With more than 1.6 million followers across social media, Francesco Mattana has become one of the most recognizable voices in Italian cooking today. The Sardinian-born chef built a loyal global following by sharing approachable recipes rooted in authentic Italian traditions, helping home cooks feel more confident in the kitchen one pasta dish at a time.
After working in professional kitchens in Sardinia and Australia and later serving as Head Teacher Chef at Jamie Oliver’s Cookery School in London, Francesco is now introducing readers to his roots with his debut cookbook, Eat Like a Sardinian. Inspired by the food culture of Sardinia, one of the world’s original Blue Zones, the book celebrates seasonality, simplicity, community, and the joy of gathering around the table.
We sat down with Francesco to talk about his journey from chef and teacher to social media sensation, why he decided to write Eat Like a Sardinian, the lessons he learned growing up in Sardinia, and the cooking tips every home cook should know.
In the Kitchen with Francesco Mattana
You grew up in Sardinia, worked in professional kitchens, taught at Jamie Oliver’s Cookery School, and now have millions of followers around the world. Looking back, what has surprised you most about this journey? After teaching in person for many years and then teaching people all over the world online at the Jamie Oliver Cookery School during Covid, I never expected to go on to open my own online cookery school, build such a large, loyal community or to write my first cookbook all about my very own Sardinian cuisine and become an Instant Sunday Times bestseller. It has all been a beautiful journey and incredibly exciting.
What has surprised me most is that you never know what’s coming next. Working in different jobs, restaurants and cookery schools, all while travelling and living far from home, can take you in so many different directions. If you’re curious and work hard, you will meet great friends and colleagues, be surrounded by amazing people and learn from them. All of this plus following your own passions can really lead to something beautiful if you truly believe in it.
It has been an incredible journey so far and even though I take life day by day, I’m very excited about the future.
What was your first viral recipe, and how did that moment change things for you? It was a simple Spaghetti al Pomodoro: spaghetti cooked with fresh, sweet summer tomatoes, garlic, basil and good olive oil — nothing else. So simple, yet incredibly delicious. It represents Italian food at its best and what it is all about: simplicity, seasonality and good-quality ingredients.
I started building my online presence in 2017, sharing dishes we used to put on as specials in the restaurant or meals I would make for the staff. In 2023, I decided to focus on growing this community full-time. So when a few videos went viral towards the end of the year, those people who saw my viral videos stayed and became followers because there was already a library of other simple, traditional and authentic Italian recipes for them to enjoy.
That recipe gave a spark to my social media and helped us build a beautiful online community. It also gave me the opportunity to show people around the world what I had been working on for many years as a chef and teacher.
These viral videos also helped us be noticed by an agency, which led to the opportunity to write a cookbook shortly after.
After years of teaching in person and online, what inspired you to finally put your philosophy and recipes into a cookbook? After many years of teaching both in person and online, the idea of writing a book had been on my mind for at least four or five years. As a chef with a passion for research and recipe writing, publishing a book is always a major goal. At a certain point, I almost felt the need to do it because people from all over the world had been asking me for years to talk more about my cuisine and my roots.
The idea to focus the cookbook on Sardinia was a shared decision with the entire team behind the project. It was one of three initial ideas, but we immediately knew it was the right one because I wanted to introduce myself to a new and existing audience by saying, “Here I am. I am an Italian chef, yes, but above all, I’m Sardinian.” It felt like the perfect way to begin this journey as an author: starting from my roots and my identity.
I love seeing people cook my recipes and knowing they can bring back memories, help them in the kitchen, or support them in building an important life skill. As a teacher, I always write my recipes with readers of all levels and experience in mind, making sure they are reliable and include tips and tricks so they always work.
This book was a way to truly celebrate Sardinia, its values and ethos, and to inspire more people to cook. It is also a way to show Sardinia as truly Italian and Mediterranean, and to highlight how Italian food changes from region to region.
Do you ever feel pressure to create trend-driven content, or do you prefer staying rooted in tradition? How do you balance authenticity with the fast pace of social media? I don’t feel the pressure. I simply follow my ethos and stay true to my values. I love sharing the things I enjoy cooking myself, as well as traditional and family recipes, along with the history behind the dishes. I think this in itself is quite unique and resonates with a wide variety of people.
My goal is to genuinely help people become better in the kitchen and enjoy their food more. I don’t see it as a challenge, but as a way of sharing what I love, in the hope that others will love it too and learn something from it.
Things like seasonality and sustainability have always been a way of life where I come from, but these days they have become trends in themselves. What I have always done is now considered a trend, and it’s great to see so many other people and businesses embracing and tapping into this too.
You often speak about the women in your family who taught you to cook. What’s the most valuable lesson they passed down that you still carry with you? Simple is best. Eat with the seasons, cook with love and pay attention to the details. Make the most of what you have and get excited about what’s available and in season.
These are the values the women in my family passed down to me, and they are lessons I still carry with me every day.
For readers who have never been to Sardinia, what does “eating like a Sardinian” really mean? It means eating well and eating everything, without wasting anything. It means respecting seasonality, always having good semolina bread on the table and accompanying meals with a good glass of wine.
It also means favouring simple, unprocessed foods, lots of fruit and vegetables, legumes, nuts and natural sweeteners like honey. And then treating yourself to an occasional glass of red wine and, if possible, taking a walk after meals.
It is also about history, making the most of what you have and respecting regional traditions, which can change from town to town. It is rooted in pastoral traditions, with pasta, legumes, vegetables and beans at the centre of everyday cooking.
Historically, Sardinians lived more inland to escape invaders and rarely ate seafood, instead living off products from the land and the animals they raised. Nowadays, as people live closer to the coast and there are more tourists, Sardinia has become famous for its fresh fish and seafood, and you’ll find plenty of it on restaurant menus.
What are three pantry staples you think everyone should keep stocked? Tomatoes in all their different forms: tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, tinned plum tomatoes or fresh tomatoes when in season.
Definitely different beans and legumes.
And of course different types of flour and semolina to make a good sourdough or homemade bread and pasta.
What kitchen tool do you think every home cook should invest in? A good knife and a knife sharpener. Keep your knife sharp and take care of it. A good knife will last a long time and make you enjoy the process of cooking and preparing just as much as the result. Plus, a sharp knife is safer than a blunt one.
For someone picking up Eat Like a Sardinian for the first time, which three recipes would you recommend they make first and why?
Live to 100 Minestrone: This is a staple of Sardinian cuisine and is steeped in history. Minestrone is a big deal all over Italy, but the most famous version comes from Sardinia. For many years, this comforting and delicious dish was the main meal in Sardinian households, and our grandparents ate it almost every day. It is a simple, accessible dish packed with seasonal vegetables and legumes and a great example of why Sardinia is one of only five Blue Zones in the world.
Apple Cake: Torta di mele is a staple in many Italian households and has been one of my favourite sweet treats since childhood. It’s one of my mum’s recipes for special occasions and always a hit. I love its simple sweetness, soft texture and the fact that it is packed with apples. Whether enjoyed for breakfast or served as dessert, it is a guilt-free pleasure.
Pasta alla Carlofortina: This dish is full of influences from traditional tuna fishing and comes from the village of Carloforte. Traditionally, it was born from leftovers, combining pesto, tomato sauce, preserved tuna and pasta. It remains one of my favourite pasta dishes in the book.
What recipe in the book best represents who you are as a chef today and why? Spaghetti allo Zafferano, a classic Italian plate of pasta that everyone loves but with a Sardinian touch: saffron.
It’s very similar to my viral Spaghetti al Pomodoro recipe and because it’s so quick and simple, it’s a great way to get people into the kitchen, even when they feel shy, lack confidence or are short on time.
Many people have asked me over the years what my favourite pasta is, and the answer might surprise them. It’s a simple Spaghetti al Pomodoro. This version, with the addition of saffron, adds a subtle but beautiful aroma that works perfectly with the sauce.
The quality of the ingredients is very important here. If possible, buy the best-quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford and bronze-drawn dried pasta. As this is a summer dish, make the most of tomatoes during or at the end of the season when they are at their sweetest. SHOP THE BOOK HERE
Food plays such an important role in Sardinian culture. What’s one tradition around the table you’d love to see more people embrace? Don’t rush when you eat. If you can, wait for each other to come back from school and work, eat together and take time around the table to share your day and reconnect. Some of the best conversations happen around the table.
Food in Sardinia is not just about what is on the plate, but about the experience of being together. I would love to see more people slow down, enjoy what they have cooked and really be present at the table.
I would also say not to serve everything on one plate. I love the way we enjoy courses so that meals last longer and you eat a variety of dishes.
