Italian inspired family meal

The menu

• Side dishes

  Baked courgette fritters with marinara sauce

• Main course

  Simple tortilla pizzas

• Desserts

  Baked cheesecake with blackberries, blueberries and figs

Menu ingredients

Serves 4

• Fruit and vegetables

  • 1 large garlic bulb, with the top sliced off

  • ½ bunch chives, finely chopped

  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 2 sprigs thyme, leaves finely chopped (about 1 tsp chopped leaves)

  • large handful fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

  • 2 tsp chopped rosemary leaves

  • 2 medium courgettes (as straight as possible)

  • 1 small lemon, cut into wedges

  • 1 small garlic clove, halved

  • ¼-½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)

  • 280g jar roasted red and yellow peppers, drained (about 175g/6oz of actual peppers)

  • 70g/2½oz rocket

  • small handful fresh basil leaves (optional)

  • 125g/4½oz fresh blueberries

  • 125g/4½oz fresh blackberries

  • 2 figs, each cut into 6 evenly-sized wedges

  • handful fresh mint leaves (optional)

• Tins, packets and jars

  • 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes

  • 50g/1¾oz wholemeal or plain flour

  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes (preferably with herbs)

• Cooking ingredients

  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • pinch caster sugar (optional)

  • flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 125g/4½oz dried natural breadcrumbs

  • spray oil

  • spray oil

  • 2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

  • 2-3 tsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)

  • flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 125g/4½oz caster sugar

  • 2½ tbsp cornflour

  • 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out

  • 2 tsp icing sugar, sifted

• Biscuits, snacks and sweets

  • 200g/7oz gingernut biscuits (about 20 biscuits)

• Dairy, eggs and chilled

  • 200g/7oz low-fat cream cheese

  • 3 tbsp low-fat Greek yoghurt

  • 3 medium free-range eggs

  • 2 packed tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese (or a similar vegetarian hard cheese)

  • 125g/4½oz pecorino cheese (or a mature cheddar), coarsely grated

  • 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter, melted

  • 450g/1lb full-fat cream cheese

  • 250g/9oz ricotta

  • 150g/5½oz double cream

  • 3 medium free-range eggs

• Other

  • 4 wholewheat, plain flour or corn tortillas (about 19cm/7½in diameter)

By Lorraine Pascale