The Painter, The Cook and the Art of Cucina

The Painter, The Cook and the Art of Cucina by Anna del Conte celebrates regional Italian food. This beautifully illustrated book features over a hundred of Anna del Conte's special recipes from some lesser known parts of Italy.

Commissioned by Sacla who make a range of Italian foods, The Painter, The Cook and the Art of Cucina is a travelogue bringing together two talents, Anna del Conte's knowledge of Italian food and the artist, Val Archer, a leading British artist. Within the book's richly illustrated pages, you will find an eclectic selection of local recipes and stories from six regions: Piedmont, Veneto, Liguria, Le Marche, Puglia and Sardinia.

If you enjoy eating and cooking Italian food, you'll love this book. Make a start by trying the recipes below.

Polenta and Sausage Lasagne - (Veneto)

This recipe provides the ultimate in scrumptious comfort food for those long winter evenings. It's perfect to prepare ahead and pop in the oven when you're ready, and served with nothing more complicated than a fresh green salad.

SERVES 4-6

200g quick cook polenta
350g Sicilian pork and herb sausages (or similar Italian fresh pork sausages)
1 jar Sacla Tomato and Mascarpone Stir Through sauce
150ml crème fraiche
70g parmesan grated
A knob of butter

1. Bring a pan with 800ml boiling water up to the boil. Add the polenta in a steady stream, along with the butter and a handful of the parmesan, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or whisk. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until firm. Pour into a greased swiss roll tin and allow to set.
2. Meanwhile pan fry the sausages for 15 minutes, until golden, brown and cooked through.
3. Turn out the polenta and cut into 5cm squares, cut each into 2 triangles. Layer half the polenta in a 1.5lt baking dish. Slice the sausages and lay on top.
4. Pour over the Tomato and Mascarpone Stir Through sauce, then top with the remaining polenta slices. Spoon over the creme fraiche on top and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 120 C/180 fan/gas 6 until golden and bubbling.

Prince Charles's Mussel Sauce - (Le Marche)

Here is a quick, cheat's version of a spaghetti sauce cooked for Prince Charles when he visited Italy some years ago.

SERVES 4

400g spaghetti
1 kg/2.2 lb mussels
A little chopped parsley
476ml/l5fl oz white wine
1 jar Sacla Whole Cherry Tomato and Chilli pasta sauce

1. Scrub the mussels and remove the beards. They should all be closed - throw away any that remain open when you tap them.
2. Heat the wine in a large pan, add the mussels, then cover the pan and return to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that have not opened. When cool enough to handle, remove the mussels from the shells and chop them finely.
3. Meanwhile, put a large pan of water on to boil and cook your pasta for the time stated on the packet. Drain the pasta.
4. In a separate pan heat a jar of Whole Cherry Tomato and Chilli pasta sauce, with 100ml of the mussel cooking juices, add the mussels and bring to the boil. Drain the pasta and pour the sauce over the top

For more information on Italian food, visit www.italianfoodlovers.com.

Published by Conran Octopus. amazon: £15 (rrp: £25)