La dolce vita: where to find a taste of Italy in Melbourne

Savour Italian influences around RACV Club

RACV City Club Executive Chef Jason Camillo says there are many Italian influences around the Club, from antipasto in Sojourn to Risotto Milanese with scallops in the Members Dining Room, and Pizza Diavola (devil pizza) with chillies at Bourke Street Green.

Hailing from a family with Italian heritage, Camillo says he has inherited that simple, fresh approach to cooking. "It is the basis of everything I do." he says. "That influence comes through with a lot of the dishes." 

He has joined forces with Melbourne-based food historian Dr Tania Cammarano to create a special dining event: Italian Migrant Journey: Dinner & Masterclass, drawing inspiration from The First Australian Continental Cookery Book. The event was so successful in October last year, a second dinner and masterclass is scheduled for June 2023.

Gain insight into Australia’s culinary past

Cammarano discovered The First Australian Continental Cookery Book in the State Library of Victoria when she was researching the use of pasta between 1864 and 1975 for her PhD.

“The cookbook was published in 1937 by Italian migrants, and they had a clear vision for Australia’s culinary future,” Tania says. “What comes through in the cookbook is they thought Australia was fantastic and that Australia had great produce, but they didn’t think Australians knew how to cook!”

She says the cookbook has recipes for lasagna with pesto, pizza, and arancini, but those names weren’t used in 1937.

“The authors assumed people wouldn’t know what they were talking about, so lasagne is called ribbon macaroni – the term pasta wasn’t used until the 1950s – and pizza is called ‘The Neapolitan recipe’.”

Enjoy Italian recipes at home

Now known as the foodie capital of Australia, Melbourne has come a long way since The First Australian Continental Cookery Book was published.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your next family meal, you can try these RACV Club and resort recipes for a taste of Italy at home. There’s the winter-warming slow-cooked beef ragu with potato gnocchi, the quick and easy Mediterranean roasted vegetables with spaghetti, and a delicious vegetarian lasagne recipe.

Camillo has also devised a vegan and gluten-free zucchini pasta with mushroom and tomato sauce.

"When I was growing up, I pretty much ate pasta every day. I love it because there is no limit to its variations. Pasta is designed to carry the sauce, or it is made for the sauce to stick to the pasta itself. That is why you get all these wonderful shapes."

Discover the best salami and cured meats

The cured meats chosen for the antipasto in Sojourn and similar dishes in other Club dining venues are of the highest quality.

"There's usually a prosciutto, a nice salami, whether it's a sopressa or cacciatore and some air-dried wagyu, which is cured wagyu beef that melts in your mouth." Jason says.

For the uninitiated, these are three main types of prosciutto - each named after Italian regions - Prosciutto di Parma, Prosciutto di San Daniele, and Prosciutto Toscano.

Jason says he prefers San Daniele prosciutto because it's more delicate in flavour than the Parma prosciutto, which is cured for longer. "I'm also fond of it because it comes from the region where my uncle still lives," he says.