Meat Dishes

You’d have probably expected me to cook a seafood dish when visiting the picturesque cove of Polignano a Mare, in Puglia. However, despite facing the sea, the absence of safe moorings for boats has prevented the development of a fishing tradition in the town, so it relies on agriculture. The area is famous for its wonderful fresh vegetables – especially salad, olives and potatoes – so I decided...

This is a great way to cook chicken – the sweetness of the marmalade combines with the smokiness and spice of the paprika to give a delicious glaze. I usually cook the skewers on a barbecue, but you can char-grill them too. When threading them, it helps to use the natural curved shape of the yellow peppers or onions at either end to keep the other ingredients secure.

Tray-bakes are the perfect way of cooking for a family. They’re quick and easy to prepare, and you can be inventive with flavours.

For burgers, lamb makes a really nice change from beef. These need to be prepared ahead and rested in the fridge to make sure they don’t fall apart when they are cooked, so they’re a great make-ahead meal. The yogurt makes a lovely cooling accompaniment to the spicy burgers. Light that barbecue and open the cold beers...!

Rosemary and lemon give this simple chicken dish a real taste of the Mediterranean; it is zingy and flavoursome but really child-friendly, so it makes a great midweek family meal. Perfect in summer with a big salad, or try it in winter for a serious vitamin C kick to beat the bugs.

Chicken breasts are such a great option for an easy, quick and healthy midweek supper and this creamy sauce has a fabulous citrus kick. I like to serve this with a simple crisp green salad and some boiled new potatoes or – even better – my Mushroom Rice.

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...

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.

Sardinia is famous for its beef, particularly that of the bue rosso (red cow), which grazes the pastures of the volcanic Montiferru area in central-western Sardinia and is considered by many to provide the finest beef in Italy. For this recipe I have taken the theme of a traditional Sardinian beef salad and have added artichokes and walnuts - which really complement the juicy sides of warm...

Burgers are a great Friday night supper, perfect for the whole family. I love using mozzarella to melt on top of the beef patties as it goes so beautifully stringy.

I love good-quality sausages so this recipe is definitely in my top ten. My grandfather used to make this dish for me when I was a boy but he used a tomato passata instead of the cream that I have introduced. I wish he could have tasted my version as I know I would have got a huge cuddle for this one – he would have loved it and I know that you will too. For those of you who don’t like mushrooms,...

I love this shape of pasta and this sauce is perfect for it. The delicate taste of the pork with the strong flavours of the chilli, olives and sun-dried tomatoes is a match made in heaven. I know that most people add cheese to pasta sauces but please don’t to this one. It really doesn't need it and will actually ruin the natural flavours of the ingredients. If you fancy, substitute the conchiglie...

This is a family favourite and a staple for the kids. True Italians never serve spaghetti with meatballs; it has to be fettuccine or pappardelle pasta to be authentic.

Half the pleasure of food is being able to enjoy it with your friends and family. I love dishes that can be placed in the centre of the table so that everybody can help themselves. It's the most social form of eating and it means I'm not stuck in the kitchen! This recipes cooks the beef from scratch, but if you have any leftover roast beef from a Sunday roast by all means use that.

This is the real thing. The genuine ragù, as it is made in Bologna, is a mouthwatering meat sauce that includes different types of mince, including pork and beef, slowly cooked in a tomato and vegetable sauce. In Italy, this sauce is only ever served with broad, flat pasta such as tagliatelle or fettuccine and never with spaghetti.

Meat, meat and more meat – I love this pizza. The use of three different hams with cheese is delicious. Making that first cut into the pizza and enjoying all the flavours oozing out is worth any amount of time you spent preparing it. Picture after a hard day’s work eating this dish with a large glass of red wine – it’s the perfect ending to any day. If you prefer, add in mozzarella to get that...

For anyone who loves turkey but is bored with the traditional ways of cooking it, you have just found the recipe that you need. In my house we have saltimbocca at least once a week because it’s easy to prepare and most importantly full of flavour. You can definitely try it with chicken breasts and, if you don’t like Parma ham, use pancetta. In the event that you don’t have Marsala wine, a good...

I have to admit that I'm not a great lover of beetroot, probably because I don’t particularly like sweet and sour together. This, however, is one of the few ways that I will eat beetroot because it works beautifully with the smoked salmon. If you are a beetroot virgin – here you go, this is the one to try. Make sure that you cook the rostis until they are very crispy.

Every now and then I go on a health kick and watch what I eat, especially in the evenings. However, there are only so many salads you can have before you start to get a bit bored, especially during the winter months – but this is an amazing option: filling, delicious and incredibly good for you but at the same time it won’t leave you feeling hard done by, unlike some salads.

Often people have this misconception that you can only make meat skewers in the summer and cooked on a BBQ – this is not the case.  Make sure once the skewers are ready to be cooked that your griddle pan is very very hot to enable the meat not to get stuck to the pan.  Use sirloin steak if you prefer and if you don’t like mushrooms substitute it with shallot onions.

Many people might be nervous about cooking rabbit, but actually, if you get your butcher to cut the meat into pieces, it’s just like handling any other meat. The flavour of rabbit does give you a fantastic alternative to the traditional meat options. Northern Italians are huge fans of rabbit and in the past would have used wild animals, but nowadays most rabbits eaten in Italy are farmed...

Here’s a great alternative to the traditional British bangers and mash. Italian sausages tend to be highly flavoured with herbs and spices, such as fennel, which adds a perfect boost of flavour to this recipe.

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.

Cannelloni was invented in Sorrento in the early 1900s by a chef from Naples. Today you’ll find a recipe for it in many Italian cookery books, so I had to include a version here. As you'll see, this is a traditional-style cannelloni with a bit of a twist, and I think you will love the result.

I have to admit I love any kind of stew. They are so easy to put together and the slow cooking makes all the ingredients taste fantastic. This is a recipe you can prepare 24 hours ahead as it will only enhance the flavours. You can certainly use lamb if you prefer, and if you can't find diced pancetta, a good quality bacon will definitely do the job. I have tried this recipe with chicken or vegetable...