FOR her seasonal Nigellissima special, Nigella Lawson heads to Venice to gain inspiration for a festive feast with an Italian twist.

Back in the UK, she gets busy cooking up a tasty buffet menu for her guests, preparing a Venetian cocktail served with quick and easy canapes like Parmesan shortbreads and panettone stuffing squares.

She also takes on the traditional roast dinner, with a turkey breast stuffed with Italian sausage and marsalasteeped cranberries.

To prove there’s always room for an old favourite, she introduces the humble Brussels sprout into a pasta recipe as an accompaniment.

After all that, you’ll want a light dessert. Something the chef achieves with a marshmallow cappuccino pavlova, and a Christmas pudding cake adorned with chocolate chips and pomegranate seeds.

“You don’t have to do the whole domestic goddess thing to revel in the solace of the hearth. If you want to put up fairy lights everywhere and then get pizza delivered, that’s absolutely okay by me,” she says.

“I’d never say no to chips and curry sauce – I have very low tastes. Just that, a nice drink and some nice friends, and I’d be happy”.

The recipes on offer here are all geared towards people who want to enjoy the season rather than spending the whole time in the kitchen slaving over delusions of a Michelin star.

She uses her knowledge and experience to rustle up all manner of treats in an Italian style, demonstrating how to create traditional and exciting meals using ingredients widely available in most supermarkets.