Fantastico Recipes

I absolutely love this recipe, so much so I would say it’s my favourite in this chapter. I lived on freshly landed seafood when I was a young boy and miss it hugely.  This was, and still is, number one for me. It’s so easy and yet you really feel that you have been spoiled when someone makes it for you. Please be careful when making the sauce and ensure that you do not stir the clams too vigorously...

Many people steer clear of aubergine and yet it really is an easy vegetable to prepare. In this sauce, it enhances the tomato flavour without overpowering it, so if you have children who don’t like their vegetables, try this dish – they’ll hardly know it’s there. I often serve this pasta as a starter but be careful with portion sizes as you don’t want to fill everyone up before the main....

When I was filming for the TV series I visited Marco De Bartoli’s vineyard in Samperi, near Marsala – an ancient town on the western edge of Sicily. I spent a wonderful day with his son, Renato De Bartoli, who told me about the history of Marsala wine – its production dates back to 1770, when an Englishman accidentally discovered the local fortified wine and shipped it to England, where it...

Cannelloni was invented in Sorrento in the early 1900s by a chef from Naples. Today you’ll find a recipe for it in many Italian cookery books, so I had to include a version here. As you'll see, this is a traditional-style cannelloni with a bit of a twist, and I think you will love the result.