Mediterranean — Table & Traditions

These dishes also live in World Classics under Europe and the Middle East & North Africa — here they’re gathered as one Mediterranean table.

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Every Mediterranean recipe

31 recipes across the Mediterranean.

Overhead view of a round hammered copper tray of pistachio baklava on a white marble surface: about two dozen diamond-cut pieces with deep golden, syrup-glossed tops of ruffled paper-thin pastry, scattered unevenly with coarsely ground green pistachio, and two pieces at the front tipped onto their sides so the layered cross-section and the seam of nut through the middle are visible. A rumpled charcoal linen cloth lies to the left, a tall glass of amber tea sits at the top right, and a white cup and saucer, a small bowl of whole pistachios and a cup of dark tea are ranged down the right-hand side, with a few loose pistachios scattered on the marble.

Veg

Gaziantep, south-eastern Anatolia — with living traditions across Greece, the Levant, Armenia and the Balkans · Turkish

Baklava — Gaziantep Pistachio, Clarified Butter and Forty Sheets of Yufka

The best baklava is not the sweetest — it is the crispest. This is the Gaziantep way: a tray of tissue-thin pastry, ground green pistachio, clarified butter and a plain lemon-sharpened sugar syrup, cut before it bakes and drenched hot-on-cold so every layer shatters instead of sagging.

IntermediateSweetsMediterranean

A nest of spaghetti cacio e pepe twirled in a bowl, coated in a glossy, creamy pale sauce and flecked all over with coarsely ground black pepper, finished with a dusting of grated Pecorino.

Veg

Rome, Lazio · Italian

Cacio e Pepe (Roman Pasta with Pecorino and Black Pepper)

Rome's three-ingredient masterpiece: spaghetti tossed with Pecorino Romano and toasted black pepper into a glossy, clinging sauce — no cream, no butter, just cheese, pepper, pasta, and starchy water. Simple to list, technical to nail.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A bowl of glossy Sicilian caponata — golden-brown eggplant cubes with celery, tomato, green olives and capers in a dark sweet-sour sauce, scattered with pine nuts and torn basil.

Vegan

Sicily · Italian

Caponata (Sicilian Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant)

Sicily's great agrodolce: fried eggplant folded with celery, tomato, capers and olives in a sweet-sour sauce sharpened with vinegar and sugar. Better the next day, served at room temperature as a starter, side or relish.

IntermediateSidesMediterranean

Sliced, charred spiced chicken shawarma piled on flatbread with white garlic sauce, bright pink pickled turnips, tomato and parsley, one wrap rolled and cut to show the filling.

The Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine) · Lebanese

Chicken Shawarma (Levantine Spiced Roast Chicken)

Home-style chicken shawarma: thigh meat marinated in yogurt, garlic and a warm Levantine spice blend, roasted until charred and juicy, then sliced and wrapped in flatbread with garlic sauce, pickles and tomato.

EasyMainsMediterranean

Charred golden chicken souvlaki skewers resting on a wooden board beside warm pita, a bowl of white tzatziki, sliced tomato and red onion, and bright lemon wedges.

Greece (pan-Hellenic) · Greek

Chicken Souvlaki (Greek Lemon-Oregano Skewers)

Greece's great street food: chunks of chicken marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano, threaded on skewers and grilled over high heat until charred and juicy. Served with warm pita, tzatziki, and a squeeze of lemon.

EasyMainsMediterranean

A shallow bowl of stewed brown fava beans, partly mashed and glossy with olive oil pooled in a well, topped with diced red tomato, chopped parsley and a wedge of lemon, warm pita alongside.

Vegan

Egypt (pan-Egyptian) · Egyptian

Ful Medames (Egyptian Stewed Fava Beans)

Egypt's ancient breakfast: fava beans slow-simmered until soft, mashed with garlic, cumin, lemon and olive oil, and finished with tomato and herbs. Scooped with warm bread, it's been fuelling the country for millennia.

EasyBreakfastMediterranean

A small earthenware cazuela of pink garlic prawns bubbling in golden olive oil with slices of toasted garlic, flecks of red chilli and chopped parsley, a crusty loaf and lemon wedge alongside.

Spain (Andalusia & Madrid) · Spanish

Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp)

The fastest great tapa there is: plump prawns sizzled in olive oil with sliced garlic, a pinch of dried chilli and a splash of sherry, served bubbling hot with bread to soak up the golden, garlicky oil.

EasySnacksMediterranean

A bowl of smooth, deep-red gazpacho topped with finely diced cucumber, pepper, and tomato and a drizzle of golden olive oil, with crusty bread alongside.

Vegan

Andalusia · Spanish

Gazpacho Andaluz (Spanish Chilled Tomato Soup)

Andalusia's answer to summer heat: ripe raw tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, garlic, and good olive oil blended silky-smooth and served ice-cold. No cooking, just a blender and the best tomatoes you can find.

EasySidesMediterranean

A square of Greek moussaka lifted from a baking dish, showing distinct layers of golden potato, eggplant, and cinnamon-spiced lamb ragù beneath a thick, deeply browned béchamel top.

Greece · Greek

Greek Moussaka (Layered Eggplant and Lamb Bake)

Greece's grand baked casserole: layers of roasted eggplant and potato over a cinnamon-scented lamb ragù, crowned with a thick blanket of béchamel that bakes into a golden, custardy top. A make-ahead showpiece worth every step.

AdvancedMainsMediterranean

A bowl of rich red-brown Moroccan harira thick with chickpeas, lentils and herbs, a swirl of steam rising, with lemon wedges, dates and a sticky chebakia pastry on the side.

Morocco (Maghreb) · Moroccan

Harira (Moroccan Chickpea, Lentil and Tomato Soup)

Morocco's beloved soup: a hearty, tangy broth of chickpeas, lentils and tomatoes thickened with a flour-and-water tadouira, fragrant with ginger, turmeric and a flurry of herbs. The traditional dish for breaking the Ramadan fast.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A rustic bowl of Greek village salad — red tomato wedges, cucumber, green pepper rings, red onion and dark Kalamata olives topped with a thick white slab of feta dusted with oregano and glossy with olive oil.

Keto

Greece (pan-Hellenic) · Greek

Horiatiki (Greek Village Salad)

The real Greek salad: ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, red onion and Kalamata olives under a thick slab of feta, dressed with nothing but good olive oil, oregano and salt. No lettuce, no vinaigrette — just summer on a plate.

EasySidesMediterranean

A shallow bowl of pale, silky hummus swirled into a well that pools with golden olive oil, dusted with red paprika and topped with whole chickpeas and parsley, warm pita alongside.

Vegan

The Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine) · Lebanese

Hummus (Lebanese Chickpea and Tahini Dip)

Properly smooth, lemony hummus: chickpeas blended with a generous amount of tahini, lemon and garlic into a silky, savoury dip, swirled in a bowl and pooled with good olive oil. The cornerstone of the mezze table.

EasySnacksMediterranean

Whole braised eggplant split open and stuffed with a glossy tangle of sweet onion, garlic and tomato, glistening in olive oil on a plate with parsley and a lemon wedge.

Vegan

Turkey (Ottoman / pan-Turkish) · Turkish

İmam Bayıldı (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant in Olive Oil)

The eggplant dish so good 'the imam fainted': whole eggplant braised soft in olive oil and stuffed with a sweet tangle of onion, garlic and tomato. Served at room temperature, it's the star of the Turkish olive-oil table.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A deep bowl of Egyptian koshari layered with rice and brown lentils, macaroni and chickpeas under a red spiced tomato sauce, crowned with a tall heap of golden crispy fried onions.

Vegan

Egypt (Cairo) · Egyptian

Koshari (Egyptian Rice, Lentils, Pasta and Crispy Onions)

Egypt's national dish and ultimate comfort food: a glorious carb-on-carb layering of rice, brown lentils and macaroni topped with chickpeas, a garlicky-spiced tomato sauce, a sharp vinegar daqqa, and a mountain of crispy fried onions.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A square slice of lasagne alla bolognese lifted from the baking dish, showing fine layers of green spinach pasta, deep-brown ragù and creamy besciamella, with a browned Parmigiano crust on top, on a rustic wooden table in warm natural light.

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna · Italian

Lasagne alla Bolognese (The Authentic Recipe from Bologna)

Bologna's definitive baked pasta: thin sheets of green spinach egg pasta layered with a long-simmered ragù, silky besciamella and Parmigiano Reggiano. No ricotta, no mozzarella, no shortcuts — just eight patient layers that bake into something greater than their parts.

AdvancedMainsMediterranean

A small two-handled pan of menemen — soft eggs cooked into a thick red sauce of tomato and green peppers, dusted with red pepper flakes and parsley, with crusty bread alongside.

Veg

Aegean Turkey (Menemen, İzmir) · Turkish

Menemen (Turkish Eggs with Tomato and Peppers)

Turkey's beloved breakfast: eggs cooked soft and creamy in a simmer of tomatoes, green peppers and olive oil, gently spiced and eaten straight from the pan with plenty of bread. Quick, cheap and deeply comforting.

EasyBreakfastMediterranean

A traditional conical clay tagine open to reveal golden saffron-stained chicken pieces in a rich onion sauce, topped with slices of preserved lemon, green olives, and fresh coriander.

Keto

Morocco · Moroccan

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives

The classic of the Moroccan table: chicken slow-cooked with preserved lemon, green olives, ginger, and saffron until the meat slips off the bone in a golden, deeply savoury sauce. Aromatic, gently spiced, and far easier than it looks.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A large platter mounded with pale fluffy couscous crowned with carrots, turnip, golden squash, courgette and chickpeas in a fragrant broth, steam rising, a bowl of red harissa beside it.

Vegan

Morocco (Maghreb) · Moroccan

Moroccan Vegetable Couscous (Seven-Vegetable Couscous)

The Friday couscous: fluffy steamed semolina mounded under a fragrant broth of seven vegetables — carrots, turnip, squash, courgette, chickpeas and more — gently spiced and slow-simmered. A celebratory one-pot for the table.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A Neapolitan pizza margherita with a puffed, charred rim, a thin red tomato base, molten white mozzarella, and fresh green basil leaves, on a wooden peel.

Veg

Naples, Campania · Italian

Neapolitan Pizza Margherita

The original pizza: a slow-fermented dough stretched thin, topped simply with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil, and blasted in the hottest oven you've got until the rim puffs and chars. Three toppings, one perfect pie.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A wide paella pan of paella valenciana — saffron-yellow rice studded with browned chicken and rabbit pieces, flat green beans, and white butter beans, garnished with lemon wedges and a sprig of rosemary, set on a rustic table.

Valencia · Spanish

Paella Valenciana (Authentic Valencian Paella)

The original paella from Valencia — not a seafood free-for-all, but chicken, rabbit, and green beans cooked with bomba rice, saffron, and a prized layer of toasted crust called the socarrat. Cooked in a wide pan over a wide flame, it's a Sunday ritual as much as a recipe.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A white bowl of rigatoni alla Norma coated in red tomato sauce, studded with golden-brown fried eggplant cubes, topped with a snowfall of grated white ricotta salata and a few bright green basil leaves.

Veg

Catania, Sicily · Italian

Pasta alla Norma (Sicilian Pasta with Fried Eggplant)

Catania's great eggplant pasta: fried aubergine folded into a bright tomato sauce, tossed with rigatoni, and showered with salty ricotta salata and torn basil. A vegetarian dish that eats like a celebration.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A rustic plate of golden, crisp-fried potato cubes drizzled with rust-red smoky brava sauce and ribbons of white garlic allioli, a few cocktail sticks tucked in at the side.

Veg

Spain (Madrid & pan-Spanish) · Spanish

Patatas Bravas (Spanish Fried Potatoes with Spicy Sauce)

The definitive tapa: crisp golden cubes of fried potato under a smoky, lightly spicy brava sauce — and, in the Madrid style, a cool garlic allioli too. Crunchy outside, fluffy within, gone in minutes.

IntermediateSnacksMediterranean

A plate of trofie pasta coated in vivid green basil pesto, flecked with pine nuts and grated cheese, a marble mortar and pestle with more pesto and fresh basil leaves behind.

Veg

Liguria (Genoa) · Italian

Pesto alla Genovese (Genoese Basil Pesto)

The real Ligurian pesto: fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, two cheeses and good olive oil pounded into a vivid green sauce, tossed through pasta with a splash of starchy water. No cooking, no compromise — raw, fragrant and fast.

EasyMainsMediterranean

A bowl of spaghetti alla carbonara twirled into a nest, glossy with egg-and-Pecorino sauce, flecked with crisp golden guanciale and coarse black pepper, on a rustic table in warm natural light.

Rome, Lazio · Italian

Spaghetti alla Carbonara (The Authentic Roman Recipe)

Rome's four-ingredient masterpiece: spaghetti bound in a glossy sauce of egg, Pecorino Romano and rendered guanciale, finished with a storm of black pepper. No cream, no garlic, no onion — just technique. Silky, salty and deeply savoury.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A bowl of glossy spaghetti alle vongole twirled with open clam shells, flecks of red chilli and green parsley, glistening with garlicky olive oil, a lemon wedge on the rim.

Naples & Campania · Italian

Spaghetti alle Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)

Naples in a bowl: spaghetti tossed with clams steamed open in white wine, garlic, chilli and olive oil, emulsified with their own briny juices into a glossy sauce. No cheese, no fuss — just the sea, in minutes.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A golden, crisp-layered spanakopita cut into squares on parchment, the flaky phyllo top scattered with sesame seeds and one square tilted to show the dark-green spinach and white feta filling inside.

Veg

Greece (pan-Hellenic) · Greek

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach and Feta Pie)

The great Greek spinach pie: a generous filling of wilted spinach, herbs, scallions and sharp feta, baked between shatteringly crisp layers of butter-and-oil brushed phyllo. Cut into squares, served warm or at room temperature.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

A plate of Egyptian ta'ameya — sesame-crusted golden fava-bean falafel patties, one split open to show a vivid green herby interior, with a bowl of tahini sauce, tomato and pickles alongside.

Vegan

Egypt (Cairo & the Delta) · Egyptian

Ta'ameya (Egyptian Fava Bean Falafel)

Egypt's own falafel: split dried fava beans blitzed with herbs, leeks and garlic into a vivid green batter, formed into patties and fried until shatteringly crisp outside and fluffy-green within. Lighter and herbier than its chickpea cousin.

IntermediateSnacksMediterranean

A vivid green bowl of tabbouleh — finely chopped parsley and mint flecked with red diced tomato and pale bulgur, glistening with olive oil and lemon, crisp romaine leaves tucked at the side.

Vegan

The Levant (Lebanon & Syria) · Lebanese

Tabbouleh (Lebanese Parsley and Bulgur Salad)

The real Lebanese tabbouleh: a vivid green salad that's mostly finely chopped parsley and mint, with just a little fine bulgur, sweet tomato and a sharp lemon-and-olive-oil dressing. Fresh, herby and nothing like the grain-heavy imitations.

EasySidesMediterranean

A thick golden Spanish potato tortilla on a plate, one wedge cut to reveal the layered potato and just-set custardy egg centre, with a crusty loaf and a small dish of allioli beside it.

Veg

Spain (pan-Spanish) · Spanish

Tortilla Española (Spanish Potato Omelette)

Spain's national dish in a pan: potatoes slowly confited in olive oil, bound with egg and cooked into a thick, golden cake with a just-set, custardy centre. Served warm or at room temperature, in wedges or cubes.

IntermediateMainsMediterranean

Charred oval Turkish köfte on a platter with grilled green peppers and tomatoes, a sumac-dusted onion salad and a bowl of yogurt, warm flatbread tucked alongside.

Turkey (pan-Turkish) · Turkish

Turkish Köfte (Spiced Grilled Meatballs)

Turkey's everyday favourite: ground meat kneaded with onion, garlic and cumin, shaped into little ovals and grilled or pan-fried until charred outside and juicy within. Served with flatbread, grilled peppers and a cooling salad.

EasyMainsMediterranean

A shallow dish of jammy red-brown Moroccan zaalouk made of mashed smoky eggplant and tomato flecked with green coriander, glossy with olive oil, crusty bread alongside for scooping.

Vegan

Morocco (Maghreb) · Moroccan

Zaalouk (Moroccan Smoky Eggplant and Tomato Salad)

A Moroccan cooked salad to love: charred eggplant and tomato melted down with garlic, cumin, paprika and coriander into a smoky, jammy dip. Scooped with bread, warm or at room temperature, on every Moroccan table.

EasySidesMediterranean

More from the table

Explore the wider World Classics collection, the regional cuisines of India, or browse the full recipe collection.

One sea, many tables.

Baklava — Gaziantep Pistachio, Clarified Butter and Forty Sheets of Yufka

Cacio e Pepe (Roman Pasta with Pecorino and Black Pepper)

Caponata (Sicilian Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant)

Chicken Shawarma (Levantine Spiced Roast Chicken)

Chicken Souvlaki (Greek Lemon-Oregano Skewers)

Ful Medames (Egyptian Stewed Fava Beans)

Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp)

Gazpacho Andaluz (Spanish Chilled Tomato Soup)

Greek Moussaka (Layered Eggplant and Lamb Bake)

Harira (Moroccan Chickpea, Lentil and Tomato Soup)

Horiatiki (Greek Village Salad)

Hummus (Lebanese Chickpea and Tahini Dip)

İmam Bayıldı (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant in Olive Oil)

Koshari (Egyptian Rice, Lentils, Pasta and Crispy Onions)

Lasagne alla Bolognese (The Authentic Recipe from Bologna)

Menemen (Turkish Eggs with Tomato and Peppers)

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives

Moroccan Vegetable Couscous (Seven-Vegetable Couscous)

Neapolitan Pizza Margherita

Paella Valenciana (Authentic Valencian Paella)

Pasta alla Norma (Sicilian Pasta with Fried Eggplant)

Patatas Bravas (Spanish Fried Potatoes with Spicy Sauce)

Pesto alla Genovese (Genoese Basil Pesto)

Spaghetti alla Carbonara (The Authentic Roman Recipe)

Spaghetti alle Vongole (Spaghetti with Clams)

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach and Feta Pie)

Ta'ameya (Egyptian Fava Bean Falafel)

Tabbouleh (Lebanese Parsley and Bulgur Salad)

Tortilla Española (Spanish Potato Omelette)

Turkish Köfte (Spiced Grilled Meatballs)

Zaalouk (Moroccan Smoky Eggplant and Tomato Salad)

More from the table