Tasty Italian dishes to create at home
Buon appetito!
Wild mushroom lasagne
Wild and dried porcini mushrooms impart lots of umami in this vegetarian lasagne, for a beautiful and full flavour. It's incredibly and wonderfully rich, with a double cream and Parmesan béchamel sauce bringing the dish together. We'd suggest serving with a rocket salad to add some bitter, sharp notes to your plate.
Cacio e pepe
The sauce is made simply from grated Parmesan and black pepper, and you’ll be surprised that this is all it takes for it be so full of flavour. The key to creating a silky smooth texture is to add some of the pasta’s cooking water, due to the starch in it.
Spaghetti carbonara
A classic pasta dish which is so simple and delicious that it’ll become a regular in your cooking routine. The egg yolks create a rich sauce and the pecorino gives a wonderful saltiness. Like with cacio e pepe, to make the dish even more silky, use a little bit of the pasta water at the end.
Slow-cooker spaghetti bolognese
To make a great bolognese, let the meat cook for as long as possible, so that the rich flavours of the tomatoes, garlic and herbs really shine through. The joy of a slow-cooker recipe is that you can leave the sauce to work its magic until dinnertime. Just cook the pasta to serve.
Sausage ragù recipe
Time is the extra ingredient for the sauce to gain full flavour and richness, but it's all relatively hands-off. The herbs used are rosemary, thyme and bay leaves which have a deep woodiness that balance the tang of tomatoes and meaty pork sausages.
Beef shin ragù
This glorious ragù is simple to make – once celery, carrots and onions are cooked down, meat and stock are added, then it's into the oven. The beef shin will become melt-in-your-mouth and full of flavour from the herbs and vegetables that it slow-cooks with. Serve with your favourite pasta shape and top with grated Parmesan and black pepper.
Pepperoni pizza
Take a classic and give it a chilli kick! Honey is infused with fresh chilli, so there is a lovely balance of sweetness and fire, and it's drizzled over the pizza. The recipe will make more than you need but the honey will keep for three weeks. Stay traditional by using a Neapolitan dough recipe with a tomato sauce base.
Roast mushroom and truffle pizza
This is a classic combination of flavours – what's not to like about mushroom and truffle? Roasting chestnut mushrooms in some good-quality olive oil will bring out deep umami flavours, so the mushrooms stand up next to the aromatics of the truffle.
Pappardelle with cod and cherry tomatoes
Sweet cherry tomatoes are really lovely with pieces of cod fillets. Cooked here with white wine, the fish is soft and light, and a red chilli lifts the dish with a bit of heat. This is a simple meal that lets the ingredients shine through.
Get the recipe for pappardelle with cod and cherry tomatoes here
Gnocchi with truffle butter
Need dinner in a hurry? This dish has only four ingredients and is ready in 15 minutes, making clever use of shop-bought gnocchi (little potato dumplings). For the best flavour, combine the melted butter and truffle while the hob is on, but then let it stand and infuse off the heat. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
Pistachio and mortadella lasagne
In this dish, pistachios are the star: in pesto which is stirred through the béchamel and scattered on top to provide pleasing crunch. Mortadella, which is a ham from Bologna in the north of Italy, has a lovely delicate flavour that works well the nutty flavours of pistachio.
Mint stracciatella gelato
Stracciatella (which translates as ‘raggedy’) gelato is Italian ice cream that has chocolate shards running through it. This recipe uses fresh mint to get a wonderful punchy flavour, and the key to getting the bright green colour is preparing the herb correctly. Blanch the mint for around 10 seconds then instantly plunge it into iced water.
Mushroom pappardelle
White miso is paired with mushrooms to create a deep savoury flavour. A good splash of balsamic vinegar adds a tangy sweetness and chilli flakes give the whole dish some heat. Any type of ribbon pasta would work well – use tagliatelle or fettucine if you can't get pappardelle.
Sweet potato, feta and red onion frittata
Quick and easy to make, and packed with flavour. Frittatas are wonderful to eat hot, warm or cold – great for a picnic. This recipe incorporates sweet potatoes, tangy feta and caramelised red onions, balancing sweet and salty perfectly.
Get the recipe for sweet potato, feta and onion frittata here
Tomato focaccia
Baking this classic bread is easier than you think, and you can flavour it with your favourite herbs and vegetables. This recipe pairs rosemary and cherry tomatoes. Key to bringing out the best in focaccia is to be generous with the sea salt and serve with a healthy drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan is one of those great Italian-American dishes. Breaded chicken breasts are topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan, then baked until the cheeses have melted and browned. Our recipe is a clever and speedier twist on this, where the chicken and tomato sauce are topped with breadcrumbs and the cheeses, with courgette spaghetti instead of wheat pasta. It loses nothing in the taste and takes just 25 minutes to make.
Spaghetti with meatballs
Meatballs, in various guises, are made in every region of Italy. Usually made with minced beef or veal, they may contain Parmesan, garlic, herbs and even salami or mortadella. So you can play around with your favourite ingredients to make them your own. Or try our recipe with a twist – meatballs made with pork and spicy chorizo sausage, to give a kick of chilli, in a rich tomato sauce.
Get the recipe for pork and chorizo meatballs with spaghetti here
Wild boar ragù
A ragù is a rich meat sauce, usually used to dress pasta, just like a bolognese sauce. While wild boar is popular in Italy for serving with pappardelle, you could happily substitute pork shoulder in this recipe. The meat is cooked long and slow in red wine, tomatoes, herbs, vegetables and spices. It also freezes really well, should you have any leftovers.
Kale and cannellini bean soup
The Italians are certainly not averse to opening a tin, and this hearty soup couldn't be easier and more warming. With a simple base of canned tomatoes, use the best Italian brand you can find. Some may be cheaper, but they will be much more watery. Add savoy cabbage, kale and canned cannellini beans, then serve with garlicky ciabatta and a poached egg. A perfect lunch in around 20 minutes.
Bruschetta with tomatoes
Bruschetta is usually served as a starter to keep everyone going while the main course is being cooked. The base is simply toasted rustic bread, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with oil while still warm. Then the toasts are topped with chopped tomatoes. The key is super-ripe tomatoes which are at room temperature. Then you can add olives and buffalo mozzarella, perhaps some fresh basil and more oil.
Get the recipe for bruschetta with tomatoes, mozzarella and olives here
Mushroom arancini
Arancini are little deep-fried balls of leftover risotto, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs. They are often served in bars with an aperitif, or as a starter. They are extremely moreish but do need to be cooked just before serving. Our recipe is for mushroom arancini which come with a roasted cherry tomato sauce. We've included the risotto recipe for you, just in case.
Ham and cheese pie
These slices of pie with melting cheese and ham in the centre are often served in bars in Italy for breakfast. But they'd be just as good eaten for lunch with a green salad. They are very easy to make, using shop-bought puff pastry, but do use good-quality ham, not paper-thin slices which will be too watery. You can serve it hot or at room temperature.
Gnocchi with tomato and basil
Gnocchi are little pillows of potato and flour, which are lightly poached and served in sauce. They are simple to make at home. In Italy, you would usually have a small portion as a starter, but there's no stopping you from making more for a main course. The sauce is up to you – we love a creamy sauce with blue cheese. This recipe is tomato-based.
Pea and ricotta risotto
Once you've mastered the art of making a great risotto, you can adapt the recipe to add your own twists and ideas. Our recipe uses frozen peas, with ricotta and Parmesan. The trick is to stand over it, stirring all the time, to release the starch from the rice, which will give that lovely creaminess. We've added goats' cheese and asparagus, but use whatever is in season. Mushrooms, prawns, butternut squash make a great risotto too.
Panzanella
Panzanella is one of the most rustic, simple and tasty salads there is. Made all over Italy, it is essentially stale bread, to which other ingredients are added. The local, coarse white bread was used traditionally, so you do need a dense loaf, which is left to soak up the olive oil and other flavours, usually tomatoes, red onions, roasted peppers and other fresh vegetables.
Pizza Margherita
We can't talk about Italian food without mentioning the classic pizza, Margherita, named after Queen Margherita when she visited Naples in 1889. She was offered three toppings and this was her favourite, hence the name – just tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, the colours of the Italian flag. Our recipe is cooked in a large frying pan, which is quite normal in Italy, as the oven doesn't get hot enough and the pan ensures you have a crisp base.
Vegetable pie
This vegetable pie is made from leftover bread dough, filled with potatoes, cheese, spinach or cabbage and vegetables. It's a traditional pie which workers and schoolchildren would take for lunch or as a hearty snack. Our recipe contains the classic fillings, with courgettes, Parmesan and artichokes, all bound together with egg before baking. It can be served hot or cold.
Florentine pancakes
This traditional Tuscan dish comprises savoury pancakes stuffed with cooked spinach, ricotta and Parmesan. They are covered in a rich tomato sauce, then béchamel (thick white sauce) before being topped with grated Parmesan and baked in the oven. Our pancakes are made with buckwheat flour, which is gluten-free, but you could substitute plain flour instead. Just serve with a green salad.
Roast lamb with salsa verde
'Salsa verde' simply means green sauce. Made with flat-leaf parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, basil, vinegar and oil, it's a punchy sauce which works perfectly with the rich flavours of roast lamb. It's versatile too – try it with grilled mackerel, salmon, chicken or steak.
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni
Such a popular dish in the 1970s, cannelloni seems to have fallen out of fashion. It's such a tasty, hearty dish, which is begging for a re-visit. There's no pasta to make – simply buy the tubes and stuff them with spinach, ricotta and Parmesan, bound together with egg. Bake in an easy tomato sauce with grated cheese on top. Serve with a green salad on the side.
Roast chicken and Parma Ham with rosemary potatoes
This is such an easy dish to prepare, yet impressive enough for entertaining. Chicken breasts are stuffed with mozzarella and basil, then the chicken is wrapped in Parma Ham before roasting. Once cut into, the melting cheese oozes on to the plate. It's served with little cubes of potato which are roasted in oil, garlic and rosemary.
Get the recipe for roast chicken and Parma Ham with rosemary potatoes here
Focaccia with rosemary
It's pretty hard to buy focaccia as good as homemade, so it's worth having a go. You can speed up the process by kneading the dough in your mixer. Our recipe uses a combination of strong bread flour and 00 Italian flour, which you can replace with plain flour. With its little pockets of olive oil and sprigs of rosemary, it is a perfect accompaniment to cheese and antipasti.
Lasagne
Without a doubt, the best lasagne is homemade. There's no need to make your own pasta sheets – just buy a good dried Italian brand. The secret is cooking the rich meat sauce for at least two hours for maximum flavour. All you have to do then is prepare a béchamel (white sauce) and layer to bake. This is definitely a recipe to master.
Osso buco
A classic dish from Milan, shanks of veal with the bone ('osso') and its marrow in are slowly cooked with vegetables, white wine and stock, then topped with chopped garlic, lemon and parsley. It's served with creamy saffron risotto, a perfect cold weather dish. Our recipe uses high-welfare veal, but you can use beef shin. You would need to cook it for an extra hour or so, until tender.
Roast peppers with burrata
Red peppers are roasted with 'nduja, a spicy pork paste from Calabria in the south of Italy. It's worth searching out and is fabulous added to a pasta sauce. The fiery 'nduja contrasts with the sweetness of the roasted peppers. Then you just add burrata, also from the south of Italy. Imagine the best buffalo mozzarella with cream in the centre... totally irresistible. Serve with ciabatta to mop up the juices.
Spinach and ricotta gnudi
Gnudi means 'naked' in Tuscan dialect, which aptly describes these delicate little dumplings. The cooked spinach and ricotta mixture is bound together with egg yolks, and the dumplings are simply served with melted butter and Parmesan. They are quite fragile so take your time when preparing them.
Grilled sardines with salsa verde
This is a great dish if you've fired up the barbecue and have a fish grill, or you can cook them on a griddle pan. Sardines are an oily fish, so this sharp, herby sauce goes perfectly. Once cooked, which only takes a few minutes, the sardines are served with a good squeeze of lemon juice, the salsa verde and a salad of rocket and tomatoes.
Tagliata
Tagliata comes from the Italian verb 'to slice', hence the name of this simple, yet delicious dish. Thick steaks, such as sirloin, are quickly seared, cooked and sliced, then coated with a lemon, garlic and rosemary dressing. The steak is then served on a bed of rocket leaves with shavings of Parmesan. It's a restaurant-quality dish which is easy to prepare at home.
Peach, prosciutto and mozzarella salad
When peaches are in season and are ripe and luscious, this salad epitomises everything we love about simple Italian food. The sweetness of the stone fruit contrasts with the saltiness of the prosciutto and the creaminess of the buffalo mozzarella. It's dressed with the best extra-virgin olive oil and served with a scattering of mint leaves. When peaches are out of season, try cantaloupe melon instead.
Get the recipe for peach, prosciutto and mozzarella salad here
Caramel gelato
You'll find some of the best ice creams in the world in Italy. An Italian gelato is usually made with milk, not cream, so it's light and refreshing. Once you have mastered the basic vanilla recipe, you can add your own favourite ingredients – chopped nuts, coffee, fruit or chocolate chips. Our recipe is a simple vanilla gelato with chopped caramel. You could even add a pinch of sea salt to the caramel too.
Panettone
Panettone is a classic Italian Christmas cake, but it's too good to eat just once a year. This dome-shaped cake with a light texture, buttery taste and studded with dried fruits, is easier to make than you would imagine. It's essentially an enriched bread dough, so it takes a little time for the first and second risings. If you have any unlikely leftovers, it makes a fab bread and butter pudding and is great toasted and served hot with butter.
Biscotti
Biscotti are little twice-baked biscuits, containing nuts or a mixture of nuts and dried fruit. Some recipes add fennel seeds too. They are simple to make and are usually served with coffee or sweet wine for dipping. They keep very well – up to at least a month in an airtight container – so would make a lovely gift. Our recipe uses pistachios, but you could use almonds or hazelnuts too.
Panna cotta
Panna cotta, meaning 'cooked cream', has become a favourite dessert the world over. This creamy, vanilla dessert should be just lightly set with gelatine so it has a soft texture and is not too stiff. You can serve it with fresh berries and a fruit sauce. For a grown-up twist, add splash of dark rum to the mixture before setting in the fridge overnight.
Tiramisu
Tiramisu means 'pick me up' because it contains a large amount of strong coffee and brandy. Such a crowd-pleaser, you can prepare it the day before you need it, which makes it taste even better. Mascarpone and thick cream are layered with sponge fingers which have been soaked in coffee and brandy, then topped with grated dark chocolate. You can make individual servings or use one large dish.
Panforte
Panforte is a flat, fruit and spice cake, a speciality of Siena in Tuscany. It contains dried fruits and nuts, and some versions, such as our recipe, contain chocolate. You just need a small slice to serve with coffee or a liqueur. The panforte in our recipe is coated with a chocolate syrup, but you could also just dust it with cocoa powder. A few teaspoons of ground cinnamon would also add extra flavour.
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