Signora Emilia has been the guardian of traditional Ligurian family cuisine for over five decades. In her kitchen in the hills above Imperia, dishes are created day after day that bear the signature of her mother and grandmother – honest, seasonal, and always with a generous splash of extra virgin olive oil.
For Organic Farming Italy, Signora Emilia shares her authentic recipes, her Italian home cooking tricks, and her knowledge of the Mediterranean diet – simple, down-to-earth, and easy for everyone to recreate.
Signora Emilia at a glance
- 50+ years of experience in Italian home cooking
- Specialty: Ligurian cuisine, pasta, antipasti, sauces
- Mediterranean diet – lived daily, not just preached
- Olive oil as an ingredient, not a side dish – in every recipe
- Family tradition from Imperia, Liguria
Signora Emilia’s Philosophy
“Good food doesn’t need 20 ingredients” – that’s how every conversation with Signora Emilia about cooking begins. Her recipes follow the principle of cucina povera: few, but high-quality ingredients, short distances from garden to pot, and above all, plenty of time. A tomato sauce by Signora Emilia doesn’t need a secret ingredient – but ripe tomatoes from Liguria, fresh basil, a clove of garlic, and extra virgin olive oil from the hills around Imperia.
Highlights of her cuisine
- Pasta classics – from Spaghetti aglio e olio to Trofie al Pesto, always with homemade pasta variations
- Antipasti – Bruschetta, Caponata, marinated eggplants, Carpaccio with Ligurian olive oil
- Sauces & Sugo – authentic Ligurian Pesto, Salsa di Pomodoro, Salsa Verde
- Mediterranean diet – legumes, seasonal vegetables, little meat, plenty of fish
- Olive oil in cooking – when raw, when for frying, when for finishing
Recipes by Signora Emilia
More recipes to follow in the coming weeks – Signora Emilia cooks for you!
Why good olive oil is key
For Signora Emilia, there is no Italian cuisine without high-quality extra virgin olive oil. It is not just fat for frying, but an ingredient in its own right – with aroma, bitterness, and pungency. “A good olive oil can save a dish – a bad one can ruin the best recipe,” she says. That’s why Signora Emilia exclusively uses oils from certified organic farming, preferably from her home region of Liguria.