• mziech on December 07, 2011

  Would recommend this book for beginners. All recipes I tried were really nice, but most are already known if you have some experience in Italian cooking (for example panzanella, pasta alla norma).

• Breadcrumbs on June 04, 2011

  I have an extensive collection of Italian cookbooks so when I've been looking for a recipe to try, my T&T Italian books always seemed to win out over Jamie's book even though I enjoyed the tv series that inspired these dishes. That said, this book was recently selected as a Cookbook of the Month on Chowhound and from that experience I learned that I could definitely rely on Jamie for truly delicious recipes...even Italian recipes. Everything we tried from this book was terrific. A solid book for Italian food lovers.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Basic bruschette

  • melissabazley on December 11, 2011

    So simple...I have made this a couple of times...It's great with soup, stews/casseroles, sausages and salad etc. As an alternative, I spread both sides of the sourdough with butter instead of olive oil and then put it into the sandwich press. A super fast way to make lots of toast which is toasted on both sides at the same time. The garlic is the MOST important part, without it, it's just toast.

• Bruschette with eggplant and mint

  • Ganga108 on May 03, 2022

    We are in late autumn and the eggplants are still fruiting heavily. I made this bruschetta tonight, and it is beautiful! A lovely balance of oil, garlic, vinegar and herbs. Out here we can't get within cooee of good sourdough, so I used what I had. A delightful pre-dinner snack before a late on-line meeting and a late dinner.

• Bruschette with tomato and basil

  • melissabazley on December 11, 2011

    Simple, quick, easy classic. My favourite bruschette. Great way to use fresh tomatoes from the garden...it doesn't get much better

• Incredible Sicilian eggplant stew (Caponata)

  • melissabazley on October 24, 2011

    A very tasty, meat free dish. It took a lot longer to cook the eggplant than Jamie says in the recipe...I cooked it for about 25 minutes. I used Sicilian olives which add a great texture as well as flavour. I didn't have any herb vinegar so just used white wine vinegar which worked well. I served it with the ricotta fritters on page 12. A delicious vegetarian meal.

  • Rutabaga on August 28, 2016

    I decided to make this when I realized I happened to have all the ingredients on hand. It's a great dish to make a day ahead to let the flavors meld. I also cooked mine longer than the recipe suggests, and used sherry vinegar in place of the herb vinegar. This really makes a lot, so make it for a large group, or to cover for a week's worth of picnics.

  • wester on June 09, 2019

    A nice change of treatment for eggplant. Still, the eggplant-eating part of my fanily prefers their eggplant just fried with some herbs.

  • Ro_ on December 07, 2022

    I made this without the olives, and thought it was delicious, but it's hard for me not to love any aubergine dish. My partner is not an aubergine fan and was slightly less impressed, but still ate it all. Like another commenter, I had to cook for longer than the 15 minutes stated to get everything melty and soft, and next time I'd maybe add a little tomato paste or more tomatoes too. But otherwise, delicious.

• Fried ricotta with a little tomato salad (Ricotta fritta con piccola insalata di pomodori)

  • melissabazley on October 24, 2011

    Great little fritters. Very quick and easy to make. I added some grated nutmeg as well. Delicious served with the Caponata on page 8.

• Amalfi baked lemons (Limoni di Amalfi cotti al forno)

  • L.Nightshade on June 04, 2011

    I had to up the heat and the time, and even so my cheese didn't turn "golden." Jamie warned that the mozzarella would melt and ooze, and recommended using a lemon leaf or waxed paper as a base. I baked them in custard cups instead. Glad I did as there was a lot of liquid ooze in the bottom when done. These really need bread to accept the contents of the lemon in one big plop. I just served them with a salad and had some crackers on the side. It wasn't easy to scoop appropriate portions of the stringy cheese onto a cracker. But the taste was very good. The mozzarella picks up a bit of the lemon flavor. When I assembled them I thought sun dried tomatoes might be better, but the burst of fresh tomato was a nice compliment to the creamy cheese and salty anchovy.

• Small toasted bread (Crostini)

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very nice, added some parmesan to the white bean version

  • et12 on September 13, 2020

    Very good, adding a bit of olive oil and rubbing with freshly cut garlic makes a big difference.

• Crostini with buffalo mozzarella and chili

  • joneshayley on March 07, 2020

    Lovely little crostini - great snack with drinks.

• Crostini with pea and fava bean purée with pecorino

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    Very healthy & fun to use mortar & pestle to make it. Could also use this on pasta or fish/chicken.

• Crostini with squashed cannellini beans with garlic

  • Breadcrumbs on June 02, 2012

    p. 25 Quick & lovely! mr bc had a hankering for some sort of bean antipasti and time was not on my side. A quick EYB search landed me here and true to form, Jamie didn’t disappoint. This made for a wonderfully aromatic, flavourful spread that tasted like it would have been a lot more work than it really was! Beans are drained and a couple of sprigs of rosemary are pounded in a mortar and pestle along w some salt. A glug of evoo is added and the mixture is set aside. Sliced garlic is fried in some evoo prior to adding the drained beans which are then simmered until tender. Beans are seasoned then mashed along w a swig of red wine vinegar – I used Pinot Noir vinegar. The rosemary oil is drizzled atop. The mixture was served warm w some freshly grilled crostini. Simple, delicious and satisfying. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/769189#7378066

  • FJT on October 05, 2014

    Simple to make and very tasty. Went down very well with my guests and it took all of 10 minutes to prepare!

• Baked mushrooms stuffed with ricotta (Funghi al forno ripieni di ricotta)

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    This is delicious, great to have as an entree. So easy and fresh ! Love it. Filling could be used for insides of ravioli too !

  • Breadcrumbs on March 18, 2012

    p.26 The Italian grocer we visit from time-to-time makes their own cheese and yesterday we picked up some ricotta. Since I had some mushrooms lingering in the fridge, a quick EYB search for mushrooms & ricotta yielded this recipe. I adapted by using fresh chives from my garden (yes, it’s March!!) and some garlic. This literally came together in less than 10 minutes before getting tossed into the oven for 15. We loved this antipasti, definitely something worthy of serving to company however tonight the guests of honour were just mr bc & I!! Mine weren’t as brown on top as the mushrooms in the photo of the book after 15 mins in the oven so I turned on the broiler to achieve that crust. Delicious, not too rich, fresh and with a little warmth from the chilies these were just lovely. Perfect with a glass of wine and some Sunday evening jazz. Yum!

  • Breadcrumbs on March 18, 2012

    Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/769189#7221576

  • Ro_ on August 21, 2021

    I made these on top of pasta, but found them fairly underwhelming. I probably should have played with the seasoning more to try to get them to sing.

• Sliced mushrooms with melted mozzarella and thyme (Funghi tagliati a fettine sottili, con mozzarella fusa e timo)

  • Breadcrumbs on March 01, 2015

    p. 29 – I can always count on Jamie for a quick and tasty recipe and this one was no exception. I was putting together an Italian small plates type dinner and needed a quick recipe to use up some plain old button mushrooms. The dish was absolutely wonderful and somehow the simple addition of cheese and herbs truly elevated this humble vegetable into something special. Prep couldn’t be easier, slice mushrooms and place in a pan. Top with cheese and some fresh thyme. Drizzle w evoo and broil until the cheese has melted. I had a little garlic oil leftover from another dish I’d prepared so I used that. Everyone gobbled these up and commented that they liked them more than they thought they would. I can only imagine how amazing this dish would be with wild mushrooms and the cheese possibilities are endless. Definitely a keeper. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/769189?commentId=9456766#9456766

• Fried crispy polenta with rosemary and salt (Polenta fritta croccante con rosmarino e sale)

  • Ganga108 on May 06, 2022

    Crispy polenta - deep fried - and rosemary flavoured. Delicious. Very crisp on the outside and soft and beautiful in the middle. I made the dry firm-set polenta in the morning and fried the cubes for a pre-dinner snack. Well loved and devoured quickly.

• The best shrimp and parsley frittata (La migliore frittata di gamberetti e prezzemolo)

  • L.Nightshade on June 04, 2011

    I really wanted it to turn golden, as specified in the directions and shown in the picture. It is supposed to cook for one minute on the stove, and four or five minutes in the oven. I still had raw eggs with those times. So I cooked it longer, but still no "golden." I ended up broiling to finish. When all was said and done, the eggs were very slightly overcooked, but not bad, and only the edges had color. Not the best frittata I've ever made, but we liked it well enough. It's a very adaptable recipe, of course. Mr NS has already volunteered to bring home and shell a crab for the next version.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Didn't brown enough which probably affected the flavour and left out the lemon juice. Might try it with those changes to see if it is better

  • sdeathe on July 27, 2021

    This was delicious. Nice lemon flavour, a light frittata with good flavour. Took longer to cook than specified in the recipe, but still moist and tender in the centre when done. Will definitely repeat.

• The famous Italian roast pork (Porchetta)

  • Breadcrumbs on March 21, 2010

    p. 48 - NB: Jamie calls for a 7 - 9lb loin, says to ask butcher for a half loin of pork from the rib end with the skin and the belly attached. He says to then have the butcher de-bone it but provide you with the bones (which will later be used as a cooking rack). Though he doesn't say to do this, its later implied that the belly and skin be separated from the loin and then rolled back on later, once the meat has been seasoned.

• Basic pizza dough (Pasta per pizza)

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    This is my go-to pizza dough recipe, it's brilliant. I do a half batch which makes 3 medium pizzas.It has a great texture and tastes fantastic. I love it with Jamie's Potato, mozzarella, rosemary, thyme & tomato pizza (page 56)

  • Ganga108 on May 22, 2022

    A very quick dough, only 15 mins rising time. The mix of bread flour and semolina flour is gorgeous. Only needs to cook for 7 - 10 mins. (I do love longer rise doughs but who has the time?)

  • Ro_ on February 06, 2023

    My first time making pizza dough and it came out pretty well. I made a half quantity and 2 pizzas, with hindsight I should have made 4 smaller pizzas because it's really difficult manouvering two large ones! But I will repeat this in the future, definitely.

  • eeeve on June 27, 2025

    I don’t have much experience with home made pizza dough, but we all thought it needed a bit of salt in the mix. That said, it wasn’t bad and came together quickly. Also made half a batch which was plenty.

• Pizza with spicy salami, zucchini, basil, tomato, and mozzarella

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    Not a bad combo of ingredients. I used chorizo sausage instead of salami. Great with both options.

• Pizza with potatoes, mozzarella, rosemary, thyme, and tomatoes

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    This is such a brilliant flavour combination. A family favourite

  • Ganga108 on May 22, 2022

    A lovely quick pizza, easy to make, quick to cook, a perfect Sunday night meal.

• Pizza with green and red grapes, rosemary, pinenuts, and ricotta

  • melissabazley on September 20, 2011

    A tasty combination of flavours...not bad for a sweet change, although I prefer my pizzas savoury. I put loads more ricotta cheese on it too, as 1 tablespoons for the whole pizza was nowhere near enough

• Pizza with egg, prosciutto, artichokes, olives, mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil

  • melissabazley on October 21, 2011

    Absolutely loved the baked egg on this pizza. Good flavour combination

• Pizza with mozzarella, anchovies, chili, capers, and parsley

  • Ganga108 on May 24, 2022

    We have so much dough left over from comparing Jamie's quick-rise, pizza-in-under-an-hour approach to pizza dough, to Marcella Hazan's (Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking) 3-hour rise dough. So it has been pizza for lunch each day. Not that we are complaining, and it takes almost no time to put together as long as we remember to take the pizza dough out of the fridge as we make our coffee in the morning. Yesterday was this pizza. Bcos #vegetarian, I replaced the anchovies with ricotta salata, marinated it as suggested for the anchovies and added a little vegetarian oyster sauce to the mix. It was wonderful! Salty, lemony, cheesy, "fishy" (if a veg can say that).

• The best garlic bread

  • Ganga108 on May 23, 2022

    Oh this is the best garlic bread! I really am partial to a garlicky and salted pizza. There was pizza dough left over from yesterday (made from the recipe in Essential Classic Italian Cooking), rested in the fridge overnight. I made the garlic pizza/bread in the Weber BBQ on this gorgeous late Autumn day. The way the dough is slit and pulled apart really makes the pizza, and we used mixed parsley, oregano and thyme on the top. Cooked for 8-9mins on a pizza stone in the weber which was initially heated to 225C (it loses some heat when you open it to put the pizza in).

• Fried pizza (Pizza fritta)

  • melissabazley on October 21, 2011

    One word for this...YUM. So easy and so delicious. The frying really adds extra flavour. I used grapeseed oil instead of olive oil as it is better for my non-stick pans. A great crunchy crust. I love the simple ingredients and pure flavours. A good change from the traditional baked pizza (never mind that it's a bit more fat)

• Tomato sauce for pizza

  • melissabazley on October 02, 2011

    An excellent, flavoursome pizza sauce recipe that is quick & easy. I pretty much use this recipe every time I make pizza. Great flavour

• Early autumn minestrone (Minestrone d'inizio autunno)

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    I'll admit that I put less bacon than he suggests and that might make all the difference but the cooking time suggested results in vegetables that are a little too firm. It is also a bit on the tangy side, but the richness of the parm and bacon might mask this. It is just that if you go with his suggestions you will end up with a very high calorie soup.

  • melissabazley on December 08, 2011

    I'm a bit of a lazy bones, so I didn't cook the dried cannellini beans from scratch, I used a 400g can instead and it was fine. I'm not a huge fan of bacon/pancetta so I left it out entirely and the soup was still very tasty. I did cook the vegies for longer than the initial 20 minutes suggested. I also used baby spinach and added it at the very end just before serving it. I used 80g pasta because I like a fair bit of pasta in minestrone. My husband really loved eating this and it's good for his high blood pressure too with loads of vegies and very little salt. Great served with crusty bread & butter !! A hearty soup for a cold day

  • ksg518 on February 17, 2024

    This is a nice minestrone, although my favorite by far continues to be Marcella Hazan's version. I used canned beans but I'm sure cooking them from scratch would improve the soup. I really liked the smokiness from the bacon. I agree with a previous note that the times stated result in vegetables (especially carrots) that are firmer than one expects in a minestrone. Nonetheless, this is probably a repeat.

  • carol_nz0j01 on May 15, 2026

    Chunky veg, very easy tomato soup.

• Bread and tomato soup (Pappa al pomodoro)

  • bigwerk on February 08, 2012

    Ok, why is this so freaking good? I added some diced spanish chorizo and it was epic

  • Vegansarah on September 28, 2021

    This was surprisingly good! So few ingredients but such a great dish

• My favorite ribollita (La mia ribollita preferita)

  • Emily Hope on December 03, 2010

    This was decent but nothing special--I may have added too much bread and it made things a bit sludgy.

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    I used 2 cans of cannellini beans instead of using dried beans, I also used chilli powder instead of dried chillies. A very hearty soup. Needed a bit of flavour help so I also added 1 chicken stock cube. Great for winter when you want something filling and healthy. Tastes better the next day as the flavours develop

  • cbrowne91 on August 06, 2017

    This is a great hearty recipe. Although cavolo nero can be substituted out for other leafy greens e.g. curly kale, I really recommend sticking to cavolo nero/black kale where possible, as it's deep bitterness really helps this recipe. Don't skimp on the dried chilli, and don't let the bread catch on the pan!

  • Sally96 on August 06, 2021

    I have loads of ribollita recipes and this is hands down the best one. The closest flavour and texture to the one I had in Florence. Definitely la mia ribollita preferita.

• Pasta with chickpeas (Pasta e ceci)

  • tsusan on November 23, 2009

    Really good, after the following adjustments owing to grocery deficiencies. Shallots instead of onions. Added fine dice sauteed bacon and carrots last 5 minutes. 2x celery. 2x ditalini. 3x garlic. 1/2x chickpeas. Used 1c water instead of chix stock 1st half of cooking, 2/3c chix stock instead of 2c, 2nd half of cooking. 2/3 cup grated parmigiano, scattered over top afterward and run under broiler to crisp and thicken. Basil AND parsley. Ended up more like a loose pasta than a soup, but oh so good.

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    I love this, but wouldn't call it soup...more like a stew. Simple and very tasty..would definitely make it again

  • Rutabaga on March 31, 2014

    I find this soup to be the perfect winter comfort food, but my husband isn't as into it, so I only make it occasionally. It is more of a stew, and will continue to thicken as the pasta expands overnight if you have leftovers. Good parmesan and a drizzle of peppery olive are the ideal way to top it off.

  • embk27 on April 26, 2016

    I thought this needed more stock than suggested - I ended up using nearly twice as much. I stirred through chopped rocket at the end which worked well.

  • Melanie on June 12, 2016

    This was absolutely delicious, we loved it.

  • Banicoli on June 06, 2026

    Made this for the next day, it thickened up a lot and needed a lot of water for a more loose consistency. Kids slobbered it up and it was easy to make. Solid base, next time will try with some experimental additions.

• Pasta Norma style (Pasta alla Norma)

  • L.Nightshade on June 04, 2011

    I lightly tossed the eggplant fingers in a small amount of olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano, and roasted them until almost done. Then I tossed them into the pan and continued the recipe as written. Jamie is right about the eggplant cooked with the oregano, really enhances the flavor. And the ricotta salata and fresh basil are the perfect additions. This dish was a huge hit here. Mr NS made me promise to make it again.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The eggplant actually gives it a nice meaty flavour. Go a bit lighter on the pasta than he suggests and I would mince the garlic instead of slicing. Very simple but delicious.

  • fprincess on September 12, 2012

    Pretty good, but the eggplant took forever to cook. Photo here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/143493-dinner-2012/page__st__2040__p__1890651#entry1890651

  • Bloominanglophile on May 25, 2013

    This dish came together more quickly than I anticipated, so I would recommend it for weeknights. I did salt the eggplant, as I started out making a totally different recipe. I'm glad I switched to this one. It was also a lighter dish than I thought it would be--just be sure to use a light hand with the oil when sautéing the eggplant (can always add more later). Do be sure to season the dish in stages for a full flavor. I would even recommend this dish to those may be picky about eggplant (like my family)!

  • Astrid5555 on January 05, 2014

    Good, especially the dried oregano added a nice touch. However not the best pasta alla Norma dish I have made so far.

  • lilham on July 20, 2015

    This dish is a regular in my family. Delicious and quick to put together.

  • Ganga108 on May 10, 2022

    How easily this recipe came together, and although I played a little loose with the instructions, it was a thumbs-up all round at dinner time. The eggplant glut in the veggie garden continues (which determined the choice of recipe), and there was pomodoro sauce, chillies and cherry tomatoes in the freezer (which I used for the sauce), basil in the garden, and some fresh crusty bread out of the oven to accompany the dish. I used tagliatelle rather than spaghetti and perhaps may even prefer this over spaghetti. (The eggplant is divine, btw)

• Sausage carbonara (Linguine alla carbonara di salsiccia)

  • Breadcrumbs on March 24, 2010

    p. 90 - Mar. 2010 – First use of this recipe and quite pleased w outcome. Sauce was satiny and flavourful. I think this rec is only as good as the sausage you use so we used a high quality Italian sausage from the Oliffes. Sausage is a dominant flavour in the final dish. If sausages were cooked a day in advance, this would be a great choice for a quick and easy casual entertaining dish. I’d definitely make this again and I’d likely use spicy Italian sausage for a change of pace.

  • fprincess on November 04, 2010

    Rolling the meat out of the sausages into small balls takes a while. Otherwise it's a pretty tasty recipe if using good quality sausages.

  • erin g on January 08, 2011

    I agree with fprincess that rolling the sausage into small balls takes a lot of time. I've made this twice, and the second time I dispensed with rolling the sausage into balls and simply cut them into small pieces - but the sausages I had were quite slim. They weren't as tender as the first time, but I enjoy the crunch of sausage skin anyway.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Delicious, I would go with 3 egg yolks and a little more cream unless the eggs yolks are huge.

  • Ro_ on April 04, 2021

    Very indulgent, but good! I really liked the sausage meatballs and didn't find them too fiddly to make. partner really enjoyed this.

  • peaceoutdesign on November 01, 2021

    I used this as a carbonara base and use the traditional pancetta with peas instead. I was very creamy while it was warm but the sauce disappeared as it cooled. I would increase the cream and prewarm it then toss in separately from egg and cheese.

• Tuscan pici with tomato and meat sauce (Pici con ragú)

  • swordfern on February 05, 2017

    Make sure to roll the pici very thin. Trust the pasta cooking time, even if it seems long.

• Chicken and mushroom pasta bake (Spaghetti tetrazzini)

  • Breadcrumbs on March 01, 2011

    p. 113 - What’s not to like about cream, chicken, good cheese, wild mushrooms and pasta?!!! Needless to say, we loved it!! This is a much more refined version of Chicken and Tuna Tetrazzinis we’ve had in the past. This is a chicken and mushroom pasta that is started stovetop and, finished in the oven. The recipe calls for 7oz of parmesan, I used a 50/50 blend of Parm and mozzarella. Prep is relatively quick and quite easy. The casserole goes into a 400 degree oven until golden brown and bubbling. This took 14 minutes in my case and let me say, the house smelled heavenly as it bubbled away in the oven!! Oh my goodness this was delicious. I wouldn’t be making this all the time but, if you’re looking for a creamy, cheesy, super-scrumptious treat, this is the recipe for you. I especially loved the basil in this, it adds a light, fresh note to an otherwise heavy but delicious dish. K-9

  • Cheri on July 09, 2011

    This was REALLY good. I added sliced sauteed leeks to the chicken and mushrooms. I used chicken breasts, which did dry out a bit and would recommend the thighs as called for. I cooked the pasta al dente, then used 1 c heavy cream plus 1 cup whole milk. Added basil which was really nice. Topped casserole with slices of fresh mozzarella as well as the Parmesan cheese. Lovely, cheesy, bright and satisfying. Came together in the time it took to cook the noodles. Baked 22 min at 400 deg.

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    This is a great recipe and so easy to make. I put more mushrooms in as we love them. I just used normal pouring cream, rather than double cream. It worked perfectly fine. A delicious dish and serves between 6-8 people. Highly recommend :)

  • chrisguzzi on November 20, 2011

    Great standby recipe for lunchtime entertaining. I cooked this after reading the first 3 comments and it was great - couldn't get hold of porcini mushrooms and used red wine instead of white. Used the thighs and 500 gm mushrooms. No spaghetti but penne worked really well and the pointy ends on top had a yummy crunchy texture. I would serve with a green salad.

  • Demaria.alison on April 08, 2012

    Terrible dish. I threw this away!

  • Astrid5555 on December 29, 2013

    Creamy winter comfort food! Used brown cremini and king oyster mushrooms. As per previous reviews would cut down on the cream next time as this dish was very rich, but probably one of the reasons why everybody really liked it.

  • Delys77 on June 11, 2012

    Pg 113 Creamy goodness! The mushroom, parm, and chicken makes for a very earthy if slightly heavy dish. I might cut the cream a bit, or mix in a bit of milk as per the earlier note. I put the mushrooms in a bit before the garlic and sauteed relatively aggressively as I prefer my mushrooms a little more well done. Overall though the recipe works well as is minus the few comments I made above.

  • Ro_ on March 30, 2020

    This went down really well with the family, and was fairly easy to assemble so is one to make again. I used chicken breast instead of thigh (though I think it would have been nicer with the former) and mixed dried mushrooms instead of porcini. A bit calorific, but definitely comfort food!

  • clairepotter on January 28, 2019

    I substituted chicken thigh for skinless breast meat. Season very well and pan fry in a tablespoon of oil until well- browned and virtually cooked through. Set aside to rest and tear up once cool enough to handle. In the same pan, pan fry the mushrooms in butter, salt and lots of black pepper until deep brown. Then add wine etc as recipe advises and continue. I have tried dotting the final chicken pasta mixture with goats cheese and panko breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter prior to baking. Also stirred spinach leaves through pasta before adding topping. Both worked very well. Serve with a fancy salad of shredded iceberg lettuce, lambs lettuce, walnuts and sliced pear with a dressing of Cressi vinegar and oil.

• Grilled and roasted pork (Maiale alla griglia e arrosto)

  • Jane on March 07, 2011

    I made this pork dish with half quantities and didn't grill it first as it was raining. I think that affected the finished dish - he does say you can do the whole cooking process in the oven but it's not as good. The pork loin is rubbed with olive oil then with crushed fennel seeds and dried red chile. It is then grilled for 10-15 mins and then put in the oven or put straight in the oven. 20 minutes before it's cooked a mix of red wine vinegar and rosemary leaves is used to baste the pork. I thought the end result was delicious but I would have preferred the crackling to be a bit crispier which would have been the case if I'd grilled it first. I will make this again.

• Farro salad with roasted veg (Insalata di farro con verdure al forno)

  • Jane on September 03, 2012

    I was looking for a vegetarian dinner containing farro and this looked good, though I didn't have all the ingredients. I don't think that matters too much, it's the type of recipe you can adjust to whatever vegetables you have. So I skipped eggplant and fennel but added asparagus. I really liked the result - it was good warm last night and I also liked it cold for lunch today. Because I wanted it warm I didn't wait for the roasted vegetables to cool, which may have made the squash rather mushier when chopping finely. But still it tasted great - nutty chewy farro with sweet, caramelized roasted veg. Will be repeating this one.

  • Ro_ on April 02, 2020

    Agree with the other notes in that a) it needs more dressing and a lot of seasoning, and b) if you're not going to let the vegetables cool down a lot (which I didnt') it will be quite mushy in texture. I preferred this eaten fridge-cold the next day. Feels quite virtuous and healthy, but the flavours aren't oustanding.

  • et12 on August 28, 2024

    Agree with other notes. This is easy to prepare, tastes ok but needs a lot of seasoning to get it there. It wasn’t clear how much white wine vinegar to put on the veg when taking it out of the oven, I only put a dash but would add a lot more next time and hopefully require less salt

  • Gpjba on September 23, 2013

    I thought this was just ok. It needs more dressing. It makes a ton.

• Anchovies in tomato sauce with pasta (Pasta con acciughe e pomodoro)

  • Jane on February 03, 2021

    Rinshin - Jamie says on his website "You could use tagliatelle or spaghetti, but if you can find margherita pasta it's great — it looks thicker than spaghetti, and it's frilly down one edge."

  • debkellie on February 03, 2021

    Margherita pasta refers to the shape of the pasta: "Daisies", narrow noodles, rippled on one side. Great list of pasta names at https://mangiabenepasta.com/shapes.html

  • saarwouters on January 27, 2018

    This is a flavour bomb! Comes together really fast and I just LOVE it! Reminds me of our holiday in Sicily...

  • Rinshin on February 03, 2021

    What is margherita pasta in the ingredient list? Never heard of it. Is there another name?

  • sdeathe on February 02, 2021

    Delicious and easy! I used fewer anchovies in oil instead of in salt, and thawed garden tomatoes from the freezer in place of the tomatoes purée.

• Pork chops with sage (Costolette di maiale con salvia)

  • Breadcrumbs on February 25, 2011

    p. 234 - Chops are prepared by creating a pocket in which you stuff an apricot, sage, garlic and prosciutto butter. They are seared off stove top then, finished in the oven atop potatoes and prosciutto matchsticks. Looks like great recipe.

  • Breadcrumbs on March 17, 2011

    p. 234 - We really enjoyed this dish. Butter stuffing is made by whizzing together garlic, prosciutto, apricots and of course, butter. I decided to do this in my mini Cuisinart and if I were to do this again, I’d whiz the garlic and apricots before adding the prosciutto and butter as I found it was impossible to achieve a fine dice as the butter seemed to engulf everything. Chops are stuffed and then topped w sage leaves that have been dipped in oil and floured on one side. The aromas wafting from the oven as this dish roasted were just wonderful. The apricots added a nice sweetness and balance for the (larger than optimal) pieces of garlic that steam inside the chop. Needless to say some of the butter stuffing drizzles down over the potato mixture to enhance their flavours. Happy to recommend this one, we’ll definitely have this again. Out of 10, I’d give it an 8. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/769189#6358433

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The flavour pocket technique worked very well. Would suggest some unsalted butter as the prosciutto adds a lot of salt. Make the pockets as large as possible and be careful not to overcook. The chops I used were thin and took about 7 minutes and didn't go into the oven.

  • joneshayley on April 24, 2020

    This is a brilliant recipe! The potatoes cook perfectly, crispy and infused with herbs and garlic, the pork stuffed with the sweet and savoury butter is wonderful! I smeared extra over the chips which developed a crust which was also great. Note to self - Try the butter with roast turkey - stuff under the skin before roasting.

• Spaghetti with shrimp and arugula (Spaghetti con gamberetti e rucola)

  • Breadcrumbs on March 07, 2011

    p. 116 -Prep is very straightforward. A few notes on adaptations I made. I used about 6oz of wine, My lemon yielded 1/3 cup of juice and tasting as I went along, I only added 2 1/2 tbsp to the sauce as I felt there was already adequate tang from the wine and, knew the arugula would also bring its own zip so I was cautious about over doing it for our tastes. After incorporating the arugula and topping w some lemon zest, flavours were perfect for us. JO says you should reserve some pasta water to add to the sauce if need be. This was not necessary. I used whole-wheat pasta and, only 1/2lb vs the 1lb. I didn’t make any adjustments to quantity of ingredients in the sauce. We loved this dish. The tang of the lemon and arugula was offset nicely by the sweetness of the sundried tomatoes and, more subdued sweetness of the whole -wheat pasta. The chilies gave this a wonderful warmth without making the dish too spicy.

  • fprincess on May 03, 2011

    I made this recipe with dandelion instead of arugula. The combination of the bitterness from the dandelion with the lemon juice & zest was great, and the sundried tomatoes balanced the whole dish. I had to add quite a bit of pasta water as the pasta dried quite fast (I used fresh herb linguini)

  • Astrid5555 on September 06, 2015

    Excellent quick and easy recipe, perfect for a weeknight dinner! Made with spinach instead of arugula for the kids, but would use arugula if I were to make it again, which I will definitely do!

  • Dataglo on November 17, 2025

    I use pasta water instead of wine and sun dried tomatoes. Loads of garlic and pepper. Great dish

  • Delys77 on January 09, 2025

    I ended up putting all the arugula in during the cooking process and didn't keep any for garnish, but this worked fine for us. Flavours are well balanced with the lemon and wine providing a great backdrop for the toothsome pasta and juicy shrimp. Very quick to put together and well liked by all.

  • JKDLady on September 03, 2015

    This was an outstanding dish. I too used half the pasta, but the full amount of sauce. I added the lemon zest into the sauce instead of on top. I don't think my family would like the zest. I did enjoy the lemony flavor of the dish. I used Chinese spinach instead of the arugula because I had it from the farmer's market. I liked how it held form in the dish. I look forward to trying this recipe again.

  • saarwouters on October 17, 2017

    Love this pasta dish! It's on high rotation in our household. While the pasta cooks, you can prepare all other ingredients, so you are at the table in only 10 minutes.

• Hunter's chicken stew (Pollo alla cacciatora)

  • Breadcrumbs on March 29, 2011

    p. 222 - Wonderful! I used chicken pieces vs cutting up a whole chicken. I marinated my chicken for 24hrs and it was rich burgundy colour on removing from the fridge. After I’d browned the meat as the pieces were a wonderful mahogany colour. This smelled absolutely delicious as the anchovies, garlic and olives were sauteing and the aromas got even more tantalizing once this was transferred to the oven. We both enjoyed this dish quite a bit. K adored it and went back for seconds which means he ate 2 thighs and, one breast of chicken! The sauce was rich and delicious with no one flavour standing out. The olives and anchovies added a nice saltiness and served to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. The chicken was moist and fall-off-the-bone tender. We served this w a simply dressed Canadian-Italian salad and some crusty bread. Lovely and perfect w the acidity of a nice glass of Chianti or two!. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/769189#6423113

  • mfto on August 16, 2016

    I am not a chicken thigh lover but I knew that thighs would take the 1 1/2 hours in the oven better than chicken breasts. My grocery only had boneless skinless thighs which was a disappointment but still the thighs turned out delicious. Since I was cooking for Two, I reduced the number of thighs but otherwise made the whole recipe. The only changes I made were to add another garlic clove and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Next time I will increase the red pepper flakes to 1/4 tesp. Just a personal choice. I had very little sauce leftover after serving the stew on spaghetti. It will not be wasted, I can assure you.

  • JKDLady on December 03, 2012

    I agree with Breadcrumbs. This was just a delightful recipe. The anchovies added depth to the dish. This is a keeper!

• Sausages and green lentils with tomato salsa (Salsicce con lenticchie verdi e salsa di pomodoro)

  • erin g on August 20, 2013

    I used a pork cumin sausage, and it turned out lovely. I also added lemon zest and lemon juice to the lentils instead of the red wine vinegar, as I was making a red wine vinaigrette for an accompanying salad. Really excellent.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The sauce and the lentils were nice but the sausage was chicken so it ended up being super dry. Pork would doubtless be much better

  • et12 on January 28, 2025

    This was excellent and all came together in about an hour and without much fuss. Flavours work really well together. I used a Cumberland sausage instead of Italian.

• Grilled swordfish with salsa di Giovanna (Pesce spada alla griglia con la salsa di Giovanna)

  • fprincess on May 18, 2012

    Couldn't be simpler, but it's a great way to serve fish. I made this recipe with a couple of rock cod filets and used marjoram + mint for the salsa. Very tasty. Picture here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/143493-dinner-2012/page__st__1230__p__1878037#entry1878037 Made again with swordfish. Wonderful. Picture: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/143493-dinner-2012/?p=1896370

  • Baxter850 on June 19, 2022

    Easy dish. Would cook the swordfish 1:15-1:40 per side next time. Sauce is very mild but tasty. The lemon juice mellows the raw garlic after sitting for awhile.

  • Ro_ on December 05, 2022

    I think I made some errors here: I had two gigantic, thick swordfish steaks, and they eneded cooking for longer than the two minutes on each side I gave them - I like my fish on the undercooked side, but this was too much. Then somehow I ended up with way too much oil in the salsa, I would be careful to add less next time. Would I repeat this...maybe.

• White risotto with pesto (Risotto bianco con pesto)

  • fprincess on November 05, 2010

    Delicious

• Radicchio and arugula salad (Insalata di radicchio e rughetta)

  • fprincess on January 16, 2012

    A very simple recipe that is really delicious.

  • Rutabaga on March 31, 2014

    My husband and I enjoyed eating this salad frequently while in Italy, and it's really easy to make at home. Finely julienned carrots are a nice addition (we also had this version in Italy), but prepping those ultra-thin carrot strips does add extra work.

  • Ganga108 on March 10, 2021

    Magnificent!

• Amalfi salad (Insalata Amalfitana)

  • L.Nightshade on June 04, 2011

    This salad was so bright and refreshing. It consists of thinly sliced cucumber, fennel bulb, red onion, and radishes, with sectioned oranges, tossed with herbed vinegar and olive oil. I had heirloom purple radishes which added a nice little bite. The oranges are the perfect addition. The recipe makes a very large bowl full.

• Roasted mushroom risotto with parsley (Risotto ai funghi e prezzemolo)

  • Astrid5555 on January 16, 2025

    As mentioned in another review, I let my mushrooms and garlic roast in the oven for double the time to intensify the flavor of my chestnut mushrooms and the final risotto was absolutely delicious.

  • melissabazley on October 04, 2011

    This risotto is a new favourite in our home. It's delicious. I fried the mushrooms in butter instead of oil before putting them in the oven to roast. The roasting adds a really meaty texture & richness to them. I also added the zest of 1 lemon to the rice. I love the tang from the lemon juice & added zest, it really gives a flavour lift. A brilliant meatless meal...one we will cook regularly. If you're a mushroom lover, give this recipe a go, you won't be disappointed :)

  • FJT on July 30, 2011

    mushrooms, garlic and thyme are roasted to intensify the flavours and added to the risotto at the end (some through the risotto and some on top) - you just can't go wrong with this recipe. Perfect!

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Another great risotto. You used Portabello and they lent it a very earthy flavour, and the garlic was really nice. You might want to increase the amount of mushrooms a bit and roast the garlic a little longer (ie. Remove the mushrooms and cook the garlic a bit longer).

  • cbrowne91 on August 06, 2017

    I would recommend roasting the mushrooms and garlic longer than the recipe says if using more common mushrooms (chestnut, portobello etc), to really intensify the flavours.

  • Pamsy on May 24, 2025

    Roasting the mushrooms really brings out the flavour, gave mine 15 mins. Tasty supper dish.

• White risotto (Risotto bianco)

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    An excellent basic risotto recipe...can turn this into any flavour. Really delicious and easy.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The perfect base risotto

  • Pamsy on May 24, 2025

    Made the base and then added the roasted mushroom ingredients on page 142. Very good.

  • ceylan_hnqrgc on May 05, 2026

    Easy to follow. Good result. Took longer than explained although I followed the instructions to a tee.

• Fennel risotto with ricotta and dried chili (Risotto ai finocchi con ricotta e peperoncino)

  • melissabazley on September 11, 2011

    Really original flavours in this. The fennel took a LOT longer to cook than 20 minutes-more like 40 minutes to get it soft and sweeter. I also cut the fennel into smaller pieces. Love the fresh ricotta & chilli combo

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    This risotto is a little different as the result of the lemon and goat cheese. It is quite tasty with a beautiful sweetness from the fennel.

  • saarwouters on January 27, 2018

    This was delicious! We were out of ricotta so I used creme fraiche. And added a bit more lemon juice to compensate for the creaminess of the creme fraiche. The soft fennel flavour makes this very special.

• Spaghetti Trapani style (Spaghetti alla Trapanese)

  • melissabazley on October 02, 2011

    This is a quick and delicious pasta, very similar to a traditional pesto, but a bit more "meaty" due to the almonds. I used almonds with skin on, and pretty much did the whole thing in the food processor, except for the cherry tomatoes. Very tasty.

  • Delys77 on November 09, 2011

    Very interesting as it s quite different. Overall result has a nice texture and a great flavour.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on October 04, 2024

    Very nice, going to make this again.

• Eggplant Parmigiana (Melanzane alla Parmigiana)

  • melissabazley on October 05, 2011

    This is SOOOSOSOSOSOSOSO delicious. I fried the eggplant, even though Jamie said not to. It was so smooth & creamy & full of flavour. I drained the eggplant on kitchen paper after I cooked it for about 1 hour until most of the oil had come out. I will certainly make this again when we have friends over for an Italian dinner party. Great as a main served with salad or side for a meat dish. AMAZING.

  • Delys77 on September 19, 2012

    I grilled my eggplant and I have to say it made a good difference. While I like eggplant parm, this recipe is a little less greasy than most because the eggplant dries out a little on the grill. The result is a slightly smokier flavour that feels a bit lighter. Definitely a huge winner, and an excellent veggie main.

  • ethan_it6z0e on May 02, 2026

    I think this recipe heavily relies on the grill being available. I was able to adapt it without it, but one thing I noticed was the amount of liquid still. Taste is 10/10. Flexibility for ingredients 10/10. Just method should reduce the liquid a bit more in my opinion.

  • chawkins on August 23, 2020

    Excellent dish, light, not greasy and not overly cheesy. I pre-baked the eggplant slices as directed, used a jarred sauce because I was short on time. Great use of all those eggplants coming out of the garden.

  • Jas on June 05, 2012

    Delicious, I gridled the aubergine with courgette, was scrumptious! I served this with ciabatta mushroom bruschetta. Went down a treat.

• Baked pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella (Pasta al forno con pomodori e mozzarella)

  • melissabazley on March 28, 2012

    This is a great vegetarian recipe. I used the 3 cans of tinned tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes (I didn't have the time to do the fresh ones) I didn't bother to blend the tomato mixture in the food processor either, I like the chunkier texture. I used a combo of fresh bocconcini & mozzarella, not as much as what JO said to use, probably about half the amount and it was plenty. I really enjoyed the heat of the chillies and the rich flavour of the tomato sauce. A great week day meal with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day !

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    As is the dish is good. I think what is nice about it is the crunch from the baked cheese and shells and the tang of the sauce. You could add a bit of roasted garlic to the sauce, more chili, and more basil. In terms of upping the crunch you could do it in a single layer. Go a bit lighter on the mozzarella.

  • Ro_ on September 11, 2021

    Delicious. I used tinned plum tomatoes for the sauce. Forgot to mix some of the sauce in with the pasta before layering (I just layered the pasta, sauce and cheese) but it was absolutely fine. Lovely flavours and textures, kind of lasagna-esque but without the meat.

  • Ganga108 on October 25, 2021

    During a delightful week at my daughter’s place, running wild with the two kids, we had an informal Sunday lunch with friends and made this baked pasta dish from Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italy. Jamie describes it as a wonderful dish which is simple to make, and he is right on both points. He first fell in love with this dish in Italy, then tried to reproduce it in his school’s program for 37p per serve. He tells how he fell out of love with it because he had to use cheap pasta and cheap cheese. Back in Italy, he realised that the Italian government mandates organic pasta for schools, the mozzarella was always local and fresh and the tomatoes the best available. It makes all the difference! He says that this was the recipe that was made for 1,000 kids at the Italian school he visited. The dish is very common in Italy, and can be eaten hot, warm and room temperature. Use the best ingredients that you can, and make two – you won’t regret it.

  • Ganga108 on May 04, 2022

    Made again today, as the first cold weather hit us after a glorious spring. Still a stunning dish, still a perfect Wintery dish. Note that Jamie says that Italians eat it at room temp or cold. I like to let it sit for half an hour or more - I think it benefits from this - and eat any time after that, even at room temp. So it's a great cook-ahead dish for busy days or impending visitors. This time I made double the sauce and put the rest in the freezer.

• The best tuna meatballs (Le migliori polpette di tonno)

  • melissabazley on April 26, 2012

    Yum...this is a great way to include fish in your diet in a really interesting and different way. I cooked the tuna first and made the meatballs,rested them then cooked them & drained them on paper towel. Next I made the tomato sauce. That way it's a 1 pan recipe and less washing up. I didn't bother to puree the tomato sauce...I like mine chunky with some body. A really delicious and easy recipe which my husband just loves. Will be making this again for sure

  • Ro_ on November 21, 2022

    I made these with swordfish, as it was suggested as an alternative to the tuna in the blurb, and I love swordfish. Now the recipe annoyed me because it said to first make the sauce (which takes 15-20m) then to make the meatballs while the sauce is simmering. Then, having instructed how to make the meatballs, he says to chill them in the fridge for an hour before final cooking! Very annoying, it really should specify starting with the meatballs in this case. It also bugs me that Jamie has a thing for specifying "good quality" ingredients in his recipes (in this case the tinned tomatoes) - obviously it's always better to use best quality, but in reality I just have to use the quality I can afford and/or that I have on hand. Anyway, those two things irked me so I was all geared up to dislike this recipe, but damnit it turned out to be delicious. Loved the textures and flavours. I subbed flaked almonds for pine nuts (too expensive) and would do again. Loved the cinnamon in the fishballs.

  • grindabod on August 20, 2018

    Delicious. I used mackerel instead of tuna.

  • herbietea on December 31, 2011

    Page 203

  • VineTomato on July 31, 2017

    This was a disapointing dish for us. I have been making Aldo Zilli's tuna meatballs for years as one of our all time favourite pasta dishes and decided it was time to try something new. These looked promising, a mix of our favourite ingredients and flavour combinations - how could it go wrong! The meatballs were flavourless and did not hold together as well as Zilli's balls (he doesn't cook the tuna before forming the balls). The blending of the sauce, ruined it - next time (we have balls in the freezer) I will leave as a chunky sauce or use Passata. I like the idea of pine nuts, lemon and Parmesan so - may try a combo of this and Zilli's next time but will let the memory fade before I tell my husband I'll give this another go.

• Risotto of sweet white onions, cotechino sausage, and thyme (Risotto con cipolle bianche dolci, cotechino, e timo)

  • FJT on November 09, 2015

    I managed to get some Italian sausages (not cotechino) and decided to give this a try - wasn't sure I'd be a fan of a risotto with meat but it was delicious. I liked the roasted sweet onion!

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Delicious, but I'm not sure the roasted onion does much for it.

  • Ro_ on March 30, 2020

    I couldn't get the recommended sausages, just used what my supermarket had - not sure if that's why I found this recipe quite underwhelming. Going off the photo, I think the cotechino sausages probably have a distinct reddish colour and a looser texture than the sausages I used.

• Spring vegetable stew (Vignole)

  • Delys77 on May 29, 2012

    Pg 251 Unfortunately I can't score this dish very high because it didn't really work out for me. I actually find this is something that is quite common with Jamie's recipes. I think his rough and tumble approach doesn't always translate well. He often says things like tear up your leeks, and add a glug of oil, but for me this isn't helpful. I buy a cookbook to take advantage of the author's expertise, I don't always feel like embarking on a slap dash project of guessing how much a glug is and how big these torn up leeks might be. The challenge of course is that I find Jamie has great ideas so I do often try his recipes, but I find I need to make good notes for myself so I can improve upon any secondary renditions of the recipe. In this case I would say, add a parm rind to flavour, use pre prepared artichokes as the cook time is too short for them, add a touch of garlic, and decrease the mint to just a tablespoon or so. The prosciutto makes an excellent addition though.

• Nonna Giusy's fish with couscous (Couscous con pesce di Nonna Giusy)

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Seems like a lot of liquid but it is necessary. Prepared the couscous as directed and it worked out very well. Little bit of a bite from the chili was great. Would also be good for people who aren't too big on fish since the flavour isn't overly fishy. Used Halibut and it flaked perfectly (but cooked for only 15 minutes).

• Artichoke risotto (Risotto ai carciofi)

  • saarwouters on May 16, 2018

    Delicous! Gives a very nice artichoke flavour.

• Cauliflower risotto (Risotto ai cavolfiori)

  • Pamsy on May 24, 2025

    Romanescu would look stunning.

  • peaceoutdesign on May 31, 2020

    I made with dry vermouth and it had too sweet of a taste, definitely needs to be made with wine. All in all not very rich or spectacular.

  • Ro_ on December 01, 2022

    I made this with white wine and no celery, and thought it was delicious. The risotto itself with the smushy cauliflower was great, but the anchovy/breadcrumb/chilli topping really takes it to the next level. Will repeat.

• Tuscan bread, tomato, and pepper salad (Panzanella)

  • saarwouters on January 27, 2018

    The best panzanella we ever had! The recipe itself is not difficult, but a bit hard to follow because of the way it is written (not in clear steps). So it takes a long time to make. But it's worth it, in my opinion. Just not very weeknight-friendly. Perfect for a summer evening. Kids loved it.

  • rmorse on February 16, 2016

    This is delicious.

• Salad from Capri (Insalata Caprese)

  • Ganga108 on May 28, 2022

    An old favourite - lots of variations on this fresh mozzarella-based salad exist. Ottolenghi has a lovely one which marinates the cheese prior to making the salad and uses pomegranate molasses for a beautiful tang. I found this recipe in Jamie's book just when I needed it. Simple, quick and divine. I added pomegranate kernels (which I *think* Ottolenghi uses too, and I love them against the cheese) and a few salad leaves to make a beautiful luncheon dish. I was low on mozzarella, so it was tomato-heavy, but still absolutely wonderful.

  • Rutabaga on August 08, 2018

    This is a nice variation on the standard Caprese salad; smashing the basil with some salt and olive oil really helps the flavor shine. I will definitely do that again. As always, this kind of salad relies heavily on the quality of the ingredients, so should only be made at peak tomato season.

  • Ro_ on May 11, 2021

    Nice caprese salad but I prefer with balsamic vinegar.

• Grilled and marinated rabbit (Coniglio marinato alla griglia)

  • Ro_ on June 09, 2021

    I bought a pack of rabbit legs, rather than a whole rabbit, because I thought my partner wouldn't be too keen on fiddling around putting different parts onto the bbq at different times. The result was simply but tasty. Maybe not special enough to repeat again?

• Leg of lamb stuffed with olives, bread, pinenuts, and herbs (Cosciotto d'agnello ripieno di olive, pane, pinoli, e erbe aromatiche)

  • joneshayley on December 16, 2019

    A wonderful recipe - the stuffing is full flavoured, herby, savoury, salty and delicious, fully imbibing the lamb. The potatoes roasted under the lamb were delicious.

• Baked mushrooms in a bag (Funghi al cartoccio al forno)

  • Ganga108 on May 20, 2022

    I really enjoyed this dish eaten as a Wintery starter. I wasn't sure the packages would hold their shape as my baking paper was not as wide as he recommends. So I placed a couple of layers of baking paper in terracotta pots and then wrapped the mushrooms, tucking the wrap into the dish (no need for egg glue) - I cooked for 35 mins and it was pretty spot-on (longer than Jamie says because of being in the pots). Drizzled with olive oil when the packages were unwrapped and a sprinkle more of salt. I'd love to add some garlic slices next time.

• Italian style beans (Fagioli all'Italiana)

  • Ganga108 on July 02, 2022

    Made on a wintery morning, cooked slowly in the oven with home-dried herbs from last summer and fresh bay leaves. Like @lils74, I don't discard the potato or tomato, they become part of the dish. The oven cooking warms the kitchen, scents the living areas with a divine savoury aroma, and produces a wonderful dish. What could be better? Bread is proving in the warmth, and will be used to mop up the juices.

  • APrivateSupperClub on May 25, 2020

    12/8/16 Really good. Cooked in pressure cooker with shiitake dried mushrooms, herbs, tomato, and kombu. Cooked in a crockpot with a ham bone, potato, tomato, and herbs.

  • lils74 on September 23, 2017

    This is a recipe I've made again and again - I just love it; I see that there's a note about soaking the beans overnight but I have only made it with fresh borlotti-style beans, podding them right before cooking, so I didn't need to soak them. It's delicious and often add even more vinegar after cooking and eat it like a warm, soupy salad (sounds odd but it's delicious, I promise you!). The only way I deviate from the recipe is that I can't bring myself to toss the potato as the recipe says, and instead, half mush it and mix it in so it becomes part of the dish. I'm also not religious about the herbs, using whatever/however much I have to hand. Delicious, simple.

• Italian style greens (Ricetta tipica per verdure verdi)

  • Ganga108 on June 01, 2022

    I always feel extra healthy when I eat a plate of greens. This is a side dish but honestly is so yummy I can eat a bowl for lunch. I added red onion and the sweetness against the chard was delightful. I used mainly chard with some strong salad greens - next time will include more herbs and leaves from the veggie garden - i have the most wonderful celeriac leaves right now that would be a good inclusion.

• Special lemon sherbet (Sorbetto di limone)

  • KIGirl on September 04, 2014

    I omitted the mascarpone so it was a straight sorbet

• Running With Tweezers

  really love this cookbook for all sorts of reasons – Jamie’s loose writing style, the beautiful 1st hand experience photos, and the rustic feel of the book. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do so.

  Full review