Manu’s Menu

Authentic Italian Home Cooking & More

  • Home
  • About
    • About me
    • About this site
    • About my photography
    • Privacy and Disclosure Policy
  • Recipes
    • Visual Archive
    • Regional Italian Recipes
  • Books
    • The Cool Side of Summer
    • Manu’s Christmas Menus
    • MsM’s Mobile App
  • Work With Me
    • Affiliate Sign-Up
    • Featured On
  • Out & About
    • Africa
      • South Africa 2019
    • Americas
      • Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize
      • CHILE AND ARGENTINA 2018
    • Asia
      • India
      • Japan 2015
      • Japan 2017
      • Japan 2018
      • Singapore
    • Europe
      • Slovenia and Croatia 2019
      • Italy 2019
    • Oceania
      • French Polynesia (Tahiti) 2017
      • French Polynesia (Tahiti)
      • New Caledonia
      • New Zealand
      • South Island – New Zealand Guide
  • Blogging Tips
    • Blogging Platform
    • Web Hosting
    • Technology Tips
    • Food Photography
    • Increasing Traffic to your Blog
    • Links
      • MsM in Your Kitchen
      • Events
        • 150 years of the Unification of Italy
        • Olio, Erbe e Fantasia – LILT
  • Tips
    • Techniques
      • Pasta and Gnocchi
      • Pizza and Other Doughs
      • Sauces and Other Basics
      • Decorations
    • Cake and Cookie decoration
      • Cake & Marshmallow Pops
        • Flowery Cake Pops
        • Hello Kitty Cake Pops
        • Dorothy the Dinosaur Cake Pops
        • Christmas Tree Cake Pops
        • Sea Marshmallow Pops
      • Fondant Cakes
        • Moo Cake
        • South Pole Cake
        • Lola Cake
        • Hello Kitty Yogurt Cake
        • Dorothy the Dinosaur Cake
        • The Little Mermaid Yogurt Cake
        • The Little Mermaid Fondant Cake
        • Sweet Sushi Mini Fondant Cakes
        • Peppa Pig Cake
        • Tinkerbell Cake
        • Miffy Cake
        • Olaf Yogurt Cake
        • Frozen Cake
      • Sugar Cookies
        • Heart Sugar Cookies
        • Dorothy the Dinosaur Sugar Cookies
        • Christmas Tree Ornament Sugar Cookies
      • Eggless Sugar Cookies
        • Chinese New Year Cookies
        • St. Patrick’s Day Cookies
      • Shortbread Cookies
        • Shortbread and Chocolate Hearts
        • Baby Shower Shortbread Cookies
        • Flounder Shortbread Cookie Pops
      • Easy Chocolate Cookies
    • Conversion Tables
    • Gift Ideas
      • Christmas 2010
      • Christmas 2011
      • Christmas 2012
      • Christmas 2013
      • Christmas 2014
      • Christmas 2015
    • Ingredients
    • Where I Shop for Italian Food in Sydney
  • Contact
Porcini and Taleggio Lasagne

Porcini and Taleggio Lasagne

Merry Christmas everybody! For Christmas, Italians often prepare a pasta bake or lasagne, so today I thought of sharing one of my all time favourite: Porcini and Taleggio Lasagne. This has to be one of my all time favourite vegetarian lasagne!  It is very easy to make and it only requires a few ingredients.  Yet, the…

Read More »

Chocolate cat cookies cooling on a wire rack, decorated with bright candy pieces.

Cat Cookies

Cute feline-shaped Cat Cookies with bright eyes add a meow-worthy touch to any party! Add M&M’s for bright colour and a fun, friendly look that brightens the spread.

Radicchio and Taleggio Lasagne

Radicchio and Taleggio Lasagne

This, together with my Pesto Lasagne, has to be one of my all time favourite vegetarian lasagne!  It is very easy to make and it only requires a few ingredients.  Yet, the end result tastes amazing.  I think Taleggio and Radicchio were created to be eaten together as their flavours complement each other perfectly.  These…

Read More »

Miffy Chocolate Cookies

MIFFY CHOCOLATE COOKIES

I made these cookies for my daughter’s 4th birthday party.  If you follow this blog, you will already know that the theme was Miffy, the little bunny.  I made some Mini Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, some Miffys/Bunny Marshmallow Pops, a Miffy Cake and these cookies.  They were quite successful and they were all gone…

Read More »

Lasagne with zucchini pesto, speck and smoked scamorza

LASAGNE WITH ZUCCHINI PESTO, SPECK AND SMOKED SCAMORZA

Mmmm Lasagne!  My favourite dish ever.  Growing up my parents and I would make Lasagne for big occasions, like Christmas or birthdays.  And they would always be the classic meat version (you can find my recipe here).  Well, lately I have been making all sorts of Lasagne.  Remember my Pesto Lasagne (my all time favourite!), or…

Read More »

Linzer Cookies

LINZER COOKIES

When I was a child I was not a big fan of jam (nor honey for that matter)… in the same way, anything with jam in it would always go to the bottom of my “I want to eat that” list. It was just too sweet for me. I used to always choose chocolate or…

Read More »

TRUFFLE HONEY & VANILLA CRÈME BRÛLÉE

A little while ago, my husband and I went out to have dinner at a delightful restaurant called Chophouse.  We ate really well and I was particularly impressed by their Wagyu Tartare with truf­fle aioli, pear, pine nuts & white soy dressing and by their Wagyu Striploin with harissa… divine!  Also, I was pleasantly surprised…

Read More »

PINEAPPLE & COCONUT GLAZED PORK SPARE RIBS

Today’s post is a “fight-against-waste” recipe!  I had a nice rack of pork spare ribs in the freezer, so I gathered all the left overs I had in my fridge and built up a recipe from there.  I also did some research on the web and saw I could make something yummy out of these…

Read More »

A full tray of decorated Peppa Pig Chocolate Cookies displayed on a patterned tablecloth.

Peppa Pig Chocolate Cookies

Peppa Pig Chocolate Cookies are playful piggy delights. The chocolatey dough and cheerful icing always bring giggles to the kitchen and make baking feel like a muddy-puddle moment children love.

Freshly baked lasagne in a ceramic baking dish with golden melted cheese on top.

Lasagne Verdi

Layers of spinach pasta, rich meat sauce, béchamel, and Parmigiano create a classic Lasagne Verdi with authentic flavour and soft, creamy layers.

Pesto Lasagne

PESTO LASAGNE

I am very excited about today’s recipe.  The reason is simple: it is one of my all time favourite dishes.  I have always loved lasagne, but growing up I had always only eaten the classic meat version.  It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I had my first lasagne with pesto.  I was at…

Read More »

Whole Gattò di Patate on a serving plate with a crisp golden crust.

Gattò di Patate (Potato Pie)

Warm up dinner with Gattò di Patate, the ultimate comfort dish with layers of cheesy potato that feel satisfying on weeknights and stay convenient for leftovers.

Crème brûlée with a crisp caramelised sugar topping served in a terracotta ramekin.

Crème Brûlée

The caramel crack on top of this Crème Brûlée is unbelievably satisfying. Smooth and creamy vanilla custard makes every spoonful rich and indulgent.

Naan

NAAN

I don’t think there is anything as hearty and delicious as home-made bread.  Any kind of bread.  The smell itself is soothing… My girls LOVE eating bread, so I try and make it at home as much as possible.  Whenever I cook an Indian meal, I make naan, either with garlic or, like in the…

Read More »

Chocolate Pecan Wafers

CHOCOLATE PECAN WAFERS

And it is time again for the “Secret recipe club” reveal! I am sure you all know what the club is about, but for the few of you who still don’t know about it, here goes a brief explanation.  Each month you are assigned a participating food blogger to make a recipe from and in turn someone…

Read More »

Raspberry Glazed Chicken Wings

RASPBERRY GLAZED CHICKEN WINGS

Do you like chicken wings?  I love them.  It is not something I grew up eating.  In fact I never used to eat them back in Italy, but since moving to Australia I have begun to appreciate them.  I had some wings in my freezer and some raspberry jam left over from another recipe, so…

Read More »

Focaccia al pomodoro - Cherry tomato Focaccia

FOCACCIA AL POMODORO – CHERRY TOMATO FOCACCIA

After sharing with you the Basic Focaccia recipe, the recipe for Focaccia with Olives and the one for Onion Focaccia, today I am going to post the recipe for another one of my favourites: Focaccia al pomodoro (aka cherry tomato focaccia)!  I remember as a child going to the baker right after school and buying a piece…

Read More »

MINI CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES

I love cheesecake… who doesn’t?  I have made my share of no-bake cheesecakes, but to tell you the truth, I still have to make a baked cheesecake at home.  Don’t ask me why, but baking a cheesecake always intimidated me.  After making these little gems though, I think I am going to have to bake myself…

Read More »

Chocolate and Vanilla Shark Mini Cupcakes

CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA SHARK MINI CUPCAKES

I made these mini cupcakes for Victoria’s 5th birthday party.  The theme was The Little Mermaid and the sea, so I decided to make the icing blue, like the sea.  I decorated them with some shark fins made out of chocolate.  As I had already made many sweets for the party, I kept the flavours of…

Read More »

Soft Pretzel Bites

SOFT PRETZEL BITES

And it is time again for the “Secret recipe club” reveal! I am sure you all know what the club is about, but for the few of you who still don’t know about it, here goes a brief explanation.  Each month you are assigned a participating food blogger to make a recipe from and in…

Read More »

Mango and Passion fruit Macarons

MANGO AND PASSION FRUIT MACARONS

And here it goes… another way to use that delicious Passion fruit Curd you have in the fridge!  I have made my share of macarons in the last few months, but this was the first time I filled them with a fruit based curd.  I can tell you one thing: I loved them, and I…

Read More »

Roasted chicken leg served with golden potatoes on a white plate with rosemary garnish.

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes (Pollo al Forno con Patate)

The holidays can be busy, but Roasted Chicken with Potatoes (Pollo al Forno con Patate) keeps things simple, one pan, a few ingredients, and the flavour of home.

Baked Apple Strudel covered with powdered sugar on a white serving plate.

Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel / Strudel di Mele)

Fill your home with the scent of Christmas by baking Apple Strudel (Strudel di Mele), with golden pastry, warm apples, and raisins that make every slice taste like the holidays.

Cannelloni al pesto

CANNELLONI AL PESTO

Today I am going to share with you the last of the recipes that I provided to my fellow Daring Cooks for this month’s challenge.  It is another one of my favourites as I love pesto and making cannelloni with it takes this dish to a new dimension!  I have also shown them how to…

Read More »

Ham and Cheese Cannelloni baked in a ceramic dish and topped with golden béchamel sauce.

Ham and Cheese Cannelloni

Tender pasta sheets wrapped around a creamy ricotta, ham, and Fontina filling make Ham and Cheese Cannelloni a comforting baked pasta dish with homemade béchamel sauce.

Golden baked Cannelloni di Carne in a casserole dish.

Cannelloni di Carne

Cheesy, saucy, and full of goodness, this Cannelloni di Carne checks every craving you can think of with tender layers of pasta wrapped around a rich filling.

Baked pasta rolls in a rectangular dish with lightly browned cheese topping

Cannelloni di Magro

Baked pasta rolls in a rectangular dish with lightly browned cheese topping

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Welcome to Manu’s Menu!

Hi! I am Manu, the author of Manu's Menu. I was born and brought up in Italy and my blog can show you how to create authentic Italian food in your own home! Read More…

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

HOMEMADE PASTA MADE SIMPLE – THE BOOK. CLICK TO BUY IT FROM AMAZON NOW!

Homemade Pasta Made Simple

Archives

Categories

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Video Recipe: Orecchiette with Crudaiola Sauce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqSyzFElbRY
foodgawker bowls-150x150
tastespotting150
Tasteologie badge
Pasta & Gnocchi

The Cool Side of Summer e-Book – Click to buy it now! On SALE for only $9.99!

The Cool Side of Summer e-Book

MsM’S EBOOK – CLICK TO BUY IT NOW!

MsM’S EBOOK – CLICK TO BUY IT NOW!
Community Table Contributor Badge
Sunday Supper Movement

manusmenu

Food blogger, cookbook author, food photographer & stylist.

A batch of homemade flaxseed crackers is always ha A batch of homemade flaxseed crackers is always handy to have in the kitchen.

They're crisp, easy to store, and pair well with dips, soft cheeses, fresh vegetables, or your favourite toppings whenever you need a quick snack.

#flaxseedcrackers #mealprep #healthysnacks #homemade #manu #manusmenu
Creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and a driz Creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and a drizzle of honey 🍯

The combination of creamy, sweet, and crunchy textures makes this such an easy appetiser to put together when you want something simple but a little different.

Serve with crusty bread or your favourite crackers and enjoy. 

#pistachios #HoneyDrizzle #sharingplatter #manusmenu
After sharing the scrambled eggs and tomato toast After sharing the scrambled eggs and tomato toast recently, I thought it would be a good time to highlight one of my favourite herb blends 🌿

Herbes de Provence is a traditional French herb blend usually made with herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, and savoury.

It's a simple way to add extra flavour to everyday ingredients and works especially well with eggs, tomatoes, roasted vegetables, potatoes, chicken, and soups.

Have you used Herbes de Provence before?

#herbesdeprovence #frenchcooking #mediterraneanfood #herbblends #manu #manusmenu
Scrambled eggs with tomato on toast is one of thos Scrambled eggs with tomato on toast is one of those simple meals that always works 🍅

Warm, savoury, filling, and made with ingredients most people already have at home.

#scrambledeggs #QuickMeals #breakfastideas #homemademeals #manu #manusmenu
This calamari risotto turned out creamy, rich, and This calamari risotto turned out creamy, rich, and so satisfying 🍚

Made as a low FODMAP recipe, it’s a homemade seafood dinner option that feels filling and easier to enjoy for those with sensitive stomachs or lower FODMAP dietary needs.

 #lowfodmap #calamaririsotto #seafoodrecipes #homemademeals #manu #manusmenu
Pumpkin has a naturally gentle sweetness, which is Pumpkin has a naturally gentle sweetness, which is why ingredients like ginger, coconut cream, herbs, curry paste, or lime work so well with it.

Those subtle layers of flavour help create soups that feel comforting, warming, and more rounded 💛

 #pumpkinsoup #thaifood #homemademeals #homemade #manusmenu
Smooth, creamy, and filled with delicious Thai-ins Smooth, creamy, and filled with delicious Thai-inspired flavours 🍲 This pumpkin soup makes such a lovely homemade dinner idea ✨

#PumpkinSoupRecipe #homemadefood #thaifood #manu #manusmenu
A sweet homemade treat for the person who made lif A sweet homemade treat for the person who made life sweeter first 💖
These chocolate date hearts are filled with soft dates, rich chocolate, and a little homemade love for Mother’s Day 🌷

 #mothersday #mothersdaygiftideas #datehearts #manusmenu
more stories beyond the menu ✈️ #MatchaMoments #t more stories beyond the menu ✈️

#MatchaMoments #travelreels #travelwithmanuela
A simple treat for Mother’s Day 🌸 These chocolate A simple treat for Mother’s Day 🌸

These chocolate covered dates pair perfectly with a warm cup of tea and make a lovely homemade gift or afternoon treat.

Simple, sweet, and easy to make at home.

#mothersday #chocolatecovereddates #HomemadeTreats #dessertideas #teatime #manusmenu
This iced chai is simple to make and perfect when This iced chai is simple to make and perfect when you want something calm and comforting.

Made with a few ingredients and warm spices, it’s a drink you can easily prepare at home without much effort.

Sometimes it’s the simple drinks that you keep coming back to. 💓

#icedchai #homedrinks #teatime #homemade #manu #manusmenu
Ever wondered why your iced matcha tastes differen Ever wondered why your iced matcha tastes different every time?

It’s not just about the ingredients. Small details like the quality of the matcha, how you sift it, and how you whisk it can completely change the result.

Even the texture and colour can tell you a lot before you even take a sip.

Once you start paying attention to these steps, it becomes much easier to get a smoother, more balanced matcha at home 🍵

 #matcha #icedmatcha #Matchalatte #JapaneseTea #manusmenu
Follow on Instagram

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2011–© 2026 - Manu's Menu and Manuela Zangara. All rights reserved.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.