Semifreddo al mascarpone
A semifreddo is almost like an ice-cream, but it does not need churning.
Rosemary focaccia
Another variation on the Simple Bread Roll recipe on page 50. The only difference is that you replace the butter with 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil.
Roasted snapper with olives & fennel
An ideal dish for springtime, when snapper is readily available. Use a whole fish or a filleted side.
Roasted quail with small olives
Roasted quail! How can one convey to those from a different gastronomic culture the sense of elation that fills me when I think of roasted quail?
Risotto with scallops and herbs
Certain dishes are at their best when made with fresh ingredients and this is one of them. I recommend using fresh rather than frozen scallops, and these are nearly always available in Australia. Ideally, you also need a couple of fresh herbs like chives and chervil; if not available, just use flatlet parsley. You must use a delicate stock for this dish.
Pumpkin tart with gorgonzola
pumpkin and gorgonzola tart
Pastiera napoletana
There is only one thing that needs to be said here, spaghetti bolognese is one of the most famous dishes in the world. If there’s a guaranteed go-to dinner that will please young and old, this is it
Pasta butterflies with lentils
This is my favourite soup. Lentils with home-made pasta make a creamy, hearty soup for cold
days. The pasta can be made well ahead of time and frozen (a flat pizza box is the perfect
container). The soup can also be made in advance – in fact, I suggest making a large batch.
It keeps for a few days and you can always have it twice in one week, can’t you?
If you can, use Puy or the Australian small lentils for this dish; they hold their shape and will
not disintegrate during cooking.
Pappardelle with broccoli
I like this humble dish so much I always show it at cooking demonstrations.
Mind you, I don’t get to see it on other people’s menus often, so perhaps
I have not been very convincing. Believe me, it is a treat.
You can also make this dish with good-quality bought orecchiette, but I like
home-made pasta, and the structure and texture of pappardelle. You need a
fair amount of olive oil for this dish, and the greener and fresher it is, the
better tasting the final dish.
Panna cotta with gorgonzola & honey
Panna cotta has been the desert of the 1990s. Infinite variations have been made and people never seem to tire of it. In this recipe it is flavoured with gorgonzola and honey and served with poached quinces.
