There has never been any secret to Italian food, just fresh, good quality produce. Most meals can be made in less than half an hour and many can be made from four or five ingredients you already have in the pantry.

On my countless trips to Italy the most delicious meals have come not from wellknown restaurants, where they all try to outdo one another with elaborate dishes, but from small trattorie or people’s homes. I have
enjoyed heartfelt cooking all over the country, most with very simple ingredients and all with lots of flavour: polenta and risotto in the north, tasty vegetable dishes in the south, delicious soups and roasts in the central regions and cheese everywhere.

Italians often don’t travel far from home – some never leave the region they were born in – so the use of local ingredients is essential. But the food is never boring. Over the years every family creates its own set of recipes from the same local produce, making the dishes in each home unique. In fact, everyone’s family has the best recipe for something.

I’ve brought home lots of wonderful recipes from Italy over the years. Each one has a special place in my kitchen. This cookbook is a collection of my favourites, some published in Italianicious, others I’m sharing with you for the first time.

I’m sure this book will inspire you to get cooking – and maybe create your own recipes that someday, someone will record for posterity.

Buon appetito!