The region of Abruzzo is often ignored when people speak of Italian food, usually preferring Tuscan cuisine. Abruzzese cooking is truly exquisite however and worth delving into. Their dishes are full of the strong flavours of hot chilli pepper, virgin olive oil and saffron. This creates a mixture of deep and rich flavours.

One of their speciality dishes is fried fish marinated in vinegar, mainly associated with Chieti. The art of marinating in vinegar is known as scapece and is Spanish in origin. It is common for all kinds of fish and vegetables to be marinated in this way, including aubergines, courgettes and sardines.

Another traditional and tasty dish is scrippelle or crepes. These wonderful snacks are made from a light and airy dough, which often includes riced potatoes, and are deep fried. Sometimes they are served with a savoury filling and covered in cheese. The Abruzzese will claim they are the orginators of the crepe!

Spicy sausages and dried meats come from the internal farms of the region and are often served with polenta. A particularly popular dish is polenta with sausage ragu. This hearty dish is fantastic for the hard Winter months and a traditional mainstay in the more rural areas.

This week's recipe, Tortellli with Spinach & Ricotta, is a homage to Parma - a great foodie town of Northern Italy home to some of the most beloved ingredients of Italian cuisine.

Next week is Cibus an important food fair in Parma where all the restaurants are busy preparing huge amounts of Tortelli. If you happen to be in Milan, Bologna or Florence don't forget to check Parma out - you will be surprised how beautiful it is!

Just the thought of filled pasta suffused with melted butter, infused with dried sage and served on a simple white plate, conjures up a vision of ‘Tortelli con ricotta e spinaci’ that can only say ‘Parma’! Maybe the pale yellow hue of egg pasta is enough to recall the darker ‘Parma yellow’ that adorns the façade of the Regia Opera House and all other of its historic buildings.

Spring is one of the most exciting times in Italy, with the markets suddenly awash with the most incredible selection of vegetables following the cold winter months. Italians are passionate about vegetables. They are not merely an accompaniment to meat and fish, many vegetable dishes can stand on their own and three together make a hearty meal.

There is a certain simplicity in Italian vegetable cooking, based on the use of very fresh, high quality ingredients and a small number of flavours combined together in any one dish. Italians never overcook their vegetables, serving them al dente. This maintains the fresh flavour.

A wide variety of beans and peas can be found across the country, in particular green beans and fava beans, which are particularly prevalent in Puglian cooking. Fava bean puree is often served as an accompaniment. A traditional Puglian recipe is Minestrone di Fave con Cicoria (fava bean soup woth chicory).

Asparagus are a fantastic and tasty Spring vegetable and excellent tossed in butter to gently soften them. Similarly, aubergines can be found in mounds. These are one of my favourite vegetables and are fantastic grilled and drizzled in olive oil. They can also be stuffed with pureed fava beans and baked with a topping of Parmigiana Reggiano.

The legend of the founding of Rome is very important to the traditions and identity of the city. The myth tells us of twins born to Rhea Silvia and the god of war, Mars.  Rhea Silvia was the daughter of Numitor, who had been deposed from the throne of Alba Longa by Amulius. In order to prevent Rhea Silvia giving birth, Amulius forced her to become a Vestal Virgin. However, as ancient gods often did, Mars interfered and helped her conceive the twins.

Furious, Amulius took the twin boys, Romulus and Remus, from Rhea and abandoned them to die. They were discoveredby a she-wolf who suckled them, one of the stranger parts of the myth! They were bought up as shepherds by their human foster parents.

When they came of age, their true identities were finally revealed. Angered at the injustice done to their grandfather and mother, they killed Amulius and restored Numitor to the throne. They then decided to found their own city – a decision which would determine the fate of the twins.

Romulus decided that he wanted to build the new city on the Palatine Hill and Remus decided the Aventine Hill. In order to rectify this potentially disastrous disagreement, they turned to the gods and through an Augur, or priest, they sought an answer. The signs appeared to show Romulus to be correct, but Remus wouldn’t agree the results. A bloody argument ensued and Remus was killed by his brother.