Onion soup is a traditional dish in many countries, thanks to the cheapness and broad availability of its main ingredient. The most famous recipe is the French one, 'soupe à l'oignon'. Here we suggest an Italian version of this dish: no butter and gruyère cheese, instead olive oil and potatoes, humble ingredients that, combined together, create wonders! The result is a delicious creamy soup, easy to make and quite balanced from a nutritional point of view.

This recipe couldn't be more representative of culinary Italian culture: broad beans (long described as 'the poor man's meat' because of their high protein and iron content) are widely used, especially in the south of Italy; sun dried tomatoes, originating from the smart thinking of the farmers, who had to find a way to preserve the produce for colder seasons; and Pecorino Romano, a product made from sheep's milk, mostly produced in Sardinia.

The Panzanella is a typical dish from central Italy, very famous in Tuscany, Marche and Lazio. The original recipe calls for stale bread, red onion, basil, olive oil, vinegar and salt, but over time some more ingredients, such as fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, have made it onto the list. We suggest to couple it with some fresh homemade gazpacho for an extra taste!

This recipe comes as a variation to the most famous 'pasta coi broccoli', which is a very appreciated dish of the peasant tradition. Here we suggest you enrich it a bit by adding some peas, a potato and diced Cheddar cheese.. You won't be disappointed!

Some might think couscous is a cereal, but in actual fact it is a traditional Berber product made of semolina, grains of durum wheat. This very versatile ingredient, a staple food in the regions of North Africa, can be cooked and served with vegetables or stews (meat or fish), but it also can be used to make delightful 'salads', such as tabbouleh, or like the one we are presenting here. The delicate taste of the couscous and vegetables perfectly matches with the full, rounded flavour of the Provolone cheese. Enjoy this dish and experiment with it creating your own variations!

If you are on of those people who think that meat doesn't necessarily need to be in every single dish, then you might like this recipe! With this in mind here is a suggestion on how to create a vegetarian meatloaf, with peas being the main ingredient: we can assure you, even the most convinced carnivore will enjoy it! Ideal as a main course, you can also serve it as an appetiser or, cut up, as part of an aperitif buffet.