Andrew Cotto

New York

Editor-in-Chief at Appetito

Award-winning #author and a regular contributor to @nytimes. Editor-in-Chief of Italian America mag. Lives to eat. Fun at parties.

Articles

Appetito's Editor-in-Chief Shares His Easter Menu on Good Day New York

1 week ago | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

It's always an honor to appear on Good Day New York with the beloved Rosanna Scotto. This time was special because I was able to share with her, her new co-host, Curt Menefee, her audience, and the GDNY crew (who are treated, deservedly, to the bounty once the segment wraps) my favorite holiday meal of a Roman Feaster. The focus is lamb, traditional to Rome, but my version has an inspiration much closer to home.
How to Feed Your Beast with Baked Ziti

4 weeks ago | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

My son is a beast (in a good way). He's 18-years-old, six-foot-three, and a wet sweater away from 200 pounds. He hits the gym nearly as often as I hit the sack. The problem is that the kid can eat. And eat...And eat... I used to ply the boy with eggs, but that was before eggs became a luxury item.
Pasta alla Gricia Is an Often-Overlooked Roman Staple

1 month ago | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

The big three Roman pastas - Carbonara, Amatriciana, and Cacio e Pepe - get a lot of attention and rightfully so. Pasta alla Gricia...not so much. Many consider Gricia as derivative of Amatriciana, simply minus the marinara. I kind of see it as tomato-less Amatriciana meets Cacio e Pepe. This is certainly true in my version that has more creaminess than the typical Gricia and also a little more pepper (that also smacks of Carbonara).
Anna Francese Gass on Her New Show "Instant Italian"

1 month ago | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

Anna Francese Gass is one of most highly-regarded, Italian food personalities in America. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute and the author of two cookbooks, Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women (2019) and Italian Snacking: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Hour of the Day - A Cookbook (2024), Anna has written for The New York Times and worked in the test kitchen for FOOD52, Martha Stewart Living and Whole Foods.
The Simple Perfection of Pasta Aglio e Olio

1 month ago | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

I love pasta agio e olio. The simple perfection of three essential Italian ingredients speaks to the exceptionalism of la cucina italiana. I was so happy to attest to this brilliance on my recent appearance on the Beyond The Burner podcast, discussing, among other things, the benefits of Italian ingredients and the wellness they foster. The episode is here with the recipe below:
Chicken Francese Mio Modo (my way)

1 month ago | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

I love Chicken Francese, especially during winter when the vibrant, lemony wine sauce revitalizes my sagging spirits. So, I was particularly thrilled to be invited on the Beyond The Burner podcast (episode here) to share some recipes while chatting about my passion for telling stories about Italian food and the people behind it. What makes my Chicken Francese unique, as is the case with a lot of my chicken "cutlet" based dishes, is that I use thighs as opposed to breasts.
Italian American Classics, Part I: Chicken Piccata

Jan 23, 2025 | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

Editor’s Note: We are thrilled to partner with Chef Matthew Cutolo of legendary Gargiulo's Restaurant in this five-part series dedicated to Italian American classics. As a third-generation Italian American running the kitchen of a restaurant owned and operated by his family in Brooklyn’s Coney Island since 1920, Chef Matthew knows the intricacies of old school Italian cooking. We want to share his dedication to tradition with our readers to inspire the preparation of these dishes at home.
Brutto ma Buono: This Italian Meatloaf is "Ugly but Good"

Jan 15, 2025 | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

My Italian meatloaf is basically a giant meatball shaped into a football. I'm not sure why I started doing this year's ago, though it probably was my fondness for meatloaf combined with the lack of desire one day to round off a tray of. What I do know is that the end result is very good but also ugly.
Where to Enjoy Pizza and More in Manhattan This Year

Jan 10, 2025 | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

In my Appetito-inspired reflections on 2024, I started with a shout-out to pizza. My sense is that I’ll be doing the same next year as I only see the appeal of pizza increasing in 2025. This is not only because pizza continues to evolve but also due to its general affordability in what I sense will be a chaotic financial year in general and in particular for the restaurant sector where myriad factors are already reaping havoc.
A Shortcut to Tender Pork Poached in Olive Oil

Jan 2, 2025 | appetitomagazine.com | Andrew Cotto

Of all the recipes I’ve tried over the years, the one that has confounded me again and again is Dario Cecchini's “Tonno di Chianti.” This is his riff on “Tonno Sott’olio,” a Sicilian staple that basically poaches tuna in olive oil (translation: Tuna under oil). Dario, a diehard Tuscan, substitutes pork for the tuna, and the result is more similar to duck confit than poached tuna. Whatever. The tender pork is amazing, and I had the curse of nailing it on first attempt.