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Castagnaccio

Castagnaccio (Italian chestnut cake) on a cutting board. One slice is cut. Some chestnuts and rosemary around it.

Castagnaccio – Tuscan Chestnut Cake

Castagnaccio Toscano is a characteristic chestnut flat cake from the Tuscan region.

This cake is based on chestnut flour, with the addition of olive oil, pine nuts, walnuts, raisins and… rosemary!

Its taste is very unique (atypical for a cake) and it’s ideal for the ones who like desserts that are not too sweet.

In fact, it is sugar-free! Though, you can still add sugar if you can’t do without it (check the “note” section at the end of recipe). It is also gluten-free!

A hand holds a slice of castagnaccio (Italian chestnut cake). In the background, the remaining castagnaccio, some chestnuts and rosemary.

Origins

Castagnaccio doesn’t have a clear origin. In fact, due to the presence of chestnut trees in many of the Italian Northern regions, this cake had been a popular street-food in many areas of the Country.

Castagnaccio is even mentioned in a report of the 15th century by an Augustinian priest.

From 1800, Tuscans started exporting this cake to the Southern Italy market.

Legend says that the rosemary leaves of the castagnaccio are like a love potion: a guy that eats a piece given from the hands of a girl, will fall completely in love with her.

Castagnaccio (Italian chestnut cake)
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Tuscan Castagnaccio

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Soaking Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 people
Traditional chestnut flat cake from Tuscany.

Equipment

  • bowl
  • cutting board
  • knife
  • whisk
  • spatula
  • circular baking tray (32Ø)

Ingredients

  • 500 g chestnut flour (17.63 oz)
  • 700/750 g water (26.45 oz)
  • 80 g pine nuts (2.82 oz)
  • 80 g raisins (2.82 oz)
  • 80 g walnuts (2.82 oz)
  • 1 rosemary twig
  • extra virgin olive oil (1.41 oz)
  • salt
  • water for soaking

Instructions 

  • Soak the raisins in some water for 10 minutes.
  • Peel off the rosemary, then roughly cut the walnuts.
  • In the bowl, combine flour with water and mix with the whisk until there are no more lumps. You should reach a creamy and homogeneous consistency: depending on the chestnut flour you are using, you may need more or less water.
  • Add the chopped walnuts, the rosemary needles and the pine nuts to the bowl. Remember to leave a small part for the decoration on top.
    Now add the wrong-out raisins and 1 levelled tsp of salt. Mix with the spatula until all the ingredients are well combined.
  • Oil the baking tray, then pour the mixture and level it.
    Garnish the surface with the dried fruit and the rosemary you put apart, then finish with some olive oil.
    Bake at 190°C (374°F), in pre-heated static oven for 30 minutes.
    Leave it to cool down completely before serving.

Notes

If you like, you can add 20g of sugar.
Storage: 5 days in a cake container or Tupperware.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Keyword: autumn, chestnut
Castagnaccio (Italian chestnut cake) on a cutting board. Some chestnuts and rosemary around it.

Get in Touch!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @myitalianvegan on socials. We would love to see the result!

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below. We love hearing from you!

Main Courses Recipes By

Mushroom Risotto

Vegan Italian mushroom risotto on a plate – parsley on top.

Vegan Mushroom Risotto

Risotto consists of a creamy and warm rice and it can contain other various ingredients. Today we’ll show you a very traditional version that features mushrooms.

It’s a very popular Italian primo piatto (first course) and a pretty easy instant pot!

In our Vegan Mushroom Risotto we swopped the dairy butter and cheese of the original recipe with plant-based ones.

Background: vegan Italian mushroom risotto on a plate. Foreground: forkful of risotto.

Recipe Peculiarities

Risotto stands out from other rice preparations for the maintenance of starch. In fact – through cooking – it gels, blending the rice grains together.

2 common procedures are toasting of rice on a pan (with a fat substance e.g. oil) and low heat cooking. The latter wants a constant presence, progressively adding the broth that the rice will absorb.

The most appropriate rice varieties are Arborio, Carnaroli, Baldo and Vialone nano.

Ingredient Substitutions

For this recipe, you can either use cultivated or wild mushrooms.

If you prefer, you can swop the onion with leek.

Vegan Italian mushroom risotto on a plate – parsley on top.

Origin of Italian Risotto

Risotto originated in the Veneto region and then spread in the rest of Northen Italy. Now you can find it all over Italy with its numerous variants.

Its invention and first development is uncertain. It seems that it was first prepared around 1500 by lower-class people.

It’s believed that, around the mid XIX century, 2 risotto recipes spread from Lombardy region to the rest of Northen Italy. The first one was risotto alla certosina, that included leftovers and was probably invented by the monaci della Certosina (Carthusian monks). The second one was risotto alla milanese (Milan style risotto) that featured the precious saffron (which mocked gold, an ingredient that you could find in Medieval courts).

10 Vegan Risotto Recipe Ideas

Mushrooms risotto is one of the Italian traditional risotti. Here is a list of 10 ideas for risotto recipes in case you fancy something different:

  1. mushroom risotto
  2. risotto alla milanese (with zaffron)
  3. radicchio risotto
  4. asparagus risotto
  5. artichoke risotto
  6. pumpkin risotto
  7. vegan cacio e pepe (pecorino cheese and pepper) risotto
  8. risotto alla parmigiana (with vegan parmesan)
  9. tomato risotto
  10. mushroom and pea risotto
Vegan Italian mushroom risotto on a plate – parsley on top.
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Vegan Mushroom Risotto

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Soaking Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 2 people
Warm and creamy rice with mushrooms and plant-based cheese.

Equipment

  • pan or pot
  • cutting board
  • knife
  • bowl

Ingredients

  • 250 g Carnaroli rice (or Arborio or Roma)
  • 350 g common mushrooms
  • 20 g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 60 g fresh onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 30 g grated plant-based parmesan (we used Gondino)
  • 100 ml white vegan wine
  • 1 tsp nut butter (we suggest peanut, walnut or almond)
  • vegetable stock
  • extra virgin olive oil

Instructions 

  • First, heat up your vegetable stock (around 500 ml/16.9 fl oz.). Alternatively, you can use water.
    In the bowl, rehydrate the porcini mushrooms with some warm water for 20-30 minutes.
  • On the cutting board, finely chop the onion and the peeled garlic clove.
  • Now chop your common mushrooms.
  • Wring out carefully the rehydrated porcini mushrooms, then chop them.
  • In the pan/pot, heat up some olive oil. Add your chopped onion and let it fry for 1-2 minutes.
    Now add the chopped garlic and let it fry for 1 minute.
  • Add your mushrooms and let them season for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the rice and stir. Simmer with your white wine until reduced.
    Add some vegetable stock (enough so that everything is covered). Let it cook, covered with a lid, until the broth is absorbed and the rice is cooked. If the rice is not cooked, add more stock (or water).
  • Once the rice is well cooked, turn off the heat. Add 1 tsp of your nut butter of choice and your grated vegan parmesan. Stir.
    Serve warm.

Notes

Storage
Fridge: 3-4 days in Tupperware
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Keyword: mushrooms, winter

Get in Touch!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @myitalianvegan on socials. We would love to see the result!

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below. We love hearing from you!

Main Courses Recipes By

Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese

Vegan pizzoccheri alla valtellina (with plant-based cheese, potatoes and savoy cabbage).

Vegan Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese

Vegan Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese consists of a short and flat buckwheat pasta with plant-based cheese, potatoes and savoy cabbage.

It’s a really characteristic recipe from the Lombardy region. They look like short and dark tagliatelle.

In our vegan version, we swopped the dairy cheese and butter of the original recipe with plant-based ones.

This dish will satisfy your appetite and warm you up during cold days. 💗

Vegan pizzoccheri alla Valtellina ingredients: pizzoccheri pasta, savoy cabbage, plant-based cheese, potatoes, garlic, vegan butter, plant-based parmesan.

Where to Buy Pizzoccheri

Pizzoccheri is a very characteristic kind of pasta but this doesn’t mean that you can’t find it outside Italy.

We suggest that you go to your best stocked local supermarket and ask for them. You can also look on the Internet if there is an Italian/international specialities shop in your area. Otherwise, you can simply buy them online.

How to Make Pizzoccheri from Scratch

If you don’t find pizzoccheri in your town or if you want to make a very fresh and special dish, you can make pizzoccheri at home!

You can follow this recipe for your homemade pizzoccheri, then you can come back here to follow our special vegan recipe.

Vegan pizzoccheri alla valtellina (with plant-based cheese, potatoes and savoy cabbage). In the foreground a forkful of pizzoccheri.

Origin of Pizzoccheri

Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese stands for “Valtellina Style Pizzoccheri”.

Valtellina is a geographic region in Lombardy (Northen Italy), it is a valley on the boarder with Switzerland.

In this area, the production of buckwheat has been continued for centuries. Its large diffusion strongly influenced the local cuisine.

In fact, Valtellina boasts other typical preparations with buckwheat – like sciàt, polenta taragna and chisciöi.

There is not a date or event for the start of this recipe. What we know is that, from the beginning of the IX century, wealthiest peasant families started to prepare recipes that were very similar to the one that we know today.

Vegan pizzoccheri alla valtellina (with plant-based cheese, potatoes and savoy cabbage).
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Pizzocheri alla Valtellinese

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 2 people
Buckwheat pasta with plant-based cheese, potatoes and savoy cabbage.

Equipment

  • pot
  • sieve/skimmer
  • cutting board
  • knife
  • casserole dish

Ingredients

  • 250 g pizzoccheri (8.81 oz)
  • 250 g potatoes (8.81 oz)
  • 200 g savoy cabbage (7 oz)
  • 180 g plant-based cheese (we used Jeezo Vegourmet Alpi) (6.35 oz)
  • 60 g plant-based butter (2.12 oz)
  • 50 g plant-based parmesan (1.76 oz)
  • 2 garlic cloves

Instructions 

  • First, put on some water to boil.
    Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces.
    Wash the savoy cabbage and cut it into strips.
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  • When the water boils, add some salt and the potatoes.
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  • After 2 minutes, add the cabbage and cook for about 5 minutes.
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  • Add the pasta to the pot and cook for about 10 minutes.
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  • Meanwhile, heat the butter in a pan with the garlic cloves (peeled) and let them brown for about 2 minutes.
    Remove the garlic cloves.
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  • When the pasta and the vegetables are ready, drain them.
    In the casserole dish, alternate layers of pasta and vegetables with layers of parmesan and cheese. Finish with a layer of parmesan and cheese. Then pour the garlicky butter over the entire surface.
    Serve warm. 
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Notes

Storage
Fridge: 3-4 days in Tupperware
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Keyword: cabbage, winter
Vegan pizzoccheri alla valtellina (with plant-based cheese, potatoes and savoy cabbage).

Pasta Addicted?

Click here to have a look at all our pasta recipes.

Get in Touch!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @myitalianvegan on socials. We would love to see the result!

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below. We love hearing from you!

Main Courses Recipes By

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

A plate full of vegan Italian spinach and ricotta ravioli. Half-cut raviolo in the foreground.

Vegan Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

Ravioli are a traditional Italian stuffed pasta.

They can contain various fillings and they’re served with a sauce or in broth.

Spinach and Ricotta filling is the most traditional one.

Also, we used the burro e salvia (butter and sage) sauce that is the most characteristic one.

In our Vegan Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli recipe we used our Vegan Ricotta cheese and plant-based butter.

Making fresh pasta at home is an incredible fulfilling experience and everyone will surely notice the difference! 😋

Vegan Italian spinach and ricotta ravioli: fresh spinach, plant-based ricotta, nutmeg, semolina flour, plain flour.
Homemade Vegan Italian spinach and ricotta ravioli on a pastry board.

How to Make Vegan Ricotta

For the filling we used our Vegan Ricotta cheese recipe. Just click on the link or image to read it!

Soy based vegan ricotta cheese on a plate. In the foreground, two pieces of bread with spread ricotta.
A plate full of vegan italian spinach and ricotta ravioli.
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Vegan Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 2 people
Italian traditional stuffed pasta. The filling includes plant-based ricotta cheese and spinach. The sauce is made with vegan butter and sage.

Equipment

  • 2 bowls
  • double-boiler
  • strainer
  • pastry board
  • pan
  • pot
  • knife
  • sieve/skimmer
  • pasta cutter wheel OR ravioli stamp OR ravioli mould tray
  • Rolling Pin
  • pasta maker machine (optional)

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 200 g plain flour (7.05 oz)
  • 50 g semolina flour (1.76 oz)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 150 ml water (5.07 fl. oz)
  • turmeric

For the Filling

  • 300 g fresh spinach (10.58 oz)
  • 150 g soya ricotta (5.29 oz)
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • nutmeg
  • salt

To Serve

  • 2 Tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • fresh sage leaves
  • vegan parmesan – optional but recommended

Instructions 

  • Steam the spinach until they are cooked. Leave them to drain in a strainer over a bowl.
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  • In the second bowl, combine the two flours with salt and a pinch of turmeric. Add oil and water, then mix and knead until the dough results homogenous.
    Let it rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
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  • Wring out the spinach, then cut them finely over the cutting board.
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  • In the bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, nutritional yeast, a pinch of nutmeg and salt to taste.
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  • Roll out the dough with the rolling pin or the pasta maker machine.
    You should reach 1-1.5mm / 0.04-0.06in thickness.
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  • IF YOU USE A PASTA CUTTER WHEEL OR RAVIOLI STAMP:
    Put half of the rolled dough apart.
    Place 1 tsp of filling over the first half of the rolled dough. Repeat the process until you've covered the whole first half of the dough. Make sure to distance each portion of filling 2-2.5cm / 0.8-1.0in from each other.
    IF YOU USE A RAVIOLI MOULD TRAY:
    Place one piece of your rolled dough over the tray, fill each spot with 1 tsp of filling.
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  • IF YOU USE A PASTA CUTTER WHEEL OR RAVIOLI STAMP:
    Place the second half of the rolled dough over the first half.
    Using your hands, push the upper level until it touches the bottom one and sticks all around the filling.
    Now cut out the ravioli with your cutter wheel or ravioli stamp.
    IF YOU USE A RAVIOLI MOULD TRAY:
    Cover with another piece of rolled dough and use your rolling pin to make it stick.
    Now remove the formed ravioli from the tray and repeat the process until the dough is finished.
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  • In the pan, heat the butter and some sage leaves for 1-2 minutes. Then add 1 Tbsp of oil and let it cook for another minute.
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  • In the pot, bring abundant water to boil. When it boils, salt it. When it starts boiling again, immerse your ravioli and let them cook for 3-4 minutes.
    Drain the ravioli and add them to the pan with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes. You can add more sage leaves to taste.
    Serve warm. We suggest to give it a boost, dusting over some vegan parmesan.

Notes

STORAGE
Uncooked in the freezer: you can store your uncooked ravioli in the freezer. Pay attention that there is some space between each piece so that they don’t touch each other. Once they’re well frozen, you can move them into a freezing bag.
Uncooked in the fridge: you can store your uncooked ravioli in the fridge. Put them on a tray, covered with a cloth for 1-2 days.
Cooked in the fridge: you can store your cooked ravioli in the fridge for 3-4 days (in Tupperware).
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Keyword: homemade, vegan ricotta
A plate full of vegan Italian spinach and ricotta ravioli.

Get in Touch!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @myitalianvegan on socials. We would love to see the result!

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below. We love hearing from you!

Basics Recipes Snacks Starters By

Vegan Ricotta

Soy based vegan ricotta cheese on a plate. In the foreground, two pieces of bread with spread ricotta.

Italian Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Vegan Ricotta is the plant-based substitute to dairy ricotta cheese. It’s a fresh and soft cheese made with soya milk.

Ricotta is a key ingredient for many Italian recipes. But you can also eat it on its own or spread on bread.

Stay tuned because next weekend we will publish a great traditional recipe that includes our Vegan Ricotta! Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram.

Soy based vegan ricotta cheese ingredients: soya milk and magnesium chloride (nigari).

Origin of Ricotta Cheese

The origin of traditional dairy ricotta dates back even to the Sumerian and Ancient Egyptian civilisations.

In the renowned poem The Odyssey, the one-eyed giant Polyphemus is actually making ricotta when he first meets Ulysses! This proves that ricotta was common during ancient Greek times and, later on, during ancient Rome times.

During the Middle Ages, ricotta was a really popular food.

How to Make Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Soy based vegan ricotta cheese on a plate.
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Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Prep Time 10 minutes
Resting time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 140 g (approx.)
Soya-based substitute of the Italian ricotta.

Equipment

  • pot
  • wooden spoon
  • strainer
  • big bowl/pot
  • cheesecloth/clean kitchen towel
  • ricotta mould – optional

Ingredients

  • 1 l unsweetened soya milk* (33.81 fluid oz)
  • 1 tsp magnesium chloride (nigari)**

Instructions 

  • In the pot, bring the milk to boiling point. Turn off the heat and add 1 level tsp of nigari, previously dissolved in 30ml of water. Gently mix with the wooden spoon for 1 minute. Cover with a lid and let it cool down for about 15 minutes.
    Be careful: do not add a heaping tsp of nigari otherwise the final result will be slightly bitter (edible but bitter).
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  • Place the strainer over a big pot or bowl and cover it with the cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel. Pour the curdled soya milk into the strainer and wrap it with the edges of the cloth/towel.
    Make sure that the bottom of the strainer doesn't touch the draining liquid.
    Let it drain in the fridge for 2 hours. Once it is well drained, your ricotta is ready to be consumed or used both in savoury and sweet preparations.
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  • If you like, you can transfer the ricotta in the traditional ricotta mould to give it the traditional shape.

Notes

*We recommend you to use a milk with a high percentage of soya (7% or more) – you can check it on the ingredient list of the product.
**You can substitute magnesium chloride with 30ml of lemon juice. Just add it to the milk once it has reached the boiling point, without dissolving it in water.
Course: Snack, Starter
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Keyword: cheese, gluten free, milk, soy
Soy based vegan ricotta cheese on a plate.

Get in Touch!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @myitalianvegan on socials. We would love to see the result!

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below. We love hearing from you!

Breakfasts Desserts Recipes By

Bomboloni

A hand hold a vegan bombolone (Italian donut) filled with vegan custard. In the background, a plate full of other vegan bomboloni filled with vegan nutella and vegan custard.

Vegan Bomboloni (Italian Filled Donuts)

A Bombolone is a round shaped pastry. It’s usually stuffed and fried (but it can also be empty and baked).

It’s the essence of comfort food, their taste simply cuddles your soul. 🥰

In our Vegan Bomboloni we substituted the dairy milk and butter with plant-based milk and oil.

They’re traditionally fried but if you prefer a “lighter” version, you can also bake them (look at the “notes” section of the recipe). Taste and consistency varies as well but that’s personal preference.

Vegan bomboloni (Italian donuts) ingredients: vegan nutella, vegan custard, flour, sugar, fresh yeast, sunflower oil and plant-based milk.

Filling Recipes and Ideas

Saying that you can also leave your bombolone empty, the traditional fillings are pastry cream, chocolate cream and jam. We recommend to try our vegan pastry cream and our Vegan Nutella! You can also fill them with a spread of your choice e.g. pistachio or almond.

Vegan custard in a bowl hold by a hand. In the background a bottle full of soy milk.
VEGAN PASTRY CREAM
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VEGAN NUTELLA

Origins

Bombolone is a traditional recipe from Tuscany. Although, you can find other similar recipes in other regions.

You can find it (with some differences) also in Emilia Romagna, Lazio and Umbria (where they usually call it bomba). In Northern Italy, you can find the krapfen.

Almost certainly, the bombolone derives from the krapften which gradually spread from Germany and Austria firstly to Northen Italy and then throughout all the country.

In German, the krapfen is usually called Berliner Pfannkuchen. In English, it’s often called Berliner.

The Berliner seems to have Jewish origins. There are also similarities with a Romanian food (during the Ottoman occupation) and even with a preparation of ancient Rome.

Vegan bomboloni (Italian donuts) filled with vegan custard and vegan nutella.

Word Spelling and Meaning

In Italian, bombolone is singular while bomboloni is plural.

Their name sounds like “bombs” and they probably got this name because they look like bombs. Today, another additional meaning can be due to their high calorie density i.e. a “calorie bomb”.

Vegan bomboloni (Italian donuts) filled with vegan nutella and vegan custard.
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Vegan Bomboloni (Italian Filled Donuts)

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8 pieces
Round-shaped pastry, stuffed and fried.

Equipment

  • bowl
  • pastry ring (about 8cm/3in ⌀)*
  • pastry board
  • pan
  • fork
  • sieve/skimmer

Ingredients

  • 250 g all purpose flour (8.81 oz)
  • 10 g fresh yeast** (0.35 oz)
  • 40 g sugar – any kind (1.41 oz)
  • 30 g sunflower oil (1.05 oz)
  • 150 g plant-based milk (1.76 oz)
  • a pinch of salt
  • frying oil

Instructions 

  • Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm plant-based milk, together with a tsp of sugar.
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  • In the bowl, combine flour with sugar and salt. Then add the yeast mixture and the sunflower oil. Mix and knead until you have an elastic and homogenous dough.
    Cover and let it rise for 3h in a warm place.
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  • On the pastry board, roll out the dough until reaching 1.5cm (0.6in) of thickness. With the help of the pastry ring, cut out as many disks as you can.
    Cover and let them rise again for 1h.
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  • Heat abundant frying oil in the pan on low-medium heat.
    Do the toothpick test: immerse the toothpick in the oil, when you see bubbles around it, the oil is ready. If you have a food thermometer, the right temperature is 140°C/284°F.
    Deep-fry one or more bomboloni (depending on the size of your pan) until they are golden brown. Keep the heat on low/medium power – this avoids that the bomboloni cook too much on the outside while remaining uncooked on the inside.
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  • Drain on absorbent paper. Then roll each piece on sugar.
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  • Now you can fill your bomboloni with your favourite cream! You can also leave them empty if you prefer.
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Notes

* if you don’t have a pastry ring, you can use another circular object e.g. cup or glass
** you can substitute the fresh yeast with a dry one (3g/0.10oz)
Baking (alternative cooking)
You can bake them for 15-20 minutes in a 180°C/356°F preheated oven.
Storage
4-5 days in Tupperware
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Keyword: custard, fried, nutella

Get in Touch!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @myitalianvegan on socials. We would love to see the result!

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below. We love hearing from you!

Basics Breakfasts Desserts Recipes Snacks By

Vegan Nutella

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Vegan Nutella (Hazelnut Spread)

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Nutella is the most famous hazelnut spread in the World. It’s so popular that the product name is often used to describe general hazelnut spreads.

Our plant-based hazelnut spread is based on 3 simple ingredients: hazelnuts, cocoa and sugar.

It’s incredibly easy to make and we ensure that you’ll be amazed by its deliciousness. But we have to worn you: it’s highly addictive! 😋

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Vegan Nutella (Hazelnut Spread)

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 350 g

Equipment

  • food processor or high speed blender

Ingredients

  • 300 g peeled roasted hazelnuts (10.58 oz)
  • 80 g powdered sugar/sugar of any kind (not liquid sweeteners) (2.82 oz)
  • 20 g cocoa powder (0.7 oz)

Instructions 

  • Blend the hazelnuts – scraping down the sides if needed – until you have a creamy and smooth butter. Depending on the power of your blender, this passage will take from 3 to 10 minutes.
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  • Now add the sugar and blend until it is well incorporated.
    If you use a regular sugar, we suggest to turn it into powdered sugar before – so that the final result won't be grainy. Just grind it in a coffee grinder or high speed blender.
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  • Finally add the cocoa powder and blend again. You should reach a creamy and homogeneous consistency.
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Notes

Storage (in a clean jar)
Room temperature: around 1 month
Fridge: 2-3 months
Course: Dessert
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Desserts Recipes By

Grandma’s Custard Pie

Vegan Italian Grandma's Custard Pie. Slice on a plate.

Vegan Grandma’s Custard Pie (Torta della Nonna)

Vegan Grandma’s Custard Pie is a shortcrust pastry dessert filled with plant-based lemon curd and studded with pine nuts.

Grandma’s Custard Pie is an Italian traditional dish, very simple and comforting. The Italian name is Torta della Nonna.

Our plant-based version uses vegan custard instead of the egg-based one.

For this reason, it’s, obviously, egg-free. And it’s also dairy-free.

Origin of Grandma’s Custard Pie

Grandma’s Custard Pie is a traditional dessert in the Tuscany region.

Despite its name, nothing suggests that it was a creation by a grandma.

Some sources say that it was invented by the owner of a restaurant in Florence. His clients, bored by the lack of dessert offer, ask him to surprise them with a new creation. The following week, the restaurateur presented them with Grandma’s Custard Pie, which fully pleased his clients’ expectations.

However, Pellegrino Artusi (a renowned food author) wrote that he once enjoyed a shortcrust pastry with cream and pine nuts many years before the story described in the last paragraph.

This recipe reached the peak of its popularity in the 80s and 90s. In fact, many Italian restaurants used to include this dessert in their menu.

How to Make Vegan Lemon Curd

Vegan lemon curd is an essential ingredient since it’s the filling of our pie. To make plant-based lemon curd, you can simply follow our Vegan Custard recipe, making sure to follow the specific step to turn it into a lemon curd!

Vegan custard in a bowl hold by a hand. In the background a bottle full of soy milk.
Vegan Italian Grandma's Custard Pie on a plate. Pine nuts and icing sugar on top.
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Vegan Grandma’s Custard Pie

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • hinged cake pan (22cm/8.66in ø)
  • pastry board
  • Rolling Pin
  • spatula
  • bowl
  • cloth
  • fork
  • cling film

Ingredients

  • 450 g plant-based lemon curd (15.87 oz)
  • 300 g all-purpose flour (10.58 oz)
  • 50 g potato starch (1.76 oz)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 180 g sugar (6.35 oz)
  • 100 ml sunflower oil (3.38 fluid oz)
  • 80 ml water (2.72 fluid oz)
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 25 g pine nuts (0.88 oz)

Instructions 

Prepare the dough

  • In the bowl, add the solid ingredients: flour, potato starch, sugar and baking powder.
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  • Gradually add the liquid ingredients and the lemon zest, while mixing with the fork.
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  • Knead until you have a homogeneous dough, without lumps. Let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes, wrapped in some cling film.
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Assemble

  • Preheat the oven at 180° C/356° F and prepare the cake pan: oil the bottom and flour it, to avoid the pie sticking.
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  • Dust the pastry board with some flour and roll out ⅔ of the dough with the help of the rolling pin. Make sure that you have your final circle big enough to cover the pan (bottom + around 3/4 of the side).
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  • Transfer the dough circle into the cake pan and prick the bottom with the fork.
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  • Fill with the curd and level with the spatula.
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  • Roll out the remaining dough and transfer it over the custard. Seal the edges with the help of the fork.
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Bake

  • Garnish with pine nuts and bake for 30-40 minutes at 180° C/356° F, on static mode, in the middle part of the oven.
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  • Take the pie out of the oven and let it cool down completely.

Notes

Storage
You can store it in Tupperware (or a cake container) for 4-5 days, in a cool and dry place.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Keyword: dairy free, egg free, lemon, pie

Get in Touch!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @myitalianvegan on socials. We would love to see the result!

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below. We love hearing from you!

Basics Desserts Recipes By

Vegan Custard

Vegan custard in a bowl hold by a hand. In the background a bottle full of soy milk.

Vegan Custard or Pastry Cream

Vegan Custard is as simple as it sounds. Everyone knows what a traditional custard is. It’s an egg-based cream that we can find in a multitude of preparations.

In Italy, we don’t differ between custard and pastry cream: for us, it’s always crema pasticcera. In this article, we often use these two terms as synonyms even if we know that in English they are not. Apologies!

You can eat the custard as it is or, more frequently, use the pastry cream as a base ingredient for other sweet preparations.

Vegan Pastry Cream is a plant-based and cruelty-free alternative. It’s absolutely delicious and similar to the traditional custard. You can successfully use it in every preparation that includes custard.

Our recipe is 100% egg-free, dairy-free and gluten-free.

It’s a cheap and quick recipe to make at home. The ingredients are soya milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract (recommended but optional).

Even if the original custard was not created in Italy (but in France), this is nowadays a basic ingredient for many Italian traditional desserts.

Vegan Custard ingredients: soy milk, cornstarch, sugar, turmeric.

Recipes with Vegan Custard

As we said before, you can use Vegan Custard in any recipe that would include the traditional custard.

Stay connected because next weekend we’ll publish a traditional Italian dessert that includes custard. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram so that you don’t miss any future recipes!

5 Italian Recipes with Vegan Custard (Pastry Cream)

Once you have your creamy Vegan Custard you may be looking for tasty recipe ideas that include it. Here is a list of 10 traditional Italian desserts that include custard.

  1. Vegan Grandma’s Custard Pie (Torta della Nonna)
  2. Vegan Cream Filled Donuts (Bombe alla Crema)
  3. Vegan Lecce Pies (Pasticciotti)
  4. Vegan Fruit Pie (Crostata di Frutta)
  5. Vegan Cream Filled Croissant (Cornetto alla Crema)

Origin of Custard

The traditional custard (made with eggs) was not created in Italy but in France by François Massialot.

He is the author of the book Le cuisinier roïal et bourgeois. It’s considered, by the cuisine scholars, one of the first culinary dictionaries and it includes the crème pâtissière (custard/pastry cream).

Later on, the English translated his works in The Court and Country Cook (1702), sharing his recipes with many chefs and cooks in the World.

It is now a basic ingredient of many culinary traditions, including the Italian one.

Vegan custard represents an evolution of this recipe. It mimics its look and taste and you can use it in every recipe that includes custard.

Vegan Lemon Curd

Starting from Vegan Custard you can easily make Lemon Curd.

It’s originally from England but it is also used in Italian recipes – where it’s called crema al limone.

Just follow the additional step in the recipe to have your plant-based Lemon Curd!

Vegan Custard (Pastry Cream) in a bowl.
Print

Vegan Custard / Pastry Cream

Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 450 g
Plant-based custard and pastry cream.

Equipment

  • pot
  • whisk
  • cling film

Ingredients

  • 500 ml soya milk (16.9 fluid oz)
  • 90 g sugar (2.82 oz)
  • 50 g cornstarch (1.76 oz)
  • a pinch of turmeric
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract – optional
  • 1 lemon zest (only for lemon curd)

Instructions 

  • In the pot, add the sugar and the cornstarch. Gradually add the milk while whisking.
    Add a pinch of tumeric for the colour and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
    If you wish to make Lemon Curd, also add the zest of 1 lemon. If you want to make simple custard or pastry cream, just skip to the next step.
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  • Cook at medium heat until the cream thickens, continuinig to whisk to avoid the formation of lumps.
  • Now leave the custard to cool down covered with some cling film in contact with the surface of the custard.
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Notes

Storage
In the fridge: 3-4 days in Tupperware. When needed, you can blend it with a hand blender to make it creamy again.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: british, english, French, Italian, Vegan
Keyword: cheap, dairy free, easy, egg free, gluten free, lemon

Get in Touch!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @myitalianvegan on socials. We would love to see the result!

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below. We love hearing from you!

Main Courses Recipes Snacks By

Bari-style Focaccia

Round Bari-style focaccia with tomatoes and olives, placed on a wooden cutting board. A hand is taking a slice.

About Bari-style Focaccia

Bari-style Focaccia or Focaccia Barese is a flat oven-baked bread with tomatoes and olives. Its dough includes potatoes for extra softness and taste and it’s garnished with oregano. It’s similar in style to pizza.

It’s an incredible comforting and fulfilling food. Soft inside, with a crispy crust.

The focaccia is a cheap recipe due to the simplicity of its ingredients.

The original recipe involves the use of olive baresane (Bari olives). Since it’s practically impossible for the majority of people to use this olive variety (also in Italy), any type of green olive will work well.

Bari-style focaccia ingredients: flours, potato, tomatoes, olives, yeast, oil, oregano.

Origin of Bari-style Focaccia

Its name derives from the city of Bari, the capital of the Apulia (Puglia) region. It was created in Altamura town (in the Province of Bari).

You can find it in almost every bakery in the provinces of Bari, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Taranto, Gargano and, in general, in the Foggia region.

If you’re interested in Apulian food, also check our recipe for Apulian Panzerotti. They are delicious savoury turnovers filled with tomato and mozzarella.

Round Bari-style focaccia with tomatoes and olives, placed on a wooden cutting board.

When Focaccia Beat McDonald’s

In 2001 McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in Altamura. A few months later, Luca di Gesù opened its bakery next to the American business.

After only one year, the McDonald’s restaurant had to close due to the lack of customers. The competition with the Apulian bakery played an important role in the failure.

If you want to know more about this particular story, check the New York Times article.

Round Bari-style focaccia with tomatoes and olives, placed on a wooden cutting board. 2 slices are cut.

3 Traditional Apulian Focaccia Styles

In Apulia, there are 3 traditional ways to prepare focaccia:

  • Tomatoes and/or Olives Focaccia – the focaccia par excellance
  • Potato Focaccia – with potato slices on its surface
  • Focaccia Bianca (White Focaccia) – with corse salt and rosmary
Round Bari-style focaccia with tomatoes and olives, placed on a wooden cutting board. 2 slices are cut.
Print

Bari-style Focaccia / Apulian Focaccia

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • pot
  • fork
  • bowl
  • round baking tray (32cm/12.6in ø)
  • glass/cup

Ingredients

  • 170 g all purpose flour (6.17 oz)
  • 130 g reground semolina flour (4.4 oz)
  • 180 ml water (6.08 fluid oz)
  • 85 g potato – dry weight (2.7 oz)
  • 10 g fresh yeast (0.35 oz)
  • 350 g tomatoes (12.34 oz)
  • 10/15 green olives
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • oregano
  • salt

Instructions 

Prepare the Dough

  • Cook the potato in boiling water. Drain and mash it. Then let it cool down.
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  • Dissolve the yeast in some water (from the total 180 ml/6.08 fluid oz), with a scant teaspoon of sugar.
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  • In the bowl, combine the 2 flours with the mashed potato and the yeast mixture.
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  • While mixing and kneading with your hands, gradually add the remaining water.
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  • Finally add the salt and 1 Tbsp of olive oil, continuing to knead until all the ingredients are well absorbed and the dough is elastic. It should be soft and slightly sticky.
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  • Let it rise for 2 hours in a warm place.
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Add Condiment and Bake

  • Preheat the oven at 230° C/446° F. Oil the baking pan with 2 generous Tbsp of olive oil.
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  • Transfer the dough into the baking pan and stretch it out over the surface. 
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  • Oil the surface of the dough and add the tomatoes. We suggest you break them up with your hands, for a more rustic result.
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  • Add the olives, some salt and some oregano.
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  • Bake for 30 minutes in static mode until the surface is golden brown.

Notes

Storage
4-5 days in a Tupperware.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Keyword: cheap, olives, tomato

Get in Touch!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag @myitalianvegan on socials. We would love to see the result!

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below. We love hearing from you!

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