By Leigh O’Connor.
Sometimes Angelo Coassin asks himself where his passion for cooking started. Even though he can’t remotely remember, Angelo feels it was written in the stars.
"I am very Italian; I come from a beautiful region in the northeast of Italy, one hour away from Venice. I was born on Thanksgiving and even though we don’t celebrate it in Italy, my Aunt Maria who lives in the US, has always called me ‘tacchino’ which means turkey.
"If my place and date of birth are not enough to justify my passion for food, I need you to know my family has owned a bakery for more than 50 years. In my hometown, we are known as ‘quelli del pane’ – those who make bread – and I have always been super proud of that.”
This home cook’s enthusiasm is undeniable and infectious leading him to more than 1.5 million Instagram followers for ‘Cooking with Bello’ and more than 1.6 million on TikTok. He has now released his book ‘Cook Like a Real Italian’ with more than 60 classic and contemporary recipes.
The dishes range from carbonara, focaccia and tiramisu to pasta roses, pizza muffins and homemade gelato – plus there is a sexy tip for each dish straight from Angelo’s repertoire of catchphrases such as ‘Mama Mia’ and ‘Super Sexy’.
Learn how to create authentic tasting dishes with the same passion and joy as Angelo with unrestrictive, easy-to-follow instructions and readily available ingredients. His recipes will give you the confidence to cook great-tasting Italian food at home with chapters including appetisers, primi, secondi, desserts and cocktails.
We have three for you to enjoy at home:
This no-pasta lasagne is so easy to make; it’s the perfect idea for a quick Summer dinner! You can be creative with the filling and use any leftovers you have in the refrigerator. Try adding some ham between the layers or stirring some spinach into the ricotta cream to make your lasagne … super sexy!
Sexy tip: because we are using raw courgettes, your lasagne might release some excess moisture while baking, but don’t worry! Carefully tilt the dish and remove excess liquid with a spoon.
My Mum always makes this dish at the weekend, serving it with roast potatoes. It’s cosy, juicy and absolutely delicious! I love to make it on weeknights, when I don’t have a lot of time to cook. You just add all the ingredients to a baking dish, chuck everything in the oven and an hour later, your chicken is ready.
Sexy tip: try this recipe with white wine instead of beer: same measurements, different flavour, same super-sexy result!
"I made this limoncello tiramisu for the first time a few years ago for my best friend Serxhio’s birthday and it was a huge success! It is so fresh and creamy: the perfect ending to a nice Summer dinner. For best results, always let your tiramisù rest in the refrigerator overnight. For a variation, try replacing the lemons with oranges.”
‘Cook Like a Real ltalian’ promises to be an inspiring, engaging and joyful cookbook that celebrates real Italian home cooking!
