I Cooked Rabbit with My Nonna and This Is Real Italian Food

This is rabbit alla cacciatora, the way Italian nonnas have made it for generations.
Not a trendy dish. Not a shortcut recipe.This is traditional Italian cooking, slow, rustic, and deeply rooted in family food culture.I made this coniglio alla cacciatora with my nonna, following the rhythms of authentic Italian home cooking, where recipes aren’t written down but passed through memory, gestures, and patience.
Rabbit alla cacciatora is a classic Italian main course, especially common in Tuscan cuisine and central Italy, loved for its bold Mediterranean flavors, simple ingredients, and nourishing comfort. It’s part of traditional Italian cuisine that celebrates seasonal food, countryside cooking, and real family meals made to be shared.
This dish represents everything Americans search for when they look for authentic Italian food: rustic Italian recipes, old-world Italian cooking, slow cooked meat dishes, Mediterranean diet meals, and nonna’s cooking done right.It’s healthy Italian food, naturally high in protein, cooked gently with olive oil, herbs, garlic, and wine, just like traditional Italian recipes were meant to be.
There’s nothing fancy here, just honest ingredients, real technique, and the kind of Italian comfort food that brings everyone to the table. This is Italian home cooking at its purest, the kind of dish that smells like Sunday lunch, countryside kitchens, and generations of family recipes from Italy.
Ingredients (made “a occhio”, like my nonna does):
– Rabbit pieces
– Extra virgin olive oil
– Garlic
– Fresh rosemary
– Bay leaves (optional)
– Red wine
– Tomato passata or fresh tomatoes
– Salt and black pepper

If you’re looking for authentic Italian recipes, traditional Italian meat dishes, rustic Tuscan food, or classic Italian dinners inspired by nonna’s cooking, this rabbit alla cacciatora belongs on your table.
Save this recipe, share it with someone who loves real Italian cuisine, and let traditional Italian food slow you down for a moment.
Buon appetito, sunshine ☀️