For Jessi and Alessio Pasini, cooking together has been part of their relationship from the very beginning.
Some of their earliest dates were spent in the kitchen, where Alessio prepared authentic Italian recipes while introducing Jessi to the flavors he grew up with. Along the way, they traded English and Italian words, listened to music and discovered that food had become one of the ways they connected most naturally.
Those experiences eventually inspired From Italy With Amore: Seasonal Italian Recipes for Those You Love, the couple's debut cookbook. Organized around the seasons, it pairs authentic Italian recipes with stories about family, travel and the traditions that have shaped their life together. The book also offers practical guidance for home cooks, including tips on choosing authentic Italian ingredients and shopping for them in the United States.
Today, the Pasinis share recipes, Italian traditions and cultural observations with an online audience, hoping to make authentic Italian cooking more approachable for home cooks while preserving the stories behind the food.
We spoke with Jessi and Alessio about the role cooking has played in their relationship and the family recipes that mean the most to them.
How did cooking together become such an important part of your relationship, and when did you realize it was something you wanted to share with others?
Cooking together was a huge part of our story from the very beginning. Some of our earliest dating memories are dinners where Alessio would prepare authentic Italian recipes for me. It was a way for him to share his culture and I (literally) ate it up!
He hadn't been living in the U.S. for very long when we met, so it was also a way for him to stay connected to home. We would spend time teaching each other new words in English and Italian, listening to music, and enjoying cozy evenings in.
When we started sharing Italian food on our social media channels, we saw there was a lot of interest in learning authentic recipes and having a piece of Italy in your own home. We wanted to share those time-honored traditions, cherished family recipes and feelings of togetherness around a table. It's not just the recipes that people love- it's the stories behind them, the family memories, and even the cultural differences that pop up in the kitchen.
From Italy With Amore is organized around the seasons. Why was it important for you to tell your story through seasonal Italian cooking?
Seasonal cooking is a huge part of life in Italy. Italians shop for groceries according to the seasons, and restaurants craft their menus by what is fresh and local. I can't tell you how many times we've been out to eat in Italy and a restaurant has told me "I'm sorry, that's not currently on the menu. It's too hot/cold outside for that dish."
Even Alessio's family cooks this way and there have been many times I've had to wait months to enjoy a favorite dish again. It might sound unusual but there's a reason behind it. Using ingredients at the peak of their season gives you better flavor, better texture and more freshness. Summer sauce made with garden-fresh tomatoes? There's nothing better!
We organized the cookbook this way to encourage people to really soak up the beauty each season has to offer. It also helps you slow down and savor certain foods when you know they are only at their best for a short time each year.
Were there any family recipes or dishes in the book that hold a particularly special meaning for either of you?
For me (Jessi), Pasta alla Sonia is incredibly special because it was the first time Alessio's mom taught me a recipe in her kitchen. It's such a wonderful memory that I think back on often. Her patience in teaching me and the pride she showed in sharing one of her favorite dishes really mirrors the hospitality and warmth Italians have as a whole.
For Alessio, he loves Frico Friulano because it's a regional recipe from home. You'll find frico festivals and frico on the menu throughout Friuli Venezia Giulia. They take a lot of pride in the dish and for good reason. It's the ultimate comfort food when paired with polenta.
Your social media content often highlights the cultural differences between Italy and the United States. How have those differences influenced the recipes in the cookbook?
We've shared a lot of videos that highlight the differences between Italian food in Italy and Italian food in the U.S. A lot of people aren't aware that many of the most popular "Italian" dishes in the US, like Fettuccine Alfredo and Chicken Parmesan, etc, aren't traditional Italian recipes. It was important for us to showcase Italian food in an authentic way but also make it as accessible as possible to our audience.
We wanted to show how something as simple as using real Parmigiano Reggiano can transform a pasta dish and highlight the fact that some of Italy's best recipes rely on just a handful of simple ingredients. We hope From Italy With Amore isn't just a cookbook, but also a fun way for people to learn about Italy's rich food culture and traditions.
If an Appetito reader could make just one recipe from From Italy With Amore to experience the heart of the book, which dish would you choose and why?
It would have to be Alessio's lasagna.
Lasagna is such a classic dish, but this recipe in particular is special because it evolved over years and years. Alessio took pieces of family recipes and refined them until he made something all his own. It's a dish we make for nearly every celebration and holiday so it's tied to some of our happiest memories. It's cozy, comforting and deeply rooted in family tradition.
We think it's the perfect recipe for readers to try because it captures everything this book is about: great food, meaningful moments and bringing people together around the table. If it becomes part of another family's tradition, that would mean the world to us.
Editor's note: Looking to try one of the Pasinis' recipes? We've also shared their Seasonal Summer Bruschetta Stagionali recipe from From Italy With Amore, reprinted with permission from The Pasinis LLC. Published by DK, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
