Risotto alle ortiche: The weed that’s a hero in Italian country cooking

Weeds for dinner? Stinging nettles are usually unwelcome in Australian gardens, but they’re a commonly used ingredient by home cooks in Italy and elsewhere. In a star-studded episode, Nigella Lawson shares her love for her culinary hero Anna Del Conte, whose autobiography was named after our hero dish.

Risotto with nettles is a favourite of Matt Purbrick from Grown & Gathered. He promotes sustainable farming practices and using local produce. Credit: Matt Purbrick

IN THIS EPISODE

• Australia harbours the world's most painful plant
• Nettles can hurt for hours or days, but foraging them is worth it according to Matt Purbrick and Diego Bonetto
• Domestic goddess Nigella Lawson thinks Italian Anna Del Conte should be a lot more famous

Most people today will shop for dinner ingredients at their local store, or by ordering online. Foraging for food isn't a common activity. The supermarket is so much more convenient!

Stinging nettles are commonly used in Italian country cooking. They can be bought in some shops but Diego Bonetto, author of Eat Weeds, says they're easy to gather in the wild and most Italians prefer to do that.

Matt Purbrick is a co-author of the Grown and Gathered project. He shares his love for nettles in this episode and offers a wonderful recipe for nettle risotto so you can recreate this beloved Italian dish at home.

I really feel foraging is in all of us. It's lovely that in Italy it's still so common and it's nice to see how people are re-engaging with these techniques, also in Australia.

Matt Purbrick

Matt and Lentil Purbrick, the authors of Grown & Gathered project.

Nigella Lawson and the legacy of Anna Del Conte

Italian-born food writer Anna Del Conte is a revered culinary hero in Britain. She is credited as introducing Italian cooking to Great Britain after moving there following World War II.

When Anna wrote her autobiography, the title referenced one of her favourite dishes, Risotto with Nettles.

There are only two important influences in my cooking life: my mother and Anna Del Conte

Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson tells Massimiliano how Anna Del Conte's example inspired her to become a food writer.

If you speak Italian, don't miss the Italian version of this episode featuring a chat with the 98-year-old doyenne herself!

Nigella Lawson and Anna Del Conte. Source: BBC / KEO Films

LISTEN TO

Risotto alle ortiche: The weed that’s a hero in Italian country cooking

SBS Italian

14/02/202339:19

Play

Listen above, or follow The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine in the SBS Radio app or your favourite podcast app, to hear all episodes in the series.

Find a collection of recipes featured in the first series on the SBS Food website, including a recipe for nettle risotto.

Listen to the Italian version of this episode here.