Come hungry. Leave happy.

Nonna Do’s Italian & Croatian Kitchen

There are some kitchens where the light feels warmer, the aromas sweeter and the memories a little stronger. For our family, that place has always been Nonna Do’s kitchen — the sound of pasta water boiling, the soft thump of gnocchi dough being rolled, and laughter drifting in from the living room.

📖 All 115 recipes Her specialties 🎮 Kitchen game

🏆Home of the award-winning lasagna

Food is a language of love

Food has always been more than nourishment in our family. It’s a celebration, a comfort and a language of love. From her award-winning lasagna to her legendary gnocchi, from simple weekday soups to full Sunday feasts, Dorina Benvin — our mom, our Nonna, our heart — has cooked dishes that shaped our childhood and brought us together again and again.

Born on the Croatian island of Cres into a family with deep Italian roots, Dorina learned early that cooking wasn’t just a task; it was a celebration of life. Her mother and grandmother passed down recipes that had already lived through generations. When she came to America, she brought those traditions with her — and added her own creative touch.

This section is a tribute to her hands, her heart, and the heritage she carries from Italy and Croatia.

Nonna Do’s Italian Kitchen cookbook cover

🏆 The legends

Nonna Do’s specialties

Tap any dish for the full recipe, ingredients checklist and Nonna’s note.

Pasta, Lasagna & SaucesClassic Lasagna (Nonna Do’s Lasagna)The signature family dish, layered with love.

Pasta, Lasagna & SaucesHomemade Potato GnocchiSoft, pillowy dumplings — a family treasure.

Pasta, Lasagna & SaucesPasta Bolognese (Ragù alla Bolognese)A slow-simmered meat sauce that feels like home.

Pasta, Lasagna & SaucesSpaghetti alla NonnaSimple tomato-basil perfection.

Pasta, Lasagna & SaucesPenne alla VodkaCreamy, pink, and irresistible.

Breads, Antipasti & Small BitesOlive Bread (Pane alle Olive)Crusty artisan-style bread studded with salty olives.

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Soups & StewsMinestrone della CasaA hearty, vegetable-packed soup passed down through generations.

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Desserts & Sweet TreatsHazelnut & Cream Roll Cake (Rolat)A Croatian-Italian favorite — light sponge rolled with hazelnut cream.

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Desserts & Sweet TreatsTiramisu (Quick Family Style)Creamy layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone.

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Risottos & GrainsMushroom Risotto (Risotto ai Funghi)Earthy mushrooms bathed in rich, creamy rice — a northern Italian classic.

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Meat, Chicken & Hearty MainsChicken ParmigianaTender chicken baked under marinara and melted cheese.

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Desserts & Sweet TreatsVanilla Panna Cotta with BerriesSilky, creamy Italian custard topped with fresh berries.

🌿 With love

A letter from the family

Dear Mom,

You taught us that the best flavors come from patience, fresh ingredients, and love. You showed us that a good meal doesn’t need to be complicated — just honest, heartfelt, and shared with people who matter.

We’ve watched your joy as you cook, the way you hum while stirring sauce, and the way the whole house fills with warmth when something is baking in the oven. You never just followed recipes — you crafted them, perfected them, and made them uniquely yours.

This is our way of preserving the delicious life you’ve given us. Your meals are memories, and now, they’ll live on forever. We love you beyond words.

— Your Family · Rich Benvin

💬 Straight from her kitchen

Nonna’s cooking wisdom

If the sauce sticks to the spoon, it’s ready.

Butter is good, olive oil is better.

Good things take time — especially soups.

Taste it before you serve it.

Food is love. And there’s always enough love for everyone.

The recipe is the guide — the flavor is your voice.

🧂 Stock up

Pantry essentials — the Nonna way

A well-stocked Italian kitchen is a playground for creativity. Read the full pantry guide →

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Italian staples

Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh garlic
San Marzano tomatoes
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Ricotta & mozzarella
Basil, oregano, rosemary
Sea salt & black pepper
Pasta in many shapes
Arborio rice for risotto

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Baking & desserts

Flour
Sugar
Cocoa powder
Hazelnuts & almonds
Vanilla extract
Lemons for zest
Raisins & a splash of rum (for fritule)

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Always on hand

Onions, carrots & celery
Zucchini
Potatoes (for gnocchi!)
Spinach
Lemons
Fresh parsley
Good crusty bread

🍳 Technique

Tools, tips & the Croatian table

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Nonna’s essential tools

A heavy-bottomed pot
A well-seasoned frying pan
A wooden spoon (her lucky one)
A large baking dish for lasagna
Mixing bowls of all sizes
A pasta strainer
A sharp, reliable knife
A potato ricer for gnocchi

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How to cook like Nonna

Cook with love — don’t rush the sauce.
Taste as you go — the recipe is the guide, the flavor is your voice.
Use simple, real ingredients — when the ingredients shine, the dish shines.
Cook for the people you love — the goal is joy.

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The Croatian side

Fritule — little holiday doughnuts with raisins & citrus
Blitva — chard & potatoes with garlic and olive oil
Brudet — slow-simmered Adriatic fish stew
Rolat — Nonna’s hazelnut cream roll cake
Kroštule — crisp fried pastry ribbons
Island olive oil, lamb & wild sage from Cres

👩‍🍳 Little secrets, big flavor

Nonna’s kitchen tips

Salt your pasta water like the seaAbout 1 tablespoon of salt for every 4 quarts of water — Lošinj-style! Save a cup of the starchy water to finish sauces.

Rest the lasagnaNonna’s key secret: let it rest 10–15 minutes before cutting so the layers hold.

Rice the potatoes while warmFor feather-light gnocchi, bake or boil potatoes whole, rice them hot and add flour gradually.

Low and slow for sauceSunday sauce simmers for hours — if it sticks to the spoon, it’s ready.

Toast your garlic gentlyGolden, never brown. Burnt garlic turns bitter and ruins a sauce.

Finish with good oilA drizzle of raw extra-virgin olive oil over soups, beans and fish — the island way.

📰 Recipes & stories

From the kitchen blog

🥖 Baking

Fritule, Kroštule & Holiday Sweets of the Adriatic

Warm fritule with rum and citrus, crisp kroštule, a hazelnut rolat and bright lemon cookies. Here's Nonna Do's holiday baking plan from both sides of the Adriatic.

June 29, 2026 · 5 min read

🥖 Baking

Rustic Olive Bread from Nonna's Oven

A crackling crust, a chewy crumb and salty olives in every bite. Here's how to bake Nonna Do's pane alle olive as long rustic loaves in your own home oven.

June 24, 2026 · 6 min read

Tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and pasta — Nonna’s pantry

🍝 Nonna’s Kitchen

Nonna's Pantry: 25 Essentials for Italian & Croatian Home Cooking

With these 25 staples on your shelves, dinner is always within reach. Here's what lives in Nonna Do's pantry, why each one matters and how to store it well.

June 19, 2026 · 5 min read

🍝 Nonna’s Kitchen

Sunday Sauce and the Power of the Family Table

A pot of red sauce simmering all afternoon, a table set for everyone. Here's Nonna Do's Sunday sauce and why the family dinner around it matters more than ever.

June 15, 2026 · 6 min read

Flavors of the Croatian coast: fish, olives, lemons and herbs

🍝 Nonna’s Kitchen

Croatian Coastal Cooking: Flavors of Lošinj & Cres

Olive oil, wild sage, island lamb and fish from the Adriatic. Explore the island food of Cres and Lošinj that shaped Nonna Do's kitchen, with a simple blitva recipe.

June 10, 2026 · 5 min read

🍝 Nonna’s Kitchen

Pillowy Potato Gnocchi, the Nonna Do Way

Warm potatoes, gentle hands and just enough flour. Learn how Nonna Do makes the soft, pillowy gnocchi our family calls legendary, plus the sauces to serve with them.

June 5, 2026 · 6 min read

📺 Watch & learn