Love in Italy: Food, Romance & How to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

How to Find an Italian Boyfriend (and His Heart Through Food)

Love in Italy is not about the things like heart shaped balloons or red roses or big stuffed animals. Love in Italy is actually really simple. It comes with espresso, friendly teasing. Someone arguing how their nonna’s recipe is better than yours.

Still, February can be romantic.
Italians won’t show you love with flower petals leading the way, grand gestures, or big declarations.
They’ll cook for you.
And if the recipe comes from the family cookbook, you can be sure things are getting serious.

You might find yourself thinking this all of a sudden: maybe. Just maybe. An Italian boyfriend? Funny enough, that’s usually when he will show up.

First rule: don’t look too hard.
Italian men appear when you’re not paying attention to what’s going on around you.

At the market.
In line for bread at the local bakery (yes, the queue is worth it – even if the panificio next door looks tempting and empty).
When you step outside in your pyjamas to walk the dog at 6 a.m.

Second rule (this one is really important): learn to cook.
Food is Italy’s love language.
When someone takes the time to teach you how to roll pasta that means they really want you to be a part of their life.

Third rule: bring cake.
Not a sad supermarket cake.
A real one.
With pistacchio.
(And yes, it’s pistacchio with a K. Always.)

The Cake That Helps: Caprese al Pistacchio

You’ll need:
• 185g Bronte pistacchio, finely ground
(or pistacchio flour, if you’re feeling efficient)
• 125g good-quality white chocolate
• 125g butter
• 3 medium eggs
• 100g sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (or rum, if that’s what’s in the cupboard)
• Powdered sugar, for flirting

How to make it:
Melt the butter with the white chocolate.
Try not to eat it straight from the pan.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale, fluffy, and hopeful.
Fold the pistachio into the melted chocolate-butter, add lemon zest, and your chosen splash of alcohol.

Bake until golden, soft, and the centre purrs stay with me. (about 35 minutes)
Let it cool.
Dust with powdered sugar.
Pretend it was effortless.

Want to Improve Your Odds?

You could try dating apps.
You could trust destiny.
Or you could come cook with us in Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan…

Our cooking classes aren’t just about pasta.
They’re about stories, flour on your hands, and laughing over small kitchen disasters.
Yes, even the most experienced chefs have them.

If you’re curious,
the kitchen is a good place to start.

Shared with love,
Katarina
for CookingItaly

This article is part of our Valentine’s series exploring love, food, and Italian culture.