CONTORNI

◁ POWER TO THE CAULIFLOWER

Insanely good cauliflower in Parmigiano cheese sauce.

PER 4 AMICI

• 2 cauliflowers
• 100g (½ cup) Parmigiano fondue (see the wonderful recipe for a homemade version on this page)
• 100g (3½oz) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• 70g (5 tbsp) butter
• 70g (½ cup) plain flour
• 1 litre (1qt) cold whole milk
• 1 dash white vinegar
• 1 pinch grated nutmeg
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1Wash the cauliflowers under cold water. Cut off their stems then blanch the florets in salted boiling water plus the dash of vinegar, for a maximum of 1–2 minutes. You want the cauliflower to still have a bite, so the flavours really pop.

2For the béchamel

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and then stir with a wooden spoon to obtain a smooth paste. Leave to simmer for 1 minute. Add the cold milk to the saucepan (while still on the heat), then beat the mixture to avoid any lumps. Add the nutmeg and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3Combine the béchamel with the Parmigiano fondue. Arrange the cauliflower florets in a baking dish, cover them with the sauce, sprinkle on the Parmigiano and transfer the dish to an oven heated to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/GM 4, for 15 minutes maximum. And there you are! Done and dusted, baci baci.

We like to put the dish on the table so everyone can help themselves. Cheesy cauliflower tastes even better when you’ve had to fight people off to get it on your plate.

◁ CAPONATA GOALS

A Sicilian’s recipe for caponata

PER 4 AMICI

• 800g (1¾lb) aubergines
• 200g (7oz) white onions
• 800g (1¾lb) courgettes
• 200g (7oz) Datterini tomatoes
• 100g (3½oz) vine ripened tomatoes
• 40g (5 tbsp) capers preserved in coarse salt
• 200g (generous 1 cup) green olives, pitted and preserved in brine
• 40g (⅓ cup) pine nuts, toasted
• 50g (3½ tbsp) white sugar
• Basil QB
• 40ml (2½ tbsp) white wine vinegar
• Sunflower oil QB
• Extra-virgin olive oil QB
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1Slice the onions into julienne strips. Chop the aubergines, courgettes and the vine ripened tomatoes into 3cm cubes. Cut the olives into 2.

2In a saucepan, simmer the onions, capers, courgettes and olives in olive oil. Add 20g (1½ tbsp) sugar, the Datterini and vine ripened tomatoes, and the pine nuts. Simmer for a further 20 minutes.

3Fry the aubergines in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with piping-hot sunflower oil for 3–4 minutes. Add the vegetables from the other saucepan, along with the vinegar and the rest of the sugar. Stir. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Turn up the heat in order to caramelize the sugar and evaporate the vinegar. Allow this to simmer for 5 minutes whilst stirring, so you get a lovely caramelized flavour.

4Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves (wash them under cold water first) and leave to cool (ideally on the balcony, but never in the fridge).

Serve the caponata as we would at home in Italy: put it in a large serving dish and let everybody help themselves – it tastes even better that way. Bravo, capo.

◁ ZUCCHINE ALLA SCAPECE

Neapolitan-style grilled courgettes

PER 4 AMICI

• 4 courgettes
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• A few basil leaves, finely chopped
• A few mint leaves, finely chopped
• 50ml (3½ tbsp) white wine vinegar
• Sunflower oil QB (as in the words our beloved chef Giuseppe’s nonna: ‘if it’s fried, it’s good’)
• 100ml (7 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1Slice your courgettes into pieces about the thickness of a pound or dollar coin. Gradually transfer all the pieces to a heavy-bottomed saucepan with piping-hot oil and sauté them until they take on a nice golden-brown colour.

2Meanwhile, mix together the chopped mint and basil leaves in a salad bowl and add 20ml (4 tsp) olive oil. Add the garlic cloves, the white wine vinegar, pepper and salt (just a little), stir again and and toss in the courgettes.

3Leave these guys to rest for 15–20 minutes – enough time to spruce yourself up before your guests arrive. Or to reward yourself with a drink. Finally, gather around the table to share this salad brimming with love.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD HAM

1Generally speaking, the more mature, the better! But the most important thing is to trust your own taste buds. Personally, we prefer a maturing period of at least 24 months.

2DOP ham: Parma, San Daniele . . . when a ham is DOP, it means it has benefitted from well-chosen raw materials, an optimal maturing technique and a manufacturing process that has taken place entirely in Italy.

3Ham should have the right colour. Your slices of ham should be neither too pale (which means it’s not mature enough) nor too dark. The balance between fat and meat is another factor to take into account. Too much fat is a problem – but too little is a bad sign as well. Specks of tyrosine (in the form of little white dots) are another indication of quality.

4Good ham can be found everywhere: keep your eyes peeled (and make sure you don’t get ripped off!). The best hams are not necessarily the most expensive, and they can often be found in unassuming shops.

5A good ham must come from and be made in Italy. You can’t find an Italian ham? Well, at least make sure that the ham has a good provenance and has been ethically sourced. Beware of any spelling mistakes on the labelling – they’re a pretty sure sign of a scam.

◁ MELANZANE SOTT’OLIO

Melt-in-the-mouth aubergines in olive oil

PER 4 AMICI

• 4 aubergines
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• A few mint leaves, finely chopped
• 60ml (¼ cup) (at least) extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1SPOILER ALERT: it is important to finish this dish around an hour before serving. That gives you time to run yourself a nice hot bath instead of your usual quick shower. Get out the bubbles!

2Chop the aubergines into slices around 5mm (1/6in) thick. Sear them in a hot dry frying pan for around 3 minutes on each side, until they are nice and brown.

3Combine the olive oil, chilli, mint, parsley and garlic in a bowl. Add the aubergines and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper and leave the dish to rest for a good hour. For optimum results, make sure the oil completely covers the aubergines. A bit of oil never hurt nobody!

Finally, place the dish in the middle of the table, summon your guests and get stuck in.

◁ MELANZANE A FUNGHETTO

Fried aubergines with garlic and caramelized tomatoes

PER 4 AMICI

• 3 large aubergines (you may have some leftovers for the next day)
• 500g (1lb 1½oz) Datterini tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ bunch basil
• Extra-virgin olive oil QB
• Salt QB

1Dice the aubergines and fry them, along with half the garlic clove, in a frying pan with plenty of olive oil for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put some more oil in a frying pan to caramelize the Datterini tomatoes, along with the other half of the garlic clove, for 5 minutes maximum.

2Once the ingredients are cooked, combine them in a bowl with a little salt and pepper and a few basil leaves. Mix thoroughly. And there you are – all done!

If there are any leftovers, we like to put them in a sandwich the next day or spread them over a pizza for supper. We love it veggie veggie much.

◁ CIPOLLINE BORETTANE

Caramelized onions

We’re crazy about these little onions. Italians eat them as a starter with focaccia and slices of cooked meat. They’re a knockout.

PER 4 AMICI

• 700g (1½lb) cipolline (pearl/button onions), outer skin removed
• 35g (generous 2 tbsp) butter
• 45g (3 tbsp) brown sugar
• 200ml (generous ¾ cup) water
• 45ml (3 tbsp) cider vinegar
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt QB
• Peppercorns QB

1Melt the brown sugar in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the butter then the onions. Season with salt and pepper, then brown the onions over a high heat for 2–3 minutes.

2Deglaze with the vinegar then add the thyme and bay leaf. When the vinegar starts to evaporate, gradually add water and leave the onions to simmer, covered, over a low heat for around 30 minutes. When the onions are thoroughly caramelized and ready to eat, transfer them to a bowl and take it straight to the table. They’re epic!

◁ PATATE AL FORNO

Soon to be your favourite roast potatoes of all time

PER 4 AMICI

• 1kg (2¼lb) potatoes
• Vinegar QB
• Sunflower oil QB
• Extra-virgin olive oil QB
• Fresh sorrel, finely chopped QB (optional)
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1Wash the potatoes under cold water and slice them lengthwise, without peeling. It’s precisely the rough skin that gives the beloved potato all its texture and flavour.

Little fact, in Italy potatoes sliced in this way are called spicchi, meaning small pieces, but of course you Brits have a more obvious word . . . ‘wedges’.

2Blanch the potatoes in a saucepan of water with salt and vinegar for 1½ minutes. Then transfer them to an oven tray and liberally drizzle on both olive oil and sunflower oil. Mix thoroughly. Add coarse salt and pepper, and then roast the potatoes in the oven for 25 minutes at 190°C fan/210°C/410°F/GM 6. Halfway through the roasting process, turn all the patatine the other way round. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oven. Now is the time, if you wish, to follow Lorenzo’s recommendation to add a little fresh sorrel on top as garnish.

In Italy, people put the roasting tray straight on the table, to avoid having to wash up too many dishes. There’s another reason, however – the real fun here lies in scooping up all the crispy bits on the bottom of the roasting tray.

5 PLACES IN ITALY TO ADD TO YOUR BUCKET LIST

1The Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples. This was renamed in 2020, following the great man’s death. Maradona displayed his skills here for a full 7 years to the delight of the local fans.

2The Spiaggia Rosa (Pink Beach) on Budelli. The sand here is naturally pink, set off by transparent blue water. This little corner of paradise is now a protected area: visitors can look at the beach but are forbidden to walk on it.

3Il Duomo di Milano (the Milan Dome). This is the third biggest cathedral in the world but nothing can prepare you for its amazing rooftop terrace with a panoramic view of the city, with the Alps in the background. This is Milan, baby.

4Faraglioni di Capri: this is our own gorgeous little getaway. The sheer, chalky cliffs and 3 imposing sea stacks to the south-east of the island are utterly breathtaking. This trio even have names: Stella, Saetta and Scopolo. Che carino!

5The view from Chef Monia’s mamma’s home in Procida. Even if you don’t make it to this loving home, you can still wander around the marvellous island.

◁ PEPERONI AL FORNO MARINATI

Marinated red peppers

PER 4 AMICI

• 4 large red peppers
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• ½ bunch basil
• 70ml (5 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1Lay the peppers, whole, on a baking tray and roast them for 15 minutes at 230°C fan/250°C/480°F/GM 9, or as high as your oven will go. Turn them over halfway through and make sure they don’t burn. They should turn black, though, so don’t panic!

2Once they are thoroughly cooked, transfer them to a plastic container, put the lid on and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature. Now’s the time to do something else: open a good bottle of wine or finish tidying up before your guests arrive.

3After this little break, remove the peppers’ skins and seeds, break them up roughly with your hands, transfer them to a large dish and cover all the pieces with garlic and olive oil. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper. The longer you leave the peppers to marinate, the tastier they will be. As Alberto never tires of telling us, good food is made with love and patience. In Italy, peppers can even end up being marinated in the fridge for 3 whole days. Love lasts for 3 days. So, don’t think twice about waiting a few hours before eating them. Just before serving, garnish with the basil.

◁ FUNGHI TOWN

Fricassee of assorted mushrooms

PER 4 AMICI

• 900g (2lb) assorted mushrooms (button and oyster mushrooms, ceps, black trumpet, girolles, etc. Be creative but avoid anything that’s not legal)
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 30g (2 tbsp) butter
• A few thyme leaves
• Extra-virgin olive oil QB
• Salt QB
• Pepper QB

1Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth or, ideally, a small brush. In any case, never wash them with water as they will absorb it and lose all their flavour. Chop the mushrooms roughly (chopping the smallest ones in half) then brown them in a saucepan with olive oil and butter for 3–4 minutes.

2Add the thyme, garlic, salt and pepper and continue to brown for a further 2 minutes. And you’re ready to go!

These mushrooms are delicious with braised meat or some polenta. Ideal comfort food for lazy Sundays or rainy days – all the better if shared with the family.