Gennaro's Passione

A glorious update of a modern classic – full of colourful recipes that evoke Italian life at its most enticing, Passione is the story of Gennaro Contaldo’s upbringing in Italian food and will teach you to cook like a true Italian.



Born just metres away from the sea on Italy’s stunning Amalfi coast, Gennaro learnt from his father how to seek out wild food – free-diving for oysters, foraging for wild mushrooms and missing school to go fishing. This adventurous spirit lived on throughout Gennaro’s career in food and was what went on to inspire Jamie Oliver to call Gennaro his ‘London dad’. It was summed up here in this first, glorious collection of his favourite Italian recipes, originally published in 2003.


Lovingly restored and updated for the modern kitchen, this new edition of this classic book features photographs from Gennaro’s childhood alongside stunning food and travel photography. Over 100 recipes, full of delightful personal recollections, share the secrets of Gennaro’s love affair with Italian food, and will inspire cooks of all abilities to taste the true flavours of the Italian coastline. Buon appetito!


‘His talent for cooking and story-telling changed my life and food forever.’ Jamie Oliver


‘The man cooks like an angel and no ordinary angel.’ Matthew Norman, Sunday Telegraph