Focaccia with peppers and mozzarella

sliced focaccia on wooden table

Focaccia con peperoni e mozzarella As the days get warmer and the nights shorter, Italians take to one of their favourite pastimes: eating outdoors. The key to a successful summer evening party is to organise a menu that can mostly be prepared in advance. This focaccia recipe doesn’t require any kneading. It does have to […]

5 reasons to visit Cinque Terre

5 reasons to visit cinque terre

Cinque Terre is pretty as a picture, but a colourful coast and stunning scenery aren’t the only things offered by these vibrant seaside villages. Discover five delicious reasons to visit Cinque Terre… 1. Luscious lemons One sight you can’t fail to notice throughout the rugged terrain of Cinque Terre is the many lemon trees that […]

An Italian Christmas with Mario Matassa

We go behind the scenes of an Italian Christmas with Mario Matassa as he explores the rich and austere festive food and traditions of Italy… To describe a celebration of food as both ‘rich and austere’ might seem something of a contradiction. Yet I can think of no more apt a description of this, the […]

Saturday Night In: Springtime Supper Recipes

Get the family together and bring the flavours of Italy right to your table with Mario Matassa In a country that loves and lives to eat well and, as a general rule, adheres to the principle of eating seasonally, it should come as no surprise that for many Italians spring is the most anticipated time […]

Pan-fried salmon recipe

Pan-fried salmon recipe

Pan-fried salmon recipe with toasted pistachio and lemon butter – Salmone con pistacchi tostati e burro al limone This dish is simple and takes moments to prepare. Make sure the salmon is fresh and from a sustainable source. It is best served with a light spring salad. I used spinach with grated baby carrots and […]

Pasta primavera

Pasta primavera recipe

Spring pasta – A Pasta primavera recipe Pasta primavera is a prime example of the principles of Italian cuisine. Pasta, being the most versatile of Italian staples, is well matched to any occasion. Here it is given a spring dressing. I’ve used asparagus, peas and baby leaf spinach but the options are practically endless. Artichokes, […]

Mimosa cake

‘Cheat’s’ Mimosa cake

A recipe for ‘Cheat’s’ Mimosa cake – Torta primavera ‘furba’ By Mario Matassa This cake is an amalgamation of two cakes synonymous with the season: Mimosa and Colomba (which means ‘dove’). Mimosa cake first made an appearance to mark International Women’s Day on the 8th of March (Festa della Donna in Italy). It’s so called […]

5 foodie reasons to visit Naples!

Love delicious Italian food? Looking for your next adventure? Look no further and discover our five foodie reasons to visit the beautiful Naples! 1. Pizza You can’t visit Naples without sampling the delights of the ubiquitous pizza! Naples saw the creation of the Margherita pizza during a royal visit to the city in 1889. To […]