Italian Winter Recipes
Winter in Tuscany is the season of cavolo nero, cardoons, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and citrus fruit, and of hearty soups and braises that cook slowly on the stove while the rain falls outside.
Here you’ll find our favourite winter recipes: minestrone with cavolo nero, pasta e fagioli, Certaldo red onion soup, stracotto beef braised in red wine, salt cod in tomato sauce, cardoons in tomato sauce, Sicilian orange and fennel salad, and festive sweets such as Sienese ricciarelli and schiacciata alla fiorentina for Carnival.
Licia’s moist Italian apple cake (torta di mele)
Manuela’s mother has offered lots of inspiration and recipes for our cooking classes in Tuscany. This is one of her recipes, now handed down to her children and grandchildren. Thanks Licia!
Tuscan cauliflower with tomato, rosemary and fennel seeds
Even self-professed cauliflower haters will love this dish, if you can convince them to try it.
Flourless orange and almond cake with dark chocolate
This is a typical Sephardic Passover cake, which has various versions, made throughout the Mediterranean.
Calamari ripieni: Italian stuffed squid in white wine and tomato sauce
Cleaning whole squid can look daunting the first time, but it’s easier than it seems, and fresh calamari are well worth it. Here the tubes are filled with garlic, parsley, olives and breadcrumbs, then simmered in white wine and tomato until tender. A coastal Italian classic, with step-by-step photos.
Italian apple crostata with almond frangipane
Moist, deliciously simple tart.
Sicilian orange and fennel salad with black olives
The most refreshing of winter salads, this sounds a little odd, but is wonderful!
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.
Ricciarelli: soft Sienese almond cookies for Christmas
For many, along with the spice-dense panforte, the light, sophisticated ricciarello is the true Tuscan Christmas treat. They used to be made in convents and apothecary shops, the only places where the right spices and storage conditions would be found.
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.
Baked fennel with oranges and olives
Baked Fennel with Oranges and Olives is a light, fragrant, and incredibly simple dish to prepare. Inspired by the classic Sicilian fennel and orange salad, this version takes the same refreshing ingredients and transforms them in the oven, deepening their flavors. The sweetness of the oranges, the subtle anise notes of the fennel, and the briny kick from the black olives come together beautifully in this elegant side dish.
Tuscan pork stew with white wine, sage and rosemary
The white wine, stock and slow cooking make the pieces of pork really melt in your mouth.
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.
Schiacciata alla fiorentina: Florence’s orange Carnival cake
Schiacciata alla Fiorentina is a fluffy, delicately scented Mardi Gras cake. It is one of the dairy-free desserts that we make during our cooking courses in Italy.
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!
Crunchy pan-fried Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts and chili
They key to enjoying them is not to overcook them! This recipe keeps them crunchy and tasty.
Pizza ebraica: the fruit and nut bake from Rome’s Jewish Ghetto
This delectable item is not pizza at all, but an eggless, unleavened pastry crammed full of whole almonds and candied fruit and cooked until it looks rather burnt but is in fact absolutely perfect, with the nuts crunchy and fruits bursting with flavour.
Baked fennel with orange and pomegranate
Soft-baked fennel with orange and fresh pomegranate seeds: a colourful, easy autumn side dish from our Tuscan cooking school.
Creamy artichoke soup with potato and toasted hazelnuts
This is an adapted version of a traditional Jewish-Italian Purim dish.
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.
Tuscan bean and escarole crostini
You can serve small quantities of this Tuscan bean dish on crostini, as an appetizer, or larger quantities as a hearty soup.
Sweet and sour baby onions in balsamic vinegar (cipolline in agrodolce)
Your guests will be fighting over these tangy onions! Remember to provide plenty of bread to mop up the delicious caramelized sauce coating them. At our cooking school in Tuscany, this side dish is one of the biggest hits!