Rabbit with peppers

Rabbit is a versatile meat that can be pan-fried, roasted or stewed. Remember that older rabbits will taste better after being marinated overnight and cooked slowly. Recipe by Mario Matassa Serves 4 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 1 hour Ingredients: • 4 tbsp olive oil • 2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped • 1kg wild rabbit on […]

Wild duck risotto

This recipe from Mario Matassa – ‘risotto con l’anatra‘ is a great way to make a couple of duck breasts stretch a long way… Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 35 minutes Ingredients: • olive oil • 1 small onion, peeled, finely chopped • 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped • […]

A Very Milanese Christmas

Milan has something to offer the visitor at all times of the year, but Rachael Martin finds its café culture particularly appealing in the lead-up to Christmas… Photos by Rachael Martin unless otherwise stated It’s late afternoon along Corso Magenta. The streetlights have come on, and the orange Carrelli trams wind their way through the […]

Ask the experts: recipes, cycling and buying a home

Our experts are here to help with all your questions about Italy. This month we find a favourite Neapolitan recipe, go cycling in Italy and ask about Americans buying property there… Favourite recipe I’m looking for a recipe for pasta fazool. We had it on holiday in Naples and it was deliciously different! I have […]

Arancini

Enjoy Mario Matassa’s easy recipe for arancini – delicious balls of risotto – they are a great way to use up leftovers… Serves 2 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes Ingredients: • 2 free-range eggs, beaten • 50g fine breadcrumbs • 350g cooked risotto • 125g fresh mozzarella, chopped into small cubes • a few […]

Polenta fritters

A great way to use up leftover polenta, frittelle di polenta works as either an accompaniment or a main dish – Mario Matassa shows us how it’s done… Serves 2 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes Ingredients: • 2 large floury potatoes • 200g leftover polenta • 75g Taleggio cheese, chopped • 30g Parmesan, grated • […]

Italian meatballs

Polpette – made from meat, fish or vegetables – can either be prepared from leftovers or made with fresh ingredients. Mario Matassa shares this classic dish… Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes Ingredients: • 350g leftover boiled or roast meat (chicken, turkey or beef) • 2 slices of day-old bread • a few tablespoons […]

Frittata

This Italian omelette recipe from Mario Matassa uses asparagus, potatoes and cheese, but the beauty of the dish is that you can include pretty much any ingredients you fancy… Serves 2 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 10 minutes Ingredients: • 2 free-range eggs • a handful of cooked asparagus stalks, roughly chopped • a few cooked roast […]

Castello: the quiet sestiere

Adrian Mourby takes a walk around the tranquil backwaters of Venice as he explores the city’s fascinating Castello district… Photos by Kate Tadman-Mourby   It’s the sestiere that Venetians call truly Venetian. The neighbourhood of Castello consists of the same narrow lanes, broad campi and monumental churches as the other five sestieri, but it lacks the […]