What does the cryptic crossword clue "Noel and Pat chomped Italian food (7)" mean?

The definition is "Italian food". The wordplay uses an anagram. anagram of NOEL + PAT = POLENTA; definition: "Italian food" The answer is POLENTA.

Noel and Pat chomped Italian food (7)

Daily Mail Cryptic #17231 | 24 Across | 2023-11-17 flower