Main Course

My boys Luciano and Rocco absolutely love this, especially when they are watching a film and want easy finger food. The Calabrian chilli paste gives a sweet, smoky and very spicy flavour, and, together with the mascarpone which cools that down, the flavours are really a match made in heaven. You can make the wings as spicy as you like by simply adding more chilli or ‘nduja, or you can substitute...

This is an old D’Acampo classic, a recipe that’s been passed down for years. Once you are confident with the dish, you can be as inventive as you like, substituting the fish for your favourites such as hake, salmon or scallops. You can also prep the pie in the morning for later that day, which is a bonus when cooking for guests. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family do and, once you...

Getting bored with traditional Sunday roasts? Try this super-easy recipe for a change and serve it with all your usual trimmings. The milk makes the meat deliciously tender; it will appear as though it has slightly curdled, but don’t worry, that’s how it’s supposed to look after cooking. You can also replace the pork with a nice beef loin, just shorten the cooking time to match the way you like...

If any of you watch This Morning on ITV, you will know why I have called this recipe ‘sausage in the hole’ rather than toad in the hole; you must agree that toad in the hole doesn’t sound as appetising... I have created individual ones, as I feel it looks nicer served this way, and also the crispy Yorkshire pudding doesn’t become as soggy. Sometimes we all get a bit fancy when catering for...

I made this delicious chargrilled chicken dish when we were filming on the wonderful island of Elba, off the coast of Tuscany. There I had the privilege of meeting octogenarian Roberto, who’s been studying and working with bees for over 40 years. He taught me how to ‘whisper’ to the bees and I managed to harvest some fresh honey straight from the hive. I then rubbed it over the meat for added...

Barbecued lamb just doesn’t get better than this. When Italians barbecue, we don’t use overpowering sauces or rubs, but instead stick to traditional herbs and other ingredients that enhance the flavours of the meat. If you prefer, the meat can be cooked in the oven at 200°C/gas mark 6 for 40–45 minutes. Serve with a tomato and red onion salad.

Rabbit has a lovely mild, gamey flavour and firm, meaty texture; if you haven’t tried it, I urge you to do so. Ask your butcher to prepare it for you. If you really don’t fancy rabbit, chicken pieces make a good substitute. Mirto liqueur is often available in Italian delicatessens or online, but if you can’t find it use port or sloe gin instead.

Elegant, tasty, and delicate yet satisfying, this is a fantastic soup for a first course or light meal. It’s vital to use fresh spinach for this recipe; frozen won’t give you the lovely deep green colour or depth of flavour. It’s also really important that the eggs are as fresh as possible for poaching. You can prepare the soup ahead, but the eggs must be poached at the last minute. Serve with...

Containing a variety of vegetables, potatoes and cheese, this frittata is both filling and nutritious. It makes a perfect lunch or light supper and is also great for a packed lunch the following day. Asiago is a classic northern Italian cow’s milk cheese made in Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto, and it melts beautifully. It can be tricky to find, but fontina cheese, or a strong Cheddar, works well...

I am very lucky to be able to come away with my family to Sardinia for most Christmases. To be honest, roast pork is my go-to for Christmas Day, but it has now become a bit of a tradition to go to the beach either on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day and cook this lobster recipe. Being by the sea, the fish is so fresh – we went to the beach and cooked lobster one year just for fun and it has now become...

I love serving a large, whole roasted fish with potatoes like this at the table – it’s so theatrical somehow. It also tastes superb – the fish is succulent and moist, and the potatoes are crisp with a wonderful flavour, having absorbed the juices from the fish. It’s a real favourite with my children, Luciano, Rocco and Mia. The only drawback is portioning the fish, but once you’ve tried...

This recipe screams summer barbecues, but we make it all year round. We love lamb, and, simply cooked this way, it’s so quick and tasty. You can add any vegetable of your choice, such as courgettes or mushrooms, and of course you can substitute lamb with chicken if you prefer. If you are not calorie-counting, a cheeky slice of halloumi cheese makes a nice addition, too.

This recipe is amazing, considering you can make it and eat it within ten minutes. I have suggested putting the patties into the fridge before frying, to help them stay together in the pan, but, to be honest, I have also fried them straight after making them, and, if you are gentle, they work fine. You can substitute the spring onions for shallots, onions or chives if you prefer. Perfect for a light...

This is an amazing recipe if you really want to impress your guests or your family. The butter will take you minutes to prepare in the morning or the day before, and the scallops only take four or five minutes to grill. Not only do they taste fantastic, but they look stunning. You can substitute the hazelnuts with pistachio nuts if you prefer, or if you have nut allergies and need to eliminate the...

This dish is so close to my heart, as it’s one that my nonna and my mamma used to make for me regularly throughout my childhood; the only difference is that they used to bake it and I like to do it in this modern, easy way, without compromising the flavours. I was very lucky to be able to cook this dish in the foothills of Mount Vesuvius, where a special, long, less bitter aubergine variety grows....

Although grown and treated as a vegetable, the aubergine is in fact a fruit, as it bears seeds within its flesh. When an aubergine is cooked correctly it’s simply delicious and happily soaks up any flavour you pair with it. This dish, in which the aubergine is the star, can be served as a meat-free main course or as a side dish; it’s particularly good with lamb. Make sure you brush the aubergine...

Some of the best Italian beef is farmed in the southeastern region of Marche. The cattle are allowed to roam free, and the meat from Marchigiana cattle is appreciated all over the country. Rib of beef is perfect for a special occasion; it’s so delicious that it really doesn’t need a lot doing to it. Serve with Creamy potato and fennel bake (see page 179) and enjoy with a glass of Italian red wine.

I cooked this dish overlooking the beach at Pescoluse, on the Puglian coast. It’s known as the Maldives of Salento and is a hidden paradise. I used swordfish, but tuna would work well too. Gremolata is a dressing of raw chopped garlic, parsley and lemon zest. It is usually sprinkled over meats, such as osso bucco or carpaccio, but it also makes a great garnish for grilled fish. Always make sure you...

Throughout the Mediterranean, including North Africa and the Middle East, there are variations on the theme of eggs poached or baked in a tomato sauce. I like to include a variety of Mediterranean vegetables, as well as borlotti beans, to make it more substantial. This is a delicious, colourful dish for brunch, lunch or a light supper, and what’s more it’s all cooked in one pan, so very little...

Whenever I cook this chicken recipe it always reminds me of Cecilia, a wonderful lady I met in Florence. She is a member of Le Cesarine, the network of home cooks who open their doors to the public. Guests pay to have an authentic dining experience in a local’s home, and the host shares their recipes with the aim of keeping traditional Italian cooking alive. I took part in one of these evenings and...

When I was filming in Pisa I saw this dish in many restaurants, so out of curiosity I had to try it. It was really delicious and fresh-tasting, and I loved the contrast of textures between the crisp crust and the tuna steak. The people of Pisa are, quite rightly, very proud of this dish, so I decided to share the recipe with you all. Serve with a crispy salad and enjoy!

This dish is extremely popular on the west coast of Italy, where it is often served as an accompaniment to chargrilled fish. The tomato sauce can be made ahead and the whole dish assembled several hours ahead of cooking. Just add on an extra 5 minutes to the cooking time if it’s being cooked from cold. Serve with warm, crusty bread.

Lamb is eaten mainly in central and southern Italy, although roasted young spring lamb is traditional throughout the country at Easter. Later in the year, a rack of lamb makes a wonderful dish for a special occasion. Cooking the lamb on the bone and coating it in a herb crust keeps the meat really moist and succulent. Serve with roasted baby new potatoes and green beans.

Simple yet so full of flavour, this is a classic dish from Capri, a beautiful island off the Sorrentine peninsula. Gilthead sea bream is a firm white fish that is extremely popular along Italy's Mediterranean coast. The British equivalent, black bream, has a very short season and is usually available only in late spring, so in Britain you're more likely to find imported gilthead bream. Sea bass, which...

Portobello mushrooms have a robust, meaty texture making them excellent for roasting, baking and stuffing. Available year round, they are simply the larger, more mature form of the common cultivated white or chestnut mushroom. I’ve used Gorgonzola dolce here – a sweeter, milder version of Gorgonzola from Lombardy and Piedmont – but any blue cheese would be fine, and Parmesan is the best substitute...

Bollito di carne is a classic northern Italian dish, typically from Piedmont. Hearty, rich and satisfying, it always includes several different types of meat – the kinds used vary depending on availability and the preference of the cook. For this recipe I decided to use duck, pork and chicken, as recommended to me by a butcher in one of the markets I visited when filming in Piedmont. Serve with plenty...

My grandmother, Nonna Flora, used to make this dish every Christmas and for other special occasions; otherwise, we rarely ate salmon and it was a real treat. The pistachios – a Sicilian touch – give great flavour and a nutty texture, and help to keep the fish moist. I have also tried this recipe with cod and it works perfectly. Serve with lemon wedges and Artichokes Braised in Wine (see page 151).