Recipes
Tagliolini con Gamberetti
Tagliolini with Shrimp Sauce
The theme of pasta and fish is used endlessly in recipes from the coastal regions in Italy. This dish, with just its few ingredients of shrimps, garlic, tomatoes, parsley and basil, is a treat. You can use fresh home-made or bought fresh or dried pasta for this recipe. Tagliolini resembles very thin tagliatelle.
Tagliolini Primavera
Spring Tagliolini
Why I persist on calling the dish 'spring' tagliolini is a mystery even to me, as most of the herbs involved are to be found throughout the summer months. You can, however, make this recipe as soon as you find sufficient quantities of the fresh herbs which form the basis of the sauce.
Tiramisu
Pick-Me-Up
This is one of my favourite desserts, made with that killer of a cheese, mascarpone. There are many recipes for tiramisu, which translated means 'pick-me-up' or 'lift-me-up', due obviously to the large amounts of calories - and caffeine! - in it. This recipe is my own version of the original.
Torta di Nocciole
Ricotta Hazelnut Tart
The perfect sweet treat for a romantic meal.
Torta di Nocciole l Cioccolato
Hazelnut and Chocolate Cake
I can't resist any hazelnut cake. I find the taste of the nuts, especially roasted, highly attractive. I hope you will agree with me.
Torta Paradiso con Mascarpone
Sponge Cake with Mascarpone
Rich, creamy mascarpone comes from southern Lombardy and it is the ideal filling for this wonderfully light sponge.
Tortelli di Zucca
Pumpkin Ravioli
For some reason, ravioli are called tortelli in Emilia-Romagna and parts of lower Lombardy. The most famous are those of Cremona, and there are many variations in the fillings. Here, though, is the most classic recipe. It is a typical Christmas dish, but people love it throughout the whole winter when the wonderfully thick-fleshed, orange-red pumpkin, which can also be bought in pieces, is available.
Wild Mushrooms Crostini
This Italian dish is extremely popular because of its versatility: it can be served as a snack or antipasto, or with drinks. Crostini can be topped with chicken liver pate, a mixture of tomato, mozzarella and basil, or grilled vegetables. This version using wild mushrooms is exceptionally good-even if you can't get hold of any wild mushrooms and have to use cultivated instead.
Zabaglione al Moscato
Zabaglione with Muscatel
Zabaglione is one of the best-known Italian desserts, and it is eaten by itself or used as a filling. You will find this delicious recipe, based on eggs, in nearly every Italian restaurant, both in Italy and abroad. Marsala wine is normally used along with sugar to produce the fluffy consistency. The use of a good dessert wine such as Moscato Passito instead of Marsala gives it a fresh fragrance. If you don't have a special copper pan or bain-marie, you can use a round bowl standing in a large pan of hot water.
Zucchini e Melanzane alla Scapece
Fried and Marinated Courgettes and Aubergines
In the South, and particularly in Campania and Puglia, antipasti are almost always served with some pickled vegetables such as giardiniera or some fried and marinated vegetables such as these courgettes and aubergines. They make a delicious snack or accompaniment to cold roast meat.