Ciao Italia

Mary Ann Esposito, host of the longest-running cooking show on public television, travels around the United States and Rome, Italy in search of recipes that can be prepared in thirty-minutes or less for a busy audience that has time to enjoy great Italian food but doesn' t always have time to prepare it "the old way."

Fri, Apr 19 1:00 P.M. Tasty Cabbage / Cavolo Saporito     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann uses leaves of beautifully textured Savoy Cabbage and fills them with a hearty mixture of ground beef, pork, and rice.

Mon, Apr 22 1:00 P.M. Eat and Enjoy! / Mangia E Divertiti!     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann visits master chef and dynamic restauranteur Steve DiFillippo at a Northern Italian Steakhouse, where they prepare his light-as-a-cloud Potato Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms and Truffle Sauce.

Tue, Apr 23 1:00 P.M. Classic Ragu' Alla Bolgnese     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann and cooking school owner Joe Faro celebrate her new teaching series by preparing a classic, mouthwatering Tagliatelle alla Bolognese.

Wed, Apr 24 1:00 P.M. Calling All Cauliflower Lovers     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann starts off her cooking class by preparing a colossal Cauliflower Casserole packed with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and crispy bread crumbs.

Thu, Apr 25 1:00 P.M. Focaccia: One Sweet and One Savory     NHPBS (11.1)

Cooking student Erica learns the inns and outs of making a mouth-watering Cherry Focaccia from start to finish.

Fri, Apr 26 1:00 P.M. Crepes Plus Broth Abruzzo Style     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann reveals the secret to Crepes in Chicken Broth is to make the savory broth from scratch with fresh ingredients, and by doing so, she elevates the very versatile crepe to new heights.

Mon, Apr 29 1:00 P.M. When Is A Plum Cake A Pound Cake?     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann clears up Italian spelling confusion (no "plums" in it, just the way Italians describe a "pound cake") Then she proceeds to teach her Scuola Culinaria students how to make a beyond-moist-and-tender Apricot Yogurt Pound Cake.

Tue, Apr 30 1:00 P.M. Pesto Pairings     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann teams up with Executive Chef David Crinieri to wow her cooking students by exploring the world of perfect pestos.

Wed, May 1 1:00 P.M. Make Pizza with a Friend     NHPBS (11.1)

Pizza takes center stage when Mary Ann and eager Scuola Culinaria student John roll up their sleeves and dive into the essential steps need to create an all-time favorite of favorites, Pizza Margherita.

Thu, May 2 1:00 P.M. Celebration Cake     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann re-creates shows her students how to prepare this traditional rustic cake from the Abruzzo region of Italy.

Fri, May 3 1:00 P.M. Low and Slow     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann reminds her students that "a good cook loves a low flame.

Mon, May 6 1:00 P.M. Crazy Water!     NHPBS (11.1)

"Acqua Pazza" in Italian. And even though Mary Ann may not know the origin of the name of this Neapolitan favorite, she knows exactly how to show her students how to simmer fresh codfish over a tomato based bed of sliced fennel, Castelvetrano olives, capers, garlic, and hot red pepper flakes.

Tue, May 7 1:00 P.M. Gaetano's Easy Chicken Casserole     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann's husband Guy comes up with a quick and simple chicken dish, Guy's Chicken with Olives and Turmeric that you'll make often.

Wed, May 8 1:00 P.M. Got Lemons, Make Gnocchi     NHPBS (11.1)

Gnocchi's not hard to make, when Mary Ann shows her Scuola Culinaria student, Karen, the traditional Italian culinary secrets of creating soft-as-a-cloud, pillowy gnocchi every time.

Thu, May 9 1:00 P.M. From The Sea / Dal Mare     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann sets sail for seafood shores and reels in three easy-to prepare and great to eat recipes: Fish Chowder, Scallops with Spinach and heads to the oven with a casserole dish filled with the makings of Baked Fish with Lemon and Olives that's a breeze to make and a joy to serve.

Fri, May 10 1:00 P.M. Party Cakes / Torte Per Feste     NHPBS (11.1)

Simple is best. As proof, Mary Ann's recipe for Tuscany-inspired Prato Almond Cake is as simple to prepare as it is delicious to eat.

Mon, May 13 1:00 P.M. Ricotta! / Cucinare Con La Ricotta!     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann goes back in time to prepare a childhood favorite: Nonna Galasso's Fried Ricotta with Salad Tomatoes on Crostini.

Tue, May 14 1:00 P.M. Tuscan Supper / Cena Toscana     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann travels to Tuscany to cook with Chef Michele Rabazzi, who takes the humble tomato and a loaf of classic Tuscan bread and turns them into the peasant-simple but deeply satisfying Pappa al Pomodoro.

Wed, May 15 1:00 P.M. Cauliflower, Really? / Cavolfiore, Davvero?     NHPBS (11.1)

Say what? Cauliflower Crust Pizza? Mary Ann does more than say it, she makes her deeply satisfying, low-cal classic.

Thu, May 16 1:00 P.M. Little Hankies Two Ways / Piccoli Fazzoletti in Due Modi     NHPBS (11.1)

Nothing better than generous squares of fresh pasta "Handkerchiefs" tossed with a classic Ligurian Pesto Sauce.

Fri, May 17 1:00 P.M. Exquisite Cannelloni / Cannelloni Squisiti     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann prepares a luxurious Lamb Ragu to fill equally luxurious, freshly made Cannelloni.

Mon, May 20 1:00 P.M. Make Mine Mussels / Prepara Le Mie Cozze     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann travels to cold waters off the Gulf of Maine to reap the harvest of Gary Moretti's Bangs Island Mussels.

Tue, May 21 1:00 P.M. Peppers / Peperoni Ripieni Napoletani     NHPBS (11.1)

You haven't lived until you've enjoyed Mary Ann's Neapolitan Style Stuffed Red Peppers.

Wed, May 22 1:00 P.M. Tuna / Tonno!     NHPBS (11.1)

Tuna takes a creative turn when Mary Ann prepares Tuna Meatballs with Caponata, protein-rich fish topped with tangy Sicilian caponata.

Thu, May 23 1:00 P.M. Little Surprise Packages / Piccoli Pacchetti a Sorpresa     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann takes to the streets to enjoy one of Sicily's favorites: Panzerotti Palermitani, freshly made dough, stuffed with mozzarella "pearls" and tomato sauce, shaped like a turnover and then fried to a golden crisp.

Fri, May 24 1:00 P.M. Not Just Zucchini / Non Solo Zucchine     NHPBS (11.1)

Don't know what to do with all that zucchini from the garden? Mary Ann begins by creating a rich and distinctive Fig and Zucchini Bread.

Mon, May 27 1:00 P.M. Something Special / Qualcosa Di Speciale     NHPBS (11.1)

Mary Ann visits her good friend, Executive Chef Michele Rabazzi, whose homemade pasta technique is a wonder to behold.

Tue, May 28 1:00 P.M. Cialdoni, Agrigento Pastries / Cialdoni, Pasticcini di Agrigento     NHPBS (11.1)

A dessert treat as only the Sicilians could dream up, Mary Ann duplicates these cannoli-like delicacies by first baking them crisp in the oven, coating them with crushed pistachios then filling them with a generous swoosh of sweet ricotta.

Wed, May 29 1:00 P.M. Cookies for Everyone / I Biscotti Per Tutti     NHPBS (11.1)

And Mary Ann means EVERYONE, as she and her young assistant, Calliope, prepare multipurpose doughs that deliver a mountain of different vanilla and chocolate biscotti combinations, some filled with diced, dried fruit, others with slivered almonds.

Thu, May 30 1:00 P.M. A Bag of Lemons / Una Borsa Di Limoni     NHPBS (11.1)

Italians love lemons. Mary Ann puts them through the paces, starting with a zesty Naples seaside pasta treat, Spaghetti Procida.

Fri, May 31 1:00 P.M. All Chicken / Tutto Pollo     NHPBS (11.1)

Chicken's the star of this episode, when Mary Ann creates a smoky-rich Chicken with Speck Alto Adige.


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