Savoring simplicity: The art of Italian cooking across borders

Engineering student Gabriel Gambaro originates from Rome, Italy. Now he is found in a kitchen at Berg Studentby. Today, he is making tortellini from scratch and explains how he learned the art of italian cooking.

– You learn cooking in a passive way, watching your parents and grandparents do it, Gambaro explains.

The whole family is a part of the process when tortellini is made, he continues. Usually, the dough is made prehand and frozen down.

The presence of food in the Italian mind

When asked whether food is a big part of Gambaro's life, the answer is clear. 

– As an Italian, I constantly think about food. It is always present in my life. My mind wanders to food because every aspect of life is better with food, Gambaro exclaims.

The ways of Italian cooking is an everchanging story, but only in the miniscule details. 

– The key is not to overcomplicate a dish that is already perfectly balanced, but rather to make the most of what you already have, Gambaro states. 

Gambaro brings up his father as the best cook in the family. 

– My father has secret recipes no one can replicate, because he cooks by intuition, not instructions. It's the subtle touches others wouldn't think of that set his food apart, he says. 

It is common to experiment with cooking in Italy. Usually, an Italian has way too much food in their fridge, Gambaro explains. 

– But we do not like to waste food. The adaptation of recipes comes from not wanting to throw away a possible addition to the dish.

The basis of Italian cooking is therefore to respect the tradition and learn from superiors. You are allowed to innovate, but it requires humility to the past.

– Several recipes were made during war and downtime, when access to ingredients was limited. Therefore, we are affectionate to recipes that connect us to the past and our history, Gambaro reflects.

While making the pasta dough for the tortellini, Gambaro proudly sticks to the traditional italian recipes. 

– Italian dishes are simple for a reason. Keeping the recipes simple is a homage to the people that created them in the first place, he points out. 

The generational loss of tradition

Gambaro worries the traditional Italian way of cooking is losing its standing. 

– It seems like a lot of the Italian food traditions are restructured into business models and tourist attractions. The tourists come for traditional Italian cooking, but what they experience is made for them and not the local Italians. 

Gambaro uses the classic margherita pizza as an example. In Italy, there's a growing debate around the simplicity of the pizza.

– Gourmet restaurants with pricey ingredients are making pizza less accessible to the average Italian. Pizza should be for everyone, and rising prices shouldn’t force a change in diet.

The simple dishes Gambaro is so fond of are becoming increasingly complex and unattainable.

– I’m afraid some of the Italian cooking traditions will be lost, especially if Italians fail to pass them down due to the growing obsession with making simple dishes look glossy and extravagant, he says expressing concern.  

A dish that brings Rome to Trondheim

When asked about his favorite dish, Gambaro speaks fondly of his origin place of Rome. Food and identity are closely knitted in Italian culture. 

– As a Roman, my favorite Italian dish has to be the pasta amatriciana. I like it because it's easy to make, not because I'm lazy, but because it's the least stressful, even when cooking for many, he explains.

There is no hurry with this dish, no strict preparation time. The pasta does not have to be «al dente», it can sit for a long time without being ruined. 

– It only gets better with time, and the lack of rush is something I appreciate, Gambaro says.

All recipes stem from a place in Italy, and Italians favorite dish is often connected to where they are from. In reality, there is no way of knowing exactly where a dish comes from. 

– It is something Italians argue about constantly. You are proud of where you are from. Therefore, you take pride in the dish you grew up with and that it originates from the same place as yourself, he explains.

Especially in terms of the sacred memories attached to your childhood and upbringing. 

– You cannot imagine the memories connected to your favorite food being unique to someone else as well, Gambaro finishes. 

The tale of the tortellini 

The dish being made this evening has a special place in the heart of Gambaro, especially when the season turns cold. 

– It most likely originates from either Bologna or Modena. The whole purpose of the dish is to keep you warm through the winter. The broth is essential for this purpose, he explains. 

As a student moving to foreign cities, food brings Gambaro home. 

– It is a comfort food, and it brings up memories. Food is a big part of the atmosphere created during a meal, he says. 

Eating together during dinner is an aspect of cooking Gambaro misses. He is certain of its importance.

– The food made together is central in the social aspect of a shared dinner. It is important to make time for dinner, not just squeeze it in a filled calendar or when there is free time. Dinner has to be prioritized.

In the busy schedule of student life, it is important to acknowledge the importance of food and a shared meal. Italian dinner culture can inspire us all. Gambaro's view of simple recipes and no rush cooking is a learning lesson to bring along during the stressful time of exams and darker times outside.

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Gabriel Gambaros tortellini recipe (5–6 portions)

Ingredients

For the pasta sheet: 

• 300 grams of flour 
• 1 egg 

For the filling: 

• 100 grams minced pork meat
• 100 grams minced beef 
• 50 grams parmigiano reggiano 
• 1 egg
• A bit of nutmeg for an extra touch

You can add some prosciutto and mortadella for a seasoned flavor, but it can be omitted since it is pricey in Norway. 

For the broth

• 1 onion
• 2–3 carrots
• 1 celery
• Some meath with bones on it, like chicken legs or chuck beef. But you can usually use almost any type of meat you prefer. 
• Enough water to cover the ingredients

For the broth there are no exact quantities, because it is usually used for a bunch of different meals once it has been made. It is also possible to substitute use a premade stock cube to make the broth.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Boil the broth while preparing the tortellinins. The steam creates good conditions for the pasta dough.

2. Make a dent in the flour on the kitchen counter. Crack the eggs in the middle and mix and work with the dough until smooth. Store in plastic in the fridge while making the filling.

3. Mix the meat in a blender together with the cheese, egg and nutmeg.

4. Roll the dough thin (0,5 - 1 mm), cut out 3x3 cm squares. Add a tiny dot of filling and fold over the edges. The edges are folded around the finger and closed together.

5. Boil the tortellinis in the broth until the tortellini floats in the water, and serve.