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How a Judge Changed My Life: Chef Carlo Scotto on Finding Purpose Through Italian Cooking

How a Judge Changed My Life: Chef Carlo Scotto on Finding Purpose Through Italian Cooking

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 In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Carlo Scotto, a chef whose cooking is driven by memory, emotion, and fearless creativity. Born and raised near Naples, Carlo began cooking as a teenager after a life-changing encounter with a judge who saw potential in a troubled young man and offered him a path to redemption through food. From his early days washing pots at the legendary Don Salvatore in Naples to mastering his craft in London's most ambitious kitchens including Murano with Angela Hartnett and La Chapelle with the Galvin brothers, Carlo's journey is a testament to the transformative power of hospitality and the enduring influence of Italian tradition. With stints in Paris and experience across Europe, Carlo has forged an extraordinary career whilst staying deeply connected to the flavours and stories of his Neapolitan roots. Carlo prepares his beloved Farfalle Pasta a La Genovese recipe, a deeply personal tribute to his late grandmother who first taught him to make pasta as a little boy. This rich, comforting dish takes the classic Neapolitan interpretation of Genovese, a slow-cooked onion sauce with origins in Genoa that arrived in Naples through the historic port trade, and elevates it with decadent bone marrow, 36-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano, and a silky onion puree made with chicken and beef stock, shallot vinegar, and fresh thyme. The handmade farfalle pasta, crafted from a unique dough taught to him by a British chef using pasta flour, semolina, six egg yolks, one whole egg, milk, and oil for elasticity, is pinched perfectly to hold the sauce whilst achieving that elusive al dente bite. This recipe beautifully encapsulates Carlo's cooking philosophy of honouring tradition whilst embracing global influences, creating dishes that are comforting yet refined, rooted in heritage yet unafraid to experiment. Throughout the episode, Carlo shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Naples surrounded by loud, passionate Sunday lunches filled with family arguments and endless conversations around the table to becoming a quiet, reserved child who found himself in trouble as a troubled teenager following a family tragedy. He opens up about the pivotal moment when a compassionate judge saw beyond his mistakes and gave him a summer job as punishment, leading him to the kitchens of Don Salvatore where he discovered his calling whilst washing pots bigger than himself. Carlo discusses the pride he took in ensuring every plate leaving the pass had no fingerprints, why Angela Hartnett's belief in him when she put him on the meat section as the youngest chef gave him the confidence to push through his mistakes, and how working across Paris and different countries taught him that excellence can come from anywhere. You can find Carlo's full Farfalle Pasta a La Genovese recipe on the Filippo Berio website at www.filippoberio.co.uk/theo, and keep an eye out for his return to London as he continues to build his culinary legacy. The Recipe podcast is hosted by Theo Randall, Chef Patron at the Theo Randall Cucina Italiana. In each episode we meet a special guest who loves food, and they'll tell us all about their favourite recipe as we celebrate the stories behind the dishes that define us. Please do subscribe, follow, and share the podcast wherever you listen so you never miss an episode; and for more delicious stories and inspiring dishes. Follow The Recipe with Theo Randall: /therecipe.podcast (https://www.instagram.com/therecipe.podcast/) Follow Filippo Berio: /filippoberio_uk (https://www.instagram.com/filippoberio_uk/) Follow Theo Randall: /theo.randall (https://www.instagram.com/theo.randall/) The Recipe with Theo Randall is a Listen To This Production for Filippo Berio.
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