Cheese

All the classic Roman ingredients - guanciale, Pecorino Romano and black pepper - come together in pasta alla gricia.

It's all about Italian flavour in this frittata, with aromatic fennel and spicy 'nduja playing a leading role.

This Piedmontese bread and cheese soup is a guaranteed pick-me-up on rainy days. The bonus? It's a cinch to throw together.

Risotto plus a glass of Barolo equals a good time. Adding Barolo to the risotto? That's a guaranteed formula for fun.

“In Italy, lasagne is always made with meat, but I often swap it for romanesco, Roman cauliflower, which I cook beyond the point of doneness,” says Cicolini. “The longer cooking time pushes the romanesco past its natural sweetness and pulls out all these savoury flavours. It’s a complex dish with layered flavours to the salt coming from the anchovies and Parmigiano-Reggiano.”

Three kinds of cheese, mortadella, sopressa and breasola - you can see where the name comes from.