Italian

For a great low-carb version of lasagne, this hearty and delicious eggplant bolognese is perfect. It's a great all in one meat and three veg dish that will have the hungry hoards flocking to the dinner table.

Agnolotti is a type of filled pasta, similar to ravioli but smaller. We've teamed a ricotta and spinach version with a creamy fennel sauce here for a perfectly hearty and easy meat-free meal.

This tagliatelle pasta with broccoli and anchovies is simple and delicious. Don't let the family be put off by the addition of anchovies, they leave no overwhelming fishy taste, just a delicious savoury flavour.

Our pistachio bread, or biscotti, would make a thoughtful gift for friends or family. For a different spiced version, omit the cardamom and use ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg instead.

Like a spaghetti pie with an eggplant, parmesan and breadcrumb crust, this Sicilian spaghetti is rich, earthy and very satisfying. Perfect for filling up on a cold evening or for lunch after a stiff weekend walk.

If you're looking for the perfect quick and easy mid-week dinner, you've found it. Simple, tasty and ready in a flash, this asparagus, bacon and cheese pasta will become a go-to recipe.

A quick and easy crowd pleaser, baked gnocchi with meatballs is the perfect recipe to turn to mid-week when you're busy or tired but still have a load of mouths to feed.

This vegetarian dish is bursting with flavour and perfect for a cool autumn night. It is lovely served with garlic bread and salad, or steamed green vegetables.

Not suitable to freeze. Cavalo nero suitable to microwave. This recipe is also delicious with white fish, chicken breast or thin steaks. You can use black or green tapenade or substitute good quality basil or rocket pesto. Cavalo nero doesn’t lose volume like spinach or silverbeet, though either of these can be substituted if cavalo […]

This tasty pizza is ready within minutes and perfect for the whole family.

Fettuccine comes from the Italian word `fettucina’, meaning ribbon, because of its long, narrow shape. It goes especially well with creamy sauces; you can replace it with tagliatelle or other large egg noodles, if desired. Fresh pasta cooks even faster than dried pasta; you can find fresh pasta in most supermarkets in the refrigerated section. […]

Creamy, comforting and delicious, this baked penne with peas, mushroom and leek is what macaroni cheese wants to be when it grows up.

For a milder pesto, substitute baby spinach leaves for rocket. Note

This risoni and bean salad is robust enough for a light yet satisfying vegetarian lunch, or perfect as a side dish for grilled chicken or steak.

This exceedingly rich, decadent dessert is just the ticket at the end of a long dinner party with friends. Serve with coffee and lots of laughs.

This delightful spiced ginger and orange biscotti gives a lovely Christmassy twist to this favourite Italian biscuit. Make a batch to share with family and friends or wrap them in cellophane and ribbons for a gift to your host.

Bring all the delights of Italian cuisine to your dinner table with this simple, flavoursome dish.

Separate chicken livers into halves by cutting lobes apart. Note

You can quickly peel the capsicum with a vegetable peeler if you don’t like the skin peeling off when it’s cooked. Suitable to freeze at the end of step 2. Pack into freezer-proof containers, leaving 2.5cm (1-inch) space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Sprinkle with oregano after […]

Fresh mint adds lightness to this delicious vegetable risotto, a great meat-free dinner option.

This beautifully flavoured sun-dried tomato relish can be used in all sorts of dishes. It compliments cheese very well, and is delicious with steak or a burger.

Make this delicious Italian-style broth with chicken & mushroom ravioli to impress dinner guests.

Simple yet special, the ideal dish to serve up to friends when you're celebrating in a relaxed style.

This is one of my all-time favourite pastas. I know it looks like a lot of anchovies, but trust me and cook them down slowly. This could well become your favourite pasta, too.

Pappardelle with silver beet, goat's cheese, chilli and lemon

There is only one thing that needs to be said here - my mum makes the best spaghetti bolognese in the world!

This dish was on the first menu at our restaurant Hugo's, at Bondi, and it actually stayed on the menu for years, as it turned out to be one of our best-sellers. It's a recipe that goes to prove that good food does not have to cost an arm or a leg.

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

Poached salmon with asparagus, rocket and risoni salad. This recipe can be prepared a few hours ahead but add rocket just before serving.

Place a piece of baking paper, cut to fit inside the dish, onto the surface of the food before it goes into the oven. This will stop the food from browning too much. Cover the dish itself with a lid or foil. Use a casserole dish big enough to fit one layer of the tightly-packed […]

We used a thin tomato pasta sauce, also known as sugo or passata, which contains only tomatoes and onion. Note

These crostini are absolutely delicious and ideal for a dinner or cocktail party.

An Italian-style raw beef carpaccio with a fresh Thai basil salad.

Cavolo nero is also called tuscan cabbage. It has long, narrow, wrinkled leaves and a rich and astringent, mild cabbage flavour. It doesn’t lose its volume like silver beet or spinach when cooked. We used one bunch. Note

If the handle of your frying pan is not heatproof, cover it with aluminium foil before placing it under the grill. Frittata is delicious served warm, but if you like it cold or want to take it to work, make it the evening before, keep it in the fridge overnight, then wrap it in plastic […]

You will need to buy about 750g (1½ pounds) broad beans in the pod for this recipe. Or, you can use 1½ cups (225g) frozen broad beans if you like. It is important to use the freshest free-range eggs you can find as they will hold their shape while poaching. Note

A quick and easy veal tortellini with fresh tomato sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

You can use the chopped meat from one barbecued chicken in this recipe instead of the tenderloins. Add it at the end of bacon becoming crisp and stir until hot. Recipe can be made several hours ahead to the end of step 5. From cold, bake, covered, at 200°C (180°C fan forced) for 30 minutes […]

Delicious deep-fried mozzarella sticks with a chilli pesto dipping sauce.

Hearty, zesty and creamy, this delicious Milanese style risotto is the ulimate comfort food for a hungry family.

Spicy and redolent with garlic, these chilli prawn pizzas are a crowd-pleaser. You can add some torn buffalo mozzarella if you like, and the finished pizzas are great topped with baby rocket tossed in olive oil and lemon juice.

Surprisingly light for a cream based pasta, this bacon and broccoli pasta is quick, filling and just the ticket on a busy weeknight.

Perfectly light and healthy, this zucchini soup is just the ticket for a quick and easy snack, light lunch or dinner party starter. Serve with crusty bread.

An excellent option for a nourishing, filling meat-free meal, these individual vegetable and lentil lasagnes will quickly become a family favourite.

You’ll find interesting beetroot at farmers’ markets, or you can grow them yourself. Raw beetroot has a pronounced nutty earthy flavour, and a little of it thinly sliced in a salad makes a good textural contrast.

When in season, use yellow zucchini for added colour, and sprinkle with black olives or capers. If taking to work for lunch, prepare the pizza, wrap in baking paper and cook in a heated sandwich press until the base is crisp and heated through.

The combination of grilled pumpkin, creamy feta and almond skordalia adds a delicious twist to this popular Italian starter.

That's not a sandwich...that's a sandwich! This delicious roast vegetable-stuffed antipasto loaf is simply perfect for a picnic lunch.

This vibrant pasta dish is bursting with flavour and nutrition.

A hearty, flavoursome meat-free meal that can be on the table less than 30 minutes after getting home from work. Serve with crusty herb or garlic bread.

An easy recipe to prepare in advance, this hearty Italian inspired bean soup with crispy polenta is simply mouth-watering and perfect to cosy up with on a cold day.

For best results, use a pizza tray with holes in the base;­ this will cook the pastry evenly. Note

Crispy, salty and utterly addictive, this dish makes for a delicious starter.

A quick and delicious spicy calamari stew with olives and fresh basil; an exquisite Italian-style midweek dinner.

Saltimbocca is a popular Italian dish that combines tender veal, proscuitto or bacon and fresh sage. We've served ours here with crispy roasted potatoes for a real flavour kick!

These are a delicious way to start off a feast. Dried porcini mushrooms have an intense, woody, savoury flavour, but if they're beyond your budget, the dish will still taste great without them. In place of porcini liquid, finish it off with a little stock or white wine.

This classic homemade pasta dish combines freshly made potato gnocchi with a creamy four-cheese sauce. Delicious!

Celebrate spring with this zesty, flavour-packed risotto.

Cakestand top to bottom: Dried cranberry coconut macaroons; Salmon and egg finger sandwiches. Note

This pear and hazelnut bread are a delightfully fruity and crispy accompaniment to your morning or afternoon brew. They also make a lovely and thoughtful homemade gift.

Make this delicious Italian specialty your new Christmas staple.

oil will solidify on refrigeration, bring to room temperature before serving. Note

Baked risotto is a delicious alternative to the usual hand-stirred risotto (and a lot easier, too!)

Farfalle is a bow-tie shaped short pasta; sometimes known as butterfly pasta. It looks very pretty as part of a pasta salad

You need half a large barbecued chicken to get the amount of shredded meat required for this recipe. Note

Sparkling wine and fresh peaches are combined to make this decadent summer dessert.

We used large, 25cm diameter, packaged pizza bases for this recipe. Note

Bulk out a beef lasagne with lentils, for a healthy and cost-effective family dinner that's fully of protein and fibre.

Hot smoked salmon is available from major supermarkets. Use a mixture of fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, basil, chives, mint, oregano or marjoram. If you don’t have a frying pan with an ovenproof handle, wrap the handle in two layers of foil, this will prevent the handle from burning while under the grill. Note

Super quick and simple, this tasty white bean and garlic dip can be whipped up in no time. Serve with fresh vegetables cut into sticks.

You can replace orzo with risoni if you like. Orzo, like risoni, absorbs cooking liquid. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little extra water. If you make this dish in advance, you will need to add some water or stock when reheating. Note

These crunchy Italian biscuits go wonderfully with hot espresso coffee.

This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

Veal schnitzel is thinly sliced steak available crumbed or plain (uncrumbed); we use plain schnitzel, sometimes called escalopes. Note

To make a simple pesto, pound 2 garlic cloves with a good pinch of salt in a mortar. Add 2 tablespoons pine nuts and a bunch picked basil leaves, pounding until a creamy paste forms. Blend in ⅓ cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons grated parmesan. Season with black pepper to taste. Note

You will need about 800g fresh peas in the pod for this recipe. The mince mixture and gremolata can be prepared several hours ahead. Reheat mince just before serving. Note