A collection of recipes of traditional Italian first courses, including Minestrone, Risottos, Fresh Egg Pasta, Gnocchi, Pesto Sauce, and more.

Pasta with broccoli

This is a quick, healthy and tasty dish originally from southern Italy which has many possible variations (some add anchovies, some boil the broccoli in the pasta water etc).

Baked Squash Gnocchi

These are not like boiled gnocchi at all, but are creamy balls of squash baked in a tomato sauce. Guests who come on our cooking courses in Italy say that they are one of their favorite fall dishes.

Pasta and chickpea soup

This dish is lighter than it sounds, but is satisfying enough to have as a one-course meal with bread to dip into the bowl. It is a hit on our cooking courses in Italy, particularly the vegetarian ones.

Tuscan vegetable and bread soup

This soup, like many others, actually improves if left for a day or so. We make a large batch and have it in varied ways - without the bread soaked into it but served on top of hot toast rubbed with raw garlic or with the bread and served at room temperature.

Minestrone ~ Tuscan Vegetable Soup

The distinctive taste of this soup comes from the cavolo nero ("black cabbage"). This has recently been popularized by chefs such as Jamie Oliver and is now available in many farmers' markets.

Porcini Sauce for Pasta

Fresh porcini are wonderfully aromatic and just melt in your mouth.
pappa al pomodoro

Pappa al Pomodoro ~ Tuscan Tomato, Bread and Herb Soup

This classic summer dish is very versatile: it can be eaten hot, at room temperature or chilled. It does however rely on ripe, tasty tomatoes.
minestrone

Springtime Minestrone

A slow-cooked minestrone made with fresh seasonal ingredients and served with good bread is a healthy and delicious dinner or lunch.

Puttanesca Pasta Sauce

This is a great, quick pasta sauce to make while your pasta is cooking. The ingredients are typical of Southern Italy and it apparently became popular in the 1960s.

Eggplant, tomato and basil sauce with ricotta

This simple sauce relies on good eggplants (aubergines), tasty, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and a good ricotta cheese. A real treat in the autumn at our cooking school in Tuscany!