Gennaro Contaldo recipes to cook now we have left the EU

Italian food is among our favourite from the continent. Gennaro Contaldo – aka Jamie Oliver’s mentor – shows us how it’s done

From comforting pasta to elegant salads, there’s a dish to please everyone here (Kim Lightbody)

Ask anyone what their favourite cuisine is and Italian will rank highly time and time again. What’s a weekend without a Neapolitan style pizza, and what do we turn to for comfort? Pasta. That’s what.

An indulgent carbonara peppered with crispy pancetta, or a rich tomatoey dish of spaghetti bolognese and fresh basil will always please crowds.

Since the Seventies, Italian restaurants have thrived on our high streets, from little family-run holes in wall where even all the customers are Italian to the big chains from Zizzi to Pizza Express, with more and more Italian-grown produce cementing its place as a cupboard staple in our homes, too.