Italian Cooking at Home

Written on July 9th, 2025

If you’re a big foodie, love cooking from scratch, and hosting, then Italy is the place for you!

Try our Italian recipes, from a ‘Polpette Caponata’ to an Italian twist on a classic hotpot, find more about food culture and our Italian wine recommendations.

Italian Recipes

Bring a taste of Italy into your home with a variety of traditional dishes and some with a twist.

Lancashire Hotpot Italian Style

A delicious twist on a classic hotpot. Beef, celery, onion and SunBlush® tomatoes cooked in stock and red wine topped with sliced potato, Parmesan and pesto.

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Swordfish Salmoriglio with Green Olive Tapenade

For authentic Italian cooking, try our succulent swordfish steaks served with Salmoriglio, a vibrant Italian sauce of lemon, olive oil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper.

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‘Polpette Caponata’ Pork and Beef Meatballs with Italian Slow Cooked Vegetables

One of Italy’s traditional dishes of pork and beef meatballs served with aubergine, courgette and tomatoes.

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Pistachio Polenta Cake with Limoncello Mascarpone Cream

A naturally gluten-free cake with a wonderfully nutty flavour served with a citrus limoncello mascarpone cream.

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Italian Food Culture

Italy has a rich history of speciality regional food, traditional dishes, and authentic Italian cooking techniques. Think creamy pastas, Neapolitan pizza, coffee culture and outstanding desserts.

• Drinks play a big part in the Italian meal, ideally starting with a pre-dinner aperitivo and ending with a digestivo.
•  Raffaele Esposito was an Italian chef in Naples who pioneered and created the famous pizza margherita.
• There are over 400 different shapes of pasta in Italy, ranging from thick noodles to short twists and fluted pasta.
• The Italian espresso is a coffee staple. It’s customary to cleanse your palate with a glass of water before drinking coffee.
• Gelato is made with more milk than cream, it isn’t meant to be stored so is made in smaller batches and frozen quickly making it fresher.

Our Italian Wine Recommendations

A crisp, organic white wine made from Catarratto grapes, with notes of blossom and citrus, in a 100% recycled aluminium bottle.

An authentic expression of the Famoso grape, fresh and vibrant with flavours of apple and pear. Ideal with light fish dishes, vegetable-based starters and cheese.

A full-bodied wine full of black cherry, plum and bramble fruit. Ripe and robust yet with smooth tannins and a juicy palate. A great match for Sunday roasts and barbecued meats.