Showing posts with label traditional Italian food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traditional Italian food. Show all posts

Wednesday, 17 December 2025

Ribollita: The perfect Italian Winter soup

Some of you may have already made Guido's Ribollita Soup recipe, however we know that it is sooooo good, that we just wanted to share this Winter Recipe with you again.

It's finally winter here and this is the perfect time for comforting soups, such as Ribollita ('boiled again'), so called because it's even nicer you have it heated up the day after. It's a very traditional dish in Central Italy and it's sometimes called Acqua Cotta ('cooked water'). I made Ribollita yesterday and had it today for lunch with a bunch of friends. Delicious! Here is the recipe. You'll need a big pot.


Ribollita (serves 6 or more)
800g of fresh borlotti or cannellini beans (or 300g of dried borlotti or cannellini beans), 400g of fresh, ripe tomatoes or tinned tomatoes, 1 black cauliflower (almost impossible to find!) or 1 quarter of a regular one, 1 quarter of a cabbage, 500g of beet (similar to spinach but milder flavoured), 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, 1 red onion, parsley, basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, parmigiano reggiano (parmesan) cheese.

If you are using dried beans, they need to be soaked for 24 hours, then boiled in 2 litres of water, a pinch of salt and a little olive oil. Finely chop the onion and fry in oil until translucent, then add tomatoes, beans (if fresh with 1 litre of water, if dried add with its own cooking water). Chop all the remaining vegetables roughly and add the to the soup. Add salt and boil for at least two hours. Add more water if necessary. Serve in a bowl on top of a slice of toasted country bread. Finish off with parmigiano, a little olive oil, pepper and chopped parsley and basil (if available). E' Pronto!

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.



Sunday, 27 October 2024

Melanzane e Ceci (Egglant and Chickpeas) Recipe

Eggplants are still in season. As the weather changes and the days become cooler, this a perfect recipe for this time of year.

By this time  of year, you are probably looking for a new recipe that includes eggplants, so I want to share my family recipe for Melanzane e Ceci (Egglant and Chickpeas). Melanzane e Ceci is a traditional recipe from the southern Tuscan countryside and can be served hot or cold. It’s usually considered ‘contorno’ (side vegetable dish), however it can be also served in small portions as an antipasto or as a light main course if topped with diced pecorino cheese and combined with simple olive oil and garlic bruschetta on the side.

                                                    Chef Guido's Melanzane e Ceci Recipe

Ingredients (serves 6):

400g (14.1 oz) of boiled and drained chickpeas, 2 eggplants, 6 ‘Piccadilly’ tomatoes or 10 cherry tomatoes, 5 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, fresh basil, oregano, black pepper and salt to taste. 


Method: cut eggplants (aubergines) into small dices and shallow fry them in olive oil with 1 bruised clove of garlic, while adding salt to your taste. Dice tomatoes the same size as the eggplants and put them into a bowl. Add a swirl of olive oil and salt to your taste and mix well. Discard the garlic. Once the eggplants are soft, add tomatoes and chickpeas. Check for salt and add black pepper. Add fresh basil and oregano at the end.


Guido's Tip: This delicious Tuscan side vegetable dish can be completed by topping with shaved or diced pecorino cheese. 



Monday, 1 July 2024

Zucchine ripiene - meat-filled zucchini (courgettes)



July is the season for zucchini (or courgettes). We now have the "Romanesque" variety available at the market. This variety, typical of the Roman countryside, is full of flavour, firm, lighter in colour and often sold with the flower attached to it. Now, the flower can be stuffed and baked or deep fried. But the vegetable itself is often used to prepare this summer recipe, an absolute Roman cuisine classic and a wonderful dish that can be eaten hot or cold. The flavours of tomatoes, basil, good quality extra virgin olive oil, parmigiano reggiano (Italian original parmesan) all blend together and balance each other perfectly. Also these 'zucchine ripiene' can be reheated and are actually better the day after!

Zucchine ripiene alla Romana - Serves 6

6 zucchini (courgettes), 250g mince meat, 1 egg, 50 grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, bread (without the crust), a slice of ham, extra virgin olive oil, onion, fresh basil, salt, pepper, tomato passata or fresh, peeled tomatoes.

Empty the zucchini carefully. (an apple corer will help take the core out only). To prepare the stuffing, mix mince meat with one egg, some bread (soaked in water then squeezed), parmigiano reggiano, salt, pepper, a few bits of ham. Fill the zucchini with the stuffing.
Fry some finely chopped onion in a pot or pan that can accommodate for all the zucchini) until the onion is translucent. Put the zucchini in the pan, then add tomato passata or fresh peeled tomatoes, a pinch of salt and fresh basil. Cover the pan and cook until the zucchini are soft. La cena e' pronta!


Wednesday, 5 August 2020

Chef Guido and James talk about Seasonal Foods in Italy and Special Festivals Foods

Invitation for Sunday August, 9 


Chef Guido and James, from 'Wandering Italy',
will be talking about Seasonal Foods and Special foods for Festivals and Local Celebrations


LIVE ZOOM Conversation - Sunday August, 9th at 7.00- 7.30pm (Italian time)

View LIVE on Zoom - link needed: 




You are invited to join us LIVE on Zoom 

Sunday, Aug 9, 2020 at 7.00 to 7.30PM (Italian time)*

to listen to Chef Guido
chat with James, from 'Wandering Italy'
about
Seasonal foods, Sagra, and Special foods selected for Festival Days

ZOOM LINK: to join in to listen and ask questions LIVE


*TIME: Sunday, Aug 9, 2020 10.00 AM PDT California / 1.00PM EST New York / 6.00pm UK / 07:00 PM Rome (Italian time) / 5.00AM next day Sydney, Australia / 7.00AM next day New Zealand

To join Zoom Conversation, LIVE: 

Use this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88153745959

Meeting ID: 881 5374 5959

If you can't make it Live, this fun and interesting discussion will be recorded for you to view, later on 'Convivio Rome Cooking Holidays' Facebook page.

****
Who is James? James is an avid Italian Food Expert who has been writing about traditional Italian food on La Cucina Povera and on Travelling around Italy, for many years. You can find James on Wandering Italy and  'Traditional Italian Food'


James, works together with Martha, who has runs Martha's Italy  and Italy Travel 2 excellent sources of information to help plan your trip to Italy. 
****
See you 'LIVE' this Sunday on Zoom
Sally and Guido








Lazio Foods and Sabina Olive Oil - Chef Guido Talks to James Martin - Direct from Italy

Direct from the Rome Countryside

Chef Guido from Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Holidays 
and 
James Martin, from Wandering Italy and La Cucina Povera 

Talk about Traditional Italian Food and Italian Culture

Lazio Cuisine and Sabina Olive Oil



Both James and Guido have such a great passion for traditional Italian cuisine. 

NB. You can also find a recording of this Interview on our Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Holidays Facebook Page