Episode 1

Nigella Lawson shows how easy it is to bring the spirit of Italy into the kitchen and on to the plate - using ingredients available in any English supermarket.

With her passion for Italy and Italian cooking - she lived and worked in Florence before starting a degree in modern languages - Nigella's mouth-watering dishes have their roots in tradition but take us into fresh territory, knowledge worn light of touch but full on taste.

In this first show, Nigella introduces us to her love of Italian food through a spectacular yet simple Sicilian pasta with tomatoes, garlic and almonds. There's a mid-week family feast of tagliata - a juicy steak cut into thin slices - served with crisp, fluffy Tuscan fries. Plus Nigella's 'eggs in purgatory' - a late night fiery dish inspired by her early party days in Florence.