Calabria is famous for, amongst other things, its tomatoes, and this is a great, fresh Ingredients 8 large tomatoes 8 spoonfuls of pasta – you can use what you want, but Ditalini are particularly adapt Olive Oil chopped parsley mint leaves basil grated pecorino salt pepper how to do it Wash the tomatoes thoroughly, and [...]
Known in dialect as scripelle ‘mbusse or bathed crespelle, this dish is reasonably simple to make and has the twin advantages of being a novelty (I’ve never seen the dish outside of Abruzzo) and delicious. As with recipes like tortellini in brodo this dish is best served in the autumn/winter and is often a traditional [...]
Tagliolini al tartuffo nero di norcia is a simple, and profoundly regional dish, but one with a strong flavour and identity. Tagliolini are a fresh egg-based pasta that is quick to cook, and goes well with light sauces. In essence they’re the same length as spaghetti, and slightly less wide than tagliatelle, but wider than [...]
Pesto is one of those dishes that, while it has a clear geographic origin in Liguria, has become not just a national favourite but an international dish – and for good reason. The traditional recipe is simple and easy to prepare. It’s popularity is down to the great taste you get when you use fresh [...]
This is a traditional recipe in a number of places along the Romagnolo coast – in particular around Rimini and Bellaria. It’s one of those dishes that, because it was associated with poverty – both polenta and clams were traditionally the food of the poor – had fallen out of favour, disappearing from many menus. [...]
This is one of the most famous meat dishes from Rome. Abbacchio is the term used for a young lamb – there are a number of competing theories regarding the origins of the word. The first links it to the latin ovacula or ovecula, diminutives of ovis (sheep). The more popular theory is also the [...]
“With no outlet for my feelings, I stared at the phone in my hand until I remembered the spaghetti. Back in the kitchen, I turned off the gas and poured the contents of the pot into a colander. Thanks to the phone call, the spaghetti was a little softer than al dente, but it had [...]
Pasta covered in a rich sauce is a national concept in Italy, with each region holding diverse strategies regarding the ingredients and preparation of sauces. This is a spicy Calabrian variation on the ever-popular tomato sauce Ingredients For 4 people 1 Kg of Tomatoes (de-seeded) 1 onion 50grms of pancetta 1 hot chilli without seeds [...]
Here, in Northern Italy, traditional recipes don’t tend to be that spicy. To give you an example, when discussing with our paediatrician the appropriate age to introduce certain foods to our daughter, I asked her ‘When is it o.k to give her chilli peppers?’ She looked at me as if I was mad, and replied [...]
The cooking tradition in the Marche region is based on fish and large amounts of game and meat, depending upon whether you’re in the wooded inland or on the coast. This is a great and simple dish for lovers of game Ingredients: 8 quails 150grms of pancetta bacon 50 grms of butter 1 glass of [...]
