Gennaro Contaldo on how 'proper Italian cooking' can save you money on your groceries
Known affectionately as Jamie Oliver’s ‘London dad’ (he taught him everything he knows about Italian cooking) Gennaro Contaldo says he throws “nothing” away, adding it doesn’t just annoy him when people waste food. Picture: PA Photo/David Loftus
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 a famed Italian chef’s house – no matter what time it is.
He made it from bits and pieces he found in his kitchen yesterday: Parmesan rind, carrot, a chunk of guanciale (cured meat), a jar of chickpeas, one shallot, celery, a single potato, some romaine lettuce – cooked down for 45 minutes with stock and served with a scoop of starchy pasta water and a glug of olive oil from the enormous vat sitting on his outdoor kitchen worktop. Very simple, very tasty.
