The Classic: A Week of Meals from Pasta, Unico Passata and Olive Oil

How three pantry staples — dried pasta, Unico Passata and good olive oil — become a whole week of easy, satisfying dinners.

The three-ingredient formula

A box of pasta, Unico Passata and a bottle of olive oil are all you really need to put dinner on the table most nights. Learn this trio and you have a template you can run all week — change one thing each night and it never feels repetitive.

What each one brings

• Pasta — the base; the shape sets the mood, from delicate capellini to hearty rigatoni
• Unico Passata — instant flavour; a few minutes of simmering makes it taste slow-cooked
• Olive oil — richness and a finish; a swirl off the heat ties everything together

Build a week around it

Pick a pasta shape, warm the sauce while the water boils, and finish the plate with a little olive oil. That's the base. To make it a week rather than one meal, change just one variable a night: the shape, a stir-in, or the way you dress it at the end.

Five ways to keep it interesting

• Toss with garlic and olive oil (aglio e olio) for the simplest night
• Stir a can of tuna or beans into the sauce for protein
• Add chili flakes for an arrabbiata kick
• Fold in olives, capers or anchovies for a puttanesca
• Top with fresh herbs and a little cheese

Shop once, cook all week

• Keep two or three pasta shapes on hand for variety
• Stock a couple of sauce styles — original, garlic, zesty
• Keep a good olive oil just for finishing
• Add a few pantry heroes: olives, anchovies, chili, a wedge of cheese

Dinner, sorted

With pasta, Unico Passata and olive oil on the shelf, a good dinner is always about ten minutes away — no menu planning required.