Rossella Rago of Cooking With Nonna

Rossella Rago is the host of the popular web cooking show Cooking With Nonna. On the show, Rossella invites an Italian-American nonna to cook with her, sharing traditional Italian recipes and fond memories of childhoods in Italy. Rossella has traveled the country and performed cooking demonstrations in many cities across the United States with local nonnas as her partners.

In 2010, Rossella, together with her mother and her Nonna Romana, participated in the “Italiano Battle” episode of the Food Network’s 24 Hour Restaurant Battle; Team Nonna won. Rossella spent her childhood in the kitchen with her maternal Nonna Romana, learning the long legacy of recipes from Puglia passed down through the generations for centuries.

Launching Cooking with Nonna has allowed Rossella to expand her culinary expertise to much of the rest of Italy.

“I wanted to be a part of the YWCA because I’m passionate about women feeling empowered at any age or stage in their lives.? My we series Cooking With Nonna highlights Italian grandmothers who I believe are the unsung heroes of the culinary world. By sharing their recipes with the world they ensure that their legacy will live on forever through the food that feeds their families.”

 

“My secret to success is being involved in every single aspect of my business. I’m a firm believer that if you want something done right you must show up and do it yourself first before you can ask anyone else to help you.”

“What I love most about doing what I do is that I can share my families traditional recipes and I can inspire young women like myself to follow their dreams despite any obstacles. I’m not perfect. I’m not classically trained. I learned how to cook in my grandmothers basement in Brooklyn, but I believe experience, passion and perseverance are the key ingredients to making a truly great chef.”

Here’s here recipe for orecchiette, broccoli rabe and sun-dried tomatoes:

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