Mussels with chickpeas

Mussels

These cozze e ceci make a delicious starter dish to share with the whole family. Serve with crusty bread to get every bit of flavour from the juices! Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil 1 small red onion, peeled, finely sliced 1 garlic clove, peeled, crushed 150ml dry white wine 1kg mussels in their shells 450g cooked chickpeas 1 tbsp chopped […]

Seducing my husband without salt: Part 1

Rachael Martin on what living in Italy has taught her about food: from pasta to risotto and beyond… The first time I made my Italian boyfriend a dish of pasta, he took one mouthful and looked at me. Horrified. Pasta without salt, way up the list of the seven deadly culinary sins as any Italian […]

Apple cake

This apple cake or torta di mele is absolutely divine and a good way to use up those leftover apples!  Apple cake/ Torta di mele Ingredients: 4 large apples (1kg) juice of ½ a lemon 2 medium free-range eggs 150g brown sugar 100g wholewheat flour, sifted 100g plain flour, sifted 150ml milk 2 tsp baking powder 3 tbsp […]

Linguine with spicy prawns

This linguine with spicy prawns or linguine con gambrel picanti is a fantastic dish for a midweek meal.  Make this for your family this week – you can make it as hot or as mild as you like! Linguine with spicy prawns Ingredients: 320g linguine pasta 400g fresh prawns, shells removed, deveined 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed […]

Cut and dried… The story of Baccalà

From shipwrecked sailors in Norway to the tables of Vicenza, Julie Carbonara tells the extraordinary tale of baccalà all vicentina. My mother was a good, plain home cook but fish was not her strong point, which is why Fridays were not my favourite days. You see, in the deeply religious, Catholic Italy of my youth, you were […]

Filled pasta

Simple and satisfying, there is an amazing array of flavoursome filled pasta to be found on the market these days – we taste seven leading brands to find our favourite. While there is nothing to rival a melting mouthful of freshly made filled pasta, these delicious shop-bought parcels and their precious cargo are a welcome […]

Creamy blackberry puddings

This Crema al formaggio con more is the perfect in season pud this September.  Ingredients: 250g blackberries 250g mascarpone 125g fresh ricotta 3 heaped tbsp icing sugar 4 sponge fingers 1 tbsp chopped almonds Method: Wash the blackberries and place in a blender (setting a few aside for decoration). Add the mascarpone, ricotta and sugar, then blitz […]

Fillets of John Dory Mediterranean-style

Try this Filetti di pesce San Pietro alla mediterranea for an easy but tasty meal!  Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil 4 John Dory fillets 4 plum tomatoes, skins removed 2-3 tbsp black olives, pitted 1 tbsp capers salt and freshly ground black pepper heaped tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley Method: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil […]

Aubergine with Quartirolo Lombardo and chilli

This Melanzane con quartirolo e peperoncino is the perfect veggie dish served with some crusty bread! Ingredients 4 tbsp olive oil 1 large aubergine, diced 1 large garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped 1 tbsp chopped chilli peppers in olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper a handful of basil leaves, chopped 100g Quartirolo Lombardo […]

Apricot and cream tart

Treat your friends to this yummy Crostata alla crema pasticcera e albicocche! Ingredients: 600g sweet pastry 350ml whole milk 3 medium free-range egg yolks 100g caster sugar 50g plain flour 8 firm but ripe apricots, sliced 4 tbsp apricot jam Method: To make the cream, heat the milk in a pan and whisk the egg […]