This delicious tart recipe by Mario Matassa uses a hard ricotta and it makes for a wonderful picnic accompaniment or weekend lunch… Serves 4-6 Preparation time 5-7 minutes Cooking time 30-35 minutes Ingredients: • 500g Swiss chard (or other greens such as cavolo nero or kale) • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 medium free-range […]
Mario Matassa’s take on Gnocchi alla fonduta is a simpler version, but no less tasty… and you still get to try four of Italy’s best-known cheeses on one spoon! Serves 4 Preparation time 5 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes Ingredients: • 50ml milk • 150g fontina, chopped • 150g gorgonzola, chopped • 150g taleggio, chopped • 3 […]
Mario Matassa shares his recipe for stuffed squid – it can be eaten hot or cold but do remember to trickle a little extra olive oil over the squid just before you sit down Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 25 minutes Ingredients: • 8 small to medium squid, prepared, tentacles retained • 1 courgette • 8 […]
Zuppa di pesce (fish soup), is an Italian staple with endless variations. Although this dish looks elaborate it’s really very simple, as Mario Matassa demonstrates… Serves 4 Preparation time 5 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes Ingredients: • 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2 garlic cloves, peeled • 700g fish pieces such as sea bass, scorpion fish, monkfish, […]
Mario Matassa’s seafood antipasto is delicious and versatile – try it without the tomatoes (just wine, garlic and parsley)… it’s delicious either way! Serves 4 Preparation 5 minutes Cooking 7-10 minutes Ingredients: • 1kg fresh mussels • 500g fresh clams • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled • a handful of […]
Mario Matassa’s recipe for sardines includes sultanas and pine nuts. You’ll have to remove the fish’s head but don’t be too fastidious about the bones. Just take out the main spinal bone and the larger bones will follow Serves 4 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 5-7 minutes Ingredients: • 2 slices of fresh white bread • 50g […]
The variations of recipes for sea bream (orata) are countless, depending on where in Italy you happen to be. Mario Matassa’s – baked in an oven with potatoes – is a classic version… Serves 2 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 20-25 minutes Ingredients: • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced wafer […]
Discover your dream home with Fleur Kinson’s guide to the best places to buy a property in the beautiful region of Lombardy Photos by iStock Lombardy is the economic powerhouse of Italy, and prices here reflect that, especially in the capital, Milan, which is one of the most businesslike and affluent cities anywhere in Europe. […]
Mighty Rome sits in its middle, but the rest of Lazio is a remarkably rural region where pretty hills and sleepy lakesides meet handsome old villages and friendly little towns. Buyers of country homes will find superb value for money, says Fleur Kinson Photography by iStock Rome is one of Italy’s absolutely best-known and […]
Italy’s ‘secret’ northeast corner is an exotic wonderland where three great cultures converge. Golden beaches, inspiring mountains and truly delightful towns complete the enchantment. Property prices are a bargain, says Fleur Kinson Even as a well-travelled Italophile, you’d be forgiven for having only a hazy awareness of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Or for never having heard […]