Italian is without a doubt one of the UK's favourite imported cuisines - no British high street is complete without a branch of one of the many Italian chains and a handful of independent 'ristoranti italiani'.

However as this comprehensive collection of Italian recipes shows, there's so much more to Italian cuisine than pizza and pasta. Each region has its own very unique gastronomic heritage, for example Paul Ainsworth's arancini are deep-fried rice balls originating in Sicily while hearty polenta, which Tom Aikens makes with basil, is typical of Northern Italian fare. These fantastic Italian recipes are both delicious and suitable for any occasion. Buon Appetito!

If you love Italian food, you'll love Great Italian Chefs where we have hundreds of recipes from the greatest chefs working in Italy today.