Italian cuisine is more than just pizza and pasta, each region has their own speciality that uses simple, high-quality ingredients. From Pappa al Pomodoro to homemade Pici, our experts this month go beyond the margarita and explore the delights Italy has to offer.
Felicity Vincent: Chef & Recipe Developer
My mother is well known in our family for making the best risotto. This northern Italian dish is the epitome of comfort food: warm al dente rice with a satisfying chew coated in a creamy sauce. Its flavour is slightly nutty, savoury and delicately sweet. It then makes the perfect blank canvas for any additions, but I once tried a blueberry and pecorino version in Milan which blew me away. Her key steps to making perfect risotto every time? Gently sweating off white onion in butter, using arborio rice, and slowly adding homemade stock as the rice is continuously stirred in small concentric circles.
Kayleigh Baccino: Co-founder, Francie’s Focaccia & Coffee
For us, Italian cuisine is so popular because it’s so simple; you can create flavoursome, filling dishes with a few quality ingredients, which are adaptable to any menu, from fine dining to casual eateries.
We use a lot of Italian flavours at Francie’s, and when we first opened, our customers were not overly familiar with them, such as the Italian smoked cheese Scamorza. This offers a richer flavour to your typical cheese sandwich, especially when paired with our handmade focaccia flavoured with rosemary, olive oil and salt. This combination is really popular in Italy, particularly in Genoa, a city known for its thin, salty focaccia.
Sally Bycroft: Private Chef & Founder, La Cucina Italiana
My favourite regional dish has got to be Porchetta from central Italy. It is the most flavoursome, stuffed, rolled joint of pork with delicate crispy crackling sold in the markets and cooked by the local butchers.
The Italians eat a lot less processed food. They eat fresh, local seasonal fruit and vegetables with natural flavour enhancers like olive oil, balsamic, lemon and garlic so you can make dairy free, gluten free, nut free dishes that still taste amazing.
Rebecca Manfredi: Managing Director, Suncream Ice Cream
Suncream Ice Cream’s decadent Gelato Lusso range is a great option for caterers to meet the demand of those consumers who are after a high-end, authentic Italian ice cream. The range offers 14 delicious flavours including Cookie Dough Biscotti, Chocolate Jaffa Cake Orange and Pink Candyfloss & Bubblegum. Made with fresh milk and cream, the 6 litre tubs are hand-dressed and finished with delicious sauces and beautiful inclusions which makes picking out a flavour a really exciting experience for children and families.
Massimo Morana: Co-owner, Enzee Brockenhurst
When I was young, I always used to watch my mother and father cook at home back in Sicily. At Enzee Brockenhurst, we continue that passion and use the best fresh ingredients to make our homemade pasta and pizzas. We love bringing regional Italian dishes such as Medaglioni al Dolcelatte to our guests, and celebrate each region with themed nights, complete with wine pairing and live music.
Gennaro Coltaldo: Chef
“Fave e Cicoria is a dish which comes from rural Puglia and to me symbolises the best of cucina povera – just 2 main ingredients, very simply cooked to make a nourishing and complete meal. Dried split broad beans are available in most international shops which are cooked and mashed. The greens used in Italy is Cicoria from the chicory family, but you can use dandelion or puntarella. Otherwise, use mixed spring greens, long-stem broccoli or even spinach will be just as good.”
