Mario Matassa shares his nonna’s popular summer recipe; grilled peppers with nodini This dish was often made for an evening meal, over the dying embers of a lunchtime grill. The sweetness of this Italian grilled peppers dish is complemented well by hot chilli peppers, while creamy nodini adds a cooling finish to the meal. This […]
This gorgeous garland of pull-apart bread makes a spectacular centrepiece for special occasions ➤ SERVES 8 ➤ PREPARATION 30 minutes (plus time for rising and proving) ➤ COOKING 20-25 minutes Ingredients: 500g White bread flour, plus extra for sprinkling 1 tsp Salt 1 tbsp Caster sugar 1 Rounded tsp. easy-blend yeast 300ml Warm water 4 tbsp Red pesto […]
This Christmas cod recipe features tender cod baked in a succulent Prosciutto di Parma layer, served with sliced potatoes and a vibrant green pea puree ➤ SERVES 2 ➤ PREPARATION 15 minutes ➤ COOKING 20 minutes Ingredients: 300 g cod loin salt and pepper 4 slices Prosciutto di Parma 300 g frozen green peas 100ml cream 2 tbsp […]
This creamy courgette and ricotta pasta is full of fresh Italian flavour with a vibrant green courgette sauce and plenty of ricotta, of course! Courgettes are a wonderfully versatile vegetable. They’re also very forgiving for the novice gardener and require minimal attention. Pick them small and they can be used in salads. Medium courgettes work […]
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 […]