Verdure: an Italian cookery class with Gennaro Contaldo @ Oxford Street

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of vegetables with the legendary Gennaro Contaldo as your guide. This hands-on cooking experience celebrates seasonal produce and teaches you how to enhance flavors, make the most of fresh ingredients, and create colorful, delicious dishes inspired by Gennaro’s beautiful cookbook, Verdure. Known as the don of Italian cooking, Gennaro shows you how to elevate simple vegetables into extraordinary meals, combining traditional techniques with his own playful twists to deliver dishes that are both impressive and approachable.

During the class, you’ll start by celebrating tender asparagus in Gennaro’s classic carbonara with a unique twist, followed by a warm salad of green beans and baby plum tomatoes tossed in a garlicky chili dressing. You’ll then recreate a baked Caprese salad with melty mozzarella, salty green olives, and fresh basil, highlighting the beauty of ripe tomatoes. To finish, Gennaro demonstrates how to transform humble carrots into a light and delicious carrot and almond cake, giving you the skills to enjoy both savory and sweet vegetable-forward dishes. By the end of the session, you’ll have learned to cook multiple Italian-inspired vegetable dishes and gained confidence to bring Gennaro’s flavorful approach into your own kitchen.