Pizza is a crowd-pleasing dish that’s ideal for sharing, and this bar-style version from Emiko Davies’ Florentine is so simple to achieve. Prepare your dough the afternoon of your dinner party as it will need some time to rise. About half-an-hour before your guests are due to arrive, roll out your pizza bases, add the toppings and place in the oven to cook. By the time they ring the buzzer, that bready scent will be wafting from the oven – a nice way to start the night.
To drink: sangiovese-based wines like Chianti and Chianti Classico are some of Italy’s greatest pizza wines – don’t mess with the formula.
This recipe for beef ragu requires all of 10 minutes to cook. Want to be the host who dishes out a sumptuous meal with ease and spends plenty of time talking to their guests? Then bookmark this. You could also prepare it prior to your dinner party’s start, letting it simmer low and slow over a longer period for a rich end result. If you really want to up the ante, make your own pasta to pour it over and then serve it with a stick of crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
To drink: there’s a splash of nero d’Avola in the sauce, so you might as well polish that off.
This glossy chocolate tart will make a show-stopping finish to your dinner and you can make it ahead, reducing your kitchen time on the night. In fact, to minimise stress on the day, we’d recommend making it the night before or sooner, as it will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
To drink: do as the Italians do and send your guests on their way with a strong espresso stirred with a heaped spoonful of sugar. Alternatively, a fortified wine like sherry or port would make a good pairing.
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