Drive Italia: Ferrari Dino

ferrari dino

Ferrari didn’t want to sully the name of its exclusive brand with a cheaper Ferrari, so the ‘Dino’ was created… Photo by iStock Dino was Ferrari’s marque for mid-engined sports cars produced from 1968 to 1976. Enzo Ferrari named the V6 series of cars in honour of the untimely passing of his son and heir Dino. […]

Past Italia: Abbazia di Santa Maria di Pulsano

pulsano abbey

Pulsano Abbey stands on the spur of Italy’s heel in the Gargano area of Puglia, overlooking the Gulf of Manfredonia Photo by Getty Images There has been an abbey at this location on the Gargano promontory since the 6th century. However, the original was destroyed by Islamic invaders and the 12th-century rebuild – which had […]

Viewpoint: Cascate del Mulino

cascate del mulino

The Maremma’s Cascate del Mulino (Cascades of the Mill) are fed by hot spring waters that flow underground from the site of the Terme di Saturnia Spa… Photo by Getty Images  Just upstream from here, the Terme di Saturnia is as luxurious a spa resort as you could hope for, but the 37°C waters that […]

Stuffed chicken thighs (coscie di pollo ripiene)

chicken - pollo

In this recipe Mario Matassa has used chicken thighs, but if you prefer white meat, you can opt for whole chicken breast (just remember to keep the skin on) Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Barbecuing time 25 minutes Ingredients: • 8 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs • 8 tbsp grated Parmesan • 2 tbsp finely diced cooked ham […]

Squid with chilli and lemon sauce

squid calamari

Mario Matassa shares his technique for cooking squid (calamari) on the barbecue – a real showstopper for seafood lovers Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Barbecuing time 3 minutes Ingredients: • 1-2 fresh hot red chillies (depending on how hot you like it) • 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • juice […]

Grilled vegetables with couscous

grilled vegetables with couscous

Mario Matassa shares a recipe for grilled vegetables with couscous (couscous con verdure grigliate) – a perfect complement to any barbecue Serves 4-6 Preparation time 10 minutes Barbecuing time 10 minutes Ingredients: • 2 courgettes, sliced lengthways • 1 red pepper, core and seeds removed, sliced • 1 yellow pepper, core and seeds removed, sliced • […]

Grilled radicchio

radicchio

Mario Matassa’s radicchio recipe makes for an excellent contorno or part of a main of mixed roasted vegetables… Serves 2 Preparation time 1 minutes Barbecuing time 5 minutes Ingredients: • 2 heads of Treviso radicchio • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tbsp lemon juice • salt and freshly ground black pepper Instructions: 1 Cut the radicchio […]

Sirloin steak (tagliata) with home-made salsa

sirloin steak

Mario Matassa’s sirloin steak with tomato, red onion and caper relish is sure to become a firm favourite recipe for your barbecue… Serves 2 Preparation time 10 minutes Barbecuing time 7-10 minutes Ingredients: • 1 large tomato, finely diced • 1 small red onion, peeled, finely diced • 1 tbsp capers • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil […]

Polpettine di tacchino (turkey meatballs)

polpettine

Meatballs (polpettine) are generally fried in a pan, but they can also work on the grill if you ensure that they remain moist, says Mario Matassa Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Barbecuing time 15 minutes Ingredients: • 2 thick slices of day-old rustic bread • 100ml milk • 400g turkey breast mince • 4 limes […]

A taste of Italy: the barbecue

sirloin steak

The start of summer means one thing – it’s barbecue time! This month Mario Matassa shares some classic Italian recipes for la grigliata Barbecue food photos by Mario Matassa Nothing stirs the appetite quite like the aroma of a good barbecue on a summer’s evening. Italians first take to their grills from late June and […]