The legendary cuisine of La Serenisima deserves close attention, so join Mario Matassa as he unpicks the flavours and feeling behind Venetian cooking… Venice hardly needs an introduction. One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, the Renaissance city is renowned among other things for its stunning architecture, its history, its art, its […]
This Roasted vegetables with lentils, mozzarella and mint oil recipe is a great way to use all those summer vegetables that are so fresh and cheap to buy right now. Don’t be shy to try some variations according to what you can find. ➤ Serves 2 ➤ Preparation 10 minutes ➤ Cooking 45 minutes 2 small courgettes 1 small red pepper 1 […]
This wonderful grissini recipe was sent to us by our friends at Relais san Pietro in Polvano, Tuscany… Ingredients For the Grissini 500 g Focaccia mix flour 50 g Brewer’s yeast 40 ml Olive oil 220 ml Water To decorate: Sesame or poppy seeds ——————————————————————————————- Knead all the ingredients together well or mix using a bread […]
Risotto ai piselli, menta e mascarpone The pea, mint and mascarpone risotto is one of the great tastes of summer, and it works very well with this creamy cheese. ➤ Serves 2➤ Preparation 10 minutes ➤Cooking 20 minutes 150g peas, fresh or frozen 10 fresh mint leaves 500ml chicken or vegetable stock 1 tbsp olive oil 3 […]
Semifreddo al amaretto ➤ Serves 4 ➤ Preparation 15 minutes plus 4 hours freezing ➤ Cooking 5 minutes This delicious iced dessert, which is almost an ice cream but not quite (semifreddo literally translates as ‘almost cold’), is very easy to make and truly wonderful, combining both amaretti biscuits and the liqueur to make a very grown-up dolce. The cream […]
Funghi al forno ripieno di spinaci, brie e noci ➤ Serves 4 ➤Preparation 10 minutes ➤ Cooking 20 minutes 3 tbsp olive oil 4 field or Portobello mushrooms, wiped and stalks removed 225g baby leaf spinach 40g walnuts, chopped 100g Brie (or Blue Stilton), cut into small pieces salt and freshly ground black pepper mixed salad leaves and cherry tomatoes […]
Patate al forno New potatoes are abundant at this time of year and as well as being great boiled, they also bake very well – use them in this Southern Italian layered potato pie…. ➤ Serves 2 ➤ Preparation 15 minutes ➤ Cooking 35 minutes 450g new potatoes, scrubbed salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 onions, peeled, finely chopped […]
Gnocchi agli spinaci, Gorgonzola e pancetta You can, if you have time and patience, make your own gnocchi, but it is an ingredient that does not suffer from being pre-prepared by a supermarket. ➤Serves 2➤ Preparation 5 minutes ➤ Cooking 10 minutes 250g good-quality ready-made potato gnocchi 80g cubetti di pancetta 100g mascarpone 70g Gorgonzola cheese, cut […]
Minestra di pasta e ceci If you like a meaty taste to your Pasta and chickpea soup, replace the anchovy fillets with a couple of tablespoons of cubed pancetta. ➤ Serves 2 ➤ Preparation 10 minutes ➤ Cooking 30 minutes 200g canned chickpeas 1 small sprig fresh rosemary 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 large cloves garlic, peeled, chopped […]
Tortino di zucchine This courgette bake is a great main course for vegetarians or alternatively a hearty first-course dish for four people. ➤ Serves 2 ➤ Preparation 10 minutes ➤Cooking 35 minutes 2-4 medium to large courgettes, topped, tailed and sliced lengthways into thick ‘tongues’ 2 tbsp plain white flour 250ml sunflower oil ½ an onion, chopped 2 tbsp […]