Gino's Italian Escape

Adriatic Coast: Alberobello and Lecce (6x7)

Air date: Dec 13, 2018

This week Gino reaches the unique town of Alberobello with its cone-shaped Truili houses. Here he learns about the history of these iconic homes and gets a lesson in making the local pasta orecchiette from a Nona in her back garden. Using the pasta he creates his own version of the Puglian classic pasta dish orecchiette cime di rapa, will it live up to her expectations? Next, Gino heads to the city of Lecce - known as the Florence of the South for its stunning baroque architecture. Here he finds out about local tradition of cartapesta - or papier mache - before a flash mob of local dancers surprise him. Leaving Lecce Gino returns to the dramatic coast to create a chicken skewers dish with a sticky marinade and a healthy bean and fennel salad.