This recipe for canestrelli biscuits makes it easy to create this tasty Ligurian treat – Mario Matassa shares his technique to show us how its done… These biscotti would traditionally have been twice cooked (bis-cotti), resulting in a crisp exterior and crumbly interior. Canestrelli can be bought today, fresh from the ovens, in any good […]
Mario Matassa’s simple and satisfying mushroom pasta dish is the perfect solution for a tasty midweek meal. Try it tonight! In Italy porcini mushrooms reign supreme, but this pasta dish can also be made using other varieties, depending on what you have in store (just skip the soaking step if using fresh rather than dried). […]
This ‘trota‘ dish has a spicy kick. Mario Matassa used wild trout here, but with the addition of more chilli pepper, farmed trout also works well In this trout recipe, which has been adapted from a method for cooking trout in the Apennine mountains above Parma, the fish is coated in flour and chilli pepper, then […]
Wild greens (verdure selvatiche) is the name given to greens that grow in the wild. They’re popular in Italy and this recipe by Mario Matassa is a good way to use them Wild greens include a wide range of plants like borage leaves, nettles, dandelions, wild fennel, hops, rocket, garlic leaves, wild beets, wild chicory, asparagus and, of […]
Enjoy this recipe for risotto con bruscandoli by Mario Matassa – it’s a fantastic way to use wild hops… Serves 2 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes Ingredients: • 180g risotto rice • a bunch of wild hops, roughly chopped • 1 small onion, peeled, finely chopped • 600-750ml vegetable stock • 30g Parmesan, grated […]
Any fan of Italian cuisine should learn how to make passata – the classic tomato sauce – here’s how to do it! Recipe & image by Mario Matassa Makes 4 x 250g jars Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes, plus sterilising Ingredients: • 2kg ripe but firm plum tomatoes • 3 tbsp olive oil […]
Italians love mushrooms (funghi), especially porcini, but if you can’t find porcini, this recipe will work with a mix of button and chestnut mushrooms. Recipe & image by Mario Matassa Makes 4 x 250g jars Preparation time 10 minutes, plus overnight drying Cooking time 5 minutes Ingredients: • 1kg fresh porcini mushrooms • 500ml white wine […]
Lemon marmalade (marmellata di limone) is a delicious way to preserve lemons, Italian-style. Recipe and image by Mario Matassa Makes 4 x 250g jars of marmalade Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 1 hour 20 minutes Ingredients: • 1.5kg organic lemons • about 1kg caster sugar Instructions: 1 Begin by washing the lemons very well. Then bring […]
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 […]
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 • […]