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 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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
In this instalment of our Make It Simple series, resident chef Mario Matassa shows us how to make an iconic Italian pasta. Strozzapreti… literally ‘priest stranglers’, is one of the most antique pastas, with origins most certainly in Italian cucina povera. There are several entertaining legends that explain the name. One has it that it […]
Recipe by Lello Palomba with recipe image taken by David Loftus. For more information visit here. Cantabrian Anchovy pasta with red pepper pesto Anchovies pack a flavour punch in any dish and none more so than the ones from the MSC certified Cantabrian fishery in Spain. These tasty and sustainably sourced little fish will keep […]
Join resident chef Mario Matassa as he shows us how to make perfect struffoli with step by step instructions! These little balls of sweet dough, golden fried and coated in honey, are one of the most characteristic and anticipated of the Neapolitan desserts. During the festive season, no table would seem complete without a centrepiece […]
Join resident chef Mario Matassa as he shows us how to make perfect gnocchi with this step by step recipe! In the kitchen, nothing heralds the beginning of autumn for me like the first bowl of steaming gnocchi. I love pasta, of course, but that’s a dish I eat all year round. A bowl of […]
Join resident chef Mario Matassa as he shows us how to make perfect tagliatelle with step by step instructions! When I first moved to Italy, many years ago now, I quickly realised that there was one sure-fire strategy for ingratiating myself with my new neighbours: learn how to make a decent plate of fresh egg […]
Join resident chef Mario Matassa as he shows us how to make perfect panna cotta with step by step instructions! In Italy, panna cotta, like tiramisù, zabaglione and budino, falls within that category of dessert known as dolci al cucchiaio – desserts that are to be eaten with a spoon. Very little is known about […]