AS THE last of the summer fades away, here are some tasty Italian treats to remind you of the Mediterranean sun.

Our recipe for Roast Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad is an Italian classic and the quality of the mozzarella and tomatoes can transform the dish into something really special.

To serve four you need eight ripe plum tomatoes; eight ripe cherry tomatoes, halved; leaves from six sprigs of thyme; 2tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp caster sugar; one garlic clove, sliced; 2 x 125g balls of buffalo mozzarella, sliced; one bunch of fresh basil; and salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Prepare your plum tomatoes by cutting the top off each one. Boil a pan of salted water and dunk the tomatoes in it for 20 seconds, then plunge into a bowl of iced water to remove the skins easily. Peel and cut lengthways and de-seed.

Preheat the oven to 120°C/gas Mk 1. Prepare a roasting tin just big enough to hold the tomatoes, drizzle 1tbsp of olive oil, then sprinkle in salt and pepper and half the sugar. Place all the tomatoes in the tin, put the cut side up on one layer, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper, and the remaining sugar.

Scatter the thyme leaves and garlic slices over and around the tomatoes, bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes to two hours. Halfway through the cooking time, turn the plum tomatoes over and remove the cherry tomatoes. Remove the plum tomatoes from the oven once they begin to shrivel .

Mix all the cooked tomatoes in a bowl with the mozzarella and basil, season with salt and pepper, divide between four plates and drizzle with a little olive oil, then serve.

We enjoyed a magnificent clam ravioli on our last visit to Italy, but it is a very complicated recipe so an easier alternative which is just as tasty is Spaghetti alle Vongole (clams!).

To serve four, you need 300- 350g dried spaghetti, 2 tbsp olive oil; ½ tsp deseeded and finely sliced fresh red chilli; two garlic cloves, finely sliced; 500g small clams, scrubbed; splash of white wine; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat leave parsley; salt and pepper.

Boil a large pan of salted water and cook spaghetti for seven to eight minutes, or until al dente. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat, add the chilli and garlic and cook for three to four minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Add the clams to the pan, along with the wine, cover and cook over a fairly high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the clams open. Remove from the heat, then discard any unopened clams.

Drain the spaghetti and add to the clams, stir in the parsley and drizzle over a touch of olive oil, season to taste and serve.