Bolognese sauce doesn’t get more authentic than this! My Nonna’s recipe is full of flavour – meaty, rich and creamy. The secret is – top quality ingredients cooked slowly. Better than what you’d order at your local Italian restaurant – combine this sauce with homemade pasta or gnocchi and a good drop of vino, and you won’t need to eat out again!

Homemade gnocchi is not hard, but there is a knack to it. A bit of practice and a few tips will have you mastering the art! Much of the gnocchi you eat in restaurants (and certainly the stuff you buy in packets) is nothing like the real thing. Authentic gnocchi must be soft, silky and melt in your mouth.

A quick and easy way to cook chicken – the way my Nonna used to. The secret to this dish is to cook it on a low heat. A slow reduction of butter, wine, garlic and rosemary is guaranteed to result in full-on flavour!

Pepperonata

Pepperonata is an Italian-style salsa made with tomato, capsicum and fresh herbs. It is traditionally eaten as an accompaniment with meat – Nonna always paired it with her melt-in-your-mouth crumbed steaks. Store it in the fridge, eat it cold as a condiment – delicious!

Italian Tartlets

This easy canape is delicious and quick to prepare! Italian Tartlets are made with herb and parmesan pastry shells, filled with basil pesto, goat’s cheese and tomato. To make life a little easier, the pastry can even be made ahead and frozen. Serve warm and watch them disappear at your next social gathering.

Spicy Chorizo Pasta

Once you try my Spicy Chorizo Pasta, you will be adding it to your recipe repertoire. It is simple to make and it packs one hell of a flavour punch! If you can’t handle too much heat – just leave out the chilli element. This is my idea of fusion – spice meets pasta. Do yourself a favour this week and try something new!