Cooking with Chef Federico – Civitavecchia, Italy

23 October 2025

Civitavecchia is the jumping-off point for Rome, and many people head there either by train or bus. The trip usually takes about 90 minutes. Some tours take a train to Rome and then return on a bus. King Charles was visiting the Vatican today, so tours of the Sistine Chapel were canceled at the last minute. Some people reported seeing his motorcade whizzing by during their visit.

We arrived at 7 AM and moored at Pier 18. With an all-aboard time of 8:30 PM, we had plenty of time to explore Civitavecchia after our class if desired. The port offers a complimentary shuttle bus service that connects all the cruise ship berths. It’s a quick 5-minute ride to the main gate, but if you prefer to stretch your legs, it’s about a 10-minute walk (approximately ½ mile) to the town. Both options are convenient, allowing ample time to enjoy the day.

We were at Pier 18. Five other ships were in port

Civitavecchia is a good-sized city (pop 50,000) with plenty to do, so don’t feel that going to Rome is your only option. It’s easy to stroll around town on your own or check out one of the many tours offered on Viator or similar booking sites. Keep in mind that the shuttle bus drops you off at one end of the town.

Ruth, from our roll call, arranged a cooking class with Chef Federico, who offers it at several locations in or near Civitavecchia, depending on the group size. You can contact him HERE or HERE. The price was €80 per person, and our class would start around 10:30 AM and wrap up around 2 PM. There were 8 people in our group.

Chef Federico had special permission to meet us inside the port gate by the ship, saving us the shuttle ride to the main gate. We piled into his van for the 10-minute drive to his kitchen studio, where his wife, Tracy, welcomed us warmly.

Here was the menu for today:

• Eggplant Parmigiana
• Ragù Bolognese sauce
• Dumplings (Potato Gnocchi)
• Pizza
• Tiramisu

You can download the recipes HERE.

After we introduced ourselves, Chef Federico gave us an overview of what to expect over the next couple of hours.

Federico was fun and full of energy

Starting with Tiramisu

Federico started with tiramisu, explaining that we make the dessert first so it can chill while we prepare the rest. Throughout the class, we all took turns with the various steps, with no more than two of us working at the same time, except when we were making our individual servings of Tiramisu and Eggplant Parmigiana.

Judy whipped the cream until it formed soft peaks, while Susan blended the egg yolks with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon over low heat, finally adding a splash of Marsala. Another guest whisked the custard mixture and folded it into the whipped cream, creating a smooth, airy filling.

Federico laid out eight glass dessert dishes and guided us step by step as we made our own dessert. Once the cream mixture was ready, each of us filled the bottom of our glass dish with a layer of it, then dipped broken ladyfingers into coffee and arranged them on top. We added another layer of cream and finished with a generous dusting of dark chocolate powder. To tell them apart later, we used toothpicks to create identifying patterns on each Tiramisu before Federico put all the dishes in the refrigerator to chill.  See the picture at the top of the post for our toothpick configuration.

The Ragù Simmering Away

As the dessert cooled, Federico began the ragù bolognese, a staple of Italian cuisine. We took turns chopping celery, carrots, and onion—the soffritto—before he sautéed them in olive oil with basil. When the vegetables softened, he added red wine, ground beef and pork, tomato sauce, salt, and nutmeg. He left the pot to simmer for forty minutes, filling the room with comforting aroma.

Pete chopping onions for the ragu

Mini Eggplant Parmigiana

Next, we made our individual eggplant parmigiana. Federico had pre-sliced and grilled the eggplant, saving time and smoke. Each of us assembled a personal-sized portion in a small aluminum pan—about three by five inches—layering sauce, eggplant, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, and olive oil. After finishing our creations, he folded the corners and sides of each pan in a distinctive way so we could keep track of ours before putting them in the oven. While the parmigianas baked, the ragù simmered, and our tiramisus chilled.

Federico discussing the next steps with the eggplant parmigiana

Roman-Style “pizza al taglio” pizza

Then came pizza dough, mixed quickly from 00 flour, yeast, olive oil, and water. If you have time, you can let your dough rest in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours to improve the flavor. We didn’t have time for anything like that. Federico showed us how to stretch the soft dough – he even twirled the dough disc in the air a few times before stretching it into a rectangular pan, typical of Roman or Civitavecchia pizza, which is baked in slabs and sliced into squares.

He explained that pre-baking the crust for a few minutes helps it stay light and crisp even in a home oven.

Federico spreading the tomato sauce on the pizza

Making Gnocchi Together

For the potato gnocchi, we worked together as a team. I pressed the boiled potatoes through a ricer and mixed them with flour; others kneaded this mixture until the texture felt right. Federico divided the dough, rolled it into ropes, and each of us cut our ropes into bite-sized pieces, then pressed each piece with a fork to make the familiar ridges that hold the sauce. He gathered the gnocchi and put them in a pot of boiling water, noting that when they floated to the top, they were done.

A Meal to Remember

Once everything was in the oven or on the stove, our job was done. The eight of us went out to the deck and gathered around a long table with a view of the City and the distant Mediterranean Sea. In a few minutes, Federico and Tracy brought out the food and a bottle of Tullio Castelli Romani DOC Rosso, a local red wine that paired perfectly with our meal.

We enjoyed the meal while Federico and Tracy cleaned up the kitchen.

The food was delicious and everything was devoured – even the last slice of pizza. Afterwards, for dessert, we enjoyed tiramisu and a chilled glass of limoncello made from local lemons. The bright, lemony sweetness of the limoncello was the perfect finish to the day.

After we said goodbye to Tracy, Federico drove us back to the ship. We arrived around 2 PM. The day felt less like a class and more like a lunch among friends — delicious, relaxed, and truly Italian.

Back on the ship

Leanne Mitchell, the first winner of The Voice UK, was the featured entertainer on the World Stage. She put on a great show, including an original song where she played piano and other hits, including ” Send in the Clowns and Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.