Name trends in Italy have been pretty stable for a few years according to the National Institute of Statistics. Here’s a list of the most popular baby names for 2021-22. You’ll also find a list of other popular Italian baby names and their meanings in no particular order.

Top 10 boys names -

1. Leonardo

2. Francesco

3. Lorenzo

4. Alessandro

5. Andrea

6. Mattia

7. Gabriele

8. Tommaso

9. Riccardo

10. Edoardo

Popular boys names and their meaning-

1. Francesco - French man

2. Leonardo: as strong as a lion

3. Alessandro: protector of men

4. Lorenzo: fun loving, sensitive, romantic

5. Mattia e Matteo: gift from God

6. Andrea: strong and courageous

7. Gabriele: strong man of God

8. Riccardo: galant leader

9. Tommaso: twin

10. Alessio: protector of men

11. Giulio: youthful

12. Valerio: strong and robust

13. Maurizio: generous and giving

14. Emanuele: meaning God is with us

15. Edoardo: defender of his own wealth

16. Samuele: God heard

17. Cesare: long haired

18. Flavio: blonde haired

19. Giacomo: God is gracious

20. Raffaello: healing God

Girls- Top 10 girls names

1. Sofia

2. Aurora

3. Giulia

4. Ginevra

5. Alice

6. Emma

7. Giorgia

8. Beatrice

9. Greta

10. Vittoria

Popular girl names and their meaning:

1. Sofia: wisdom and philosophy

2. Ginevra: white phantom

3. Margherita: precious one

4. Valentina: strong and healthy

5. Matilde : strong in battle

6. Noemi: my joy

7. Sara: princess

8. Flavia: blinde haired

9. Giulia: youthful

10. Aurora: bright and splendid

11. Giorgia: farmer

12. Martina: God of war

13. Azzurra: serene

14. Vittoria: Goddess of victory

15. Alessia: defender

16. Chiara: bright

17. Alice: creature of the ocean

18. Emma: whole

19. Marcella: dedicated to the Gods

20. Carlotta: free man

Ingredients -

500gr 00 flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

250 gr butter (cubed and room temp)

Lemon rind from 1 lemon

Method - mix the butter and flour together so it forms a crumble. Add the rest and knead away. Watch reel over at instagram for the rest https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

Buona Pasqua a tutti!

Doing Pasqua like my maternal side this year with these Cuzzupe Calabresi - delicious Easter brioche. My 97 year old Calabrese Nonna gave them the thumbs up.

2 eggs

650gr flour (I used half 00 and half Manitoba)

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

75ml sunflower oil

1 teaspoon dry yeast

Rind of a lemon

Method - head to instagram to watch also https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

The dough should be kind of sticky so if yours looks dry add a touch of extra milk. Use flour to work the ball before you let rise the first time (overnight if you like or do it early in the morning and let rise for about 6 hours. Once shaped let them rise for another couple of hours).

Shape them and decorate them with the hard boiled egg and the cross like the traditional ones in the above pic , otherwise shape them into a twist and pop some choc drops in them like the last one like the pic below (just don’t dare call them Cuzzupe afterwards or the internet police will attack)

Oven on 180c until they are dark brown.

Enjoy dunked in some ‘latte e caffe`’ !

Sweet Brioche (Cuzzupe recipe) with Choc Chips

Ingredients -

500gr spaghetti or linguine

2 cloves garlic (whole to remove or crushed - whichever you prefer)

1/4 (or a splash more) cup extra virgin olive oil

1kg clams

approx 400gr ripe cherry tomatoes (or any tomato you have - or none at all if you prefer in bianco)

Salt

Pasta water in case it needs to be added at the end

Watch the instagram reel as a method guide. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcY_45ylU4M/

When the pasta is cooked, grab it with the tongs and move it to the pan with the sauce, without draining it too much so some of the pasta water goes in the pan with it creating a nice sauce.

Scoll down to find the recipe and click on the link to watch the reel on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cby7deOl9Tn/

Honestly - if you just put all the ingredients in a bowl and either mix them well in a kitchenaid or knead well by hand , they will turn out beautifully. Don’t over think it!

3 cups flour 00

2 teaspoons dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

100 gr room temp butter

1 & 1/4 cups milk

Knead. Let it rise for a couple of hours or so

IN THE MEANTIME - make your cinnamon butter spread and your icing. Put about 100gr room temp butter, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, a tablespoon of cinnamon, and mix until it forms a buttery texture.

For the icing, just a few tablespoons of icing sugar and a tablespoon of milk and mix. If you like it more runny you need more water , or more thick, just add more icing sugar (do it gradually, in small amounts so you get “your” right consistency.

Once risen roll out the dough into a square (ish) shape, spread your butter cream on it, roll and cut and place in a tin. Take a look at the one I have used in my reels to get an idea of the size.

Let rise for about another half hour and then bake.

Bake on around 175 until they are golden.

Head to reels to watch method! https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

Eggplant and Ricotta Sandwiches

Ingredients

• About 3 medium size eggplants

• (optional) 3-4 fresh paprika

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 500gr ricotta (drained but not too dry)

• 4 or 5 tablespoons grated parmesan

• salt, pepper

• clove garlic

• 1 tin Mutti cherry tomatoes

• basil

• extra grated parmesan and some breadcrumbs for topping

  
  Prepare ricotta mixture by adding the ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix it until you get a nice smooth creamy mixture.

  Cut the eggplant into cycinders and fry lightly on each side. Remove and set aside to cool.

  For the sauce, put some oil and a clove of garlic in a pan you just friend the eggplant in, gently fry, and then add your fresh paprika and the white wine, let fry for a minute and then add your tin of Mutti cherry tomatoes. Let simmer . Salt the sauce and add some basil.

  While sauce is simmering, prepare your melanzane sandwiches, and once the sauce is cooked (about 20 -30 mintues), place them in the sauce. Top them with some grated parmesan and breadcrumbs and bake in the oven until they are golden brown on top.

Head to my reels on Instagram to watch the process by clicking on the link

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CbOPlDelEcr/

Ingredients

• about 5 boiled, peeled and riced (or mashed) potatoes.

• 1 egg

• salt and pepper

• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

• slices (slithers) of mozzarella cheese (about 12 - cut the size of your pinky finger)

• a bowl of breadcrumbs

• sunflower oil to fry

  Mix the potato, egg, parmesan salt and pepper together in a bowl. Scoop out bits of the mix like you would when making a meatball, and roll a log shape on your hand. Press your indwx finger to make a hollow for the cheese and then seal. Roll on a board also if you like. Then roll in the breadcrumbs ready to fry.

  Head to our instagram reels to see the method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/reels/

Thought I’d salute the last of the cherries with delicious Cherry Ciambella.

It’s simple and really easy to create .

Prep the cherries-

Peel them and pop in a pan with -

3 handfuls of really ripe cherries.

Juice of 1 Orange or a Lemon

2 tablespoons of sugar

Let cool…….

Ciambella

3 eggs

12 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons sunflower oil

12 tablespoons self raising flour

6 tablespoons milk

Rind of a lemon (or some vanilla bean if you prefer)

Head to our instagram page to watch the method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/reels/

250 gr butter

2 & 1/2 cups flour 00 (approx)

5 tablespoons zucchero

2 eggs

1 rind of a lemon

2 handfuls macadamia nuts crushed.

Cook on about 180c until golden

Head to reel on instagram to watch method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

Here is a quick and easy jam filled biscuit perfect for Christmas or anytime really.

Ingredients for the Pasta Frolla is below. To follow the method head to our Instagram page to watch. It is quite simple and easy. The dough should be squeezed in the hand in the first stage of kneading, and then popped on your board or table to knead into a ball.

Ingredients -

250gr butter

Rind of a lemon

5 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

3 cups of 00 flour for sweets

1 teaspoon baking powder

(if the dough feels dry and not kneading properly just wet your hand and start kneading again)

Cook in fanforced oven 180c for about 30 mintues (depending on oven - just check but you will smell when they are ready)

Scan the QR Code below to get to our Instagram page -