Recipes

Scared of stir-frying? Give this vegetarian tray bake a go. All the flavours of a stir-fry with some extra punch and none of the splatter – just put it in the oven and relax.

If you have some ginger that needs using, we’ve added a quick pickled ginger recipe to serve on top, but feel free to skip it or buy pickled ginger if you’d prefer.

Cannelloni, meaning large tubes, is one of our favourite stuffed pasta dishes. This recipe brings an impressive and comforting meal to the table – pasta tubes filled with vibrant green spinach and creamy ricotta, all baked in a bright tomato sauce. It’s perfect for dinner parties and family gatherings. We highly recommend using fresh ricotta from the delicatessen for a smoother, lighter filling, as often the pre-packaged tubs have a grittiness and heaviness that weighs down the dish.

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni is not only delicious and nutritious but also make-ahead-friendly. It’s on high rotation in the Clove Kitchen, and we love the leftovers for lunch the next day. Save it to your favourite dinners folder; it’s a real winner!

I love this recipe because it uses all the green things in the fridge that have a relatively short life span: snow peas, asparagus, spinach, lettuce, watercress, and peas. Feel free to throw in thinly sliced fennel, green beans or small broccoli florets.

Here they are gently cooked in stock or white wine with garlic and pepper. It’s a light, clean, and perfect green side to serve with baked fish, roast chicken, or an omelette and toast.

Melanzane Ripieni, or Stuffed Eggplants, are a cherished dish in southern Italy, particularly popular for their flavorful and hearty combination of ingredients. This recipe calls for small eggplants, ideally on the smaller side, to be used as they are easier to handle and cook more evenly. The filling is a savory blend of pork and veal mince combined with fresh parsley, basil, and an optional touch of garlic for those who prefer a hint of its robust flavor.

The eggplants are first boiled to soften the insides before they are hollowed out. The flesh is then cooked with onions and herbs until it reaches a soft, homogeneous consistency. This cooked mixture is combined with breadcrumbs, parmesan or pecorino cheese, and eggs to create a rich, flavorful filling. The mixture is then stuffed back into the eggplant shells and topped with a simple sauce made from passata and herbs, before being baked until tender. This traditional dish is highly versatile, making it suitable for enjoying warm directly out of the oven or cold the following day. It also holds up well to freezing, allowing for convenient preparation in advance for future cravings. Perfect for sharing a taste of nonna’s kitchen, Melanzane Ripieni embodies the heart and soul of home-cooked Italian cuisine.

Really, taco bowls can be whatever you want them to be. The basic formula is rice, beans, meat, and veg with optional sour cream or grated cheese.

This one is vibrant, colorful, and packed with flavor. In our opinion, the pickled corn and black bean salsa is the hero of this bowl. It’s tangy, zesty, and really addictive, especially when combined with tender slices of marinated skirt steak, avocado, and a dollop of sour cream.

Make this bowl your own. It would be extra delicious with a tomato rice base or with chili lime grilled fish instead of steak.

A lasagna has three parts: the filling, the béchamel, and the pasta sheets. They are a weekend project, not a quick Tuesday night dinner. However, if you prep the elements beforehand, you can assemble a lasagna pretty quickly. This mushroom and spinach lasagna is a vegetarian show-off dinner.

It’s earthy, rich, and full of big flavours. It’s the meal to make when you want to show someone how much you love them. You can cook the ragu and the spinach a few days in advance; however, we suggest making the parmesan béchamel fresh. Serve this to your guests with a simple green salad and wait for a standing ovation.

This salad came to life a few years ago, on a night when I improvised with whatever leftovers I had in my fridge. To my surprise, this simple mix turned into a real hit! Ever since, every time I serve it, my guests ask me for the recipe. So here’s this spontaneous creation that has become a classic in my home!

PS : You can see parmesan cheese in the picture but I highly recommend Feta Cheese instead!