• 20+ ways with a can of tomatoes

There are recipes requiring bushels of sun-kissed tomatoes – they belong in summer, let's leave them there. During the cooler months, let's embrace all the goodness that can be created from a humble tin of toms.

If my pantry ever runs low, I feel all isn't right with the world – they are one of life's most truly glorious staples and a fundamental start to so many good, great and dare I say it, excellent meals. They are reliable and the base for so much flavour and diversity come dinnertime.

The following recipes celebrate all that is good about a tin of tomatoes and their journey to our tables. Easy, quick and delicious.

Creamy tomato one-pot chicken

Think of this dish as less of a recipe and more of a formula for winter eating because let's be honest, creamy tomato-ey cheesy meals are comfort personified. Bone-in chicken works best for this braisey number. It may take a little longer to cook than flash frying a chicken breast, but there is so much more flavour and the result is tender and glorious chicken with crisp tanned skin.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 skin-on chicken supremes (chicken breast with wing bone attached)
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 marinated red peppers (jarred roasted capsicum), sliced
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ¾ cup chicken stock
• pinch brown sugar
• ½-1 cup pouring cream

To top

• young, small Tuscan kale leaves
• ¼ cup grated parmesan
• chilli flakes

METHOD

1. Add the oil to a frying pan. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until the skin appears crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the onion to the pan and cook until pale and translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add the peppers, fennel seeds and garlic. Cook for another few minutes until fragrant then add the tomato paste, stir to coat, then add the tinned tomatoes, stock and brown sugar. Taste and check for seasoning. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, then slowly add the cream, stirring to combine – I like to start with the smallest amount of cream and add more to taste, depending on how strong the tomato flavour is.
3. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up, and continue to simmer until the chicken has warmed through, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat, push the kale leaves into the tomato mixture (they will soften in the residual heat). Sprinkle generously with parmesan and chilli flakes and serve.

Serves 4

20-minute stovetop beans

The kind of food that can grace a table from breakfast through dinner and take about 20 minutes from start to finish, is the kind of food that should be on high rotation when the stakes are high, but the motivation is low.

This recipe easily doubles or triples to feed more mouths. To bulk it further you could add a fried egg, tinned tuna, pasta, prosciutto or spinach... the feeding opportunities from this number are plentiful.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp finely chopped oregano
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
• ½ cup (120g) Persian-style feta
• additional herbs to serve (such as parsley, fennel fronds, oregano, rosemary)

METHOD

1. Add the olive oil to a medium saucepan and place over low-medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly or until soft, translucent and fragrant. Add the garlic and the chopped herbs and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring to prevent catching.
2. Add the stock and tomatoes and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5-8 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly, then add the cannellini beans. Cook for a few more minutes or until the beans have completely warmed through.
3. Scoop into bowls and top with the feta. Season with salt and pepper, scatter over the extra herbs and serve.

Serves 2

Pasta all'arrabbiata

There is little else as perfect in the world as a beautiful sugo-laden pasta with a heft of excellent cheese.

I've made this recipe with a slow Sunday in mind, but you can easily make this midweek magic by cooking the sauce for 20 minutes over a higher heat – it won't reduce as much as the longer method, so you may have some excess sauce, save this for another use. If you don't want to make the pasta yourself, use packet pasta or buy some freshly made, it will never disappoint.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 eschalots (French shallots), peeled and halved lengthways
• 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tbsp finely chopped oregano leaves
• 1 cup passata
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• chilli flakes to taste
• pinch of brown sugar (optional)

To serve

• your choice of pasta (60-100g died pasta per person or 80-120g fresh pasta per serve)
• grated parmesan
• additional chilli flakes

METHOD

1. Place a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the oil and once hot, add the garlic and shallots. Cook until you can crush them easily with a wooden spoon, about 15-20 minutes. They shouldn't burn, you want them to take on as little colour as possible. Don't rush this step, this is where a lot of the flavour building happens.
2. Add the oregano and cook until fragrant. Add the passata and chopped tomatoes, turn the heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring regularly to ensure the sauce isn't catching. It's ready when it has reduced significantly, is lovely and thick and coats the back of a spoon.
3. Add the chilli to taste and season with salt. This sauce works well with a bit of heat and bite, but I like to keep it relatively mild, and then people can add additional chilli to taste. Given some tinned tomatoes can be slightly bitter, I also like to season with a touch of brown sugar. Again, this is personal choice – taste and adjust as you go.
4. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Quickly strain – a bit of residual pasta water is always good. Transfer the wet pasta to the sauce, turning to coat.
5. Place the pasta onto plates. Season with salt and pepper, add a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan and serve with chilli flakes on the side.

Serves 4

Tomato and mozzarella risotto

If you've suffered the low-vitamin-D-induced envy of those on European summer holidays, but also feel the need for winter comfort, this Caprese-inspired risotto is the bridging salve you need.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g cherry tomatoes on the vine

Risotto

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 400g can cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ (125ml) cup white wine
• 1½ cups carnaroli rice
• 1-1½ cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 400g can crushed tomatoes
• knob of butter
• ½ cup finely grated parmesan

To serve

• 1 ball buffalo mozzarella (about 150g), sliced
• basil and oregano leaves, to scatter
• chilli flakes (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
2. Add the tomatoes on the vine to a roasting tray. Drizzle over a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until soft and the skins have split.
3. Meanwhile, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a medium saucepan and over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sweat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt then add the tinned cherry tomatoes and cook until they are breaking down, stirring here and there to help them along. Add the tomato paste and the wine and cook until the wine has evaporated. Add the rice and stir to coat in the reduced tomato mixture.
4. Add the stock, a ¼ cup at a time, stirring constantly; as it evaporates add more stock. Once the initial cup's worth of stock has been added, add the can of crushed tomatoes. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Test for doneness – there should be a slight bite to the grain, and when you pass a spoon through the mixture, it should hold its place. If it's still not done, add a little more stock, stirring until it is absorbed and the rice is cooked to your liking. Stir through the knob of butter and the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Divide risotto among bowls. Top with a few slices of mozzarella and some roasted vine tomatoes, fresh herbs and chilli flakes, if using, and serve.

Serves 4-6