Bruschette con pesto di pomodori secchi
Bruschette with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

Carbonara is the Italian word for 'charcoal burner', so some people believe this dish was first made for charcoal workers in the Apennine mountains. The general view now, though, is that it was an urban dish invented in Rome. Note that cream is not used in an authentic carbonara, so none is included below. Fettuccine or bucatini can be substituted for the more usual spaghetti.

Most babies are weaned off their mother’s milk with puréed food, I’m sure my mother weaned us off on pizza as I just don’t ever remember life without it. This classic tomato and mozzarella pizza originally was created for the Queen of Naples, Margherita. Never use buffalo mozzarella as it is too milky and will make your pizza base very soggy. Fresh basil is a must: don’t you ever attempt to...

Grape cake is a rustic Italian bake, which is traditionally made during the grape harvest when the fruits are in abundance. It can be eaten at any time of day – even as a dessert with a glass of Vin Santo. The combination of butter and oil makes this a really light cake and very, very moreish.

One of my favourite British recipes has to be leek and potato soup. Such a simple recipe but with a unique balance of flavours. I decided to add rocket leaves to this fantastic soup, which adds a peppery flavour to the dish. Do serve this soup with my home-made garlic croutons, you are going to love it! Make sure that the consistency of the soup is not too runny and use fresh leeks for the best results.

I created this soup when I was cooking for friends who are vegetarian and they all watched me and wrote down the recipe so I figured if they were impressed, hopefully you will be too. I have used six different kinds of vegetables to make the wholesome soup you’d expect but the bread, cheese and beans give it an even more rustic feel. It’s the perfect evening family meal or a great starter for friends...

Meat, meat and more meat – I love this pizza. The use of three different hams with cheese is delicious. Making that first cut into the pizza and enjoying all the flavours oozing out is worth any amount of time you spent preparing it. Picture after a hard day’s work eating this dish with a large glass of red wine – it’s the perfect ending to any day. If you prefer, add in mozzarella to get that...