A kitchen in Rome

When you feel stuck in life and work, start by boiling a pan of water. Then see what you have. Some greens? A handful of olives? Even just butter and cheese will do …

The pasta pot punctuates every working-from-home day in Italy: here, prawns and tomatoes join forces in a spicy coating for spaghetti, while cubes of pre-roasted squash are tossed in a cheesy sauce for fusilli

Tripe cooked in tomato sauce is a common dish in Rome, but not everyone likes offal, so thin egg omelettes, cut into strips, make a handy substitute

In Rome, before potatoes (as late as the 1850s), gnocchi were made with semolina flour, mixed with cheese and egg, and baked in butter. Sounds stodgy? You’ll be surprised.

In the UK, a pudding can mean so many things, savoury and sweet; in Italy, budino means this soft, moulded chocolate dessert – delicious in any language

A mini tempest in the kitchen and some sage sisterly advice gives life to this comforting bowl of pumpkin and rice soup

A shellfish and bean minestre that makes a few clams go a long way

The rediscovery of a dusty old cookery classic unearths this ‘super-unbeatable’ Ligurian recipe for braised chicken with homemade pesto

A freezer fail leads to accidental triumph in this rustic dish of sausages and short pasta

Sicily’s famous fortified wine makes for a versatile ingredient – and lends this sponge the flavours of zabaione