Cucciolone
Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich

Sardinia is famous for its beef, particularly that of the bue rosso (red cow), which grazes the pastures of the volcanic Montiferru area in central-western Sardinia and is considered by many to provide the finest beef in Italy. For this recipe I have taken the theme of a traditional Sardinian beef salad and have added artichokes and walnuts - which really complement the juicy sides of warm...

Carnival celebrations in Sardinia wouldn’t be the same without frisciolas – these delicious little saffron-flavoured doughnuts made from potatoes and dusted with orange-flavoured sugar. You can substitute the orange zest for lemon or lime zest, and amaretto and Cointreau work well instead of vodka if you prefer. Perfect with espresso.

If you’re on the lookout for a vegetarian pasta dish that has the ‘wow’ factor and can be prepared ahead, this is the one for you. When they are stuffed and baked, conchiglioni (giant pasta shells) look so impressive and they taste every bit as good as they look. Fresh sage, which is extremely popular in Italian cooking, gives the dish intriguing, earthy undertones.

This dish is rather retro and I used to make it when I first came to London as a teenager. Make sure that the avocados are perfectly ripe and don’t use buffalo mozzarella, as it will release too much milk during cooking. Grilling the avocado makes it softer and more velvety, but don’t overcook or it will turn mushy. Serve with your favourite salad leaves.

Here’s a great alternative to the traditional British bangers and mash. Italian sausages tend to be highly flavoured with herbs and spices, such as fennel, which adds a perfect boost of flavour to this recipe.

When you think of Italian cheese, two come to mind immediately – mozzarella and Parmesan. This recipe puts mozzarella front and centre with two different marinades that are guaranteed to impress!