The delicious. team’s favourite Italian recipes of all time

Bigoli in salsa (caramelised onion and anchovy pasta)

Chosen by editorial director Laura Rowe
“When the food team were testing recipes for our Italian tour, the thing that had me diving straight back in for a second and third taste (and which has immediately been added to my recipe repertoire) is Joe Carey’s Venetian bigoli in salsa (aka anchovy pasta). Comforting carbs and an umami, salty smack around the chops. What more can a girl ask for?”

Mondeghili (fried breaded beef and pork meatballs)

Chosen by food producer Emily Gussin
“I really love chef Naz Hassan’s recipe for Milanese mondeghili. The little fried meatballs have so much flavour and when I tested them I couldn’t stop eating them! I also love that it’s a leftovers recipe – proving that leftovers can be even better than the main event.”

Learn how to make another classic from Lombardy’s cultural capital in our in-depth guide to the best-ever risotto alla milanese →

Frico (Alpine cheese and potato cake)

Chosen by head of food Tom Shingler
“Holy moly this was a tasty number. Frico is a tangled mess of caramelised onions and soft potato, glued together with heaps of Alpine cheese and fried on each side to make a potato cake of the heavens. So good, and a great dish to show there’s so much more to Italian food than pasta and pizza.”

Pasta alla norma

Chosen by head of digital Vic Grimshaw
“This aubergine pasta, pasta alla norma, is super easy, super saucy and the whole family (including the vegetarian), loves it.”

Saltimbocca

Chosen by acting deputy editor (audiences) Mia Rodriguez
“I love making saltimbocca. There’s something therapeutic about wrapping the chicken in prosciutto and tucking in the sage leaves. It can be prepped in advance and has always been a hit with kids I’ve cooked for too. I use chicken instead of veal.”

Risi e bisi (classic Venetian rice and peas)

Chosen by managing editor Les Dunn
“Like many Italian recipes, Ursula Ferrigno’s Venetian risi e bisi seems disarmingly simple (rice and peas, plus some herbs, veg stock and parmesan) but the flavours are so good…”

Classic tiramisu

Chosen by deputy editor (traffic) Phoebe Stone
“I find it hard to make any other dessert than tiramisu when friends come round to eat. I could argue it’s the brilliant make-ahead factor, but in reality it’s all about the luscious, sink-your-spoon in mascarpone filling – and joy of serving fat slabs of it from a giant serving dish, Italian grandma-style. Thanks to the not-so-authentic (but now widely accepted) egg whites folded through the mix, the result is indulgent but not heavy in the way other rich desserts can be. All hail tiramisu: the dream dinner party dessert.”

Read food writer Dianne Bortoletto’s take on why the best tiramisu is proudly inauthentic →

Coda alla vaccinara (Roman braised oxtail)

Chosen by editorial assistant Anthony Noonan
“I recently took a stroll down to the fancy butcher’s near me and picked up some oxtail to try out this coda alla vaccinara (Roman braised oxtail). I’ve long been a fan of Roman cuisine from several holidays there. After a few hours braising I was gifted with one of the richest and most concentrated stews I’d ever tasted. It left me nodding off on the sofa shortly after – what more could you ask for on a Saturday evening?”

Dive back into your Italian food tour and discover inspiring recipes from Italy’s 20 regions to refresh your repertoire.