Recipe collection

Julia Busuttil Nishimura's Roman holiday: Italian recipes to transport you

Once a week, while living and studying in Tuscany, I would catch an early morning train into the centre of Rome, a pilgrimage of the edible kind.The day couldn't begin anywhere else but a bar, where I would order a maritozzo, a soft and pillowy yeasted bun, sometimes studded with raisins and pine nuts, split and filled with whipped cream. It's possibly the most Roman breakfast there is.After running errands, I'd have lunch at an osteria, hopeful for fritti on the menu: In summer, zucchini flowers, and in the cooler months, sage leaves. After fritti, a plate of pasta.As the sun began to set on the Eternal City, I would make one last stop at a little shop that sold prepared food. My favourite one made the most amazing fennel alla parmigiana, not a Roman dish by any means, but I could never leave without trying some.While we may not be able to have a Roman holiday right now, at least we have cream-filled buns and dreams – Julia Busuttil Nishimura