Linguine with spicy prawns

This linguine with spicy prawns or linguine con gambrel picanti is a fantastic dish for a midweek meal.  Make this for your family this week – you can make it as hot or as mild as you like! Linguine with spicy prawns Ingredients: 320g linguine pasta 400g fresh prawns, shells removed, deveined 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed […]

Creamy blackberry puddings

This Crema al formaggio con more is the perfect in season pud this September.  Ingredients: 250g blackberries 250g mascarpone 125g fresh ricotta 3 heaped tbsp icing sugar 4 sponge fingers 1 tbsp chopped almonds Method: Wash the blackberries and place in a blender (setting a few aside for decoration). Add the mascarpone, ricotta and sugar, then blitz […]

Aubergine with Quartirolo Lombardo and chilli

This Melanzane con quartirolo e peperoncino is the perfect veggie dish served with some crusty bread! Ingredients 4 tbsp olive oil 1 large aubergine, diced 1 large garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped 1 tbsp chopped chilli peppers in olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper a handful of basil leaves, chopped 100g Quartirolo Lombardo […]

In season: September

This is the month of the great harvest. These are the fantastic fruit, vegetables and fish that is in season right now… Blackberries – more There are few family activities more enjoyable than foraging for blackberries towards the end of summer. Many people these days avoid blackberries that have been growing near main roads, and with good […]

Apricot and cream tart

Treat your friends to this yummy Crostata alla crema pasticcera e albicocche! Ingredients: 600g sweet pastry 350ml whole milk 3 medium free-range egg yolks 100g caster sugar 50g plain flour 8 firm but ripe apricots, sliced 4 tbsp apricot jam Method: To make the cream, heat the milk in a pan and whisk the egg […]

In season: August

Early summer vegetables such as beans and courgettes are joined this month by a variety of fruits and fish as the year’s main harvest really begins come in… Apricots – albicocche In the peak of its season during the summer, the apricot, with its peach-like tang and pale orange skin, is a flavoursome, colourful ingredient to add […]

In Season: July

By now summer is in full swing and there is no shortage of interesting ingredients to try in your dishes. Vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers are all in good supply… Strawberries – Fragole The ultimate symbol of British summertime, these juicy red fruits are equally cherished by the Italians, and thankfully have quite a […]

Broad bean piadina

This Piadina con fave is a beautiful way of using up delicious broad beans whilst they are in season. Ingredients: 1kg broad beans, in pods 1 small bunch of spring onions, trimmed, finely chopped 100g Quartirolo Lombardo cheese 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil flat breads, for serving salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: Pod the beans […]

In Season: June 2017

Artichokes, for example, began their season in Italy before Easter, but the British season often lags some way behind. Mario Matassa is your guide to your local market’s fare… Mackerel – Sgombro This silver-bodied fish with dark grey stripes is a close relative of the tuna fish, yet has quite a different flavour. Plentiful in […]

Pistachio Crusted Lamb Cutlets

These Costolette d’agnello con crosta di pistacchi are the perfect midweek meal.  Serves: 2       Prep: 10 minutes     Cooking: 10 minutes Ingredients: 6 lamb cutlets 40g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped 2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs 1 tbsp finely grated mature pecorino cheese 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 small free-range egg […]