Gnocchi alle ortiche - Nettle Gnocchi

Nettles are everywhere in May and June, and I like to add this healthy herb to my dishes (soups, frittatas, pasta, risotto) as it brings flavour and wellness. You might find stinging nettles in your Farmers Markets but I suggest your picking them in the fields, while you are walking. Remember that nettles sting, so you need gloves and scissors, along with long trousers when you pick them. Harvest the nettles by cutting off only the upper leaves and separate them from the stalk when you are at home.

Crespelle con tagliolini e pomodoro - Tagliolini Crespelle in a Tomato Sauce

Here pasta becomes a delicious filling, giving the dish a full Italian flavour. 

Torta lenticchie e cioccolato - Lentil and Chocolate Cake

Lentils are my favourite pulse. No need to soak, versatile, light to digest, nutritious, with a nutty taste. Here I discover that they well combine with chocolate, becoming a fancy ingredient for desserts.

Clafoutis pere e mandorle - Pear and Almond Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a French pudding of fruits, traditionally black cherries, mixed with a sweet batter and baked in the oven. So simple and versatile, the clafoutis is the perfect last-minute dessert.

Torta polenta e arance - Polenta and Orange Cake

I like the polenta cake crunchy and moist and it took me a while to make the right one. I prepared it yesterday for few friends and nothing was left for today. What a pity, it is so good also on the next day!

Gnocchi di polenta - Polenta Gnocchi

Nothing is wasted in the 'cucina povera' and the leftovers are often transformed into a new dish.

Last summer, in a tiny restaurant up in the Alps, I tasted delicious gnocchi made out of polenta leftovers. The chef gave me some useful hints, but I had to sort the recipe out. 

Torta zucca e arancia - Pumpkin and Orange Cake

Orange and pumpkin combine very well together, not only in terms of colour. Few days ago, in a restaurant, I tasted a delicious soup made with these two bright and sweet ingredients. I enjoyed it so much that I thought: Why not making a cake?

Crostata ricotta e arance - Orange and Ricotta Tart

I enjoy recipes that speak about friendship: they keep alive the pleasure of sharing.
My friend Carla gave me this recipe long ago. So light, delicate and easy to prepare that it soon became my favourite tart. I often made it at home, I gave the recipes to my friends and taught how to prepare it in the cooking courses I have been running with Carla in Richmond for years. 

Then, I stopped, as I switched into new ideas. 

Torta di spaghetti – Spaghetti Pie

Here I propose a spaghetti cake to relief the hustle of last minute cooking. 
It's a delicious and beautiful dish, which could be easily prepared few hours in advance and just baked 45 minutes before eating. 
The plain tomato sauce will bring colour and would enhance the Mediterranean flavour.
It is a perfect one-course dish for a family meal or one of main courses for a bigger gathering. 

Gnocchi di semolino e ricotta su letto di spinaci - Semolina Gnocchi on a Spinach Bed

Making gnocchi gives me the great feeling of creating a dish out of a mixture of plain ingredients. I like to experiment with new combinations and different shapes.

Linzertorte

This is a well-known Austrian tart, named after the town of Linz. Similar but softer (yeast is added to the dough) than the Italian crostata with jam, the Linzer torte is a perfect festive recipe, which infuses the home with its cinnamon and ground clove aroma. 

Crostata integrale con marmellata di pere - Wholemeal Crostata with Pear Jam

Crostata is one of the post popular Italian tarts, made with shortcrust pastry and jam, usually homemade. It's a domestic tart we mainly serve either for breakfast or for tea, but it could also become a  perfect family dessert. Traditionally, we never pair it with any cream.

Crespelle Funghi e Melanzane - Mushroom and Aubergine Crespelle

I love mushrooms. I love picking them in the wood, I love cooking and combining them with pasta, ravioli, risotto, polenta or simply scramble eggs. Mushrooms, especially the wild ones, bring an earthy flavour to the table. 

Torta al cioccolato fondente – Chocolate cake

When you feel like having a chocolate cake, go for this one. Simple and quick to be made, it is rewarding. You only need to have good-quality chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) - which I suggest storing in the pantry - on top of the classic ingredients for a cake. If you don’t have ground almonds and don’t need to make a gluten-free pudding, replace the almonds with white flour. It will work as well.

Torta Prugne e Grano Saraceno - Plum and Buckwheat Flour Cake

Fruit puddings are my favourite ones as they inspire my creativity. I can play with different  ingredients and follow the seasonal produce to make a good variety of cakes.

Pasta Cipolle, Salvia e Zafferano - Onion, Sage and Saffron Pasta

A colourful recipe, which needs to be slowly cooked for a while, to allow the onions to dissolve. 

Malfatti Burro e Salvia - Butter and Sage Malfatti Gnocchi

"Malfatti" are spinach and ricotta gnocchi (dumplings) from Lombardy, which come out in slightly different shapes. In fact, "malfatti" literally means "badly formed", to enhance their rustic  appearance.
Quick and easy to make, kids and grown-ups love them, they are a good alternative to pasta. They are delicious simply dressed with butter and sage.

Gnocchi di Grano Saraceno - Buckwheat and Potato Gnocchi

Being asthmatic, I like to spend as much time as I can up in the mountains, where I enjoy long walks with deep and regular breathing.
I always like to explore the local food, wherever I am. One of the most popular ingredients from the Alps is buckwheat flour. Gnocchi di grano saraceno (buckwheat gnocchi) are a typical example from an alpine kitchen. You can taste them in many restaurants and alpine huts. 

Amor Polenta

Foto di Giulia Verdinelli

A polenta cake from Lombardy with a romantic name and a unique shape. The peculiarity of Amor polenta is the ridged cake tin, specially created for this cake. 

When I was a child, we used to get it from Marchesi, one of the best pastry shops of Milan,  and have it for tea on special occasions. Marchesi still make it and I still enjoy its intense flavour, the golden colour and  crumbling texture. 

Torta Cioccolato e Castagne - Chocolate and Chestnut Cake

This is an alternative to pure chocolate cake. The chestnut puree softens the chocolate, giving a sweet delicate aroma. 
I mainly make it in autumn and winter, when we need more energy to face the cold. It is also a true comfort food. I like to serve it with berries and whipped cream.