Italian Cooking School

Pera Cotta Nel Chianti con Gelato

Sample disches, Truffle Lunch Recipe

The Ingredients

To make four stunning poached pears, here is what you’ll need to gather:

4 Abate Pears: Look for pears that are firm but ripe. They need to hold their shape during cooking! (If you can’t find Abate, Bosc or Anjou pears work beautifully too).

10 oz (approx. 300g) Good Red Wine: We highly recommend a Chianti . Simone’s tip: Never cook with a wine you wouldn’t gladly drink from a glass! The quality of the wine is the backbone of your syrup.

7 oz (approx. 200g) Water

1 cup (approx. 200g) Granulated Sugar

1 Whole Star Anise

1 Vanilla Bean, split down the middle

4 Whole Cloves

Step-by-Step Method

1. Prep the Fruit

First things first, we need to peel the pears. Carefully peel all four Abate pears, but leave the stems attached—it looks beautiful and rustic on the plate. If you want to go the extra mile, use a melon baller or a small spoon to gently core them from the bottom. This gives them a flat base so they can stand upright when you serve them.

2. Flash-Boil the Wine (Crucial Step!)

In a wide, deep saucepan, pour in your Chianti Classico and bring it to a rolling boil. Let it bubble away for about 2 minutes. This step is a little secret to great flavor: it evaporates the harsh alcohol bite, leaving behind only the concentrated grape flavors, deep color, and beautiful aromas.

3. Build the Poaching Liquid

Turn the heat down slightly and add the water, sugar, star anise, split vanilla bean, and whole cloves to the wine. Give it a gentle stir until the sugar completely dissolves.

4. The Poaching Process

Gently nestle your peeled pears into the spiced wine liquid. They should be submerged at least halfway (if needed, you can add a splash more water or wine). Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pan with a lid (or a circle of parchment paper resting right on top of the liquid), and let them cook for about 15 minutes. You want them to be tender when pierced with a knife, but still holding their shape perfectly.

5. Reduce the Syrup

Using a slotted spoon, very gently lift the pears out of the liquid and set them on a plate to cool. Strain the remaining liquid into a bowl to catch the spices, then pour the clean liquid back into the saucepan. Bring it to a boil and let it reduce until it thickens into a glossy, rich syrup. You’ll know it’s ready when it easily coats the back of a spoon.

How to Serve (The Grand Finale)

To serve, place one poached pear standing proudly upright in the center of a dessert plate. Generously drizzle the warm, ruby-red Chianti syrup right over the top, letting it pool beautifully around the base.

To really bring it home, serve it alongside a generous scoop of vanilla bean gelato or high-quality vanilla ice cream. The contrast between the warm, spiced pear and the cold, creamy gelato is absolutely heavenly. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint, and enjoy!

Watch the video on YouTube

Follow along for more authentic recipes straight from our Italian kitchen to yours! Buon Appetito!

Zucchine Gustosine

Sample disches, Seasonal

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 small zucchini about 15 cm long,

8 tablespoons fresh ricotta,

1 whole egg,

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese,

1 generous pinch of salt,

freshly ground pepper,

8 cherry tomatoes,

1 pinch of dried oregano or fresh basil

Cooking Tools:

A baking tray for the oven,

1 bowl,

a cutting board and a knife

Method:

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and with a tea spoon dig out the pulp to create small canoes. Place them on a plate, with the carved out part upwards, sprinkle with salt and let them rest for about half an hour, allowing to drain their water. Finely cut half of the pulp carved out of the zucchini and mix it with ricotta cheese, the whole egg and the Parmesan cheese; sea son with salt and pepper. Mix together well. Rinse the carved zucchini with water, to remove excess salt and dry well with kitchen paper. Fill each canoe with the filling and place them on the baking tray, decorate each zucchini with 2 medium tomatoes and sprinkle with oregano or fresh basil. Bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC/400ºF for 20 minutes. Very tasty served warm, but also delicious served cold for a snack or picnic

“When it comes to our Zucchine Gustosine, we’ve found the absolute perfect match in our Trebbiano Toscano. This crisp, refreshing white wine is a classic of our region and beautifully complements the delicate flavors of the ricotta and herbs. It’s a pairing that truly celebrates the bright, vibrant flavors of the Tuscan countryside, making it a must-try for our vegetarian guests.”

Diavoli a Cavallo

Sample disches,

Ingredients for 4 people

12 dehydrated and pitted plums

12 slices of bacon

12 toothpicks

Cooking tools:

Baking tray

baking paper

Method:

Wrap each plum with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. I recommend only one layer of bacon, to obtain a nice and crunchy texture. Place the wrapped plums evenly spaced, on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400 þ F for 10 minutes. They are good both warm and cold. You can prepare them in advance, keep in the refrigerator and re-heat them just before serving

One of the most requested appetizers by our Personal Chef clients is definitely the Diavoli a Cavallo. These savory bites are always a crowd-pleaser! To elevate the experience, we love to serve them with our very own Petalo di Rosa rosé. The wine’s floral notes and crisp finish are the perfect match for the rich, smoky flavors of this classic dish.

RISOTTO DI ASPARAGI SELVATICI

News, Sample disches, Seasonal, ,

If you want to learn it with family cooking, come and visit us in Tuscany

WILD ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Ingredients for 4 people:
wild asparagus 200 gr
shallot n°2 (no large ones)
arborio rice (four hands full)
Parmigiano (2 tablespoons)
butter (1 tablespoon)
vegetable broth
extravirgin olive oil
solt
pepper

Ingredienti risotto

WHAT YOU NEED

pan with a bottom for even cooking
small pot for vegetable broth
ladle (we use the perforated risotto ladle which you can find here)
cutting board
knife
spoon
cupped ladle

BEFORE YOU START
Take the small pot and fill it halfway with water, you will need it for the vegetable broth. You will have to add the discarded asparagus and discarded shallots and bring it to the boil for a few minutes. Then you will use it when cooking the risotto.

Asparagus

PREPARATION OF THE ASPARAGUS SAUCE
On the cutting board, finely cut the shallot in the tender part, and put it in a pan at room temperature, add extravirgin olive oil (2 tablespoons) and a pinch of salt to 2 fingers.
Take the asparagus and separate them from the woody base, we will only use the tender part, to understand how to separate the two parts, apply light pressure starting at the base and going towards the tip until the asparagus breaks in half at its tender point.
We will use the soft part, put the hard part in the small pot for the vegetable broth.
Cut the asparagus into slices and leave the tip whole which is very beautiful for decorations.
We are ready to cook the sauce.
Let the shallot sizzle for a few seconds and add the asparagus to the pan, add vegetable broth if necessary and complete the cooking of the asparagus in 4-5 minutes. they must be tender at the end of cooking (taste them to see if they are cooked) and season with salt and pepper.

risotto

PREPARATION OF THE RISOTTO
Take another pan and put the rice and a spoonful of oil in it, turn the heat on to medium heat, because we need to toast the rice a little. Stir the rice in the pan, being careful not to burn it, this will help you have an aldente and well-cooked risotto. When the rice grain has taken on a shiny color and no longer has a white core, it is ready to start cooking. We begin by adding vegetable broth, then add the asparagus sauce and let it cook for about 20 minutes, adding broth when it dries. as soon as the risotto is cooked, cream it, turn off the heat under the pan, add butter and Parmigiano, stir the risotto to homogenize and let it rest for a minute.
Serve on a deep plate and place a tip of asparagus on the plate.
Enjoy your meal

risotto asparagus

More photos of the risotto on our Instagram page

Grape cake

Torta con L’Uva

Sample disches, Seasonal

Cake with Grapes and Walnuts

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

7 Tbsp. Sugar (175 gr)

7 Tbsp. Milk (140 gr)

7 Tbsp. Sunflower oil (100 gr)

16 Tbsp. Flour “00” (400 gr)

1/2 Baking powder (8 gr)

Nuts (100 gr)

Black Grapes (500 gr)

Procedure :

Gently knead everything together in a bowl. Pour the contents into a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Bake for 30 minutes at 180 ° C (356 ° F).

Halfway through cooking, brush the cake with sunflower oil and sprinkle the top with granulated sugar. Finish cooking. Serve with powdered sugar.

 

ENJOY 🙂

If you missed our best photos from this article you can find them here on the Cooking Family Instagram

Cantuccini Toscani

Cooking lessons

The Ultimate Tuscan Crunch: Cantuccini di Prato

There is no better way to end a traditional Italian meal than with Cantuccini di Prato. These twice-baked almond cookies are a staple of Tuscan hospitality. They are crunchy, golden, and packed with toasted almonds—designed specifically to be dunked into a glass of amber-hued Vin Santo.

While I don’t carry Vin Santo in my shop, no Cantuccio is complete without it! The sweet, fortified wine softens the cookie just enough to release all that almond goodness.

Master the Art of the Cookie

Want to learn the secrets of getting that perfect “twice-baked” crunch? There is a specific rhythm to shaping the dough and cutting the cookies while they are still warm that makes all the difference.

I invite you to join one of my Cooking Classes, where we dive deep into the world of Tuscan pastry. I’ll show you exactly how to handle the dough, tips for toasting your almonds to perfection, and we might even share a virtual glass of Vin Santo together!

[Book Your Cooking Class Here]

Cantuccini di Prato: The Recipe

Yields about 40 cookies

Ingredients

  • 500g All-purpose flour

  • 400g Sugar

  • 250g Toasted almonds

  • 3 whole eggs + 3 yolks (save one for brushing)

  • 50g Softened butter

  • ½ packet (approx. 8g) Baking powder

  • 1 small cup Vin Santo

  • A generous pinch of salt

Preparation

  1. The Fountain: On a wooden board, create a “fountain” (a mound with a well in the center) with the flour and baking powder.

  2. The Mix: Place the eggs, 2 yolks, softened butter, sugar, salt, and Vin Santo in the middle. Mix well until you have a smooth, uniform dough.

  3. The Almonds: Fold in the toasted almonds and continue kneading until evenly distributed.

  4. Shape: Form the dough into long “sticks” (about 2 fingers wide and 1 finger high).

  5. Space it out: Place them on a baking pan, leaving at least 2 fingers of space between each log, as they will expand!

  6. The Glow: Brush the tops with your remaining egg yolk for that signature golden color.

  7. First Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes.

  8. The Cut: While still warm, move the logs to a cutting board. Slice them diagonally into cookies about one finger wide.

  9. The Toast: Lay the slices flat on the baking pan and return to the oven for 7–8 minutes per side to dry them out.

  10. Store: Keep them in a sealed tin… if you can resist eating them all at once!

The Final Touch: Grab a bottle of Vin Santo, pour a glass, and start dipping!

Scaloppina al Vino rosso

Cooking lessons

Scallops in Red Wine

Ingredients for 4 people:
4 slices of veal fillet, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1clove of garlic,
2 tablespoons flour “00” or “0”, 2 generous pinches of salt,
4 ground black pepper, 1/2 glass of good red wine
Cooking Tools:
A chopping knife and a pan
Method:
Heat the olive oil with the crushed garlic clove and the sprig of rosemary (whole) in the pan. Be careful not to burn the garlic, don’t
let it brown too much. At this point, flour the slices of meat on both
sides and place them in the pan without overlapping. Season with
a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to your liking.
Cook for 2 minutes on each side and then add the red wine; let it
simmer for 2 minutes, turn the slices again and it is ready.
Remember that cooking must be quick, otherwise you will have
hard and dry meat

Pici al Ragu

Cooking lessons

– 4 people

PASTA:

200gr four 00 type

100gr water or 2 large eggs

2 tbspoon olive oil and 1 pinch of salt.

SAUCE

400gr ground beef

2 pork sausages

Half red onion

1 sprig parcely

2 cloves of garlic

1 celery stalk

1 small carrot

2 bay leaves

6 tbspoon olive oil

1 bottle tomato sauce

3 pinch of salt, black pepper.

Half glass of red wine.

1 pot for cooking pasta, 1 pot for cooking the meatsauce, 1 board for kneeding pasta, 1 cutting board, knife.

Start with chopping all the veggies but the bay leaves, it can be minced fine or more raugh depending on your taste, the same we can say about the ground meat, some prefer a fine meatsauce, some other like bigger chunks of meat. I usually ask the butcher not too fine ground beef.

As the vegetable are ready we can start with 4 tbs olive oil in the pot to brown the ground meat, beef and pork sausage.

when the meat start to stick and the moist is evaporated we can add the wine and let it reduce, giving the meat a nice color and aroma, after all the wine is reduced you can add the chopped vegetables and the bay leaves, let it cook untill the onion will be translucent.

Now that the meat is roasted well and all the herbs and veggies are cooked, you can add the last ingredient, tomato sauce and let it cook for at least 5 minute on high heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer with cover for 1 hour , during this step you can add some water if it looks too dry, this is also the moment for tasting and tasting again, now you can adjust with salt and black pepper.

as for the pici:

Mix flour , water and olive oil (or eggs) untill the dough is elastic, let it rest for 15 minutes in a cloth and then make the tick spaghetti PICI, working with hands or helped by pasta machine attachment.

Pici will cook in salted water for 3 minutes and 2 more in the sauce. BUON APPETITO!

The Perfect Pour: Chianti Riserva

You can’t have a world-class meal without a world-class wine. To cut through the richness of the beef and the starch of the potatoes, you need something with structure and soul.

I personally selected our Chianti Riserva from the shop for this exact pairing. It has those classic notes of dried cherries and earth, with refined tannins that dance perfectly with the savory notes of the ragù. It’s not just a dinner; it’s a full Tuscan experience right in your kitchen.

[Shop the Chianti Riserva Here]

sformato di zucchine con Tartufo

Cooking lessons,

ZUCCHINI FLAN WITH TRUFFLE

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLES

4 Zucchini
1 Clove of garlic
Salt
Pepper
Extravirgin olive oil
1 Egg
1 Knob of butter
1 Tablespoon of flour
Grated Parmigiano

WHAT DO YOU NEED
a cutting board to slice the zucchini, a knife, a grater, a pan to cook the vegetables, a bowl to mix in, a silicone mold to turn the flan and an oven.

PREPARATION
Take the Zucchini already washed and slice them into small pieces, finely chop a clove of garlic and put it in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil. When the garlic has started to fry, add the Zucchini and cook them. Help cooking with a pinch of salt and a little water if the cooking of the zucchini is too dry.

When the courgettes are soft and cooked, remove them from the pan and place them in a bowl. I suggest waiting for the courgette to cool down a bit to prevent the egg from cooking when you add it.
In the bowl, add a knob of butter, a spoonful of flour, an egg and a little grated Parmigiano to the zucchini, mix well and taste, at this point season the flan with salt and pepper to your liking. Taste several times until you reach the desired taste. Take the multiple silicone mold and rub in a little butter and a little breadcrumbs after which distribute the Zucchini in the various silicone mold being careful not to fill the mold to the brim, leave a finger from the edge because it is cooking the flan will rise slightly.
Puts the mold in a static oven preheated to 200 degrees celsius (about 390/400 farenight) for 20 minutes.
Remove the mold from the oven and wait for it to cool. Remove the flan from the mold and turn it for a dish that will make your family happy.

If you have a truffle to shave on it, the combination is exceptional.

 

Fagioli all’uccelleta

Cooking lessons

Ingredients for 6 people

800 g of boiled cannellini beans
1 twig of sage
2 garlic cloves
4 spoonfuls of tomato puree
3 spoonfuls of oil
1 three-fingered pinch of salt
1 two-fingered pinch of pepper
WHAT YOU NEED
You just need a wide and low pot able to hold all the ingredients.
PREPARATION
Cover the bottom of the pot with oil, add the crushed garlic, then turn the fire on
and brown for 1-2 minutes, making sure the garlic does not burn.
Now add the tomato and salt and cook for 5 more minutes, then add the beans and cook
for 5 more minutes.
Go on cooking on a low fire for 20 minutes.
Serve hot, if possible in an earthenware casserole, which will keep them warm.
We find this dish in cold winter evenings, but also in summer in country fairs, and everybody
enjoys it!