Your Guardian Chef: Laura Giunta Tobin

Buona Domenica, My pasta e fagioli is different from yours, because in Italy every family would have their own version using what they have locally. It is one of the first one-pot dinners I make when autumn arrives. I like to make it from scratch, with borlotti beans, fresh homemade pasta and something you would usually throw away. → 🍽️ Traditional Pasta e Fagioli Soup Recipe → ▶️ Watch the full recipe on youtube buon appetito, LauraYour Angel In The Kitchen Follow me on

Buon Venerdì, Halloween is next week and squash is at its peak at the market. Many of you buy a squash for Halloween and then do not know what to cook with it beyond carving it. So I put together these Italian recipes that use squash in a soup, a first course, a side and a pie. One squash from the market can be roasted, puréed or baked into a pie, so it can feed several meals instead of becoming a decoration. 🍽️ Roast Pumpkin Soup Served in a Pumpkin 🍽️ Italian Vegan Pumpkin Gnocchi with...

Buon Mercoledì, Now that stews are back on the stove, many of you might think that Italians always cook their meat in tomato sauce, but that is not true. That is why I put together these Italian meat dishes braised without any tomato, each one giving the meat its flavour in a different way. Without tomato covering everything, you taste the meat itself along with whatever it is cooked in. 🍽️ Italian Meatballs with No Tomato Sauce (Polpette in Bianco) 🍽️ Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast (Rollè di...

Buona Domenica, When the first cold Sundays arrive, I go back to the dishes my mother made in the winter months, and stew with no tomato, was one of them. She served it with a pilaf made with risotto rice and baked in the oven, so it needs no stirring. Whatever stew was left over became a pasta dinner later in the week. 🍽️ Italian Veal Stew With No Tomato (Spezzatino in Bianco)🍽️ Risotto Pilaf Baked in the Oven With No Stirring▶️ Watch the full recipe on YouTube Last call! 📢 On Monday 19...

Buon Venerdì, The problem with serving risotto at a dinner party is that you need to be in the kitchen stirring while your guests are waiting. These recipes made with risotto rice can either be made ahead of time or baked at the last minute. Because the work is done before your guests arrive, you can wait at the table with them instead of standing at the stove. 🍽️ Oven Baked Rice Pilaf (Risotto Rice) 🍽️ Italian Rice Eggplant Timbale (Timballo di Melanzane) 🍽️ Italian Stuffed Tomatoes with...

Buon Mercoledì, Making risotto is not an opinion. To achieve the perfect creaminess and a firm grain, the technique is strict and precise, and the type of rice is fundamental. So let’s review how to make the perfect risotto, and if you are all set, use your creativity to add the sauce you like. Here are some ideas: 🍽️ Traditional Saffron Risotto alla Milanese with Bone Marrow 🍽️ Butter Seared Scallops and Risotto with Peas and Bacon 🍽️ Champagne Risotto Served in a Parmesan Wheel 🍽️...

Buona Domenica, You don’t need a mortgage to cook with truffle. I know many of you see truffle as a restaurant luxury, especially now that the white truffle season has opened in Italy. That is why I want to show you three recipes, from an easy one to a more complex one, that you can make for any occasion. → 🍽️ Spaghetti with Ricotta and Truffle Cream → 🍽️ Creamy Truffle Gnocchi → 🍽️ Italian Tortellini Soufflé → ▶️ Watch the full recipes on YouTube buon appetito, Last call! We are starting in...

Buon Martedì, You may think it is too early to think about Christmas gifts🎁, but with very little effort you can stock up on unique gifts your friends and family will enjoy. I don't remember the last store-bought gift that meant something to me, but ..I still remember the homemade Limoncello my aunt Zia Lalla gave me. 🍾 On Monday 19 October I am starting an email/video course where you make Limoncello, Orange liqueur Curacao and Chocolate liqueur with me. At each step I send you a video...

Buona Domenica, When the whole family is at the table on a weeknight, you need one dish that fills every plate. With six of us at home in Rome, my mother often made gattò di patate, the potato pie from Naples. It bakes in a single pan, feeds everyone, and the layer of stringy cheese in the middle is also the place to use up your leftover roast. 🍽️ Gattò di Patate, the Italian Potato Pie From Naples▶️ Watch the full recipe on YouTube Last call! I hope you are enjoying the recipes I send you...

Buon Venerdì, By Friday your fridge probably holds a few potatoes and half a vegetable, and the usual choice is to throw them away or to buy more for a new recipe. Don't!These are the Italian dishes that start from whatever is already in your fridge. Each one is a method rather than a fixed list of ingredients, so you keep the technique and use whatever vegetables, cheese or meat you have. 🍽️ Italian Mashed Potato Pie Gateau (Gattò) 🍽️ One Pot Pasta and Potatoes 🍽️ Easy Pork Tenderloin with...