What to eat today?

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Peperoncini ripieni sott'olioStuffed hot chillies in oil

In Calabria the chilli is king, and the small round red chillies called "ciliegini" (cherry chillies) are hollowed out, softened in vinegar, then stuffed with a mixture of tuna, anchovies and capers and kept in olive oil. They are served as an antipasto with bread and cheese all over the region, especially around Tropea and Soverato. Wear gloves when handling the chillies. Chef's tip: blanch the hollowed chillies in vinegar for 2 minutes, then dry them upside down overnight; this softens the heat a little and makes them safe to keep in oil in the fridge.

65 min

Italian Chutneys & Dips

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Mostarda di CremonaCandied fruit in mustard syrup

Mostarda di Cremona is a jar of jewel-like whole fruits, pears, cherries, figs, clementines and apricots, candied slowly in sugar syrup and then spiked with mustard oil so that each sweet mouthful ends with a sharp, nose-tingling heat. In Cremona and across Lombardy it is served at Christmas with bollito misto (boiled meats) and with cheese, and it fills the tortelli of Cremona and Mantua. Pure mustard essence is hard to buy, so this home version uses strong mustard powder. Chef's tip: candy the fruit over three days, bringing the syrup to the boil each day; slow candying keeps the fruit whole and glossy.

90 min

Italian Chutneys & Dips

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Zabaione

Zabaione (or zabaglione) is said to have been created in Turin in the 1500s and dedicated to San Pasquale, the patron saint of pastry cooks. It is a warm, airy foam of egg yolks and sugar whisked over a gentle heat with Marsala wine, served in glasses with savoiardi biscuits, or poured over fresh berries. In Piedmontese homes it was also given as a pick-me-up. This dessert contains alcohol and is for adults only. For an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of strong coffee or milk with a spoonful of vanilla. Chef's tip: whisk over barely simmering water and keep the bowl moving; too much heat cooks the yolks into scrambled egg.

15 min

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Schiacciata alla fiorentinaOrange Carnival sponge cake

During Carnival every bakery in Florence sells schiacciata alla fiorentina: a low, soft, orange-scented sponge, baked in a rectangular tin and covered with icing sugar with the Florentine lily (the giglio) stencilled in cocoa on top. Florentines eat it for breakfast with a cappuccino or as an afternoon snack, plain or split and filled with cream. The original was a rich yeasted bread with lard; today almost everyone makes this simple, quick version. Chef's tip: keep the cake low, about 3 cm; it is meant to be a thin, moist sponge, not a tall cake.

45 min

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CartellateFried honey pastry rosettes

In Bari and the towns of Puglia, cartellate are the Christmas sweet that families make together: thin ribbons of dough, pinched every few centimetres and rolled up into a rosette with lots of small pockets, fried, then dipped in warm vincotto, a dark, syrupy reduced grape must, or honey. The pockets fill with syrup, and they are sprinkled with cinnamon and coloured sprinkles. The dough traditionally includes a little white wine; this version gives a water and lemon option for an alcohol-free bake. Chef's tip: pinch the ribbon firmly every 3 cm before rolling; well-sealed pockets hold the syrup instead of flattening in the oil.

90 min

Italian Snacks & Starters

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Funghi trifolatiGarlic sautéed mushrooms

"Trifolati" means cooked like truffles: sliced thin and sautéed in olive oil with garlic and parsley. In autumn, when the woods of Piedmont and Tuscany fill with mushroom hunters, trattorie from Alba to the Casentino serve them as a side next to roast meat, on polenta or on toasted bread. Any mix of mushrooms works: porcini, chanterelles, oyster or chestnut mushrooms. Chef's tip: don't salt the mushrooms until the end; salt draws out their water early and they stew instead of browning.

22 min

Italian Sides

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Fagiolini in umidoBraised green beans in tomato

In Tuscany, vegetables are often cooked "in umido", slowly in a little tomato until they are soft and full of flavour, rather than crisp. Florentine families make fagiolini in umido in summer with flat runner beans or green beans, garlic, a spoonful of tomato and plenty of olive oil, and serve them warm or cold next to roast chicken or boiled meat. They are even better reheated the next day. Chef's tip: don't rush them; the beans should be fully soft and soaked in sauce, not bright green and crunchy.

45 min

Italian Sides

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Coccoli con stracchinoFried dough with creamy cheese

In Florence, coccoli are little balls of bread dough fried until puffy and golden, piled into a basket and served hot with stracchino, a soft, fresh, slightly tangy cow's-milk cheese, and usually with prosciutto too. They are the start of a meal in Florentine trattorie and a snack at street stalls in the evening. This is the vegetarian way, with cheese only; stracchino is often made with animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian soft cheese if needed. Chef's tip: salt the coccoli the moment they come out of the oil, while they are still glistening, so the salt sticks.

40 min

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Gelato al fiordilatteMilk gelato

In every gelateria from Turin to Palermo, fior di latte ("flower of milk") is the plainest flavour in the case and the one gelato makers judge each other by: just fresh milk, cream and sugar, with no eggs and no vanilla, so it tastes clean and milky. It is the base for stracciatella and the perfect partner for fruit sorbets in a cone. Italian children often choose it on summer evenings during the passeggiata. Chef's tip: chill the base overnight before churning; a fully cold base freezes faster into smaller ice crystals, which makes it smoother.

25 min

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KrumiriCornmeal butter biscuits

Krumiri were created in 1878 in Casale Monferrato in Piedmont, and they are said to be shaped like the curled moustache of King Vittorio Emanuele II, who had just died. They are sandy, buttery biscuits made with flour and fine cornmeal, piped through a star nozzle into a curved line, and still sold in their red tins in the town's old shops. Piedmontese eat them dunked in a glass of sweet wine or with a cup of hot chocolate. Chef's tip: use fine cornmeal, not coarse polenta; coarse grains make the biscuits gritty and stop them piping.

35 min

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Canestrelli liguriFlower shortbread biscuits

Canestrelli are the most delicate biscuits in Liguria: daisy-shaped shortbread with a hole in the middle, so fragile they melt in the mouth. The secret is hard-boiled egg yolks pushed through a sieve into the dough, with potato starch, which makes them crumbly and sandy. They are sold in Genoa and the hill town of Torriglia, piled in paper and covered with snowy icing sugar. Chef's tip: work the dough as little as possible and keep it cold; warm dough becomes too soft to cut into neat flowers.

45 min

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Buccellato sicilianoFig and nut pastry ring

In Palermo and western Sicily, buccellato is the great Christmas ring: a crumbly shortcrust wrapped around a dark, sticky filling of dried figs, raisins, almonds, walnuts, orange peel, chocolate and spices, often decorated with cuts along the top and coloured sprinkles. Families start the filling days ahead and bake several rings to give away. The filling traditionally includes a splash of Marsala; use orange juice for an alcohol-free version. Chef's tip: cut slits along the top of the ring before baking; they let steam out and show off the dark filling.

95 min

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RicciarelliSoft almond biscuits

Siena has been making ricciarelli since the Renaissance: soft, chewy almond biscuits in the shape of a diamond or a curved eye, with a crackled top covered in icing sugar. Sienese families buy them from the historic pasticcerie near the Campo at Christmas and serve them with a glass of Vin Santo after dinner, but they are eaten all winter with coffee. This recipe is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: let the shaped biscuits dry at room temperature overnight before baking; a dry crust cracks beautifully in the oven while the inside stays soft.

35 min

Italian Snacks & Starters

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PittuleFried dough balls

In the Salento, the heel of Puglia, pittule are fried on the night of 7 December, the eve of the Immaculate Conception, to open the Christmas season, and again on St Martin's Day in November when the new wine is tasted. The dough is so wet it can't be shaped; it is dropped from a spoon or a wet hand into hot olive oil, puffing into soft, irregular golden balls. Plain ones are dusted with sugar; savoury ones hide olives, capers or cherry tomatoes. Chef's tip: dip your hand or spoon in water before each scoop so the sticky dough slides off into the oil.

40 min

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CrescioneFolded filled flatbread

Along the Romagna coast, in Rimini, Cesena and Riccione, every piadina kiosk also sells crescioni (called cassoni in some towns): a thin disc of piadina dough folded in half over a filling and sealed into a half-moon, then cooked on a hot griddle. The classic fillings are tomato and mozzarella, or wild greens and potato, eaten as a beach lunch or a late snack. Piadina dough is traditionally made with pork lard; this vegetarian version uses olive oil. Mozzarella is usually made with calf rennet; vegetarian versions are easy to find. Chef's tip: seal the edges with a fork and cook on a medium heat, not high; the dough needs time to cook through before it burns.

40 min

Italian Fast Food

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Pomodori col risoRice-stuffed tomatoes

Every Roman bakery and rosticceria has a tray of pomodori col riso in summer: big round tomatoes, hollowed out and filled with raw rice soaked in their own pulp with garlic, basil and olive oil, then baked with wedges of potato that soak up the juices. Romans eat them warm or at room temperature for lunch on hot days, often on Ferragosto (15 August). Chef's tip: let the rice soak in the tomato pulp for at least an hour before filling; it softens and then cooks evenly inside the tomatoes.

90 min

Italian Vegetarian

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Passata di pomodoroBottled tomato purée

At the end of August, all over southern and central Italy, families gather for the "giornata della salsa", the day of the sauce: crates of ripe plum tomatoes are washed, cooked, passed through a hand-cranked mill and bottled in hundreds, with a basil leaf in each bottle. The passata lasts until the next summer and is used for every ragù and pizza. For home bottling, add lemon juice to each jar and process in a water bath, as tomatoes alone are not acidic enough to be safe at room temperature. Chef's tip: use only fully ripe, deep red plum tomatoes; underripe tomatoes give a pale, sour passata.

150 min

Italian Basics

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Migliaccio napoletanoSemolina and ricotta cake

Migliaccio is the cake Neapolitan grandmothers bake on Fat Tuesday, the last day of Carnival before Lent. Its name comes from miglio, millet, which was used before semolina: today semolina is cooked in milk with butter, then mixed with ricotta, eggs, sugar and plenty of orange and lemon zest, and baked into a soft, dense, custardy cake. It is a close cousin of the Easter pastiera, without the pastry. Chef's tip: let the cooked semolina cool before beating in the eggs and ricotta; hot semolina scrambles the eggs and the cake turns grainy.

85 min

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Polenta taragnaBuckwheat polenta with cheese

High in the Valtellina valley near Sondrio, where wheat struggles but buckwheat grows well, polenta is made grey-brown and nutty with a mix of buckwheat and cornmeal. Taragna gets its name from the tarell, the long wooden stick used to stir it in a copper pot over the fire. At the end, butter and cubes of the local Valtellina Casera or Bitto cheese are stirred in until they melt into strings. It is winter food for cold mountain evenings, eaten with mushrooms or sausages on the side. Local cheeses are usually made with animal rennet; a vegetarian melting cheese works. Chef's tip: stir the flour into the boiling water in a slow rain with a whisk; once it is all in, switch to a wooden spoon and keep stirring.

60 min

Italian Rice & Grains

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Paccheri allo scoglioPasta with mixed seafood

Scoglio means "rock", and this is the pasta of the rocky coast of Campania, from Naples to Sorrento and Amalfi, made with everything from the rocks and shallows: clams, mussels, prawns and squid in a quick sauce of cherry tomatoes, garlic and parsley. Seaside restaurants serve it for Sunday lunch, and Neapolitan families make it on Christmas Eve. Paccheri, wide smooth tubes, catch the sauce and small pieces of seafood inside. Alcohol is used here: white wine opens the shellfish, and water works instead. Chef's tip: open the shellfish first and use their strained juice to finish the pasta; it is the sea-flavoured backbone of the dish.

55 min

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Gelato al pistacchioPistachio gelato

Real Sicilian pistachio gelato is not bright green; it is a dull, olive-brown colour and tastes intensely of roasted nuts, especially when made with pistachios from Bronte on the slopes of Mount Etna. In Palermo and Catania it is eaten in a brioche for breakfast or as a cone after dinner. The secret is pure pistachio paste, with no added colour or flavourings. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: if you can't find pistachio paste, blend roasted pistachios with a spoon of oil for 5 minutes until it runs smooth; any graininess shows up in the gelato.

30 min

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Torta tenerinaSoft chocolate cake

Ferrara, in Emilia-Romagna, calls this cake "tenerina" (the tender one) because the middle stays soft and almost creamy under a thin, crackly crust. It was created in the early 1900s and named in honour of Queen Elena of Montenegro, wife of King Vittorio Emanuele III. Families bake it for birthdays and Sunday lunches, and it is served plain or with whipped cream. It uses very little flour. Chef's tip: bake it for no longer than the recipe says; it should be just set at the edge and wobbly in the middle when it comes out.

40 min

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Pesche dolciCustard-filled peach biscuits

Pesche dolci are the showpiece biscuits of weddings and christenings across central and northern Italy, from Emilia to the Marche and Tuscany: two soft, domed biscuits hollowed out, filled with custard, stuck together, tinted rosy red and yellow and rolled in sugar, finished with a mint leaf so they look just like real peaches. Many families soak them in alchermes, a red liqueur; this version uses fruit syrup and food colouring instead, so it is alcohol free and child friendly. Chef's tip: brush the colour on unevenly, red on one side and pale gold on the other, like a ripe peach; one flat colour looks fake.

80 min

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Capitone frittoFried eel

Capitone, the big female eel, is the star of Christmas Eve in Naples: families buy it at the markets in Porta Nolana or the Pignasecca on 23 December and fry it the next night as part of the meatless Vigilia dinner. Eels are said to represent the serpent of Eden, and eating them is said to bring luck for the year. Ask the fishmonger to kill, clean and cut the eel for you; at home you only need to cut, flour and fry. Chef's tip: marinate the eel pieces with vinegar and bay in the fridge for an hour; the acid tightens the skin and balances the rich, fatty flesh.

45 min

Italian Fish

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RoccocòHard almond spice rings

Roccocò are the hardest biscuits on the Neapolitan Christmas tray, ring-shaped and studded with whole almonds, scented with orange and pisto spice. The name is said to come from the curly French "rocaille" shape. They are baked in early December, and Neapolitans dunk them in sweet wine or milk, or break them carefully, because they are famously hard on teeth. Chef's tip: bake them twice as long as you think and leave them to dry overnight; roccocò are meant to be crunchy, and they soften pleasantly after a week in the tin.

50 min

Italian Snacks & Starters

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Crocchè di patatePotato croquettes with mozzarella

In Naples, crocchè are the first thing in the paper cone at a friggitoria and the opening act at every pizzeria: logs of seasoned mashed potato with a strip of mozzarella hidden inside, breaded and fried until crisp. In Palermo their simpler cousins, cazzilli, are tucked into sesame rolls with chickpea fritters. Children love them hot from the pan. Parmigiano and mozzarella are usually made with animal rennet; vegetarian versions work. Chef's tip: boil the potatoes in their skins and mash them while still hot but dry; peeled potatoes take on water and the croquettes split in the oil.

60 min

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SardenairaLigurian tomato and anchovy focaccia

Sardenaira is the Riviera's answer to the Neapolitan pizza: a thick, soft focaccia from Sanremo and the towns along the coast near the French border, covered with a thick tomato sauce, salted anchovies, tiny black Taggiasca olives, capers and whole garlic cloves. It was a fishermen's dish once made with sardines, which gave it its name. Bakeries sell it by the slice for a morning snack or an aperitivo with a glass of wine. Chef's tip: cook the tomato sauce until thick before spreading it on; a runny sauce soaks into the dough.

60 min

Italian Pizza

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Pizza diavolaSpicy salami pizza

Diavola, the "devil's" pizza, is what most Italians order when they want heat: tomato and mozzarella topped with slices of spicy salami from Calabria or Naples, which curl into small cups in the oven and fill with red, chilli-laced oil. It is a pizzeria staple across the country and a Friday-night favourite. The salami is a cured pork sausage. Chef's tip: add the salami after the pizza has baked for half the time; it crisps at the edges without burning.

30 min

Italian Pizza

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Pizza marinara

Older than the margherita, the marinara is the pizza Neapolitan sailors' wives are said to have made for the men coming back from sea: tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil, no cheese and no fish, despite the name. At the historic pizzerie around Via dei Tribunali it is the purist's order and the true test of a pizzaiolo, because there is nothing to hide behind. A home oven can't reach the 450 °C of a wood oven, so this recipe uses a very hot steel or stone and the grill. Chef's tip: use tomatoes crushed by hand with just a pinch of salt and never cook the sauce first; it cooks on the pizza and keeps its fresh taste.

30 min

Italian Pizza

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Baccalà alla vicentinaStockfish in milk

In Vicenza, "baccalà" means stockfish: cod dried hard in the wind of the Lofoten Islands in Norway, a trade dating back to a Venetian captain shipwrecked there in 1432. The fish is soaked for days until soft, then cooked very slowly for hours with onion, anchovies, milk and olive oil until it is tender and creamy. It is a feast-day dish, served on Christmas Eve and in September at the town's festival, always with soft or grilled polenta. Many fishmongers sell stockfish ready soaked, which saves several days. Chef's tip: never let the pot boil; it should barely tremble the whole time, or the fish turns stringy and dry.

280 min

Italian Fish

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Spaghetti al nero di seppiaSquid ink spaghetti

In Venice and along the Sicilian coast, cuttlefish are cooked in their own ink to make a glossy black sauce that tastes deeply of the sea, a little sweet and briny. Venetian families eat it with spaghetti or with polenta in spring, when cuttlefish come into the lagoon to breed. It looks dramatic and stains everything, including your lips, which is part of the fun. Most fishmongers sell cuttlefish ready cleaned and ink in small sachets. Alcohol is used here: white wine, which you can replace with fish stock. Chef's tip: cook the cuttlefish slowly for half an hour; it goes tough after a quick cook and only turns tender again with time.

60 min

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Gnocchi alla romanaBaked semolina gnocchi

Unlike potato gnocchi, Roman gnocchi are made from semolina cooked in milk like a thick porridge, spread out to set, cut into discs and baked with butter and Parmigiano until golden and bubbling. In Rome they are traditionally Thursday food: "giovedì gnocchi" is still on trattoria chalkboards across the city. Children love their soft centre and crisp, cheesy top. Parmigiano is made with animal rennet; a vegetarian hard cheese works well. Chef's tip: wet the worktop and spatula before spreading the hot semolina; it won't stick and sets in a smooth, even sheet.

70 min

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Gnudi di ricotta e spinaciRicotta and spinach dumplings

Gnudi means "naked", because these Tuscan dumplings are ravioli filling with no pasta around it: ricotta and spinach bound with a little egg, flour and Parmigiano. In Florence and the Mugello they are winter comfort food, served in a pool of butter and sage, or in tomato sauce for a lighter lunch. They should be soft as a cloud and just hold their shape. Parmigiano is made with animal rennet; a vegetarian hard cheese works well. Chef's tip: drain the ricotta in a sieve for an hour and squeeze the spinach bone dry; wet mixtures need too much flour and turn heavy.

40 min

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PizzelleAnise waffle biscuits

In Abruzzo, every family has its own pizzelle iron, often a wedding present engraved with the family's initials or a pattern of flowers. The thin, crisp waffles are baked for weddings, Christmas and Easter, and for the feast of San Domenico in Cocullo, flavoured with anise or lemon. Warm, they can be rolled into cones or tubes and filled. You need a pizzelle iron or a thin waffle maker. Chef's tip: lightly oil the iron only for the first pizzella; after that the batter's oil keeps them from sticking.

30 min

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CastagnoleCarnival fried dough balls

In February, from Bologna and Rimini down to Rome, pastry shop windows fill with castagnole, small fried balls of sweet dough the size of a chestnut (castagna), rolled in sugar while still warm. Children eat them by the bagful at Carnival parades, often in costume, and some bakeries fill them with custard or ricotta. Families in Romagna add a splash of anise liqueur or rum; this version flavours them with lemon and vanilla instead, so they are alcohol free. Chef's tip: fry them in oil that isn't too hot, about 165 °C; castagnole need time to puff and cook through to the centre.

40 min

Italian Breads & Parathas

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Cappon magroLayered fish and vegetable salad

Cappon magro is the grand Christmas Eve centrepiece of Genoa, once eaten by rich families on the night of "lean" eating before Christmas. On a base of gallette (ship's biscuits) rubbed with garlic and soaked with vinegar, cooks build a tall dome of boiled vegetables and white fish, held together by a rich green sauce of parsley, capers, pine nuts, anchovies and egg yolks, then decorated with prawns and mussels. It takes a whole afternoon and is served cold. Chef's tip: dress each layer of vegetables with oil and vinegar separately as you build; it seasons the whole dome evenly instead of only the outside.

150 min

Italian Fish

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Agnello cacio e ovaLamb with egg and pecorino

In the mountain villages of Abruzzo and Molise, where sheep farming shapes the whole calendar, Easter lunch means lamb stewed slowly with garlic, rosemary and white wine and finished "cacio e ova", with eggs beaten with pecorino stirred in at the end so they set into a creamy, golden sauce. It is rich and comforting and symbolic: lamb and eggs for spring and new life. Alcohol is used here: you can replace the wine with stock and a squeeze of lemon. Chef's tip: take the pan off the heat before adding the eggs and stir constantly; the heat of the lamb thickens them without scrambling.

95 min

Italian Meat

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CasatielloEaster bread with salami and eggs

On Easter Monday, Neapolitan families head out of the city for a picnic, called la pasquetta, and they always pack a casatiello: a heavy, rich bread ring made with lard, studded with cubes of salami, cured pork and cheese, with whole eggs in their shells set into the top under crosses of dough. It is baked on Holy Saturday and rises slowly, filling the house with its smell. The fat used is pork lard, with salami and pancetta. Chef's tip: give it the full, slow rise; a casatiello needs time to lift its heavy load of salami and cheese.

120 min

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Risotto alla pilotaRice with sausage

Despite the name, this is not really a risotto. In the rice fields around Mantua and Ostiglia, the piloti were the workers who husked the rice, and their lunch was rice steamed in a covered pot until each grain stayed separate, then topped with pork salamella (fresh sausage) fried with butter and a little Grana. It is still served in Mantuan trattorie in autumn after the harvest, and at village festivals. The rice is never stirred. Chef's tip: pour the rice into the boiling water in a cone so the tip just pokes out, then cover and leave it alone; that's how the grains steam evenly and stay firm.

40 min

Italian Rice & Grains

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Risotto alla pescatoraSeafood risotto

Pescatora means "fisherman's style", and every Italian coast has a version, from the Venetian lagoon to the Ligurian Riviera. The rice cooks in a broth flavoured by the shellfish juices and a little tomato, and the seafood goes in near the end so it stays tender. It is a classic Sunday or holiday lunch at the seaside, always without cheese, which Italians feel would hide the flavour of the sea. Alcohol is used here: white wine, which you can replace with extra broth. Chef's tip: steam the shellfish open first and use their strained juice in the broth; then add the meat back only for the last minutes.

65 min

Italian Rice & Grains

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Penne all'arrabbiataPenne in spicy tomato sauce

Arrabbiata means "angry", and Romans say the name comes from the red face you get after a plateful. It is the late-night pasta of Roman trattorie and student flats: penne in a tomato sauce made fierce with dried peperoncino and plenty of garlic, ready in the time the water takes to boil. There is no cheese in the classic Roman version, just parsley and the heat. Chef's tip: warm the chilli and garlic gently in the oil before the tomatoes go in; the oil carries the heat through the whole sauce, so it tastes hot all the way through rather than in random bites.

25 min

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Colomba pasqualeEaster dove bread

The colomba, the "dove" of peace, is Milan's Easter answer to Christmas panettone: a rich, buttery yeasted bread full of candied orange, baked in a dove-shaped paper mould and topped with a crunchy almond and sugar glaze. Italian families buy or bake one for Easter Sunday and eat it for breakfast through Easter Monday. Bakers use a sourdough starter and three days; this home version uses yeast and an overnight rise in the fridge, so it fits a weekend. Chef's tip: let the dough rise until it really reaches the top of the mould before baking; under-risen colomba bakes dense and heavy.

110 min