Originating from Campania and Calabria, paccheri is a popular pasta shape in the region of Marche. When filming there I made this dish using a selection of delicious cheeses. This is a tasty and filling meal that’s really easy to make – it’s my version of a posh macaroni cheese! If you can’t find paccheri you can use large rigatoni for this recipe. If scamorza is unavailable, use a mixture...

Chicken is the most common source of meat in the world. Some would say it is a tasteless meat, but they haven’t tried this dish yet! This recipe was one of my favourites as a child – perhaps it’s the simplicity that appealed to me. Mascarpone cheese is a speciality of Lombardy and is used a lot in northern Italian cooking, but if you can’t find it you can replace it with a thick double...

This recipe has been handed down in the D’Acampo family for many generations, though I call it ‘Lasagne di Mamma’ because my mother taught it to my sister and me when we were about  11 years old . It's a great tradition that my wife will pass on to our own children. Allowing the dish to rest for a good 10 minutes before serving allows the layers to firm up slightly and become easier to cut neatly.

You might be tempted to think this recipe is just posh beans on toast, but to us Italians it’s an important dish, especially in regions where beans are a staple part of the diet.