Vincenzo Prosperi’s journey from the family kitchens of Pescara, Italy, to becoming a global ambassador for authentic Italian cuisine is anything but ordinary. In this interview with Appetito, he shares the memories, values, and experiences that inspired his platform Vincenzo’s Plate - a project built on tradition, fueled by passion, and driven by a mission to keep real Italian cooking alive around the world.
“The Pasta Room Was My Favorite Room in the House”
Growing up in Pescara, what are some of your earliest memories in the kitchen with your Nonna?
My Nonna Igea has always played an extremely important role in my life, both when I was growing up and still today. She had a very big part in shaping who I am today. I grew up in Pescara and was raised by both my Great Grandparents (Bis Nonni) and Grandparents as my parents owned a small grocery store and were often busy working.
My Nonna Igea and Nonno Angelo are the Nonni I spent the most time with as they lived on the bottom floor of our property, a building my Nonno made with his own hands so all the family could be together. This meant I watched my Nonna cook every single day. The best memories that have left such a lasting impression on me from my younger years are from Sunday mornings when Nonna started preparing the pasta sauce for lunch at 8 a.m. and the smell was so incredible, I am convinced the whole street could smell it. At 8:30 a.m., Nonna would go to church and she would often return home and bring her church friends back with her for a morning coffee.
While coffee was served, Nonna would be kneading and once ready, rolling out fresh pasta dough. I have this picture in my head that I will never forget: Nonna rolling pasta in the middle of the room and her friends sitting around her gossiping and talking about food while I would be playing in that same room with my toys. It was Nonna’s pasta room and it was my favourite room in the house. I had no idea how much inspiration it would give me for later in life. And it didn’t end there. When Nonna finished making the pasta and cutting it to shape, she would give portions to all her friends to take home for lunch and the rest was to be served to our family for lunch that same day.
Family lunch at Nonna’s was and still are the most memorable days for me and I wish I could fly to Italy every Sunday to sit at her table for lunch. Always packed with flavors from antipasti between one or two pasta dishes, main course (usually roasted chicken with potatoes or roasted lamb), and of course, dessert served alongside her famous Limoncello.
How did your time working in luxury resorts and the fashion industry influence your approach to food and hospitality?
I worked in a wedding venue kitchen in Italy from the age of 14 until 16 but after this time, I started to work in luxury resorts where I learned how to manage an array of clients, deal with different personalities, earned my confidence—especially when it came to entertaining a crowd—and learned about food service on a big scale. How to please every client with food was a large part of it, but the biggest lesson was learning how to organize my team’s daily activities and manage big responsibilities. What I loved about the job was the fact that I was so in tune with the guests and that I could create experiences for them that really touched on their feelings. It was so rewarding to see the guests happy and fulfilled because of the customer service I provided to them during their holidays.
In London I worked in various restaurants and pub kitchens from the age of 20 until the 23. I got into luxury fashion after that (while still living in London), and it's a world I loved for many years. It's a world where you are required to provide the perfect customer experience, give 5-star service to the clients, have a knowledge of every single product and most importantly create unforgettable experiences for clients. I was selected as one of the top customer service performers in my region which made me really proud.
These two work experiences made me realize that I need to feel the energy of other people to enjoy my job and I need to really be in touch to get a feel of their emotions and inspire them. When I went back into the food industry I wanted to do something different and so together with my wife Suzanne we started to create content for fun and began selling our homemade food to Organic Food Markets around Sydney. We prepared food in our kitchen and served it to markets across Sydney. Being able to sell food face-to-face to our clients, speaking with them, getting feedback and becoming a part of their lives and routine was rewarding and allowed us to create wonderful foodie communities. We are still in touch with some clients who eventually turned into close friends (and are now like family!). We continued managing online content and market stalls while also running cooking classes, catering for small functions, private dinner parties, cannoli piping stations at weddings and eventually running exclusive food tours in Italy. Working in luxury resorts and fashion definitely gave me the experience and talent to manage all these aspects of the business.
A Dish Close to the Heart
Can you share a story about a dish that holds a special place in your heart from your childhood?
This is almost too hard to answer but if I have to pick one it would be Zucchini Parmigiana. This is a dish both my Nonna Igea and my Mum (Nonna Igea’s daughter) cook to absolute perfection. It is made with layers of fried zucchini slices and filled with ground meat, béchamel sauce, mozzarella and pecorino cheese. It is to-die-for and it's one of these dishes that I have loved since a very young age. It is also special because it is not a very well-known dish.
I am not sure why I don’t make it myself as I have the recipe and know how to do it, but it is the first thing I ask my Nonna and Mum to make for me whenever I am back in Italy. I think I just like the fact that when they make it, it takes me back to the old days. I have to admit, I haven’t even shared it on my channel yet! Maybe I’ll have to film it when I am back there this year. It’s definitely a special recipe I want to teach and enjoy with my family.
From Passion Project to Platform
What inspired you to start Vincenzo’s Plate, and how did it evolve from a passion project to a global platform?
Growing up I travelled a lot around Italy with my parents and younger sister. My dad always wanted to travel and explore, so every weekend or when he had time off work we would go on an adventure and this allowed me to discover many places in various regions of Italy that I might never get the chance to go back to because they were completely off the beaten track. Every trip was filled with so much energy and great food and the memories I have from days like this are still there and have inspired what I do, endlessly.
When Suzanne and I moved in together we hosted many dinner parties at our home because we loved both cooking and entertaining. Suzanne always recognized and encouraged my passion for traditional Italian cooking as well as how excited I was to tell the stories about each dish – and how to recreate them!
My cooking journey is a combination of Nonna, my travels around Italy (and beyond), working in restaurants in Italy and London, endless time spent cooking and eating with friends and family, as well as my own research and obsession with both traditions and the Italian food world. Suzanne had so much similar passion and decided it was crucial we share this with the world, and so she encouraged me to start the YouTube channel back in 2014…and so we did!
From the early days of preparing, developing recipes and getting the lighting just-right, it quickly transformed into a hub of recreating cherished recipes from both our families and teaching the world, with one video recipe at a time that it actually isn’t that hard to make quality Italian food at home. Not to mention that A LOT of restaurants are forgetting about authenticity and changing recipes into something I don’t believe is quite right. At the end of the day, two things should rule in the kitchen, simplicity and quality ingredients. This is my mantra and how I believe I have been able to inspire so many to get into their kitchens and just give Italian cooking a try. Its’s about so much joy, creating memories and ultimately inspiring others to bring people together through food.
Building a global platform however isn’t about luck, love or tradition. It is about being honest with my audience (no matter the feedback) because my own authenticity is what has gotten me to where I am today. On top of that? The reality is, it takes hard work. Our audience have expectations and we do our best day and night to create content that we are passionate about and that can both inspire and entertain them. At the end of the day, our mission is to ensure no recipes or food memories are lost, and we have found there are countless people all over the world who feel the same. In line with this, I also enjoy making people laugh while educating them, and this has become a part of our platform and why people enjoy following along too.
Fighting the Myths
You've mentioned a desire to combat "fake Italian food." What are some common misconceptions about Italian cuisine you've encountered?
This is a massive topic, and we could spend weeks talking about it. In a few words, I can say that many people in the world may either not have visited Italy or, quite possibly, visited and eaten at tourist traps and never experienced authentic Italian regional food.
Many people around the world are familiar with fake Italian dishes that they call comfort food, and I do understand this in some way because that’s all they know and that’s what they believe is right, but my job is to introduce them to real Italian food and make them fall in love with it.
Some people will never understand, but in my experience, the majority of people are open to learning more, and once they have the chance to try the real flavors, they never go back to the fake versions.
During my travels around the world I have seen some crazy things served at Italian restaurants like the classic that hurts me, carbonara with cream and sometimes even the addition of chicken and mushrooms, I’ve also seen burnt fried gnocchi served with meat gravy (yes the one you put on Christmas ham), overcooked spaghetti served with giant meatballs, overcooked pasta breaking into pieces smothered with a ketchup and vinegar sauce and sold as marinara sauce… but honestly I would prefer not to share more examples because I am starting to feel dizzy… actually there is one more, Spaghetti aglio e olio with chicken, coriander and mushrooms – as you can probably tell, there was nothing aglio e olio about the dish!
My travels and seeing wrong Italian recipes shared online pushed me to become Vincenzo's Plate and today I am a proud Italian Food Ambassador. To be clear though, the biggest misconception is that “more is more” when it comes to ingredients, and this is absolutely not the case! The best thing about Italian food is that it is simple, so when there is a temptation to add more, don’t do it, keep in mind it has been made this way for years and enjoy it just as it was intended to be!
Keep It Simple
Can you share your thoughts on the importance of simplicity in Italian cooking?
Italian food is regional and every region of Italy has its own history, flavours and famous local ingredients. The most important thing that all the Italian regions have in common is to keep the dishes simple by focusing on maximizing the ingredients used.
If we are making a Bolognese ragu, the focus is the meat so everything else used should add value to the meat and help to get the best flavors out of the meat. When you start adding too much or overpowering the sauce you are taking over the meat and the sauce won’t be balanced or have the meat as the hero. Balance and simplicity are the keywords in Italian cooking.
I love visiting Naples which I truly believe is one of the best cities in the world for food. They serve the best pizzas, pasta, street food and also desserts, as they are famous for their pastries. In Naples you see a lot of different food options and some of them are richer than the others from wood-fired food, to rich slow-cooked sauces to pastries filled with citrus and other flavours but the one thing that keeps all the dishes the same is the delicacy. Every single dish I have ever eaten in Naples is made a certain way with purpose and the outcome is always consistent and flavoursome. This is because they know how to maximize simple flavours and never overpower. Creating a rich dish that is balanced and delicate is something that many chefs can't get right and can take a dish from disastrous to truly special.
Travelling through Italy you never get bored as every city and region is different. Food is different everywhere so you can’t expect to go to Milan for Carbonara (for example) as Milan is the city famous for risotto, polenta, ossobuco, cotoletta and much more. If you’re looking for a quality Carbonara? It is from Rome and should be enjoyed there – but look for the restaurants where the locals eat to ensure you get the most authentic version!
In short, when you travel through Italy it is a priority to experience the local flavours and learn about local cuisine. Only then will you fully comprehend what Italian food is all about.
The simplicity of it all I have mentioned elsewhere but it also stems from the fact Italians traditionally eat only in-season. While much of the world are freezing produce or genetically modifying it to make it available all year round, Italy relies on nature and the elements and eats fresh produce only when it should be available. It has been said that this is also the reason so many Italians live longer – most older generations have barely tasted processed food or drinks!
Most Rewarding Moments
Looking back, what has been the most rewarding aspect of your journey with Vincenzo’s Plate?
There have been a lot of rewarding moments for me on this journey, but the one that sticks with me most is changing people’s opinion and palette when it comes to Italian food. We have received thousands of messages and emails over the years from people thanking us for changing the way they eat and cook.
One other piece of feedback I love the most is when people feel as though they have lost family recipes due to never having written it down from a loved one that has now passed, and thanks to me sharing a particular recipe they can now recreate these important dishes filled with so many good memories, with their families.
Thanks to what we do every day, we are so fortunate to have thousands of Italian food ambassadors globally who are educating their family and friends on real Italian cooking. This truly makes me so very proud.
What’s Next for Vincenzo’s Plate?
What future projects or goals do you have in mind to further promote authentic Italian cooking?
We are finally about to launch our first ever cookbook which has been a huge project for us, especially Suzanne. We have been working on it on and off for a while now as we want to get it right and create the Italian cookbook everyone must have at home. It is a great cookbook and I cannot wait to launch it worldwide. Vincenzo's Plate is online but this book will be a piece of our journey that everyone can touch and feel and keep in the family for generations. We want it to be the book that your Nonna's didn't write for you, a book for everyone to make Italian food more accessible, because it makes you feel connected.
On top of that we are working on an online course to help people master Italian cooking with more tips and detailed steps than I have already shared online and we are excited to see the response to this with a hope to expand it and provide more niche versions too.
Discovering Abruzzo
Your “Italy Unexplored” tours offer a unique experience. What inspired you to start these tours, and what do participants typically take away from them?
This was an idea Suzanne and I dreamt about for many years, well before we even started Vincenzo’s Plate. More specifically, it would have been in 2008 when we lived in Abruzzo together for 12 months.
When we visited Abruzzo together for the first time, Suzanne absolutely loved the region, people and food but she was shocked that tourists didn’t know about it. This is when we first spoke about one day bringing the world to Abruzzo, for an experience like no other. She made me realise how unique and authentic it was and I started to see my birthplace in a completely different light. I had enjoyed it for so long but never thought how special it could be for a visitor.
In 2017, three years after starting Vincenzo’s Plate, we launched our first tour. It took a while because we wanted to make it absolutely perfect and create the most incredibly unique experience imaginable. Since then we have brought hundreds of guests to Abruzzo through our food tours and thousands of people digitally too, thanks to our videos.
We have definitely helped to put Abruzzo on the map and now many international travellers want to discover the region. Most guests say that they love how beautiful and untouched the region is but more than anything, how we have crafted this tour into an experience that has been one they will never forget. Most groups have formed lasting connections and several people have returned to join us again or simply to revisit the region because it has left such a special place in their hearts.
Guests also love the fact there are not many tourists and so the locals pay more attention to them when we visit various towns. Food and wines are of course the highlight of the tours as they get to eat food that they will never find back home but the “feeling” they walk away with, something hard to describe but unforgettable in their hearts is undoubtedly, always the highlight.
A Dream Dinner
If you could cook a meal for anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?
This is the most difficult question you can ask! To start with I would have to narrow down the actual dish I would cook. Some of my favourite recipes are Spaghetti alle vongole, Carbonara and Lasagna.
If I wanted to show off the true essence of simplicity and flavour in Italian cooking though, I have to say it would be Spaghetti al Pomodoro. It's a dish I make by doing a delicate soffritto combining onion, carrots and celery (but not too much), extra virgin olive oil and then I use Italian peeled tomatoes (which I quickly blend before cooking), salt, pepper and cook for about 10–15 minutes. Once the sauce is cooked I add fresh basil and mix with pasta to serve.
In summer I always use juicy cherry tomatoes instead of peeled and I blend them once they are cooked, and this would absolutely be the way I serve it up to Al Pacino. My favourite actor of all time, an inspiration not only for all he has created, but for always following his life passion and never being swayed by what people might say.
You can learn more about Vincenzo’s Plate here.
