Celebrate the warmth and joy of an Italian summer at Bella Italia: chance to win a £250 voucher NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

One of our Mumsnet Family Friendly members, Bella Italia say "Italians are known for enjoying the good things in life- savouring the things which really matter: family time, relaxation, sunshine and of course great meals cooked with great ingredients! At Bella Italia, we share this passion, and you can now get a taste of the Italian summer with our new menu.

Start your meal with our Taste of Italy Antipasti platter with cured meats from the north and south of Italy and enjoy it over a lovely glass of Aperol Spritz. Our new Salmone Limone pasta, is the perfect summer dish, made using pasta from Italy’s oldest pasta maker, the Agnesi family, and it’s their craft which you can enjoy in many of our pasta dishes. To top it off, add a little sunshine to the end of your meal with our delicious Limoncello meringue pie."

Check out their new video here:

To celebrate the new summer menu - share on this thread what your favourite Italian summer dish is - add your favourite(s) to this thread and you will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 Bella Italia voucher

Bella Italia are also giving you the chance to create lovely family memories at Bella with their fabulous Kids Eat Free offer - get your code here

In bocca al lupo
MNHQ

Never been to Italy but our favourite restaurant is an independent Italian restaurant and all their food is amazing. My current favourite is their king prawns in white wine sauce. No idea how authentic it is but the sauce is indescribably good ☺

finding it very difficult to choose a single dish as Italian food is my absolute favourite. In fact I am going to be reincarnated as an Italian Momma and I will spend my next life feeding my family simple meals on a sunny terrace in Tuscany; drinking lots of wine and laughing raucously late into the night.

With a gun to my head I would chose a lemony pasta primavera with lots of green vegetables, accompanied by a bowl of dressed salad and crusty bread. + a large glass of wine.

My children love Summer Rice. I cooked some rice, let it cool and then mix in chopped up salami, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, basil and some roasted peppers. If we can get different coloured fresh tomatoes it looks really pretty. Its a great picnic dish too.
I like a bit of balsamic vinegar with it, but that's a step too far for the children!

I love ALL italian food but one of my favourites for summer is a panzanella salad. I love that it is a way of using up stale bread and how the bread takes on the juices of the dressing. Tastes great with lots of heritage tomatoes thrown in too!

Insalata tricolore. Only the Italians would make sure that their flag could be recreated in delicious fresh food.

Gelato.

Gelato, gelato and more gelato.

Mozzarella & beef tomato salad, one of my favourite dishes.

Spaghetti carbonara for me! Warm and delicious. Perfect comfort food for anytime of the year, and with a side of salad of tomatoes and cucumber it's particularly yummy in the summer. salivates

I love tiramisu

I just love spaghetti and meatballs!! Really rustic al fresco style. I rarely try new meals as I love the classics.

pizza and ice cream!

My favourite summer Italian dish has got to be pasta salad, with a dressing of basil oil, lots of olives and plenty of red onions.

A simple super thin crust pizza. Just tomato, mozzarella, super fine onions and basil. Drizzle of chilli oil after cooking

Selection of breads, olive oil, cheese and cured meat. All eaten outside in the sun.

I love caprese salad- it's light, refreshing and nutritious.

Oh my favourite Italian summer dish was the pizza marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano) and the suppli that we ate in Rome sat on a fountain in a square in Trastevere overlooked by a gold-inlaided 13th century Church.

I could eat that every single day and never tire of it.

I can't beat a simple fresh bruschetta with a capresse salad.

I make a lovely light pasta with a creme fraiche and dill stirred through it, topped with hot smoked salmon and served with home grown green beans and focaccia - delicious!

My favourite Italian meal for the summer would have to be an antipasti platter with an ice cold glass of rose 😊🍷

Spaghetti carbonara.

My favourite summer italian meal would have to be a thin base simple pizza, with whipped goats cheese, roasted red onions, sundried tomatoes and courgettes. Yum.

Pasta with prawns and lashing of olive oil, garlic, chilli and parsley... Delicious

A simple one - buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes

Spaghetti alle vongole - every single time!
Perfectly al dente spaghetti with fresh from the sea briny clams. As with every great Italian recipe,the minimal ingredients allow the flavours to sing. Olive oil, garlic, chilli, parsley and a splash of white wine make this pasta recipe the most amazing, flavoursome and light summer dish.

My favourite is the really simple tomato bruschetta starter dish. Done properly it is fabulous.