Gennaro Contaldo OSI ( Italian pronunciation: [dʒenˈnaːro konˈtaldo]; born 20 January 1949) is an Italian chef known for his association with his British protégé, Jamie Oliver, and his partnership with fellow Italian chef Antonio Carluccio and their BBC Two television series Two Greedy Italians.

Recipes | Gennaro Contaldo

Contaldo later worked for popular London restaurants in St John's Wood, and at Antonio Carluccio's Neal Street Restaurant in London's Covent Garden. He left Neal Street in 1998. Having detailed how to make it, he said: “If you are having a picnic, have a slice. It is… hallelujah!” His latest book, ‘Gennaro’s Limoni’ published by Pavilion, is a foodie’s must, celebrating and sharing Gennaro’s love of lemons, Italy’s favourite fruit, and recipes that they star in. In April 2003, Contaldo published his first cookbook, Passione, which is dedicated to the Amalfitan style of cooking. The cookbook won 'Gourmand World Cookbook - Best Italian Cuisine Book' for 2003. His second book, Gennaro's Italian Year, was published in September 2006. His third book, Gennaro's Italian Home Cooking, was published in September 2008, and his fourth, Gennaro's Easy Italian, was published in March 2010. His most recent book, "Panetteria: Gennaro's Italian Bakery", was published in September 2016.Classic Italian cooking, at its very heart, is cost-effective. The basis of many of the most famous dishes is known as “cucina povera” literally translating to “poor kitchen” or “poor cooking”. The chef says: “There was not much, so whatever you had you cooked in many different ways and nothing used to be thrown away.” Gennaro Contaldo is widely known as the Italian legend who taught Jamie Oliver all he knows about Italian cooking and is one of the UK’s best-loved chefs, as well as being author of a dozen best-selling Italian recipe books. Italian chef Gennaro Contaldo’s new book, Gennaro’s Cucina: Hearty Money-Saving Meals From An Italian Kitchen, is out today. Contaldo has made cooking appearances on numerous other television shows. On BBC1's Saturday morning show Saturday Kitchen, he set a record of 16.36 seconds for making a three-egg omelette. In 2014 he was also awarded a Guinness World Record for the most ravioli made in two minutes. [6]

Gennaro Contaldo tells Chris Evans about his new cookbook Gennaro Contaldo tells Chris Evans about his new cookbook

Beautiful, classic recipes made with passion, by the man who taught me everything I know about Italian cooking"On working with the young Jamie Oliver, the Italian chef said: “He was already talented. He knew what he was doing. Parmigiana was originally made with aubergines from southern Italy, says Gennaro Contaldo. “Where aubergines are abundant during summer, pumpkin is plentiful during the colder season, especially in rural locations where this autumnal squash provided necessary nutrition for families.” You’ll need: Born in Minori on the Amalfi Coast, Gennaro Contaldo is one of the most respected chefs in London and is widely known as the man who taught Jamie Oliver all he knows about Italian cooking. Gennaro explained: “He’d just come out from college. Don't forget, Jamie’s very talented, and also he used to cook since he was a little child, because his mother and father had the restaurant, a pub. So, one way or the other, he was there.

Recipes | Gennaro Contaldo Recipes | Gennaro Contaldo

Contaldo opened the Passione restaurant, in Charlotte Street, London, in 1999. Passione was awarded 'Best Italian Restaurant 2005' by the Tio Pepe Restaurant Awards. Passione closed in March 2009 due to decreased business as a result of the late-2000s recession. [4] The 74-year-old says he throws nothing away. And not only for environmental reasons. In a cost of living crisis, throwing any food away is literally money in the bin. Knowing what you can do with leftovers is the key to cutting your food bill, Contaldo believes. Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan until hot, then add the pumpkin slices (you may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan) and deep-fry for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for a further 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and has taken on a golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Contaldo is also known for his association with Jamie Oliver, whom he first met at Neal Street Restaurant in the 1990s. The two chefs have since maintained a close friendship and professional relationship. Oliver even once put up a reward for information when Contaldo's restaurant, Passione, was burgled in 2003. [5] Contaldo has appeared on many of Oliver's television shows, such as The Naked Chef. He made a comic appearance as one of Oliver's sous-chefs on Food Network's Iron Chef America, in a battle against famed Italian-American chef Mario Batali. Contaldo also developed menus for Oliver's UK restaurant chain Jamie's Italian, in which he is a business partner. He learned to cook because, everyone did. “Inside my house papa wanted to cook, grandfather wanted to cook, grandma would cook, my mama would cook, my sister was taught by my grandma. In an era of excessive convenience and disposable food waste, Gennaro’s Cucina could not come at a better time – you will learn how to use simple ingredients in inventive ways, eat seasonally, spend less and, ultimately, eat better. In this inspirational cookbook, Gennaro takes you on a culinary journey of regional basic Italian staples and turns them into beautiful meals. With tips and ideas of what to do with leftovers, Gennaro helps home cooks squeeze maximum use from the ‘cucina povera’ ethos, turning humble ingredients into nourishing feasts without taste sacrifice.

Gennaro Contaldo Welcome | Gennaro Contaldo

Gennaro Contaldo puts a bowl of penne in front of me. “Eat! Enjoy it!” he says. It’s 10am, but you don’t turn down pasta at an Italian chef’s house – no matter what time it is. Along with the majority of post-war Italian families, a young Gennaro was raised on a diet harvested on a limited budget. Restricted choice of scarce ingredients meant they learnt the value what they had, how to cook dishes lovingly and use imaginative methods of preservation to make simple dishes go far: including salting, drying and curing. If people knew how to cook, they would save at least half – at least!” he says. “I press everyone to learn how to cook because once you’ve learned how to cook, you can use whatever you find in the house.”Join Gennaro on a culinary journey into his past; traditional recipes that transform delicious, affordable ingredients into hearty nourishing feasts