Notes about Recipes in this book

• Rosemary focaccia (Focaccia al rosmarino)

  • Bexxta on January 11, 2026

    Used way more olive oil - doused it before baking and again after. Good first rise, smaller second rise, but enough for a good and even crumb. Delicious with liberal salt flakeson top before baking.

• Gino's tomato salsa (Salsa di pomodori alla Gino)

  • Bexxta on January 11, 2026

    Have never put thyme in this before, but it worked really well. The draining of the tomatoes didnt do much as they released lots of juice once salted with the other ingredients. Next time, I'd salt them when draining them (and capture the juice for something else - salad dressing perhaps).

• Crostini with broad beans and wild garlic dip (Crostini con purè de fave)

  • Bexxta on January 11, 2026

    Blanched and shelled beans - a lot of effort, but worth it. Could use frozen peas instead. Was a little bland, so added lemon juice. Served on crostini with goat cheese spread for creaminess/sweetness.

• Fig, goat cheese, and honey salad (Insalata di fichi, caprino e miele)

  • Bexxta on January 11, 2026

    Such a good combo! Goat cheese was too soft to cut into rounds, so just broke into salad and scattered over roasted and chopped nuts.

• Tomato, bacon, and onion sauce (Amatriciana)

  • lee_ruom6p on April 19, 2026

    Made this many times - one of my favourites.

• Bacon, peas, and leek with a cream sauce and trofie (Trofie con piselli, pancetta, porri e panna)

  • Lbarlow on January 05, 2024

    Enjoyed this simple recipe. Thought it might need added garlic or some additional flavouring but in fact it was good as it was and I would definitely make it again.

• King prawn and courgette pasta (Penne con gamberoni e zucchini)

  • ellemoro on February 10, 2014

    Onions carrots celery parsley may be required for making homemade stock, otherwise not required. Not sure why tomato puree is listed either! And its white wine or prosecco, not both.

• Roasted vegetable lasagne (Lasagne di verdure al forno)

  • mondraussie on September 19, 2021

    Even was a hit with my "not so enthusiastic about lasagne" partner!

• Spaghetti with anchovy and red onion (Spaghetti con acciughe e cipolle)

  • mondraussie on September 12, 2021

    A few years I wouldn't have looked at this twice. But it is incredibly simple and extremely tasty.. used squid ink pasta ...

• Farro salad with mozzarella, tomato, and cucumber (Insalata di mozzarella, pomodori e cetrioli)

  • collettore_ricettario on October 03, 2015

    page 225

• Veal stuffed with asparagus and ham in white wine sauce (Involtini di vitello ripieni agli asparagi)

  • mondraussie on May 23, 2023

    This was ok, but not as wow as expected.. Next time will just make veal saltimboca (def. wow) and serve asparagus with some lemon and pine nuts on the side...

• Pork loin steaks with cavolo nero and cannellini beans (Cotoletta di maiale al cavolo nero e cannellini)

  • grebec on January 30, 2012

    Instead of dusting pork with flour; use polenta instead

  • billreiland on July 18, 2012

    Soak 1c cannellini beans overnight. Drain beans and place in pot, covered 2 inches by water - add piece of pancetta/prosciutto, one onion cut in half, 2 carrots cut in half and 2 celery and simmer for an hour. Saute 1 onion chopped, 2 1/2 oz pancetta chopped, 2 garlic cloves chopped and thyme, then add cavolo nero (chopped) and saute until wilted and soft. Then add beans and set aside. Dip pork loin chops in flour and saute in EVOO. Remove pork chops to the bean mixture and deglaze with 1/3 w wine. Add 2 tbsp butter and pour into bean/pork mixture.

• Oven-baked aubergine layered with mozzarella and saffron rice (Melanzane alla Parmigiana con riso allo zafferano)

  • Bexxta on January 11, 2026

    Made it without the rice layer. Coating the aubergine in flour before shallow frying was a game changer! Dry mozzarella melted better than the fresh. Cooked for 45 mins to get all cheese well melted. Best eaten once cooled down - firm's up a little and is less runny.

• Orange and pistachio biscuits (Cantuccini con arance e pistacchi)

  • Melanie on May 24, 2014

    Delicious, would definitely make again - these were great paired with a cup of coffee or panna cotta. Needed 5-10 minutes on the second bake, not the 2-3 minutes suggested. I made some substitutions based on the ingredients I had at home (almonds only instead of mixed with pistachios; no orange zest - increased proportion of rind slightly) and thought the results were great.