Italian First Courses (Primi)
The primo is the first main course of an Italian meal, served after the antipasti and before the meat or fish. It is where Italian cooking is at its most comforting: pasta, gnocchi, risotto and soup.
Here you’ll find the first courses we teach during our cooking week in Tuscany: fresh egg pasta and hand-rolled pici, potato gnocchi and ricotta gnudi, artichoke risotto, classic lasagna, buckwheat crespelle, and the Tuscan soups our guests always ask for, such as pappa al pomodoro, minestrone and acquacotta.
Fresh egg pasta: how to make it with a pasta machine
Many people who come to our cooking school in Italy feel intimidated by the idea of making pasta from scratch. Once they see how easy and enjoyable it is, they become hooked! Put some music on in your kitchen, and take your time.
Baked butternut squash gnocchi in tomato sauce
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.
Spring minestrone: light Tuscan vegetable soup with beans
A slow-cooked minestrone made with fresh seasonal ingredients and served with good bread is a healthy and delicious dinner or lunch.
Tuscan minestrone with cavolo nero and beans
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.
Artichoke risotto (risotto ai carciofi)
The best types of rice for making risotto are: Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone nano. These have round grains and are starchy, becoming creamy when cooked.
Asparagus and sausage pasta sauce
A quick spring pasta sauce of asparagus and Italian sausage, made creamy by blending part of the asparagus with olive oil. No cream needed. Ready in 30 minutes.
Homemade potato gnocchi (plus spinach gnocchi)
The less flour you use, the lighter the gnocchi will be, but the more likely it will be to go mushy while you wait to cook it, handle it and when it is cooking in the water.
Tuscan bean and farro soup (zuppa di farro)
This bean and spelt soup hails from the Lucca region of Tuscany, known for its hearty, honest cuisine. Rich in legumes and grains, it’s a rustic, comforting dish made with farro, borlotti beans, and good olive oil. Creamy and nourishing, this traditional Luccan soup is perfect for cozy winter dinners.
Arugula pesto: a fresh, peppery pasta sauce in 10 minutes
How to make trofie: hand-rolled eggless pasta twists from Liguria
Make trofie at home: short, twisted Ligurian pasta made with just flour and water, shaped around a wooden skewer for easy results. Perfect with pesto.
Creamy fennel and saffron soup
A silky Tuscan soup of browned fennel and saffron, light and golden, made with just a handful of ingredients. An elegant first course for autumn.
Lemon pasta sauce: zesty, buttery and ready in 25 minutes
Gnudi: Tuscan “naked” ricotta and spinach dumplings
These are called "naked" dumplings since they are like ricotta and spinach ravioli without their pasta "clothing". They are easy to make and delicious!
Buckwheat crespelle with squash, chestnuts and ricotta
This warming fall recipe combines the sweetness of chestnuts, leek and squash with the nutty taste of buckwheat.
Buckwheat crespelle with ricotta and spinach
These delicious crepes are a great alternative to pasta. You can make them hours in advance and assemble them just before warming and serving.
Pici all’aglione: hand-rolled Tuscan pasta with garlic tomato sauce
This is a classic Sienese pasta dish: hand-rolled pasta with a tomato and garlic sauce.
Creamy artichoke soup with potato and toasted hazelnuts
This is an adapted version of a traditional Jewish-Italian Purim dish.
Light asparagus and ricotta pasta sauce
Asparagus is available for only a very short season. We love it and try to eat it in as many ways as possible before the long wait for the next harvest.
Acquacotta: Tuscan “cooked water” soup with kale and egg
Tuscan acquacotta, or “cooked water”: a hearty vegetable soup with cavolo nero, porcini and tomato, served over toasted bread and topped with an egg.
Certaldo onion soup: Tuscan red onion soup with toasted bread
Our local town, Certaldo, had been famous for almost a thousand years for its delicious red onions. A group of local farmers has been growing them and popularising them again. They are used in many dishes. One of the most popular is this simple, warming soup.
Pappa al pomodoro: Tuscan tomato, bread and basil 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.
Pasta with zucchini and ricotta: a quick, creamy summer sauce
Pasta with zucchini and ricotta: browned courgettes, garlic, fresh basil and creamy ricotta. A quick vegetarian summer pasta, ready in 20 minutes.
Pasta e ceci: Tuscan pasta and chickpea soup with rosemary
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.
Orecchiette with broccoli, garlic, chili and capers
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).