If, like us, you watched last week’s Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy while salivating, you’ll want to read on. We’ve had a sneak peek at episode two and trust us when we say it looks even more delicious than the first.
And because we’re certain you’ll want to recreate what you see, we’ve tracked down all the M&S ingredients Tom uses, so you can add them to your basket before the credits roll.
M&S
M&S
Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy Episode 2: Tuscany & Lazio
The second episode, which airs tonight (ITV, 7.30pm), sees Tom in Tuscany, where he meets local olive growers during the harvest season. From there, he uses the M&S Collection Toscano Extra Virgin Olive Oil (£12) to make a Fig & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cake that we’ve earmarked to try this weekend.
Tom Regester
His next stop is in Lazio, in the west of Italy, to learn more about what goes into making the peppery M&S Wild Rocket (£2.30, 120g) so special. From there, the humble leaves take centre stage in the standout recipe from the show: Tom’s Rocket Pesto Chicken Parmigiana with Pesto Pasta Salad.
The combination of golden, crunchy chicken with vibrant homemade rocket pesto and melting mozzarella is a real winner and the pesto pasta is levelled up with sweet tomatoes and briny olives. We can see this one becoming a firm family favourite.
Fancy giving the dish a go yourself? Read on for the full list of ingredients and recipe.
Tom’s Rocket Pesto Chicken Parmigiana 
Tom Regester
Serves 4
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
4 M&S Oakham Gold chicken breasts
80g plain flour
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
100g panko breadcrumbs
300g M&S Collection Italian Single Grain Spiralotti
2 garlic cloves, grated
50g Pecorino Romano DPO, grated
50g M&S toasted pine nuts, plus extra to serve
120ml extra virgin olive oil
120g M&S wild rocket
10g fresh basil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
230g Italian mozzarella, thickly sliced
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
80g pitted kalamata olives, halved
Method Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6 with the grill on. Bash the chicken with a rolling pin and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour into a shallow dish and season well. Put the egg into a second dish and the breadcrumbs into a third. Dip each piece of chicken into the flour, coating both sides, then the egg and the breadcrumbs. Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the chicken breasts for 3min on each side, until golden brown. Remove and set aside on an ovenproof tray. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 8min. Drain, then run under cold water and transfer to a mixing bowl. Briefly blitz the garlic, Pecorino, pine nuts and olive oil in a small food processor, then add the rocket and basil and blitz again. Season to taste, then add the red wine vinegar and blend again. Spoon 2 tbsp pesto over each chicken breast, then lay the sliced mozzarella on top. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10min. Toss the remaining pesto through the pasta, then stir in the tomatoes and olives and a few extra pine nuts. Serve with the chicken.
Check back next week for more recipes from the show to try at home.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia’s food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Dining and Cooking