Italian Cooking School

Zuppa di cipolle

Cooking lessons,

WHAT DO YOU NEED
1 kg of sweet red onions
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 Bay Leaves
4 Juniper berries
Salt
Black pepper
Homemade bread cut into cubes
1 Liter of Vegetable broth (water, salt, celery, 1 carrot, parsley, 1 small tomato)

Zuppa di cipolle

PREPARATION
Thinly slice the onions and sauté with juniper oil and berries, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
When the onion is shiny and transparent, add the broth until it is completely covered.
Let it cook for at least 30 minutes.
The soup will be ready when the consistency of the onions is soft without fiber.
Serve with bread cubes sautéed in a pan with extra virgin olive oil.

Zuppa di cipolle

Ossobuco

Cooking lessons

Ingredients for 6 people
6 marrowbones
3 cloves of garlic
2 twigs of rosemary
10 g of dry edible boletus
4 spoonfuls of olive oil
½ cup of tomato puree
½ cup of red wine (the same wine you serve at the table)
3 four-fingered pinches of salt
1 three-fingered pinch of pepper
1 liter of meat broth
Choosing the meat: in Tuscany, for this recipe they use marrowbones of young beef (18
month old bullock) belonging to the Chianina race and raised in the open, so the muscles
are well structured, thus giving the very best flavor to the meat.

 

WHAT YOU NEED
Just a wide and low pot with a lid, a knife and a chopping board.
PREPARATION
To make a clean cut on the bone, the butcher uses a saw which leaves a kind of pulp on
the surface with small fragments of bone.
Before starting to cook, you must clean this pulp off the meat, washing it with water or
scraping the surface. Dry off well and make 4 cuts a few centimeters deep on the outside,
pointing towards the center. This will help to keep the unbent shape of each marrowbone
and make it fit perfectly on the bottom of the pot thus ensuring uniform cooking.
Chop the rosemary and garlic fine and brown with the oil for 5 minutes, then add the
meat, being careful that the pieces do not overlap. Brown well on both sides and pour on
the wine, letting it evaporate. Add the edible boletus which has previously been steeped
in lukewarm water, throwing away the steeping water you don’t use. You can now add
salt and pepper and the tomato puree. When it starts to boil again, turn the meat over
and add the hot broth, covering the level of the stew by at least the height of one finger.
Now lower the flame and cook for at least 2 hours with the lid on.
Every 20-30 minutes, check and turn over the marrowbones, adding more hot broth if
necessary.
Should you use a younger animal (calf), the cooking time will certainly be less.

Osso buco alla fiorentina

salame dolce

Cooking lessons

Ingredients for 8 people
200 g of dry cookies
100 g of sugar
150 g of butter softened at room temperature
2 egg yolks
2 spoonfuls of unsweetened cocoa
1 small cup of Marsala or Vinsanto


When your children ask to help you make a dessert, this is a good recipe, because it does
not require either knives or fire, so the children will be welcome in the kitchen.
Nothing to worry about therefore, and the result will still be surprising!
PREPARATION
Mix the sugar with the yolks well, until you get a soft cream, then add the butter, cocoa
and liqueur.
Blend well and add the crunbled cookies.
Now that it has become rather solid, shape it into a salami with your hands.
Wrap it in parchment paper and put it in the fridge.
You serve it in slices that look like Tuscan salami, and this is what gives it its name.
You can keep it for up to one week in the fridge.

Branzino all’acqua pazza

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Ingredients for 4 people:
-4 sea bass fillets -a clove of garlic -parsley -chili pepper -extravirgin olive oil -salt -white or rosé wine -ripe cherry tomato
preparation of ingredients:
wash the fillet well to eliminate all the scales, cut the tomatoes into cubes, chop the parsley, chop the garlic. chop the chilli pepper it is possible to chop parsley, garlic and chilli together. keep the tomato separate from the aromatic herbs.
before starting, divide the ingredients into two equal parts Preparation: take a dish that contains the four sea bass fillets, possibly a little larger than the fillets, so as to contain all the ingredients without problems. put a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on the plate, take the first half of the aromatic herbs and sprinkle them over the whole surface of the dish, (parsley garlic and chilli pepper), do the same for the first half of the chopped tomato. take the 4 sea bass fillets and place them on top to cover all the ingredients.(skin up) put a little extra virgin olive oil on the fillets. spread the second half of the aromatic herbs on the fillets covering the whole surface of the fillets, do the same for the second half of the tomatoes .
at this point the fillets are ready for cooking.

Cooking sea bass fillet:

Take a pan with a large enough bottom to accommodate all 4 sea bass fillets in the same position as they are on the plate.
bring the dish with the sea bass to the pan, shake it a little, to remove the fillets from the plate and slide all the contents into the pan.
salt the sea bass with a pinch of salt to 3 fingers.
add the wine, (about a glass), cover the pan
arrange pliers to turn the sea bass fillets halfway through cooking.

light the flame and start cooking.halfway through cooking, we will notice that the fillets will have a color change on the edge, becoming lighter. turn the fillets, cover the pan again, wait another 2 minutes, the wine is reduced giving the crazy wather .

the sea bass fillet in crazy water is ready. enjoy your meal 🙂

branzino all’acqua pazza

Gnocchi

Cooking lessons

INGREDIENTS
1 kg of yellow-skinned potatoes
200 g of type 00 soft wheat flour
1 egg
2 pinches of salt
nutmeg
Parmigiano

INSTRUMENTS:
a pastry board
a fork or a rigagnocchi
a basin
a pot for cooking

Tip: in this recipe we don’t have to use a lot of flour, because we have to keep the flavor of the potatoes 🙂

METHOD:
take the potatoes and boil them with the peel (35/40 min), if possible with steam to prevent them from getting soaked in water, to see if the potatoes are cooked in a stick with a wooden stick, if the potato is softly pierced it is cooked, if you find resistance in piercing it, it prolongs the cooking for another 5 minutes.

once they are cooked, peel them and cut them in half to let the steam come out, mash them with the potato masher in a bowl,

put some water in a saucepan and put it on the fire, once the gnocchi dough is ready we should try the consistency of the dough by baking a dumpling in boiling water.

add an egg to the bowl with the potatoes, not all the salt and flour, mix well to form a homogeneous paste,

take a small portion of dough and roll it on the pastry board, cut the elongated dough into small sections, shape it with your hands to form balls and use the rigagnocchi or fork to give the typical shape of the dumpling, try abutting a dumpling in the pan in boiling, if the dumpling goes back to the surface intact has the right proportion of flour and you can proceed to make them all, if the dumpling crumbles and breaks you have to add a little flour to the dough and try again, remember not to wait long during processing because the humidity of the potatoes absorbs the flour and you will have to add it continuously, losing the taste of the potatoes.

I suggest you make them and cook them because even making them and waiting can compromise them in consistency, I know they are delicate, but they are also very good 🙂

The Secret to the Perfect Plate

While these pillowy potato gnocchi are stars on their own, they truly come to life when paired with a slow-simmered, soulful sauce. If you really want to level up your Sunday dinner, I highly recommend tossing these with my Signature Tuscan Ragù.

Now, you might notice that when you click over to that recipe, I’ve paired the ragù with Pici (those thick, hand-rolled noodles from Siena). Don’t let that stop you! In Italy, a great ragù is like a versatile black dress—it looks stunning on everything. The rich, meaty texture of the sauce clings beautifully to the ridges of the gnocchi, creating a bite that is pure comfort.

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] | [Get the Ragù Recipe Here]

Melanzane in Tasca

Cooking lessons

WHAT YOU NEED

Knife, cutting board, oven, sauce pan.
2 round eggplants
1 sprig of parsley
1 clove of garlic
10 tablespoon of crumbled bread
-(we will need the bread crumb, it is not necessary to look for a loaf with a hard crust, but possibly with a non-rubbery crumb, Tuscan bread does not have salt so we suggest a lightly salted bread so as to balance the salt with the pinches during the recipe )
black pepper
2 tablespoon of parmigiano cheese.

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400F.

Cut the eggplant into massive slices, consider 2 overlapping fingers as thickness. we will then have to nick these slices again to form a sort of pocket. it is essential that the cut of the notch is not complete so as to form a pocket.

Sprinkle with salt and let the water drain for 20 / 30 minutes.
Chop garlic, parsley and bread and mix everything in a bowl
Season with salt pepper and cheese and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to give consistency to the stuffing.
The eggplant pockets covered with salt will emit water thanks to the salt. Should be well dried with simple kitchen paper, this step is to eliminate the bitter taste of eggplants.

Clean the eggplants and stuff them, not too much because eggplants will reduce in size, a drizzle of olive oil and place them on a baking tin.
Bake for 25 minutes 400F.

melanzane in tasca eggplant in a pocket

POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA

Cooking lessons, Sample disches,

EQUIPMENT:
Large pan,
chopping knife,
cutting board.
1 free range chicken (in 8 pieces)
1 handful Black olives,
2 cloves of Garlic,
1 handful of Sage
1 handful of Sundried tomatoes
Olive oil extravergine Salt and black pepper
1 glass of White wine
Water around 0,5 liters

PREPARATION

sundry tomato

Start chopping garlic and sage very fine, same thing with the tomato and put it aside.

Warm up 3 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pan, when it’s hot brow the chicken pieces both sides, then add the garlic and sage and let it go with high flame for a couple of minutes, before the garlic brown add the wine and let it reduce.
Now we can add the olives and the tomato, mix and add the water to almost cover the meat, let it simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, it will depend from te meat.
As the liquid will be reduced in a thick sauce, the chicken cacciatore is ready!

The Soul of the Italian Countryside: Pollo alla Cacciatora

If you’re looking for the ultimate Italian comfort food, look no further than Pollo alla Cacciatora. This “Hunter’s Style” chicken is a rustic masterpiece, slow-cooked with succulent tomatoes, aromatic herbs, and just the right amount of woodsy flare. It’s a dish that invites you to slow down, grab a piece of crusty bread, and enjoy the simple perfection of traditional Tuscan flavors.

A Wine That Demands Patience: Vign3

To elevate this rustic meal into a true gourmet experience, I’ve chosen a very special bottle from my shop: Vign3.

This isn’t your average table wine. Vign3 is a sophisticated, aged blend that honors the best of our terroir: 80% Sangiovese for that classic Italian heart, rounded out with 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet. It is bold, elegant, and deeply layered.

Pro Tip for the Best Experience: Because these bottles have been aged to perfection, Vign3 needs a moment to “wake up” after being corked for so long. To truly enjoy the complexity of the Sangiovese and the structure of the Cabernet, be sure to open the bottle at least 30 minutes before serving. Let it breathe while the kitchen fills with the scent of your simmering chicken. This small act of patience transforms the wine, allowing its full bouquet to bloom in your glass.

[Shop the Vign3 Bottle Here]

Bruschetta al pomodoro con fagioli cannellini

Cooking lessons

Ingredients for 4 people
2 spoonfuls of cannellini beans
2 red tomatoes ripened in the sun
4 leaves of fresh basil
1 clove of fresh garlic
2 three-fingered pinches of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 spoonfuls of extravirgin olive oil
4 slices of Tuscan bread each
1 finger thick
WHAT YOU NEED
A wooden chopping board, one smooth-bladed and one saw-bladed knife, a bowl to mix the ingredients in and an oven to toast the bread.
PREPARATION
Isn’t it wonderful to have all those lovely colors on the table. Can’t you smell the perfume of the basil? In Tuscany bruschettare means to toast, especially bread. The best known bruschetta in our area is made with oil, and it is also used to taste new oil just come out of the olive press. You make it by rubbing some garlic on a lightly toasted piece of bread and then generously pouring out the best extravirgin olive oil, and finally adding a pinch of salt. But let us go back to our tomato bruschetta.
First heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Chop the garlic into very small pieces and put them in the bowl, break up the basil leaves with your fingers so they don’t get dark. Use the saw-bladed knife to cut the tomato into cubes the size of the nail of your little finger, and put all the ingredients into the bowl, then add salt, pepper and oil. Take a spoon to mix from the inside of the rim of the bowl moving towards the center, going all around the rim. This will give you a soft and complete mix.
Let the mix rest to get flavor and toast the bread for 10 minutes. The way you toast the bread is important: it must be crisp outside, but soft inside. This way, when you bite into the bruschetta, the bread will stick onto your palate, and give you its full taste. Now mix the seasoning again, and use a spoon to pick up both the pieces and the seasoning, then spread them generously over the slice of bread. Serve immediately so the bread has the right texture!!!

PANNACOTTA

Cooking lessons

Ingredients for 6 people:
250ml fresh cream,
250 ml whole milk,
5 tablespoons of sugar,
1 bag (13 g) of gelatine,
1/2 vanilla pod ,
organic lemon juice and zest,
strawberries (about 300g)

Cooking Tools:
A knife, a pot, glass jars or glasses for single portion
Method:
In the pot, mix 3 tablespoons of sugar with the jelly, vanilla seeds and also the pod. Add a little milk and mix well to obtain a smooth mixture without lumps. Add all the milk and the cream and continuously stirring, bring to a boil.

As soon as it starts to curdle, turn off the heat and pour the panna cotta into small containers (glass jars) up to half. Let it to cool at room temperature and store in the refrigerator. Prepare a fruit salad with strawberries, lemon zest and juice and sugar. Stir gently and refrigerate.
Before serving, season the panna cotta with strawberries on top and if you like, garnish with a fresh mint leaf

For “Chocolate Lovers” there is a version of the Pannacotta that we made during the Cookingclasses and now I’ll give you the recipe:

Chocolate topping for panna cotta
 

pannacotta al cioccolato

Ingredients for 6 people 
Water 200 g 

Liquid fresh cream 80 gr 

A pinch of salt 

Dark chocolate 450 g 

Sugar 150 g 

How you do it 

First, chop the chocolate , then pour water and sugar into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and as soon as it starts to boil add the cream. Let it boil again and add half of the dark chocolate, then always mix with the whisk and add the remaining chocolate. Stir again and as soon as it starts boiling again, transfer it to a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Mix and leave to cool at room temperature at 30-32°, until thick. It will take about 15-20 minutes. 

pannacotta al cioccolato

Filetto di maiale all’antica

Cooking lessons,

Ingredients for 4 people
400 g of pork fillet
4 cloves of fresh garlic
2 twigs of fresh rosemary
4 spoonfuls of olive oil
4 three-fingered pinches of salt
2 three-fingered pinches of black pepper
½ cup of red wine (the same wine you serve at the table)

WHAT YOU NEED
You need a frying pan to hold all the meat, a chopping board and a smooth bladed knife.
PREPARATION
Look carefully to make sure each ingredient is at its place on the table. Alright, now you’ve got everything, let’s start. First prepare a dry marinade this way: chop rosemary and garlic fine then add salt and pepper, then mix it all well with your fingers. Pour this mix out onto the chopping board and roll the fillet so all the seasoning sticks on.
Dry marinade is much stronger than liquid marinade, and takes less time to confer flavor on the meat. After 10-15 minutes, turn the gas on under the frying pan with the oil and a sprig of rosemary.


Check the temperature of the oil: when the sprig sizzles, it means the temperature of the oil is perfect. In the meantime, you have cut one-finger high fillet medallions which you place one next to the other in the frying pan, being careful not to let them overlap.
On a lively fire, brown the first side of each medallion, then turn them all over.When the other face is brown too, add the wine, then turn over once again – you will see how the meat has not only taken on the flavor, but also the lovely color of Chianti.
Just wait for the wine to vanish and for what you are cooking to shrink a bit, then put it on the table – even directly in the frying pan. This recipe is so simple and quick, it will take you longer to read it than to cook it!