pasta sauces are as authentically Italian and classic in styling as the Mona Lisa they feature on the label.

‘My parents migrated from Italy nearly 50 years ago and brought with them the love of good Italian home-style cooking,' Viv said.

Using those decades of Italian wisdom, together with fresh local produce, (organic where possible), and home-grown herbs and spices, Viv is now creating her own classic Italian dishes so food lovers can enjoy the rich flavours of traditional slow cooking techniques with a minimum of fuss.

‘These sauces are based on those classic recipes my parents brought with them. I started cooking them for friends and family, but found there is a bigger demand,' Viv said.

‘A lot of people are keen to eat very authentic Italian pasta sauces, but don't have the time to create the genuine article,' Viv said. ‘I've found people who wouldn't normally buy a pasta sauce off the shelf Iove this range, because they feel it's a quality product – the ingredients are very high quality, there's no preservatives or added flavourings – and it's cooked at home. It's a way of eating natural, home cooked, classic Italian, but with someone else doing the work!'

The family obsession with authentic Italian food and fresh produce was, however, a source of discomfort for Viv as an Italian kid growing up in Melbourne's suburbs in the 1960s.

‘We were the classic Italian family and producing and preparing authentic food was an integral part of that. My parents' garden was always bursting with produce – a thriving orchard, and heaps of vegetables; they made their own salami and ‘cottechino' (a type of Italian sausage), and their own wine. They bred pigeons (for roasting), and Dad's trout smoked with gum leaves was, and still is, sensational. But as children, we found it excruciating to be the only ones at school with salami sandwiches when everyone else had vegemite – I wasn't proud to be Italian.'

But with these dishes now firmly part of Australian cuisine, Viv herself has embraced her roots, and welcomes the opportunity to draw on the expertise of her parents to produce her own range of classic Italian products.

‘I love being part of that culture that really celebrates food, and it's fabulous to continue to share the collected wisdom of Italian cooking. And because I produce it in small quantities at home, I'm able to really ensure the quality of product and use traditional cooking techniques. As a result, the sauce tastes luscious and while it is not low fat, when it's combined with pasta it makes for a very healthy meal. The whole family love it and it's got many uses: in lasagne, on pizza bases, added to chorizo sausages, or just on its own. You can add it with tuna to pasta, or in curries….the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.'

More than a Mouthful “luscious” classic Italian pasta sauces are now available in gourmet delis, butchers and specialised fruit shops in Melbourne's suburbs, or you can visit the website for a full stockists list.