Italian Classics for Vegetarians is designed to introduce you to a collection of vegetarian recipes that stay true to the culinary heritage and cooking traditions of Italy. Guided by an English-speaking chef, discover Italy's best meat-free, plant-based recipes, all from the comforts of your private kitchen in your villa in Italy.
Your all-inclusive holiday includes a series of hands-on cooking classes, demonstrations and food and wine tastings spread out throughout the week. During this culinary immersion gastronomes will learn to transform local and fresh produce into some of Italy's best meat-free dishes, and cooking techniques and secrets every great Italian chef uses. Have fun putting your cooking skills to the test and impress everyone back home with new-found skills in preparing a selection of Italian hand-made pasta, Tuscan primi ("first courses") and classic desserts including Cantucci and Tiramisu.
Whether you're organising a family reunion, travelling with a large group of friends, or travelling with little ones, you will still have time to enjoy the luxuries of your villa, relax by the private swimming pool, sightsee and take in the sun, sights and sounds of Italy.
Tuscan cuisine originates from cucina povera ("cuisine of the poor" or "peasant cooking"). Cucina povera is based on simplicity and seasonality, as well as one's ability to reuse and reinvent ingredients in various ways. Ribollita ("re-boiled") is a flavourful and infinitely nourishing soup, packed with hearty greens, beans and leftover bread — nothing in a Tuscan larder is wasted, not even stale bread.
Alike Ribollita, this Tuscan soup has peasant origins. Like all bread, pane toscano ("tuscan bread") goes stale, however, due to its consistency, this type of bread is fit for soups and recipes where it can be soaked or made softer. Pappa al Pomodoro is a simple, tasty, Tuscan soup made from tomatoes, garlic, basil, Extra-virgin olive oil and old Tuscan bread. Quality ingredients make or break this 3-ingredient recipe, served hot as a comforting classic or chilled as a refreshing dish.
Alike Ribollita, this Tuscan soup has peasant origins. Like all bread, pane toscano ("tuscan bread") goes stale, however, due to its consistency, this type of bread is fit for soups and recipes where it can be soaked or made softer. Pappa al Pomodoro is a simple, tasty, Tuscan soup made from tomatoes, garlic, basil, Extra-virgin olive oil and old Tuscan bread. Quality ingredients make or break this 3-ingredient recipe, served hot as a comforting classic or chilled as a refreshing dish.
These long, flat ribbons from Emilia-Romagna, play an important role in the cuisine of Central and Northern Italy. Their particular name derives from the verb tagliare ("to cut"), since traditionally this pasta type is rolled out into thin paper sheets and hand-cut. Their rough and porous texture makes this pasta type ideal for soaking up thicker sauces, typically made with veal, beef or pork, such as ragù ("Bolognese").
While Italy is the home country of pasta, Risotto is very typical in Italy so much that every region has their respective recipe and speciality for this first course. While this creamy and rich dish leaves plenty of space for chefs to be creative, the classic Italian recipe is characterised by four steps: tostatura (in which the rice is toasted), sfumatura (where the wine is added), cottura (the rice is patiently cooked) and mantecatura (the dish is finished with butter or cheese).
While the origins of Italy's most famous dish are debatable, there is one thing we can agree on — Tiramisu is one of the best desserts (if not, 'the' best). Its name, Tiramisu ("pick me up"), refers to the two caffeinated ingredients, espresso and cocoa, present in this layered cake made with beaten egg, mascarpone and ladyfinger biscuits soaked in coffee. While many legends around the history of tiramisu exist, our favourite is that this dessert was served as an aphrodisiac to clients in the brothels of Treviso.
Your all-inclusive holiday includes a series of hands-on cooking classes, demonstrations and food and wine tastings spread out throughout the week. During this culinary immersion gastronomes will learn to transform local and fresh produce into some of Italy's best meat-free dishes, and cooking techniques and secrets every great Italian chef uses. Have fun putting your cooking skills to the test and impress everyone back home with new-found skills in preparing a selection of Italian hand-made pasta, Tuscan primi ("first courses") and classic desserts including Cantucci and Tiramisu.
Whether you're organising a family reunion, travelling with a large group of friends, or travelling with little ones, you will still have time to enjoy the luxuries of your villa, relax by the private swimming pool, sightsee and take in the sun, sights and sounds of Italy.