Cuttlefish (seppia) is very popular in Italian cuisine and its ink can be bought in small packets in supermarkets or Italian speciality stores – here’s a great recipe to showcase its flavour Serves 4 Preparation time 45 minutes, plus resting Cooking time 10 minutes Ingredients: • 400g plain flour • 4 medium free-range eggs • 1 sachet of cuttlefish ink […]
Love pasta? Adore chocolate? It turns out that the two can be deliciously combined – Mario Matassa shows us how in this meaty recipe that’s bursting with flavour Serves 4 Preparation time 50 minutes, plus resting Cooking time 2 hours 45 minutes Ingredients: • 400g plain flour • 4 medium free-range eggs • 1 tbsp bitter cocoa powder For […]
Make your own pasta all’uovo – egg pasta – with Mario Matassa’s recipe. It’s the ideal starting point for cooking numerous delicious pasta dishes… Serves 4 Preparation time 30 minutes, plus resting Ingredients: • 400g plain flour • 4 medium free-range eggs Instructions: 1 Place the flour on a large worksurface and make a well in the […]
Give pasta a glorious colour and add a Mediterranean kick to the flavour using tomato purée… Mario Matassa’s spaghetti recipe shows you how! Serves 4 Preparation time 40 minutes, plus resting Cooking time 10 minutes Ingredients: • 400g plain flour, plus a few extra tablespoons if necessary • 4 medium free-range eggs • 1 tbsp tomato purée […]
In this instalment of his series uncovering the secrets of Italian food, Mario Matassa turns his attention to pasta. Read on for a lesson in how you can make the perfect fresh egg pasta too… Photos by Mario Matassa Someone once asked me if it was possible to say that a food is simpatico. This […]
Are you looking to raise your culinary skills to the next level? Michela Di Carlo gets a flavour of what’s on offer at some of Italy’s top-rated professional cookery schools 1. Parma, Emilia-Romagna The International School of Italian Cuisine (ALMA) is the brainchild of the renowned Milanese chef Gualtiero Marchesi. It’s been the world’s leading […]
For the latest in Mario Matassa’s series on the secrets of Italian food, we turn to the subject of cheese, focusing on fontina, ricotta, parmesan, pecorino and mascarpone Photos by Mario Matassa According to my doctor, it’s okay for me to eat a little cheese every day – just as long as I always wash […]
The classic dish of spaghetti cacio e pepe makes a perfect midweek meal and is a perfect recipe for showcasing delicious pecorino cheese… Serves 4 Preparation time 5 minutes Cooking time 8 minutes Ingredients: • 320g spaghetti • 250g semi-mature pecorino cheese • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • freshly ground black pepper Instructions: 1 This […]
Mario Matassa has created a wonderful take on zucchine ripiene – a truly delicious partnership of courgettes and parmesan! Serves 4 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 25 minutes Ingredients: • 4 medium courgettes • 200g fresh breadcrumbs • 2 medium free-range eggs • 60g cooked ham in one thick slice • 80g freshly grated parmesan • […]
This delicious tart recipe by Mario Matassa uses a hard ricotta and it makes for a wonderful picnic accompaniment or weekend lunch… Serves 4-6 Preparation time 5-7 minutes Cooking time 30-35 minutes Ingredients: • 500g Swiss chard (or other greens such as cavolo nero or kale) • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 medium free-range […]