WITH six Michelin stars to his name and presenting stints on Masterchef and Hell's Kitchen, Gary Rhodes has proved himself a skilled chef and an ambassador for British cuisine.

But the TV star, author and restaurateur was recently on the receiving end of a cookery master class himself.

Travelling to Italy for his new TV series, Rhodes Across Italy, Rhodes, 49, visited 10 Italian regions, learning the secrets of Italian cuisine along the way.

"Before going, I thought I knew all about Italian food, then I suddenly realised I knew very little. I was being tutored in another cuisine. It became one of the greatest culinary experiences of my life," admitted Gary.

Try this recipe for linguine with clams and courgettes, which serves four, from the series Rhodes Across Italy.

320g linguine

4-6 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for sprinkling

2 cloves garlic, peeled

500g clams

2 shallots, finely sliced

4 medium courgettes, very finely sliced

2 tbsp vegetable stock

For the puree

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 shallots, finely sliced

1 large courgette, finely sliced

2 tbsp vegetable stock

Method: To make the puree: In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and garlic clove over a medium-low heat so that the garlic flavours the oil but does not colour. Add the shallots and cook for one minute. Add the courgette and saute for three to four minutes, until it has softened. Pour in the stock and remove the pan from the heat. Discard the garlic clove, then use a hand blender to puree the mixture. Pass the sauce through a sieve and set aside.

In a pan of salted boiling water, cook the linguine until al dente then drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat another two to three tablespoons of olive oil with one garlic clove. Once the oil has taken on the flavour of the garlic, discard the clove. Add the clams then cover and cook until the clams open: this should take no longer than one minute. Remove from the heat and pick about half the clams from their shells, leaving the rest in. Keep the shells for decoration.

In a large frying pan, flavour two to three tablespoons oil with one clove garlic once more. Add the shallots and saute for a few seconds, then add the courgettes and cook until slightly softened. Add the cooked linguine, vegetable stock, all the clams and their cooking liquor.

Transfer the pasta to a large plate and sprinkle with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Cook's tip: for a special occasion, serve topped with deep-fried baby courgettes.