An easy-to-make deconstructed pasta dish by Polpo’s Mr Russell Norman .

There is the idea of Venice. And there is Venice. The idea of Venice is what draws the crowds. A romantic gondola ride, perfect pizza in the piazza, bellinis at Harry’s Bar. But, similar to Paris syndrome, the reality of Venice often confounds expectations. After all, when everyone is seeking the same unique experience, nobody gets to have it.

But for those in the know, such as Mr Russell Norman, the real Venice is another place entirely. Mr Norman is the co-founder of London’s Polpo restaurant empire (and, given his ever-expanding portfolio, “empire” does feel fair). The group has tasked itself with bringing the feeling of Venice’s bacari – the backstreet bars where locals drink good, reasonably priced wine accompanied by cicchetti, little plates of good, unreasonably-delicious bar snacks – to London and beyond. A visit to Polpo instantly transports one from Soho or Covent Garden to a better, balmier, Aperol spritz-ier kind of place.

Mr Russell's new book Venice: Four Seasons Of Home Cooking celebrates the way in which Venetians cook in their own homes. Think fresh, pared-down dishes such as sausage and egg bucatini, John Dory with asparagus and basil or mackerel caponata. It’s the kind of cookery you’ll stumble across in backstreets where “washing hangs across the narrow streets and neighbours don’t bother to lock their doors”, says Mr Russell. It’s all about simplicity, often involves seafood and values freshness above all else. But then, to quote Mr Russell, “To say that Italian cooking begins with the ingredient is an understatement. Italian cooking is the ingredient.”

There are many reasons to visit Venice, of course. But, while many couples visit the sinking city in search of romance, Mr Norman'’s own affair is, clearly, a ménage à trois with Venice itself – and its food. Buon appetito…

Serves 4

520g baby spinach leaves, washed 50g 00 flour 250g ricotta 1 large free-range egg, beaten 200g grated parmesan Flaky sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 1⁄2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 200g semolina 100g butter Handful picked sage leaves

Steam the spinach for 3 minutes, then drain away the excess water and chop the leaves very roughly. Set aside. Mix the flour and ricotta in a large bowl until it resembles lumpy, moist breadcrumbs. With a wooden spoon, stir in the egg and three-quarters of the parmesan. Add a good pinch of salt, a decent twist of pepper, the nutmeg and the spinach, and combine everything thoroughly.

Take a large, stemmed wine glass and drop in a dessert spoonful of semolina. Using a separate, clean dessertspoon, dollop a glob of the mixture into the glass. Swirl around for a few seconds until you have a walnut-sized dumpling. Place on a generously semolina-dusted tray. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. When you have finished, you should have 24 or so little malfatti.

Fill a large pan with cold water and bring to a hearty boil. Drop in the malfatti as quickly as possible, bring back to the boil, then continue to simmer for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter and add the sage leaves. When it bubbles, reduce the heat to very low.

The malfatti will float to the surface when they are ready. Turn off the heat, remove the malfatti with a slotted spoon and drain the excess water on a clean tea towel. Evenly distribute onto four warmed plates, pour the butter and sage over the top and finally scatter over the remaining parmesan.

Venice: Four Seasons Of Home Cooking (Penguin) by Mr Russell Norman is out now