This recipe is best made close to serving. Note

An Italian sponge cake named after the city of Genoa that is impressively light, airy and delicious.

A quick and easy authentic Italian ravioli with tomato, pea and basil sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

You need to buy half a small barbecued chicken for this recipe. Note

We used large (25cm diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. Be sure to use prepared horseradish rather than horseradish cream, the latter is a commercially prepared creamy paste made from horseradish, vinegar, oil and sugar. Prepared horseradish is preserved grated horseradish root. Note

An authentic Italian spaghetti with homemade basil pesto sauce.

You can improvise with the ingredients in this trifle. Try sponge finger biscuits instead of biscotti, raspberries in place of cherries and a nut-flavoured liqueur as a substitute for the marsala. Biscotti is available at selected delicatessens, specialty food stores and online. Note

A rich and delicious sausage and cannellini bean bake from Australian Women's Weekly.

Recipe is best prepared as required. Note

When cooking risotto, it is vital to use Arborio or Carnaroli rice as these grains release the starch that gives risotto its creaminess. Swap the vegetables in this recipe for whatever is in season. Note

Ask the butcher to score the pork skin for you. Note

You will need 2 large pink grapefruit for this recipe. You can also freeze the granita mixture in an ice-cream machine following the manufacturer’s instructions. Note

You can use a mixture of grilled eggplant, capsicum and sun-dried tomatoes for the antipasto vegetables. Grilled artichokes and mushrooms could also be used. Note

Don’t assemble or cook pizzas until just before serving to keep them from becoming soggy. Note

Bring the flavours of Italy to your home with this sweet and delicious ravioli pasta with burnt butter sauce.

Rich tomato sauce, smoky meat, herbs and cheese ­ the very best of fresh ingredients ­ that’s the Italian way. Put the pot on and let it bubble its way to a delicious infusion of flavours. Note

These large, luxurious ravioli with their light tomato sauce make a lovely opener to a dinner party or, served with a fresh green salad, a stylish little lunch. Note

This deliciously fragrant and warming Italian soup combines zucchini flowers and sweet peas to create a brilliant vegetarian meal. Serve topped with a crumbly pangrattato for a restaurant quality dish at home.

Some butchers sell a pork and veal mince mixture, which is what we call for here. If it is not available as a mixture, buy half the amount in pork mince (500g) and half the amount (500g) as veal mince. Note

Cut the pizza so your guests get a slice of pear per piece. Note

This traditional frozen Venetian drink made with gelato is hard to categorise – part drink, part dessert ­with a texture more akin to a slushie. We’ve used sorbet instead of gelato but, either way, it’s delicious; just be sure to serve it with long spoons or straws, if served in tall glasses. Note

Warm risoni pasta creates a perfect base to let the vegetables shine in this dish fresh and easy dish that only takes 30 minutes to make.

Recipe best made just before serving. Coppa is salted and dried pork. Note

A quick and easy ricotta ravioli with pumpkin and sage sauce for a busy midweek Italian dinner.

You could substitute the bacon and chorizo with ham and mild salami if you prefer. Note

Crispy Italian-style risotto balls that are fantastic for sharing with friends and family.

Serve accompanied with asparagus or broccoli or a green leafy salad, if liked. You can use red salmon or canned tuna if you like. The recipe can be made to the end of step 4 several hours ahead. From cold, bake covered at 200°C for 30 minutes or until heated through then uncover and bake […]

Rich and delicious Italian-style stew with crushed tomatoes and borlotti beans.

You will need to buy one bunch of spinach (300g) to make this recipe. Note

It is fine to use just the one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. To make chocolate shapes: melt 50g (1½ ounces) dark chocolate; place into a resealable plastic bag. Cut a tiny snip off onecorner, and pipe small shapes onto baking paper. Leave shapes to set at room temperature. Note

Frittata can be cooked on top of the stove, in a medium lightly oiled slightly sided frying pan; cook on low heat, uncovered, until almost set, then brown frittata under a preheated grill. Frittata can be served hot or cold Note

Leftover risotto makes great risotto cakes; simply shape cold risotto into patties, then pan-fry until browned lightly on both sides. Note

Use frozen spinach, which has been cooked and cooled, for this recipe. Note

A light and healthy pasta salad packed full of salami, bocconcini, olives and cherry tomatoes.

Scrumptious little pizza snacks with cherry bocconcini cheese and cabanossi.

Use a vegetable peeler to slice the cucumber length-ways into thin ribbons. Use disposable gloves when handling beetroot top prevent staining your fingers. If taking to work, toast the bread at lunch time just before you’re ready to assemble. Note

Crab meat can be bought already cooked from some fishmongers. Alternatively buy cooked crabs (about 600g) and remove the flesh from the shells and claws – enough to weigh 200g. Well-drained canned crab meat could be used in this recipe. Note

The combination of pork and veal mince gives these meatballs a deliciously rich quality that you won’t get with beef mince. Note

This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

Ribollita is a Tuscan soup based on whatever vegetable the cook has at hand. Traditionally, it is thickened with stale bread.

A delicious filo pastry pie that will fill the bellies of your entire family (and more!)

This pork and rosemary meatball dish is packed full of Italian flavours, even down to the angel hair pasta.

An Italian-American dish of chicken breasts, capers, parsley and Marsala wine.

siena cake is a perfect accompaniment for after-dinner coffee. Cut into thin wedges or slices about 1cm thick,then into small pieces Note

Farfalle is a short, rather sturdy butterfly-shaped pasta that is also known as “bow-ties”. It is good for a dish such as this because the folds and crinkles of each piece help capture the pesto and hold the other ingredients. Replace the farfalle with penne or small shells if you wish. Note

The great thing about an antipasti selection is that you can add and subtract ingredients. Try incorporating a selection of olives ­ ligurian, sicilian and kalamata are all good, or even a delicious selection of salami. Marinated artichokes are available from specialty delicatessens. Alternatively, use bottled artichokes in oil, available from most supermarkets. Note

Makes enough for four 150g servings of panfried veal scaloppine. Also goes well with grilled chicken breast fillets, barbecued pork medallions, roasted lamb cutlets. Marsala, a caramel-flavoured fortified wine, is named after the city from which it comes, and is the most popular dessert wine in Italy. Dry marsala is often served as an apéritif. […]

Stories vary on the true origin of the margherita pizza - but at least we can all agree that when it comes to pizza, nothing beats a classic.

If you can’t buy char-grilled zucchini, you can make your own; use a mandoline or vegetable peeler to thinly slice one large zucchini lengthways, then cook the slices on a heated oiled grill plate until browned lightly and tender. Pizza bases can be bought at any regular supermarkets. Note

Risotto cakes came about as a way of using up left-over risotto. It is far easier to shape the cakes when the mixture is cold. It is worth lining oven trays with baking paper to stop the cakes sticking. Note

It is fine to use just 1 x 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. Porcini, also known as cèpes, are the richest-flavoured mushrooms. Though expensive, they are so strongly-flavoured only a small amount is required for any particular dish. They are available from specialty food stores and some supermarkets. Pancetta is an Italian salt-cured […]

Limoncello is an Italian lemon-flavoured liqueur made from the peel only of fragrant lemons, which is steeped in clear alcohol then diluted with sugar and water. Store unfilled macaroons in an airtight container for about a week. Fill macaroons just before serving. Note

Try using a variety of mushrooms such as flat, cup, button, portobello, oyster and enoki, keeping small mushrooms halved or whole and large types sliced. Cooking the potatoes whole with the peel on keeps the potatoes dry and fluffy-doing this helps to create lightly textured pillows of gnocchi. Note

Vitello tonnato is a well-known Italian veal dish accompanied with a tuna mayonnaise. It is usually served cold or at room temperature, making the perfect appetiser for a Christmas lunch.

We used small (15cm/6-inch diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. Note

Porcini, dried Italian mushrooms, are available from delicatessens, gourmet food stores and some supermarkets. Some butchers sell a pork and veal mixture, this is fine to use here. Buy 625g. Note

It’s easy to make pesto from different herbs or green leaves and with other nuts. A great combination is baby rocket and pistachio (it goes beautifully with chicken). A few other enticing blends include fresh coriander leaves with chilli instead of nuts, or sun-dried tomatoes processed with olives and walnuts. Note

Choose freestone peaches as it will be easier to remove the seeds. Note

Any similar-sized pasta shape such as casarecce, rigatoni or penne would be suitable for this dish. Note

To save time, buy shelled and deveined prawns and calamari rings from your local fish supplier. Some major supermarkets also have a fresh seafood section. Note

Saltimbocca is a classic Italian dish that literally translates as "jump in the mouth". It is usually made of beef or veal, and rolled with proscuitto and sage leaves.

Tortiglioni, a straight tubular pasta with grooves on the exterior, works well when baked with a chunky sauce, such as this one.

Panettone are easy to find around Christmas time, at other times they may not be as readily available. You can use brioche instead, adding a handful of sultanas, or thick-cut fruit bread. Note

Create delicious Italian pasta at home with this beautiful ricotta and silverbeet gnocchi. Served in a fragrant tomato sauce, it's the ultimate comfort food for a cool evening in.

A classic Italian pasta dish with spaghetti alla napoletana sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

You could use pecorino cheese as a substitute for kefalotyri cheese. Note

Derived from an Italian word meaning `garden’, giardiniera is an Italian dish of pickled vegetables. Note

This fresh spring frittata combines frozen broad beans and peas with ricotta to create an easy dinner that can be on the table in 30 minutes. It's just as good served up for lunch the next day.

Make your own marinated artichoke hearts to add to salads, your next share platter, or even give as a thoughtful gift.

You can soak the beans early in the day before you want to serve them, then at night make this recipe; reheat the beans for breakfast the following day. Note