Europe

France, Italy, Spain, Greece & beyond

European cooking, at its best, is restraint: a few good ingredients, the right technique, and time. It is the patient braises of France, the rice and seafood of Spain, the layered bakes of Greece, and the deceptively simple pastas of Italy where three ingredients become dinner.

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Every recipe

17 recipes in this region.

A cast-iron casserole of boeuf bourguignon — large chunks of dark, tender beef in a glossy deep-red wine sauce with whole pearl onions, golden mushrooms, and crisp bacon lardons, garnished with fresh thyme.

Burgundy · French

Boeuf Bourguignon (Burgundy Beef Braised in Red Wine)

The great beef stew of Burgundy: chunks of beef braised slowly in red wine with bacon lardons, pearl onions, and mushrooms until the sauce turns deep and glossy. A weekend project that rewards patience with one of France's most satisfying dishes.

IntermediateMainsMake-ahead

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

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 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 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 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 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 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 Neapolitan pizza Margherita on a wooden board — blistered puffy crust topped with red tomato sauce, melted fresh mozzarella, and bright green basil leaves.

Veg

Naples, Campania (Italy) · Italian

Pizza Margherita (Neapolitan)

Naples' defining pizza — a blistered, chewy crust under San Marzano tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, and good olive oil. Three toppings in the colours of the Italian flag, and a slow-fermented dough that does the heavy lifting.

IntermediateMainsSlow-fermented

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 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