Exploring Vegan Food in Nadia Fragnito’s Vegan Italian Kitchen

Many would say that vegan food and travel is a match made in heaven. Through food, travellers are able to connect with those they meet on the road and experience culture through food. The act of eating is instinctual, pleasurable; even sensual. By living a vegan lifestyle and travelling vegan, travellers express love, compassion and empathy while still enjoying local cuisines in their vegan versions. One such lover of vegan food and travel is vegan Italian expert Nadia Fragnito of The Vegan Italian Kitchen.

Photo credit: Nadia Fragnito of The Vegan Italian Kitchen

Nadia is best known for her appearance on the Australian TV cooking series The Chef’s Line where she adapted traditional Italian recipes into stunning vegan creations. Since then, Nadia has designed her own cooking classes and demonstrations, written articles in prominent vegan publications, curated a bespoke vegan menu for a popular Italian restaurant in Melbourne and is putting the finishing touches on the launch of her vegan Italian cookbook Discovering Vegan Italian. Nadia spared time to chat about her vegan Italian food journey.

So when did Nadia’s vegan journey begin? “I was 20 years old when I first went vegan, and that was 18 years ago now,” Nadia explains. “I had been living out of home for a couple of years and, I suppose, I was starting to really form my own identity. The vegan scene was very small in 2001, it was before social media. There was no sharing of videos and I didn’t have access to groups of like-minded vegans. I first went vegetarian, I thought that’s what you do when you care about animals. I borrowed a book from my local library and that’s when I found out about veganism. I realised that being vegetarian wasn’t really enough to stop the cruelty. I didn’t know any other vegans either.

“It felt like a very rebellious thing to do then,” Nadia laughs. “I think after a few years my family figured out I wasn’t changing, that the vegan thing was staying. They were always supportive of my choices but I’m still waiting for them to switch to a vegan diet! But I certainly think they’ve become a lot more open minded as a result.”

Photo credit: Nadia Fragnito of The Vegan Italian Kitchen

Veganism may be perceived as ‘rebellious’ by some, yet Nadia champions theroad less travelled through her vegan Italian food travel pursuits. So much so that Nadia has built a solid platform on which to show people how easy and joyful it is to travel a vegan food road.  An effective communicator who oozes love, compassion and passion through her creations, Nadia shows just how simple Italian vegan fare can be. Her website and blog was originally named The Road Not Taken for obvious reasons. “After a few years as The Road Not Taken and developing all types of dishes and cuisines, I found myself gravitating towards veganising Italian classics. My heritage is Italian so I started to get a real kick out of recreating the dishes I grew up with. My passion grew the more I put my heart into it. So the name change felt really natural.” There is something subliminal when it comes to travelling a path that is not well-worn, and Nadia believes the importance of travelling a path that is as unique as the traveller. “I’ve always loved the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost. Something in it spoke to me about travelling your own road, that the path ahead may be difficult, but it is authentic. I felt that going vegan at a time when no one really knew about it was following a largely untrodden path. The way may not be popular, but it sure feels like the right path.”

Photo credit: The Chef’s Line (SBS)

Suffice to say, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing in Nadia’s vegan path. Yet, Nadia delivers an authentic message of joy and love when it comes to vegan Italian cooking. Communicating to both vegan and non-vegan audiences is her specialty. “To begin with, I was very vocal about my frustrations about animal cruelty,” Nadia reveals. “I think this is really common with vegans. My reasons for going vegan haven’t changed but the way I channel my message is. I want people to know that if you go vegan you don’t miss out. I hear so many people worrying about missing out on foods and flavours – so it’s been my mission to disprove that.

“I think it’s about finding your joy and sharing through that. For some, that’s fitness and health. For others, it’s filmmaking or writing. Whatever you love doing, I think your message is best funnelled through that. I find that an open-minded and non-judgmental approach really works in a non-vegan world. Like any issue, no one really likes being preached to. And at the end of the day, I once wasn’t vegan, so I try to put myself in someone else’s shoes. But hey, I’m human, and sometimes I get really frustrated or despondent too. Especially when we know what’s happening to billions of sentient creatures around the world.”

Photo credit: Nadia Fragnito of The Vegan Italian Kitchen

Nadia has travelled to many locations internationally, and her vegan travels have revealed some unexpected surprises. Not one experience stands out. Rather, it’s a culmination of unique experiences, dotted around Italy particularly, that have brought Nadia deep joy. “Southern Italy was a beautiful region, for the array of delicious plant-based produce and dishes, in both the Campania and Puglia regions. My family are from a small town in Campania called Molinara and it was so special to visit there. We had the most delicious wood-fired vegetable pizza and side of garlicky fried chicory. Puglia is gorgeous. In the town of Ostuni, I had the best orecchiette and rapini pasta dish. Mouth-watering, but so simple. We’ll be heading back to Puglia to explore more this year. Turin in the north is a gorgeous city, the vibe felt similar to Melbourne. And there are loads of vegan options there. I love the energy of Rome, too. It also has a plethora of vegan options. I’m spending several months in Italy this year and will continue to share more stories, recipes and travel tips from regional Italy. Closer to home, Queenstown and Arrowtown in New Zealand are magical. I’d return in a heartbeat.”

With a thirst for travelling to Italy, Nadia’s experiences have expanded her education beyond her family upbringing in South Australia before moving to Melbourne at 19. Travelling at a grassroots level has provided the local exploration necessary for Nadia to hand-craft her vegan dishes. “There’s a wonderful array of plant-based ingredients at the heart of so many dishes. That’s what I love so much about Italian cooking. And the further south of Italy you go, the more vegan-friendly it is. But there are many Italian dishes that are heavily dairy and meat based. These seem like barriers to begin with, but with a little creativity, you can veganise anything. And that’s what I’ve focused on in my cookbook Discovering Vegan Italian, featuring classic Italian dishes such as Ossobuco and Tiramisu.

“There is such a joy of food weaved into the Italian culture; delighting in creating your food from scratch, honouring the produce and then sharing the meal. I just can’t imagine a life without getting excited about food. Italians do this so well. It certainly makes life more colourful.”

Photo credit: Justine de Jonge of Fire & Tea

For lovers of Italian food in Melbourne last year, Nadia was offered the unique opportunity to partner with Italian restaurant Tutto Bene to create a scrumptious vegan menu in celebration of World Vegan Day. “A publicist friend approached me to partner with Tutto Bene to create a Vegan Week menu to coincide with World Vegan Day. The thought of having my recipes in a Melbourne restaurant was so exciting. It certainly involved a lot of education on both sides. I got a real kick from sharing vegan ingredients and methods with a chef and kitchen staff who hadn’t experienced them before. The feedback on the Walnut Ragu Lasagne and Tiramisu was fantastic, which was so satisfying as I spent a lot of time developing the recipes; they are two of my personal favourites.”

Photo credit: Justine de Jonge of Fire & Tea

Speaking of favourites, Nadia doesn’t hesitate when revealing her favourite ingredient to cook with, and the Italian meal that best represents her. “I tend to include tomatoes in about 90% of my savoury dishes. And how gorgeous is the colour? I can’t seem to do without it! Spaghetti Pomodoro is a bowl of comfort, consistently satisfying and very authentic.”

Nadia has truly found her domain, where her natural personable talents are coupled with her joy and passion for vegan food. These innate skills help Nadia deliver a positive vegan message, a message that emphasises what is possible from a vegan standpoint. “The buzz is when I’m with an audience, sharing and presenting live. Whether that’s on TV, a cooking demo at a festival or for a small group. There’s a buzz when you cook for a group of people and the joy that comes with satisfying them. When you value something, you love pleasing people with what you’ve created.
My happy place is when I get an idea of how to create something delicious and then give myself the time to enjoy and explore it.”

Photo credit: Nadia Fragnito of The Vegan Italian Kitchen

Exploration is key when travelling the vegan road, and vegans, even non-vegans, can maximise their travels with some simple steps. These steps are tried and tested by Nadia that ensure positive vegan experiences abroad are possible. “First research all the vegan places in the area before you go. It’s so easy to do these days on the internet, like through the Happy Cow website. Find a local grocer that stocks your staples, like non-dairy milk. If you travel to a non-English speaking country, learn a few phrases to assist you when requesting vegan food. Finally, when you come across an ‘accidentally vegan’ local dish or produce, show your enthusiasm for it. You might not want to try the local meat dish but you love that fava bean puree with bitter greens! Get excited!”

You can share in Nadia’s excitement and enthusiasm for vegan Italian food by visiting her website The Vegan Italian Kitchen, and connecting with her on Facebook and Instagram.

Nadia’s new cookbook Discovering Vegan Italian is being released on Thursday March 14. You can now pre-order a print copy for AUD$30.00 or ebook version for AUD$9.99 here.

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