Italian food you can eat at home and at Festa Italiana



MILWAUKEE -- Festa Italiana is taking over the Summerfest grounds-- which means a ton of delicious Italian foods are on the menu.

One of the chefs cooking up that food is Rosella Rago and her grandmother-- Nonna Romana.

Recipe: Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Grilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Recipe: Baked Ziti

Rosella and Nonna will have food demonstrations Saturday July 22nd at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday July 23rd at 6:45 p.m..



About Rosella and Nonna (website)

Rossella Rago is the host of the popular web cooking show Cooking With Nonna. On each episode, Rossella invites an Italian-American nonna to cook with her, sharing traditional Italian recipes and fond memories of growing up in Italian in America.

Rossella has traveled the country and performed cooking demonstrations in many cities across the United States, with local nonne as her partners.

Rossella spent her childhood in the kitchen with her maternal grandmother, Nonna Romana. When she lightheartedly declares that she holds a PhD from Nonna’s Basement Culinary Academy, she is only half-joking. At her Nonna’s side, she has become an expert in a rich tradition of Pugliese recipes passed down through countless generations. Launching Cooking with Nonna has allowed Rossella to expand her culinary expertise to much of the rest of Italy.

In 2010, Rossella teamed up with her mother Angela and her Nonna Romana in the “Italiano Battle” episode of the Food Network’s 24 Hour Restaurant Battle. This grueling contest involved conceiving and executing the menu and decor for their very own restaurant, all in the space of one day. The competition was tough, but when it was all said and done, Team Nonna emerged victorious.

In March 2017, Rossella has published her first cookbook. Entitled Cooking with Nonna: Celebrate Food and Family with Over 100 Classic Recipes from Italian Grandmothers. the book is a collection of recipes and memories shared by her Nonna Romana as well as 24 other nonne representing different regions of Italy.

Also in March 2017, Rossella was an honoree at The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) New York Gala held March 22, 2017. This distinguished event celebrated the very best in Italian food, beverage and cultural experiences – and feted some of the most notable and impactful luminaries of the Italian American community. Nearly 700 Italian Americans were in attendance at the event.

Rossella is a native of Brooklyn, NY, and holds a B.A. in Italian Literature from St. John’s University.