Recently, La Gazzetta Italiana had the chance to get to know Rossella Rago, an award-winning Italian American cookbook author and entrepreneur. Rossella hosts the wildly popular online cooking show “Cooking with Nonna” and is a member of the Italian-American Power Hour podcast. Rossella was the winner of the Food Network’s 24-Hour Restaurant Battle: Italiano Battle. She designs and curates apparel, cookware, and retail products all available at bottegadellanonna.com and has led annual culinary tours to Italy.

In addition to her busy work life, Rossella is a member of NIAF, where she sits on the Italian American Youth Committee, and is also a member of the Order of Sons of Italy and the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW). She has been a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists since the age of 10. She has appeared as an extra in films and television series, including “The Thomas Crown Affair”, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” and “13 Going On 30”.  Rossella has participated in several Italian American pageants, winning the titles of Miss Mola USA in 2003 and Miss Idea USA in 2005.

Born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, Rossella still resides there today. She graduated from St. John’s University with a B.A. in Italian Literature.

La Gazzetta (LG): Please tell us about your Italian roots.

Rossella Rago (RR): Both my parents are from a small fishing village on the Adriatic coast in Puglia called Mola di Bari. I was really fortunate to spend summers there since I was 7. My Nonna Romana’s sister had a compound on the beach where all our extended family had small bungalows. I know it might sound fancy, but it was very beautiful and simple. We had a black and white TV with 3 channels. The power would go out whenever it rained. But that only forced me to be outside with the other kids. We learned to entertain ourselves by catching lizards and stealing almonds from the farmers tree that hung over our fence. Those were some of the best summers of my life.

LG: What is your favorite Italian region for cuisine?

RR: Puglia will always hold such a special place in my heart. Every time I visit the village of Polignano a Mare, which is located just a few kilometers away from where my family is from, it’s as if I’m seeing it for the first time. I’ve also been lucky to have spent a lot of time on the Amalfi coast. Before COVID I ran a culinary tour company and taught cooking classes with local nonne in Sorrento and Puglia. They really are my two favorite regions for cuisine. 

LG: What is the regional cuisine from the Puglia region? Do you find that you incorporate it often into your recipes?

RR: Pugliese cuisine is all about cucina povera or peasant food. There’s a huge emphasis on humble, seasonal ingredients that farmers and fishermen used to sustain families. My paternal Nonno Leonardo was an artichoke farmer, so my Nonna would often have to be creative and transform one food into many dishes. Growing up, meals like boiled chicory and fava bean purée topped with spicy extra virgin olive was total comfort food. Seafood is also paramount throughout the coastal towns of Puglia. My family’s village has a 3-day-long octopus festival.

LG: What are your favorite dishes to share with others?

RR: I love sharing my fresh pasta recipes because it’s an art that my Nonna Romana started teaching me when I was little. Despite what people think, I actually wasn’t the best pasta maker when I started. I definitely got frustrated and threw away lots of dough over the years. But as my Nonna always says “sbagliando si impara” (Making mistakes, we learn). After years of mistakes and practice I can say that I’m really proud of my pasta making. After my Nonna’s dementia diagnosis, it’s the one thing we can do together that she hasn’t forgotten. Nothing makes me feel closer to her.

LG: You are involved in so many entertaining projects that help to keep the Italian culture alive – did you always know this was your calling?

RR: In so many ways, I feel like this path chose me. I suppose I always knew that I wanted my heritage to figure prominently in my career. I studied Italian literature and secondary education at St. John’s University, and I was planning on a teaching career. But God had other plans, and I began developing my YouTube series, “Cooking with Nonna” in my junior year of college. I never could have imagined where it would all take me, but I’m so grateful.

LG: Where do you find Nonnas to cook with on “Cooking with Nonna”?

RR: Since its inception, “Cooking with Nonna” was a family affair. My mother, Angela, was always the head of our casting department. She got on the phone with all her friends and asked them who wanted to be featured. “Hello? Rosalia? You want to be on my daughter’s show? Come over next Sunday!” Having an Italian family is like winning the lottery. Your parents will do anything for you. 

LG: Be honest – how often do you cook at home? What is your favorite dish to enjoy if you had to pick just one?

RR: I swear, this is everyone’s favorite question to ask me! I actually cook at home almost every day. Whether it’s recipe testing or I’m making myself dinner. If it’s the latter, I love a good bowl of pastina, which can be very versatile. Otherwise, I make a big batch of minestrone for the week so I make sure I get all my vegetables in. Cooking never stresses me out. I love every minute of it. 

LG: You’ve authored multiple cookbooks, what inspired you to share Nonna’s recipes?

RR: I just always felt that Italian grandmothers were the unsung heroes of the culinary world. I’ve always seen them as these ordinary people who lead extraordinary lives because of all the love they give. Sharing their recipes was the catalyst for a larger conversation about how important our Nonne are. My relationship with my own Nonna really shaped my identity, and I knew that there were people out there who shared my feelings.

Italian grandmothers also aren’t known for writing down recipes with measurements. My Nonna Romana was famous for measuring all things with espresso cups, so I really wanted to be able to translate these traditional recipes and make them accessible to people so they could never be lost. It’s been a labor of love, but it means the world when someone tells me they can finally eat a cookie they haven’t been able to make in years because no one wrote down the recipe.

LG: Was it difficult to convince Nonna Romana to participate in your endeavors?

RR: If there’s one thing I know, it’s that a Nonna will do almost anything for their grandchildren. She may have not always totally understood what I was getting her into. But if something was important to me, it was even more important to her. She has always been my biggest cheerleader and over the years she would actually get really excited about making content. Mostly because it became a new way for us to spend time together. I have so many old voicemails of her telling me she’s about to start making something, and if I want to come over and make a video. 

LG: Do you have any favorite recipes for a special Valentine’s Day dinner?

RR: My red wine chocolate cake can make anyone fall madly in love. It’s the perfect sweet ending to a cozy Valentine’s Day spent at home. See Rossella’s Red Wine Chocolate Cake recipe in the Cucina column!

LG: What do you have in store for your fans and followers this coming year?

RR: I’m so excited about expanding my online shoppe, https://bottegadellanonna.com where people can shop for everything from obscure ingredients imported from Italy to apparel that helps them feel connected to their Italian American heritage. I was so fortunate to grow up in one of the biggest Italian American enclaves in New York, but I often think of the people of Italian descent who live in other parts of the country and struggle to source the things that they need. 

I’m also looking forward to creating more content with my cohosts Patrick O’Boyle and John Viola from the Italian American Podcast https://italianamericanpodcast.com . Our YouTube series, “Greetings from Italian America” kicks back off this year, so there are many exciting things to come. 

Rossella’s “Cooking with Nonna” cookbooks can easily be found at Amazon and Target. Tune in to the “Italian American Power Hour” podcast anytime and her YouTube series “Greetings from Italian America” soon. Subscribe to “Cooking with Nonna” on YouTube for delightful videos of Rossella cooking with nonne, it’s sure to bring back many memories. Special thanks to Rossella for sharing her time and stories with all of us!