As we can now get out and return to barbecue duty, there is no better time for cooking up a storm in the kitchen or garden!

If you love Italian food – and who doesn’t? – you will be as excited as I was when I discovered the website Historical Italian Cooking, which has some fantastic recipes using basic store cupboard ingredients that you can try at home.

The site is in Italian and English – and if you like staple Italian dishes like gnocchi, there is a fantastic recipe using simple ingredients that you are likely to have or can improvise.

Medieval gnocchi uses soft cheese, grated cheese, eggs and flour, rather than the traditional potato and flour recipe. You can improvise, though, with semolina and different types of cheese.

You can also try your hand at ancient stews, calamari, bread – and lots of other yummy Roman recipes. Progress through time to recipes from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Modern Age and dine like a Medici!

Check out Historical Italian Cooking now!

Buon appetito!