"You can go down the path of mincing your own pork or buy it minced from a good producer. You want a nice amount of fat for texture and flavour, but not too much for a dish like meatballs or they will be mushy." – Joel Valvasori-Pereza

Entertaining has never been easier, thanks to the great Italian porchetta. This is an edited extract from A Year of Simple Family Food by Julia Busuttil Nishimura, Published by Plum, $39.99. You'll need to start this recipe a day ahead, and you'll need kitchen string.

This Italian dessert is so impressive, guests will think it's from the local bakery. You'll need a piping bag with a 1.5m plain or star nozzle for this recipe.

A classic, and superbly balanced Italian dish, loved by seafood lovers everywhere, brought to you by Mitch Orr.

Mitch Orr's olive oil cake is the savoury treat of your dreams. Best served with coffee, at morning or afternoon tea.

Nothing beats a classic Italian carbonara.

This Italian sausage and white bean braise is a super-easy variation on meatballs, according to Gaby Chapman and Jen Petrovic. This recipe is an edited extract from Plan, Buy, Cook by Gaby Chapman and Jen Petrovic (published by Hardie Grant, $29.99).

Enjoy a taste of Italy in springtime with this rustic crostata dessert from Danielle Alvarez.

“Use a good-quality chicken stock – it will make all the difference to the sauce." – Dominic Smith

Buckle up, this espresso martini tiramisu delivers a heady kick. Be sure to choose the best-quality mascarpone for this luscious recipe.

This makes a meal of robust toast.

Classic Italian cacio e pepe is an easy dish, made all the more impressive by colourful homemade spaghetti. You will need a pasta machine for this recipe.

These bite-sized beauties are the perfect way to kick off any dinner party.

Anchovies are the perfect salty seafood addition to this marinara pizza by Luke Powell.

This is the dinner from your lasagne dreams. Could there possibly be anything better than a bacon bechamel?