Chef Craig and Rob kick off their epic Italian cooking tour in Cagliari, Sardinia. After taking in a sunset aperitivo in this ancient, bustling city, the chefs visit the restaurant Sabores restaurant where they sample delicious small plates and curated wines. The next day, Chef Craig visits the legendary San Benedetto fish market for cookout ingredients and meets Odone, a local seafood purveyor. That night the chefs cook a Sardinian inspired meal for new friends featuring chef Rob’s incredible lorighitta pasta and a bowl of Odone's mussels with fregola.
Chefs Rob and Craig meet up with Loris at his cousin's farm in the southwest corner of Sardinia, where the goats graze freely and produce delicious milk. The Chefs are shown how to make fresh ricotta cheese with Beatrice, who still uses the traditional hand crafted method of her ancestors. A massive lunch is prepared for everyone and the Chefs can't believe the size of the open fire barbecue, which has goat, lamb and pork slowly roasting on a huge spit. Back at their villa, feeling inspired, the Chefs get cooking and fire up the grill to make dinner for a group of local foodies.
Rob and Craig meet up with a local fig grower named Gioele. Lying beneath a rugged mountain range, his farm goes back generations. Gioele shows the chefs the fig farming process and what makes his figs so special. Next up the Chefs head into the charming Sardinian town of Muravera, which is famous for its citrus. They meet up with Loris and his father Marco at the local fish shop to get ready for a cookout later at their beach house. At Loris' beach house, the fire is lit and the grey mullet fish is put on a large metal sword and placed on the grill. Marco only uses olive oil and salt and pepper to season the fish. Chef Craig is shown how to make a local seafood pasta specialty with fregola while Chef Rob cracks open the oysters. The whole family and the Chefs then sit down for an epic meal, Sardinian style.
With the Chef's time in Sardinia coming to an end and Naples on the horizon, they plan a final cookout at Gioele's fig farm using his huge outdoor grill. On the menu is fried pecorino with roasted grapes and figs, a T-bone steak, skewers of local sausage and bay leaves along with a cucumber and tomato salad. The cooking adventure continues as Chef Rob and Craig head to Naples, one of the most ancient cities in Italy (also known as the birthplace of pizza). The chefs tour the streets and take in the incredible buzz of the city before landing at Santa Maradona, a popular pizza spot in the Spanish Quarter serving up some of Naples's best pizza.
Feeling the pulsing energy of Naples, Chef Rob and Craig head out on a food tour with a local expert named Sonia. It starts at a small local grocery run by Tina and Angelo, known for its amazing tomato varieties. They give the Chefs a tasting, showing why Naples has some of the best tomatoes in Italy. With heaps of inspiration from the food tour, Rob and Craig are ready to cook. They shop for ingredients and head back to their aging Naples apartment overlooking the sea. Chef Rob prepares a classic Neapolitan pasta with clams while Craig serves up a tomato salad featuring multiple varietals and fresh buffalo mozzarella.
Chef Rob serves a beautiful wine at his restaurants from a stunning vineyard near Naples called Masseria Frattasi. The Chefs head to the winery and are taken on a tour by Pasquale the owner, who shows his barrel and tasting room with wines that are expressive of the local volcanic terroir. Rob and Craig cook for the owner's family and want to really impress with a menu of scarpariello pasta and a platter of slowly grilled meats with chicory. Next the Chefs head to the region of Abruzzo, where they will be exploring this undiscovered part of Italy with recipes and history that go back to ancient times
Rob and Craig are brought to a favorite spot for locals in Abruzzo. The venue is run by five brothers and is a combination farm, butcher shop and barbecue restaurant. The Chefs get to sample some of the products before they are served local grilled lamb which the region is famous for. Chef Rob and Craig head up to a pagliere in the high alpine. At a stone hut in this ancient meadow they cook together with their newfound friends. The Chefs create a spectacular menu with a creamy sausage pasta and grilled cabbage with lamb and rosemary, wowing the locals.
As Chefs Rob and Craig continue their culinary inspiration tour they land at Poggio Foco, a winery and farm in Maremma, Tuscany. It's a stunning hilltop home base from for their exploration of the area and Tuscan cookouts. Next up they head to Francesco's most beloved local restaurant run by a mother and her son. They serve up classic Tuscan dishes and huge dry aged steaks. After lunch the Chefs head back to Poggio Foco to cook for Francesco at his home overlooking the rolling hills of Tuscany.
Francesco, the owner of Poggio Foco, sends Chefs Rob and Craig to his favorite local cheese production house famous for ricotta and pecorino. The Chefs find the process fascinating and gain insight into what makes the cheese so good. From there, Chef Andrew takes them to a beautiful port town on the sea that boasts has the freshest fish in Tuscany. They head straight to a stall run by Antonio, a local fishmonger. The Chefs select oysters, a branzino, and red prawns. Back at the vineyard, the Chefs and Andrew put their aprons on and light the grill to serve up a spectacular menu from the day’s catch. The final stop on Cooking Italy is Rome, the most famous city in the country, with a food history that is nothing short of iconic. Chef Rob and Craig meet up with Manuela, a local food guide who takes them on a tour toff the beaten path.
The final day of the cooking adventure begins at a local pastry shop, followed by a walk through the ancient Testaccio neighbourhood, and finally to a market where the chefs guide, Manuela, shows off the amazing produce and products at each stall. They meet with an old school butcher who has the exact off cuts the chefs are looking for. The Chefs load up with ingredients and head back to their rooftop patio. With heaps of Roman inspiration, the chefs pay homage to Roman pasta with two dishes that impress their local guests. A true test!