Marine snails, Pecorino grapes and square spaghetti, we embark on a gourmet tour of one of Italy’s most striking regions The Abruzzo region is commonly associated with the words forte e gentile (strong and gentle), conjuring up images of the powerful mountains that tower above the tranquil sea just a few kilometres away. It is an area […]
It’s such a controversial question: what is the world’s best pizzeria in the pizza capital of the world? Here are our top 5… 1. Antica pizzeria da Michele Via Cesare Sersale 1/3, Naples Given that there are reputedly 12,000 pizzerias in Naples, it would have been easy to fill our top five with venues […]
In Cirò Marina, Calabria, great swathes of countryside play host to rows of bright tomatoes, which are laid out in their hundreds beneath the hot southern Italian sun – all ready to undergo the sun-drying process Calabrian cuisine is well known across Italy for its distinctly flavourful, spicy character, which is much influenced by the […]
The most popular soup in Venice is pasta and fagioli (pasta and beans), a hearty combination that warms body and soul during the long rainy season. Risi e bisi (rice and peas) is a simple and yet delicious duo enjoyed especially in the early spring. The local pasta of choice is bigoli, long wholewheat strands […]
Mario Matassa visits Volterra, a medieval hilltop town in Tuscany, where he discovers the alabaster caves and workshops for which the area is famous The chalky white alabaster from Volterra is considered the finest in Europe because of its characteristic compactness, transparency, veining, softness and smoothness. Although the etymology of the word remains disputed, the […]
Whip up a quick and colourful dessert with this tasty treat, which combines the fruitiness of concord grapes and the sweetness of Moscato wine to round off any meal in style Moscato and Concord Grape Jelly Ingredients For the Jelly: 1½ cups (7oz or 200g) concord grapes 2 tbsps sugar 2 tsps water 3.4 fl oz (100ml) […]
Vibrant Verona, hidden Rome, classic pasta recipes and much more I’m pleased to announce that the latest issue of Italia! is on sale now, available to buy online and from stores across the UK! You can also download the digital edition for Apple devices or online /Android/ Windows 8 devices. In our September Issue 142, we visit Piedmont, where the property market is looking good, and Capri, to enjoy Nina Parker’s […]
Piazzas hold a special place at the heart of Italian life and Italy boasts some stunning examples. With so many it’s tricky to choose one, but we’ve narrowed down five favourites… 1. Piazza san Marco, Venice Famously dubbed “the finest drawing room in Europe” by Napoleon, Piazza San Marco is, quite simply, breathtaking. Even during […]
Just 25 miles off the coast of Lazio, Ponza is a favourite holiday haunt of the Romans. Mario Matassa embarks on a voyage of discovery to Italy’s undiscovered island. There’s something about island holidays that brings out the boy adventurer in me. From the moment I see the ferry navigating its way into port I […]
The winning stroke in this vegetable risotto is the fried artichokes on top. The combination of artichokes and fresh mint to pull through the risotto as you are eating is great. When making your vegetable broth, add the asparagus trimmings to give a good depth of flavour. Risotto Di Verdure – Vegetable Risotto Ingredients 225g (8oz) […]