Cucciolone
Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich

By far – and I really mean by far – this has to be my favourite soup recipe in any of my books. If you like onion soup, this is so much more – in fact, I don’t know anyone who has tried it and not loved it. I think you will be amazed at the flavour combinations. Make sure it is always served hot. It will keep refrigerated for 48 hours, but remember, like most soups, it can be reheated only...

Mussels are by far the main shell fish that we eat in Naples, therefore, as you can imagine, I have grown up eating mussels in many different ways. Of course traditionally we would never use double cream, but for this particular dish it works perfectly. If you buy saffron strands instead of the powder, please make sure that you grind it before using it. Never use red wine for this recipe.

I know that this may sound very strange to you, using black pepper in a white chocolate mousse, but believe you me, this is a dessert that all your friends will talk about. This recipe is easy, very tasty and definitely has the 'wow' factor, but make sure you use a good quality chocolate. You can also serve it straight from the freezer like a semi-freddo.

Asparagus is one of the great delicacies of the vegetable world, and my asparagus tartlets quite rightly make it centre of attention. It is cooked very briefly, then plunged into cold water to retain its texture and bright green colour. You can use pecorino cheese rather than Parmesan if you like a saltier flavour.

I love this bread; it’s almost a meal in itself and could almost pass for a pizza with all the flavours I have put inside. You can be as creative as you like here and add in almost anything but the melted cheese with the strong flavour of the olives works perfectly with the spinach. This focaccia can be eaten warm or at room temperature and a slice will always be welcome in a lunchbox or on a picnic.

This is my Italian version of bread and butter pudding, served with char-grilled fruits and sweetened ricotta cheese. In Italy the ricotta is very creamy and rich, and I just added honey to sweeten it, but in Britain you might like to add a few drops of vanilla extract to give depth of flavour.