Pasta with mussels in tomato sauce – Simple recipe

I just love the flavour of the sea. Pasta with mussels is usually a dish I make at weekends simply because the mussels need to be really fresh and therefore bought on the same day but, as this is an easy dish and of quick preparation, you could certainly make it during the week if…

Working week meals: Easy & healthy spinach pesto

Like many of you when I get home in the evenings all I need is to relax and take it easy for a little while; then there is dinner… and let’s be honest, I certainly don’t fancy spending too long on the stove but I also don’t want to eat something ready from the shops.…

Spaghetti alla Vesuviana – Vesuvio style spaghetti

An explosion of flavours of the Mediterranean, that’s how I would describe pasta “alla Vesuviana” or pasta “Vesuvio style”, the Neapolitan vulcano! As you might expect this is a spicy one although, of course, you can choose how much spicy you want it to be. Very similar to a Puttanesca pasta but without the anchovies,…

Chicken fillets with lemon & capers sauce – quick and easy

Are you in need of a quick and tasty recipe for dinner? Chicken breasts always come to the rescue as they cook really quickly, they are tender and easy to prepare. Chicken is also white meat so it is lighter and healthier than the red meat. I cooked chicken fillets with capers, lemon and a…

Beef rolls with Prosciutto di San Daniele & Grana Padano in tomato sauce

What happens when you marry an Italian woman? When I first met hubby, 14 years ago his lunch was a sandwich with pre-sliced white bread with industrial cheese, a packet of crisps, a Kit-Kat and a can of coke. A gourmet lunch basically.. Look at him now: “Wholemeal organic sourdough bread with Prosciutto di San…

Zucchini lasagna with ricotta and tomato sauce without pasta

Lasagna is one of those fabulous Italian dishes which can bring the whole family together. A good homemade lasagna is hard to resist. My favourite one is lasagna with asparagus and ham that my mum makes and then the classic meat lasagna of course. If I am having people around for dinner it is easy…

Giovanni Rana new Pesto and creamy Parmesan sauces

Supermarkets stock lots of different pasta sauces but so many of them are far too industrial and have hardly any taste. I have tried a few but they leave you with a somewhat metallic taste in your mouth. I usually make my own sauces but there are days when I have no time on my…

Ricotta balls in tomato sauce

Things have been getting really hectic with Christmas getting so close now. I am not a big Christmas person but having said that I do love my traditions. This year I made a nativity scene, a Christmas tree and I also bought some new decorations for the house. The children love it so much and…

Eggplant Parmigiana Recipe

Can you ever say no to eggplant parmigiana? No you can’t if you like eggplant of course. Eggplants are in season during summertime so there cannot be a better time to make this beautiful…wonderful classic Italian dish. My daughter is totally obsessed with it and as soon as she saw grandad’s eggplants in the field…

Cooking with Antonio Carluccio and Cirio tomatoes

“I would love to make love on a bed of fresh basil” by Antonio Carluccio the godfather of Italian gastronomy. This man makes you smile. He has such a good sense of humour and such an avid imagination when it comes to describing food. Antonio Carluccio is originally from Salerno and has been living in…