This is like a Waldorf salad! The combo of strong cheese with apples and walnuts just works. If you can get hold of quality gorgonzola, please do - the sweetness of the apples really offsets it. I've used marjoram here, but thyme works just as well. First... read recipe
Even though artichokes are a really everyday ingredient in Italy, in the UK and Australia they do feel very luxurious. This is a basic risotto bianco with very thinly sliced artichokes added to it, which give it a wonderful perfume. You need small artichokes... read recipe
This is such a simple, clean and delicious risotto. When buying asparagus, have a look around because there are lots of varieties available now - purple-tipped, white, thin straggly Japanese, wild Spanish and dozens of good locally grown English. In this recipe,... read recipe
This classic northern Italian recipe is a great way to serve aubergines. By layering them with Parmesan and tomatoes and then baking them you get an absolutely moreish, scrumptious vegetable dish. Great served with all sorts of roasted meats and with roasted... read recipe
Carbonara is a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan and is absolutely delicious. Try to buy the best ingredients you can, as that's what really helps to make this dish amazing. I'm using a flowering variety of thyme but normal thyme is fine... read recipe
This is an absolutely delicious recipe. It's quite unusual, and the best thing about it is that it makes a hero of the much-underloved everyday cauliflower. If you're down the farmers' market, or at the supermarket, have a look around for a Romanesco cauliflower... read recipe
This is a twist on the classic Carbonara, using spring peas and smoky bacon. A great combination and a great one for the kids. My girls just love it. First of all, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the farfalle, and cook according to the... read recipe
Schiacciata is the sister dish of carpaccio, but while carpaccio's raw, this is literally flashed in the oven so it just turns colour. Obviously the better the beef the better the dish. So go for something with good marbling and a bit of integrity. It can... read recipe
A mushroom risotto can be taken in many different ways, depending on what kind of mushrooms you have and whether they are introduced at the very beginning of cooking or just added at the end, as I'm going to do here. The inspiration for this recipe came when... read recipe
When I was on honeymoon, some years ago now, I came across these fantastic Sicilian lemons. Their skin is really fragrant in cooking and they are very juicy too. You can use them roasted with fish, sliced very thinly in salads, and halved and put inside chicken.... read recipe