Authentic Italian Recipes, Ingredients and Cooking tips with Chef Aldo Zilli

One thing I’ve noticed when cooking at home is that quality ingredients always make a difference. This is even more important with simple recipes which depend on just a few ingredients to produce all the flavour.

To learn more about this, I headed to a cooking class hosted by Chef Aldo Zilli and the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. We spent the evening learning about the secret to sourcing authentic Italian produce in the UK and made some delicious dishes in the process.

Authentic Italian produce in the UK

The popularity of Italian food has has risen significantly in recent years, and as a result, the number of imitation products on the market has also grown.

Thankfully there is a quick and easy way to identify authentic, locally sourced Italian produce which simply involves checking the labels.

PDO and PGI are the key stamps of authenticity to look out for when shopping for your Italian produce.

What is PDO/PGI?

PDO designation is given to those products whose qualitative characteristics depend on the territory in which they are produced. These characteristics include climate and traditional know-how. PGI is given to those products whose qualities depend on the production / processing skills.

By checking this you ensure you are getting regional specialities that are authentic and traceable of the highest quality. It’s also a great way to support local, independent producers too!

Authentic Italian Recipes

In our cooking class with Aldo Zilli, we used a range of PDO/PGI approved ingredients. These included PDO Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, PDO Prosciutto di Parma, and PGI balsamic vinegar, Sicilian tomatoes and lemons, Italian charcuterie, flour and olive oil. This demonstrates that even the most simple and every day ingredients can be ethically sourced and make a difference to the flavour of the final dish.

The dishes we made included fresh handmade pasta which we made from scratch. This was my first time making pasta and I was impressed with how quick and easy the process was.

The pasta was served with a freshly made tomato sauce which included roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes and basil.

We also made a classic starter of asparagus wrapped with parma ham cooked in butter and topped with parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Both courses were delicious and simple to make. Despite this they were packed with flavour and showcased Italian produce beautifully.

Check for Quality and Authenticity

You can recreate the same authentic flavour at home by consciously checking labels before you buy. PDO/PGI is your authenticity stamp for quality and a wealth of flavour, and it is always worth checking for these.

In collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UK. All views are my own.

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