Rome Cooking Classes

Broccoli Ripassati - Stir fried Broccoli

Broccoli - Broccoletti - Sauteed Broccolini

broccoli, broccoletti fresh and cooked

This is a great way to cook any green vegetables as it keeps their flavour. Cook it as a side dish (as the Italians do) or add it to your plate.

Compliment this dish with a plate of pecorino cheese and a glass of wine.

This recipe is also very versatile and can be used for most green vegetables. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 1 broccoli head or 1 bunch of broccolini, 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic (whole), salt

Method: Parboil the vegetables and drain them well. Put the extra virgin olive oil and the clove of garlic in a large fry pan. Roast the garlic until golden, then take it out. Immediately put the vegetables in the pan and cook them for 5 minutes on high heat. Stirring occasionally. Add salt toward the end and serve hot.

Wednesday, 8 October 2025

Castagnaccio - Chestnut flour cake

Castagnaccio - Chestnut flour cake

Chestnuts have just come into season, so Guido wanted to share his preferred recipe for Castagnaccio, a Chestnut Cake.

This delicious dessert is also gluten free, so if you know anyone who is celiac or gluten sensitive, this is the perfect cake for them.

The castagnaccio or chestnut cake is a traditional dessert made with chestnut flour and raisins, pine nuts, walnuts, and rosemary. This recipe is made in Tuscany, Veneto, Piedmont, and Lombardy, all regions in which the chestnut is often used as an ingredient. There are many variations however all share the simple ingredients of chestnut cake itself: water, chestnut flour, and rosemary.
The chestnut cake was first written about in Venice in 1553. However, it was in the 19th century that the Tuscans exported the chestnut cake to the rest of Italy, and it was in this period that it was enhanced with raisins, pine nuts, and rosemary. Each family has its own chestnut cake recipe, but here we will share Guido's family version with you!

Ingredients:

INGREDIENTS FOR A 12-INCH (32 CM) CAKE MOLD

Chestnut flour 4 cups (500 g), Water 2 ¾ cups (650 g), Pine nuts ½ cup (100 g), Rosemary 1 sprig, Raisins 3 oz (80 g), Walnut kernels ½ cup (100 g), Extra virgin olive oil 5 tbsp (40 g), Fine salt 1 tsp (5 g)

Method: To prepare the Castagnaccio chestnut cake, first wash the raisins in fresh water and soak them in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to rehydrate them. Coarsely chop the walnut kernels with a knife. Then peel off the fresh rosemary needles. Sift the chestnut flour into a large bowl. Add the 2 3/4 cups (650,g) of water a little at a time, stirring with a hand whisk; when the mixture is smooth and homogeneous, add the chopped walnuts and whole pine nuts, making sure to set a small amount aside that will later be used on top of the cake before baking.

After 10 minutes, squeeze and dry the raisins, then add them to the mixture: adding a small amount at a time; mix well, and add salt.

Oil, with extra virgin olive oil, a 12 inch (32 cm) low round cake tin. Then pour the mixture, levelling it with a spatula. Sprinkle the surface of the cake with the pine nuts, walnuts and raisins set aside, distributing them evenly.

Lastly, add the rosemary needles and then a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Cook in a static oven preheated to 380° F (195° C) for approximately 35 minutes. When a crust forms cracks on the surface and the nuts have a nice golden colour, take the cake out. When cool, serve and enjoy Castagnaccio: Guido's preferred chestnut cake.

Storage Tip: You can keep the chestnut cake covered with a cloth outside the refrigerator for 3-4 days at most. Freezing is not recommended.

Friday, 12 September 2025

Melanzane Ripiene - Baked Eggplants with meat

Melanzane Ripiene

Chef Guido chose this simple dish full of mediterranean flavours from his family recipes. These baked ‘melanzane’ (eggplants) are common in the Italian Riviera, or Liguria. They can be served as antipasto or light main course.

Here Guido is giving you his family's favourite version, filled with meat. It's delicious! Enjoy!

Version 2: Melanzane Ripiene with Meat:

Melanzane Ripiene - Serves 6

Ingredients: 3 eggplants (or aubergines), 350g (12.5 oz) of ground beef, marjoram, 1 small onion, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil,

Simple sauce: 700ml (24 oz) / 1 bottle tomato passata (or peeled tomatoes); 2 garlic pieces crushed, small handful of basil leaves, pinch of salt to taste, olive oil.

Method: Cut the eggplants in half, carve out the flesh with a knife and chop it fine. Put this in a pan where a finely chopped onion has been shallow frying in extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes. Fry the eggplant flesh until soft, then add marjoram and minced beef. Mix well and keep frying until the meat is light brown. Add salt and pepper. Put extra virgin olive oil and salt on the eggplants' skins and fill them with the mixtures. Bake for 30 minutes at moderate heat 175 C (350 F) in a convection oven, until eggplant base is soft .

Simple sauce: brown crushed garlic in olive oil in a pan, add, tomato passata and leave to simmer to blend flavours for 5 minutes. Add basil leaves and salt to taste, stir, and then turn off. Leave the lid on to keep flavours together.

Serve with a simple tomato sauce of top of baked eggplants.

Wednesday, 6 August 2025

Panzanella - straight from Guido's garden

This dish is quick to prepare, refreshing, and perfect for summer, when the vegetables used are in season; it is even advisable to let it rest for a few hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Ingredients (serves 6): 300g (10.5 oz) of Italian-style, stale bread, 2 medium-size ripe tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1 small onion, 3 tbsp of apple or wine vinegar, fresh basil to taste, salt to taste, 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

Method: Cut the stale bread(usually 2 or 3 days old and hard) into cubes and soak with vinegar and cold water (to cover) in a large bowl. Leave for 5 minutes. Squeeze and drain the bread, then put it into another bowl. Dice cucumbers and tomatoes (half an inch dices). Thinly slice onion. Put vegetables in the bowl where you’ve previously put bread. Add extra virgin olive oil, salt and fresh basil to taste. Enjoy cold.

Guido's Tips:

Try using red onions: they will add a little sweetness to this traditional tuscan summer dish.
Panzanella makes for a good ‘piatto unico,’ as you may also add some protein to this dish, like tuna or cheese or borlotti beans.

Saturday, 5 July 2025

Guido's Nonna's recipe: Linguine with Pesto alla Genovese

Guido's Nonna's Recipe:

Linguine with Pesto alla Genovese - Serves 6

Ingredients: 500 g (1 packet) of linguine pasta (La Molisana brand is recommended).

For the sauce: 1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves, 1/3 of a clove of garlic, handful of pine-nuts, 60 g of Grana Padano cheese, extra virgin olive oil, pinch of salt.

Method: (using a blender): To prepare pesto, put basil leaves, pine-nuts, Grana Padano and Pecorino cheese, 1/3 of a clove of garlic and a pinch of salt into the blender with a little extra virgin olive oil. Blend until smooth (or chunky, if preferred), then add more olive oil.

Cook Linguine aldente, put it back in the pot after draining and mix in with sauce and a little butter. Stir all together. Serve immediately.

Buon appetito!