Nigella goes Italian in her new cookbook, Nigellissima

When we got our hot little hands on Nigellissima, we headed straight to the kitchen, cracked the spine and got cooking. But deciding which of Nigella Lawson’s mouth-watering and easy-to-make recipes to feature was quite the conundrum. Sausage Meatballs! Italian Tempura Shrimp! Chocolate Salami...um, hello? In the end, we decided on five fresh recipes that will warm you up on the chilly eves of early spring. We loved the vibrant flavours of the beef Pizzaiola and marvelled at how quickly this juicy steak dish came together. Next, we chose the green beans with Pistachio Pesto, strictly for colour. Little did we know, as we started popping the beans in our mouths like fries, that they’d become a new veggie favourite! On it went, through baked gnocchi, and eggplant and onions, until finally it was time for dessert. We were skeptical about the chocolate olive oil cake, but once again, Nigella won us over with its moist, decadent goodness. She’d be a welcome guest in the Chatelaine Kitchen anytime!

Read more of our intimate one-on-one with Nigella from our visit to her London home, where spills about her kids, her new TV show and the marvels of spandex.