Feedback with Gennaro Contaldo

Posted on 1 Feb 2026 by Noreen Collins

Feedback with Gennaro Contaldo

^{Photos by David Loftus}

Few people talk about food with as much warmth and poetry as Gennaro Contaldo.

Whether he’s describing a slow-cooked Sunday ragù shared with 25 family members, or waxing lyrical about olive oil “kissed by the sun,” you can almost hear the clinking of plates and chatter around the table. Joining us as our Feedback guest this month he has stories about the foods that shaped his childhood, the restaurants that inspire him today, and the ingredients he simply couldn’t live without. He takes us back to his early days in Italy, recalls his wide-eyed arrival in 1960s England, when olive oil was something you could only buy from a chemist, and celebrates how far British food has come since.

From memories of family feasts to his dream dinner date with Sophia Loren overlooking the Bay of Naples, Gennaro’s passion for food is as infectious as ever. His latest book Hidden Italy: Regional Recipes to Treasure for Generations, he invites readers on a culinary adventure through Italy’s rich and varied landscape. From mountain villages to sun-soaked coastal towns, he uncovers forgotten recipes and time-honoured traditions that tell the story of Italy’s regional heritage.

With his trademark passion and warmth, Gennaro breathes new life into classic dishes—those once at the heart of family gatherings—blending old-world charm with a touch of modern flair. Each recipe is steeped in history, celebrating the flavours, people, and memories that make Italian food so special.

Part travelogue, part love letter to his homeland, Hidden Italy is more than just a cookbook—it’s a journey through time, culture, and the comforting simplicity of food made with love. We have two recipes from Gennaro's new book which you can see here.

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What food always reminds you of your childhood?

There are so many things that remind me, but one thing is a slow cooked ragu we used to have on a Sunday. There would be about 25 of us around the table, my grandfather, with my sister helping, and my aunt Maria directing it. The ragu was made with a less noble part of meat, which had to be cooked slowly for a long, long time. It was like a ceremony, because the meat was chosen the day before! Many other families would make that dish also. In the winter we would use pork and, in the spring, and summer we’d use all kinds of different meats but always cooked slowly. My mother would make a curly pasta, and I can remember her rolling it out, and it would be served with a beautiful salad of all different leaves. That was a favourite memory. I still do it now because I loved it so much – I have it at least every other Sunday. And this particular ragu, I filmed with Antonio (Carluccio) on the Amalfi coast, for our television series ‘Two Greedy Italians’.

Do you have a current favourite restaurant or type of restaurant?

I do and it’s in Marylebone called Jikoni, in Blandford Street. Although I am 100% Italian, they do a fusion of all different foods, it could be Italian, English, Indian anywhere - and they put it together and it’s really good. I was doing a BBC Saturday Kitchen show with Ravinder, and she said to come along and taste her food, I really, really enjoyed it, it was just so good.

You arrived in England in 1969, what was your first impression of Italian food in the UK then, and what do you think of it now?

What a change when I arrived in England! I’d worked in the kitchen from when I was 10 years old, then I’d travelled all over Italy. You name it and I’d cooked everywhere. You needed a permit to stay in the country, so they gave me a permit to work in a fish and chip shop! I remember I was earning £8 a week, and I’d see this beautiful fish that would be fried in batter with chips and pickled eggs. There was also a little place where you could eat and have a cup of tea and a kind of a coffee – a powdered coffee mix, And I used to think, how can they drink this milky coffee and then eat the fish and chips?! There was one restaurant in Mayfair, and everybody was shouting about how good it was, so I went to work there, and the owner showed me the many different dishes they served, including carbonara. And he asked me to make a bechamel, and then using pre-cooked spaghetti, adding the sauce on top, along with a lot of cheese, and to serve it up. I didn't know what to think, so I stayed a little bit later asked him, “Do you mind if I show you the proper way?” He looked at me and said, “What do you mean?” I said, “We don't have to use all these different ingredients this is so easy to make”. He looked at me and said “Here, they like it like that, so this is the carbonara we serve. There’s your jacket, we don’t need you anymore”. And that was that!

I remember when I wanted a bottle of olive oil, they told me to go to the chemist. So, I went to the counter and in my broken English it took me about half an hour to explain what I wanted, and they lined up all the little bottles of oil. I thought it was for me to taste, and the lady said “No – this is for putting inside your ear!”

The one thing you could always get was cheese and a few selections of wine and then as soon as we became a part of the European Union, there have been more opportunities and resources for chefs, as well as so many new restaurants now.

You can buy mostly anything these days including Amalfi lemons from my hometown in Italy – they export over to England. And do you know where else I can buy them? Lidl. I feel so proud!

If you go to Italy, what is the first thing you eat that makes you think “I’m home!”

As soon as I’ve landed, I head to the airport bar and order an espresso and sfogliatella pastry. That first sip of strong coffee and mouthful of sweet flaky pastry and ricotta, is the best welcome home.

Is there something particular you always keep in the fridge?

I always have a piece of 24-month matured Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, which I use in most of my cooking as well as enjoying it fresh with bread and fruit for a snack.

What would be your last supper if literally anything was available to you and where would you eat it and who would you be with?

A simple dish but using really good ingredients - spaghetti with a sauce made from the best San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, basil and extra virgin olive oil. A platter of local cured meats, the freshest Buffalo mozzarella and home-preserved pickles with lots of good rustic bread. For dessert, Pastiera di Grano – a wheat and ricotta-based tart, popular during Easter in the Naples area. I would be with Sophia Loren in her hometown of Naples, overlooking the beautiful bay and we would talk about food, in particular Neapolitan specialities swapping recipes and food stories.

Gennaro’s new book Hidden Italy: Regional Recipes to Treasure for Generations (Pavilion Books), is out now, and we have two recipes for you to browse.