Mario Matassa shares this recipe for classic stuffed pasta – these tortelli are stuffed with the traditional combination of spinach and ricotta, but you can experiment with other fillings too… Serves 4 Preparation time 30 minutes, plus resting Cooking time 10 minutes Ingredients: For the pasta • 200g plain flour • 2 free-range eggs, beaten For the […]
In Mario Matassa’s ‘brasato al Barolo‘ the meat is slow-cooked, which makes for mouth-wateringly tender meat, flavoured with this quality wine Serves 4-6 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 3 hours, 10 minutes Ingredients: • 1 onion, peeled, finely diced • 2 celery stalks, finely diced • 1 carrot, peeled, finely diced • olive oil • 1 […]
Crostini are a smaller version of bruschette – here, Mario Matassa explains how to make tomato & aubergine and bean versions of the dish Serves 6 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 10-15 minutes For the tomato & aubergine crostini Ingredients: • 1 small aubergine • 6 ripe plum tomatoes • 9 thick slices of day-old rustic bread […]
Sformatino is Italy’s simple and stress-free answer to the soufflé, and Mario Matassa’s mushroom version is a delicious crowd-pleaser Serves 6 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 35 minutes Ingredients: • 250g mixed wild mushrooms, wiped with a damp cloth, sliced • 4 free-range eggs • 250g fresh ricotta • 50g Parmesan, grated • 1 tbsp finely […]
Mario Matassa heads out into the countryside to stay on an agriturismo, and discovers why these farm-stays can provide the perfect holidays for foodie travellers… Photos by Mario Matassa There are more than 18,000 agriturismi in Italy, half of which have sprung up recently – particularly in Tuscany and Alto Adige. The idea of coupling […]
The key to this dish is finding the freshest liver possible, so make sure you go to a reputable butcher and order in advance. Recipe by Mario Matassa Serves 4 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes Ingredients: • 4 tbsp olive oil • 300g deer livers, cleaned • 50ml dry white wine • 4 […]
Mario Matassa’s Torta di lepre e funghi does require some effort, but you will be rewarded with a unique and flavoursome pie Serves 4 Preparation time 1 hour plus marinating Cooking time 2 hours Ingredients: For the marinade: • 350ml red wine • 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped • 1 onion, […]
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 […]
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 • […]
In Italy wild boar (cinghiale) tends to be cooked very slowly over a long period to avoid the meat becoming tough. Mario’s recipe is a tasty take on a classic dish Serves 4 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 2 hours Ingredients: • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped • 500g wild boar […]