Think about it: have you ever met anyone who doesn’t like Italian food?  You might be as hard pressed as we are to find someone, and think our love affair with la cucina italiana is due to a brilliant mix of simple, fresh ingredients and recipes that suit any season. Not only is their Mediterranean diet healthy, how can you not trust a nation whose national pastime is eating? In lieu of jetting to Rome for dinner, we asked our neighbours and friends at Quanto Basta, an Italian bistro that never fails to impress, to share a few of their favourite recipes. Their top tip when cooking Italian food?  Season your food "q.b." (quanto basta), which loosely translates to "just enough" or "as much as you need." It's a philosophy that reflects countless Italian cookbooks that don't list quantities in their recipes, instead encouraging the use of judgment and preference when it comes to taste. Buon appetito.

• ½ cup arborio rice

• ½ shallot, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic

• ½ cup dry white wine

• 2 cups vegetable stock

• 1 beet, juiced

• 1 tbsp cold butter

• 4 sea scallops

• Sautée shallot & garlic. Add rice and cook till toasted.

• Add wine, then cook rice until al dente, adding the stock slowly.

• Just prior to serving, add beet juice and 1 tablespoon of cold butter.

• Grill scallops for 1min each side and place on top.

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