The 3 meals from the Tucci in Italy Lombardy episode that I want to eat right now

I wouldn’t call myself a “foodie,” but since Stanley Tucci started his jaunt around Italy exploring the country’s incredible food culture, I have become a devoted follower. That continues now that the Emmy-nominated host is back with Tucci in Italy on National Geographic.

Having premiered on Sunday, May 18, on National Geographic (streaming on-demand on Hulu and Disney Plus as of Monday, May 19; Wednesday, May 21 in the UK), the first two episodes saw Tucci explore the regions of Tuscany and Lombardy. In this post, I’m going to focus on the delicious dishes that Tucci showed us in the Lombardy episode that I wish I could order up and have on my plate right now.

Again, I’m not a food critic, and I have not tasted any of these dishes, but the three dishes I chose to feature here are simply based on how badly I wanted to sample these dishes for myself. There’s no scientific method here, it's just how big my eyes got learning about these dishes and hearing Tucci describe them. Let’s begin.

Tagliatelle with butter and cheese

There were a lot of fancy dishes in this episode, including a pasta dish with caviar and shrimp that Tucci called one of the best he’s ever had. Yet it was the simplicity of the tagliatelle with butter and cheese at Trippa that Tucci had as his last dish of the episode that appealed to me.

As Tucci says, while it may appear basic, there is something so elegant and perfect about a pasta dish like this. It's something just about all of us can relate to. I could go make a version of this right now in my kitchen if I really wanted to, and even though I know it would not come out nearly as good as what the chefs at Trippa were able to deliver, it would still be so stinking good.

Vegan ragu

Another reason to be jealous of Italian food culture is that their rest stops are apparently high-quality restaurants as well. Known as Autogrills, these stops along the highway serve many classic pasta dishes ready quickly, but still quite delicious (beats the US’s fast-food options at rest stops). And, like others featured in this episode, they continue to innovate what they are offering.

In this case, the cooks behind Autogrill’s menu have created a vegan ragu. Now I am not vegan and have no intention of ever becoming vegan, but you cannot tell by looking at what they have crafted that it is vegan, it simply looks like a classic ragu dish, adorned with a great sauce and cheese (though it’s not cheese, it’s made from beans). Even the smell reminded Tucci of a traditional ragu. This is the kind of pit stop I want on a long road trip.

Pesto risotto

At Da Vittorio in Bergamo, Italy, they are at the forefront of innovation. The most obvious is that they have created a vertical farm where they grow all of their produce and vegetables in-house (not needing to rely on the variable weather). But as a three-star Michelin restaurant, they are also experimenting with their menu. That includes their interpretation of a fish taco and a salad that combines all of the plants they grow. But the showstopper is their risotto dish.

Making a pesto sauce from the herbs they grow on site, Da Vittorio puts their own spin on a classic risotto. In addition to the risotto, they add a bisque made from violet prawn heads and salmon eggs. At first glance, it may look a little questionable, but hearing the chefs describe everything they put into it and Tucci’s reaction (he called it “unbelievable”), I am convinced.

Tucci in Italy airs new episodes on Sundays on National Geographic, then streams on-demand on Hulu and Disney Plus.