Massimo Bottura, chef of the Osteria Francescana, three Michelin stars and best restaurant in the world in 2016 and 2018, was the guest of an exceptional online event organised on Monday 29th June by the Camera di Commercio Italo-Lussemburghese in collaboration with the Italian Chambers of Commerce of Belgium and the Netherlands.
Artist, innovator and restaurateur for over twenty years, Massimo Bottura is by far one of the most prestigious ambassadors of modern Italian cuisine in the world. Through his dishes, the Chef explores with passion and creativity Italian cuisine between tradition and innovation.
During the event, Chef Bottura opened the doors of his kitchen and recounted his journey, his philosophy and his relationship with the certified products of his home territory, the Emilia Romagna region, qualified as the valley of Italian gastronomy for its many PDO and PGI products, among which: Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO and Prosciutto di Parma PDO.
Chef Bottura talked about his love for cooking, the opening and evolution of Osteria Francescana, Franceschetta58 “the little sister of Osteria Francescana” and Casa Maria Luigia. He also spoke about the importance of using real authentic Italian products and fighting against the phenomenon of Italian Sounding, stressing that one should not save on good quality products. He addressed the issue of sustainable food and its commitment against food waste and social inclusion, which gave birth to the” Food for Soul” project.
The main recipe prepared by Chef Bottura for the E-class was the “pasta al pesto con briciole di pane” (find below), which underlines the importance of innovating traditional recipes using simple ingredients. This recipe is linked to the chef’s philosophy against food waste.
The KACHEN team really enjoyed this exclusive moment, full of inspiration and passion. Thank you very much to Camera di Commercio Italo-Lussemburghese and the Italian Chambers of Commerce of Belgium and the Netherlands for the invitation and the wonderful organisation. This event was organised within the framework of the “True Italian Taste” project, promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and carried out by Assocamerestero with the collaboration of the Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad to valorise and promote the authentic Italian food products and to show to the professionals of the HORECA sector as well as to journalists and influencers the precious link that unites Italian products to the territories of origin.
Thank you also for making it possible to send an exclusive invitation for the event to the participants of the KACHEN Blog Award, who accepted it with great pleasure.
More information: CCIL or Massimo Bottura
Recipe : Pasta al pesto con briciole di pane – Serves 4
- 400g artisanal dried pasta from Gragnano PGI (Fusilli)
- 1 peeled garlic clove
- 100g fresh basil,
- 10 g mint leaves
- 10 g parsley leaves
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 1g salt
- 150g grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (24 or 36 months)
- 70g extravirgin olive oil (Villa Manodori) (preferably chilled 3 hours)
- 30g cold water
Tips: save some of the boiling water to use in case of need.
- Press the garlic clove with the knife, then add it with the breadcrumbs, basil, mint, parsley and Parmigiano Reggiano, leaving aside 6 spoons to finish the plate. Add the extravirgin olive oil and cold water in a food processor and pulse to create a smooth sauce.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions (al dente) in boiling salted water.
- Strain the pasta without rinsing, put the pesto into a bowl or in the pan where pasta was cooked, add the pasta and mix it with the sauce. In case the pasta seems too dry, add some of the cooking water to make it creamier.
- Finish the plate with Parmigiano Reggiano and, in case you like it, grated lemon zest. Serve warm.