Insalata di Pollo e Chorizo
Chicken and Chorizo Salad With Beans and Rocket Leaves

I cooked this dish overlooking the beach at Pescoluse, on the Puglian coast. It’s known as the Maldives of Salento and is a hidden paradise. I used swordfish, but tuna would work well too. Gremolata is a dressing of raw chopped garlic, parsley and lemon zest. It is usually sprinkled over meats, such as osso bucco or carpaccio, but it also makes a great garnish for grilled fish. Always make sure you...

Whenever we are in Olbia, a port town on the northeast coast of Sardinia near my home, we order courgette fritters instead of chips. They make a great side dish or snack, but if you include cheese, as I have done here, they make a more substantial first course. Pecorino sardo, a traditional Sardinian hard cheese made from sheep’s milk – is similar to the better-known pecorino romano (which...

Gorgonzola and walnuts have always been a great combination. I find that they work perfectly with pasta and rocket. Of course you can eat this dish hot, but if you are making it for the following day make sure you eat it at room temperature and mix well before serving. If you prefer, substitute the Gorgonzola with any hard blue cheese of your choice.

Bruschetta is definitely one of the main dishes for an Italian antipasti. The freshness of the mint together with the broad beans is a fantastic combination that will fill you up and yet won’t leave you feeling heavy. You can substitute the broad beans with butter beans and if you don’t have fresh mint, use fresh leaf parsley or chives.

This dessert is usually associated with Germany and Austria, but it is also often prepared in the northern regions of Italy. Although the classic strudel is made with apples, it can also be made with other fruit fillings such as cherries, peaches or pears, depending on the time of year and what fruit is in season. A fantastic dessert that can be eaten warm or cold, as a pudding or served at teatime....

For anyone who loves turkey but is bored with the traditional ways of cooking it, you have just found the recipe that you need. In my house we have saltimbocca at least once a week because it’s easy to prepare and most importantly full of flavour. You can definitely try it with chicken breasts and, if you don’t like Parma ham, use pancetta. In the event that you don’t have Marsala wine, a good...