About 10 years ago I realised that Iwould never live long enough to know everything there is to know about Italian food. It was a joyful discovery that left me relaxed but even more amazed at the brilliance of the Italian culinary imagination – an ability to make the most delicious and visually appealing food out of very little.
While Venice has for centuries enjoyed cicchetti, the rest of the country has its own repertoire of snacks to enjoy with adrink before or between meals, or as part of la merenda (afternoon snack). Asa child, this was to be taken upon waking up from a nap during the hottest hours of a summer's day.
Outside Venice, these bites are known as stuzzichini, which roughly translates as "teasers". One can step into a bar in almost any town and for the price of the drink, tasteahuge range of stuzzichini – another way to enjoy Italian ingredients.
Mussels with basil on crusty bread
Everybody in Apulia is mad about seafood, and there are countless delicious recipes. Also deservedly famous is the deliciously tasty bread of Altamura, but any good-quality crusty bread will work well.
Serves 8
fresh live mussels 875g
Altamura or other crusty bread 12 slices
basic tomato sauce 6 tbsp
extra-virgin olive oil 60ml
fresh basil leaves 1 handful
Clean and wash all the mussels and place them in a large pot over a high heat. Steam, covered, for about 5 to 8 minutes, shaking the pot frequently to encourage them allto open. Remove the pot from the heat and leave to cool until easy to handle, then remove all the molluscs from their shells.
Oil a baking tray and lay the bread in it. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Spread each slice of bread with tomato sauce and cover with shelled mussels, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with basil and serve.
Anchovies marinated in lemon
Serves 8
fresh anchovies 1.5kg
unwaxed lemon thinly sliced peel from 1
dried bay leaves 2
finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tbsp
white wine vinegar 750ml
extra-virgin olive oil 3 tbsp
Clean and gut the anchovies, removing the spine and bones, and wash thoroughly. Pat them dry. Lay them in a bowl with the lemon peel, bay leaves and parsley.
Pour the vinegar into a saucepan, bring to the boil and then pour it, boiling hot, over the anchovies. Leave to cool and marinate for 4 hours.
When you are ready to serve, remove the anchovies from the vinegar, draining them carefully. Arrange the anchovies on aplatter, drizzle with the olive oil and serve.
Neapolitan scrambled eggs
This will cheer up even the most jaded palate. Serve on little rounds of toast as acanapé or in small cups with a teaspoon.
Serves 12
unsalted butter 120g
large anchovy fillets 8
tinned tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes, peeled, chopped and deseeded) 125g
mozzarella 125g, cubed
dried oregano 2 tsp
salt and black pepper
large eggs 8, beaten
Melt the butter in a large pan and add the anchovies. Cook gently until the anchovies have melted completely. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the mozzarella, oregano, salt and pepper, and stir together, then pour in the beaten eggs and cook until just set. Serve.
Bresaola rolls with arugula
This is so easy to make, using the wonderful cured beef of the Valtellina area of Lombardy and some fresh rocket, plus alittle fresh parmesan and just a dash of good-quality balsamic vinegar.
Makes approximately 30
fresh rocket leaves 400g
fresh parmesan shavings 90g
extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
best-quality balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp
salt and black pepper
bresaola 20 slices
In a salad bowl, gently mix the rocket, parmesan shavings, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper together to make a salad.
Lay the bresaola slices on a chopping board and divide the salad between all the slices more or less evenly.
Roll the slices up to encase the salad, sealing the 2 ends of the bresaola slice with a little touch of olive oil, arrange onaserving dish and eat immediately.
Frittatina di ricotta (mini ricotta frittata)
This is a recipe from the Sardinian town of Nuoro. If the hard, grating ricotta proves hard to obtain, just use the same quantity of stronger pecorino instead.
Serves 8
large onion 1, finely chopped
green chilli pepper 1, deseeded and finely chopped
unsalted butter 100g
plain white flour 2 tbsp
cold milk 200ml
salt and black pepper
hard grating ricotta (or more pecorino) 200g
very strong grating pecorino 100g
eggs 4, beaten
In a large frying pan, fry the onion and chilli gently in half the butter until softened.
Sift the flour over the onion and chilli and mix together over a low heat to incorporate without lumps forming, then add all the milk and mix together until thickened. Season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.
Mix the cheeses with the beaten eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Then mix in the cooled onion-chilli mixture.
Melt the remaining butter in a small pan and pour in the mixture to make several little frittata, letting it cook on one side by tipping the pan and moving the mixture around, keeping it all reasonably flat, then tip the frittata over on to a plate and slide it back into the pan the other way up to cook on the other side until golden.
Slide the cooked frittata out on to a board, cool slightly then cut into cubes or wedges and serve just warm.
Cicchetti and Other Small Italian Dishes To Share by Lindy Wildsmith and Valentina Harris is published by Jacqui Small (£20). Toorder a copy for £16 with free UK p&p go to theguardian.com/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846
Nigel Slater returns next week
Wine by David Williams
With the mussels
A Mano Fiano-Greco, Puglia, Italy 2012 (from £7.75, nywines.co.uk; valvonacrolla.co.uk; slurp.co.uk). For a full-flavoured but fresh dish, a forcefully aromatic, white-peachy but crisp, dry local white.
With the bresaola
Roagna Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy 2011 (from £14.21, winebear.com; roberson wine.com; josephbarneswines.com). This Dolcetto offers a little extra meaty, earthy savouriness alongside the cascade of dark cherry freshness.
With the frittatina
Vermentino di Sardegna, Italy 2012 (£7.49, M&S). White wines with prominent acidity often prove a good match for cheese, and this snappy Vermentino would make a herby, citrussy, subtly mineral choice.
