Michelle Damiani
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aperol spritz, spello, umbria, italy
Michelle Damiani

writing with Italy at heart

Food and Drink

Michelle Damiani
  • Buy my books/
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    • Spello
    • Visiting Umbria
    • Travel in Italy
    • Around the World
  • What I Love/
    • Books and Movies
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    • Gabe's Blog
    • Italian Cats and Hidden Madonnas
  • Coaching/
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Explore the best of Italian food and drink—classic recipes, regional specialties, and culinary travel stories from across Italy. Get even more tips and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for the Grapevine.


November 09, 2025

Pears poached in Wine: An ode to Autumn

November 09, 2025/ Michelle Damiani
Pears poached in Wine: An ode to Autumn

In Italy, fall isn’t just a transition — it’s a feast for all senses. To celebrate that abundance, I suggest this recipe for pears poached in red wine.

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November 09, 2025/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
recipe, food, italy, italian food
dessert, food, Italy, Piedmont, wine
February 07, 2024

Pasta alla Norcina

February 07, 2024/ Michelle Damiani
Pasta alla Norcina

A no-fuss recipe for one of Italy’s most delicious, easy, yet relatively unknown pasta dishes.

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February 07, 2024/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
recipe, food
Umbria, recipe, food
February 07, 2024

Pistachio Yogurt Cake recipe

February 07, 2024/ Michelle Damiani
Pistachio Yogurt Cake recipe

A simple recipe for a swoon-worthy dessert.

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February 07, 2024/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
recipe
dessert
December 12, 2023

Chocolate, orange, and hazelnut biscotti

December 12, 2023/ Michelle Damiani
Chocolate, orange, and hazelnut biscotti

My three favorite flavors, in one swoon-worthy cookie.

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December 12, 2023/ Michelle Damiani/ 2 Comments
food, recipe
food, recipe, cooking, Italy
May 23, 2022

Arancini

May 23, 2022/ Michelle Damiani
Arancini

Making arancini is easy! And these cheesy rice balls liven up any party, spritz or otherwise.

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May 23, 2022/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
recipe, food
recipe, food, spritz
December 05, 2021

Holiday Cookies with Wanderlust Flair

December 05, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Holiday Cookies with Wanderlust Flair

Searching to jazz up your holiday cookie platter with global flavors? Look no further.

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December 05, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
food, recipe
cooking, recipe
June 25, 2021

Pasta alla Norma

June 25, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Pasta alla Norma

Enjoy the flavors of summer with this simple, vegetarian dish!

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June 25, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
recipe, food
food, recipe, pasta
May 03, 2021

Bucatini alla Amatriciana (the real kind)

May 03, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Bucatini alla Amatriciana (the real kind)

The secret to much of Italian cooking is pork fat, and that is particularly true for this storied pasta dish.

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May 03, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 4 Comments
recipe, food
pasta, recipe, food, Umbria, primi
April 27, 2021

Porcini stuffed chicken with gravy

April 27, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Porcini stuffed chicken with gravy

The only thing better than a roast chicken is one flavored with porcini mushrooms.

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April 27, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
recipe, food
food, recipe
April 11, 2021

Cristiana's Borlotti Bean Soup

April 11, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Cristiana's Borlotti Bean Soup

How to make a bean soup that will surprise you its warm and vibrant depth of flavor.

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April 11, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ 2 Comments
food, recipe
food, recipe
February 22, 2021

Chäswähe (Cheese Tart from Switzerland)

February 22, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Chäswähe (Cheese Tart from Switzerland)

My quest for authentic Swiss recipes has led to some wonderful meals.

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February 22, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
food, recipe
Switzerland, food, recipe
January 19, 2021

Saffron risotto with Jerusalem artichokes

January 19, 2021/ Michelle Damiani
Saffron risotto with Jerusalem artichokes

Bring golden cheer to your dinner table with this risotto dressed in saffron and Jerusalem artichokes.

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January 19, 2021/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
food, recipe
food, recipe
October 20, 2020

Riso con sugo

October 20, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Riso con sugo

Think of it as a tomato risotto, but it’s ever so much more.

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October 20, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ 6 Comments
food, recipe
recipe, food, cooking
September 16, 2020

Bitter Greens

September 16, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Bitter Greens

I used to hate greens, now I can’t get enough of them.

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September 16, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
recipe, food
cooking, recipe
August 19, 2020

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

August 19, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

When life gives you lemons….

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August 19, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ 6 Comments
recipe, food
recipe, pasta, food
August 11, 2020

Sausage Sugo

August 11, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Sausage Sugo

Welcome to Italy! It’s time to feast.

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August 11, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ 2 Comments
food, recipe
recipe, food, Spello
June 15, 2020

Panzanella

June 15, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Panzanella

Finally, a brilliant idea for what do with all that pandemic sourdough.

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June 15, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
food, recipe
recipe
April 19, 2020

Tigelle: How to dress up your antipasti with Bologna style

April 19, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
Tigelle: How to dress up your antipasti with Bologna style

On our trip to Bologna we discovered tigelle—like a cross between a pancake and an English muffin, they are the perfect vehicle for salted cured meats like prosciutto, capocollo, and Bologna’s staple—mortadella. And so easy to make!

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April 19, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
food, recipe
recipe, Italy, food, antipasti
January 22, 2020

How to Host a Pizza Night

January 22, 2020/ Michelle Damiani
How to Host a Pizza Night

Fabulous fun and flavors! Here are my tips for pizza night, from recipes to process to make it a night to remember.

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January 22, 2020/ Michelle Damiani/ Comment
food, recipe
recipe, party
September 09, 2019

Brilliant Pesto without Fear of Pine Mouth

September 09, 2019/ Michelle Damiani
Brilliant Pesto without Fear of Pine Mouth

All the pesto joy without the pesto terror.

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September 09, 2019/ Michelle Damiani/ 2 Comments
food, recipe
food, recipe, pasta
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Michelle Damiani

Website for Michelle Damiani, author of Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center, the funny and heartfelt memoir of an American family living in Spello, as well as Santa Lucia, a page-turner set on the Umbria border. 

Rumors. Romance. And more than a little espresso.

Get Santa Lucia, a novel set in Italy, FREE by signing up for my monthly newsletter, The Grapevine. Recipes, travel tips, and free wanderlust stories delivered right to your inbox.

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Those olive trees turned this 53-year-old woman into a pigtailed girl after too many days of rain.

I swear, winding through the Pugliese countryside felt like wandering straight into a Scottish fairy tale—dark, mystical trunks heaving over the
Most people who come to Grottaglie in Puglia for the ceramics studios. But when you travel with @max_brunelli of @ciaoandiamo , you are sure to see MORE. Before we walked to the shops, we stepped down the stairs of a local ceramic artist who one day
This year, skip the stress and borrow a page from Italy 🇮🇹 Celebrate on Christmas Eve, savor dinner, soak in the quiet glow, and let the season be more about meaning than perfection. Simple, joyful, beautifully Italian ✨ head to the link in my bio
Matera got under my skin again—five years later and the Sassi still feel like walking through a dream you’re not entirely sure you’re ready for.

This place does that. One minute you’re climbing a sunlit staircase, the next yo
It’s here! My brand-new gift guide for Italy Lovers 🇮🇹, created for anyone who dreams in espresso foam and drifts through life imagining they’re strolling a sun-splashed piazza.

This year’s guide is all about slowing down and sav
Grapevine subscribers! New chapter in your mailbox 10 AM local time. I hope you enjoy my eight ways to bring Italy into your home this season ❤️ not signed up? Link in my bio! Fast and easy and as a special welcome to the Grapevine community, I&rsquo
We were winding our way toward Matera when @max_brunelli turned off route, citing something he had to show us. That’s how we ended up in Castelmezzano, a village so impossibly perched and perfectly proportioned it looks like a presepe—an
DON’T STRESS THE MOZZARELLA! This was my takeaway message from the buffalo mozzarella farm, our first Book Club with a View Stop. Apparently, how one cuts the mozzarella is important to avoid stressing it. I can’t give you any tips becaus
From hazelnut-filled hills of garnet and gold to whitewashed villages perched above a brilliant blue sea, this last trip reminded me that Italy contains multitudes. The luckiest part? Traveling through the Mezzogiorno with @max_brunelli of @ciaoandia
Danger is simmering in Aramezzo, and Stella is about to find herself in the middle of the pot. After all, in Umbria, pasta isn’t the only thing that’s twisted.

I’m thrilled to share that “Making a Killing in Aramezzo”,

A trip to Italy is better with language basics! Here’s my recommended course to learn Italian and make your trip fantastico!


Festival participant, speaking about “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”

Festival participant, speaking about “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”

Featured speaker on panel discussing Romance for “Santa Lucia”