A timeless Italian classic born from cucina povera wisdom: tender meatballs made from leftover boiled or roasted meat, coated in a golden crust and optionally simmered in a rich tomato sauce. Simple, flavourful, and nothing goes to waste.
Some of the most rewarding dishes in my kitchen come from necessity. A cooking class, a handful of guests with celiac disease, and a bag of buckwheat flour — that’s all it took to fall in love with this pasta.
Buckwheat tagliatelle have a character you don’t forget: earthy, slightly nutty, with a rustic texture that holds sauce beautifully. And the best part? No gluten, no compromise. Just real, handmade pasta that happens to be naturally inclusive.
The dough takes a little patience — this isn’t semolina, and it won’t behave like it. But once you understand it, once you feel it come together under your hands, the reward is worth every minute. Dress it simply: clarified butter, fresh sage, a spoonful of pasta water. Let the buckwheat do the talking.
A classic Neapolitan comfort dish: pasta cooked directly with potatoes until creamy and rich, flavored with a simple soffritto, rosemary, tomato paste, and a Parmesan rind. Traditionally it’s made with pasta mista—a mix of leftover pasta shapes—because the recipe was born as a way to use up what you had on hand. Even though in Italy you can buy ready-made pasta mista, any short pasta works perfectly, true to the original spirit of making it with whatever is in the pantry.
A quick, seasonal pasta that hits all the right notes: sweet cherry tomatoes, tender fava beans, and crispy pancetta, finished with thyme and salty Pecorino. Bright, savory, and ready in under an hour.
Cenci are a typical Tuscan dessert we make during Carnival, basically they are aromatized fried dough rags (cenci means rags in Tuscany).
They are crunchy and sweet, thanks to the powder sugar topping, and instantly bring back my child memories (it looks like it does the same to my daughters 😁).
This fennel and orange salad is a classic Sicilian winter side: crisp, bright, and naturally light. Finished with Riviera olives, paper-thin Tropea onion, and a splash of orange juice, it pairs beautifully with both fish and meat.
Fresh chitarra spaghetti finished in the pan with a pure tomato sauce made from crushed San Marzano tomatoes, slowly reduced and seasoned only at the end with garlic and basil. Spaghetti al pomodoro are an icon of Italian cuisine—but only if you make them properly: a concentrated sauce, the right timing, and a final toss with starchy pasta water so every strand is coated and glossy. A simple, focused dish where texture, balance, and real tomato flavor are the whole point
A traditional Northern Italian pumpkin cappellacci recipe made with butternut squash. The key is drying the roasted squash properly, then serving either with melted butter and Parmigiano or (optionally) a light ragù.
I’m not claiming this tart is “healthy”… but it’s honestly not that bad. The shortcrust uses relatively little butter and sugar, it’s made with semi-whole wheat flour, and the filling is built around 70% dark chocolate—so yes, indulgent, but also a solid-quality treat. It takes some time to make, but that’s how it’s done.
Recipe by Carlo
