Valentina Nicastro visits the little-known lavender fields of Piedmont for a spot of Nature’s own aromatherapy – it’s the perfect spot for a relaxing break Photos by Valentina Nicastro unless otherwise stated Lavender is commonly associated with the region of Provence in France, but Italy has its own share of violet fields. There’s an […]
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 […]
If you’ve always longed to become a fully fledged Italian citizen, the team at Italian Dual Citizenship (IDC) explains how this dream could quite easily become a reality for many… If you’ve always wanted to call the coolest-shaped country on the planet your home, then why not apply for an Italian citizenship? It’s not as […]
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 […]
Mario Matassa’s recipe for tagliatelle con ricotta e noci is a tasty early winter treat that can be found in restaurants across Italy Serves 2 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes Ingredients: • 160g egg tagliatelle • 100g walnut halves • 150g fresh ricotta • 2-3 tbsp whole milk • 2 tbsp Parmesan • salt […]
Mario Matassa shares a simple but flavoursome recipe for chestnut soup with mushrooms – an Italian autumn classic… Serves 2 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes Ingredients: • 200g ready prepared chestnuts • 200g fresh porcini mushrooms • 500ml vegetable stock • 100ml single cream • 2 tbsp olive oil • salt and freshly […]
Mario Matassa celebrates the start of the autumn foraging season with a set of Italian recipes that all contain ingredients that can be gathered for free Photos by Mario Matassa Italians are simply wild about wild food. Whether it’s chestnuts, borage leaves and mushrooms in the autumn, truffles in the winter, asparagus, wild hops, nettles […]
If you’re thinking of a new life in Italy, Piedmont could be for you. Fleur Kinson discovers the property potential of this spectacular northern region… Photos by Getty Images Piedmont lies in the far northwest of Italy and gets its name from its location at the ‘foot of the mountains’. It is bordered by […]