Endurance
Italian Semolina Porridge (Semolino al Latte)
Semolino al latte is the Italian breakfast porridge: semolina rained into hot milk and cooked down for ten minutes…
- 20 min
- 561 kcal
- 20 g protein
Endurance recipes
Complex-carb pasta, risotto, farro and bread recipes timed for training: fuel before, recover after.
Endurance
Baked Rice, Potatoes and Mussels (Tiella)
Tiella barese is a layered bake from Puglia — potatoes, raw-opened mussels and dry rice in one dish, no stirring, an…
- 1 hr 35 min
- 669 kcal
- 25 g protein
Endurance
Baked Pasta with Ricotta (Pasta al Forno)
Pasta al forno is the Southern Italian way of baking a tray of ziti in tomato sauce with ricotta and mozzarella, and…
- 1 hr 5 min
- 646 kcal
- 30 g protein
Endurance
Cacio e Pepe, No Cream
Cacio e pepe is spaghetti dressed with nothing but grated Pecorino Romano, cracked black pepper and the starchy water…
- 25 min
- 561 kcal
- 26 g protein
Endurance
Spaghetti alle Vongole
Spaghetti alle vongole is fresh clams opened in white wine and garlic, their liquor reduced and emulsified with the…
- 35 min
- 602 kcal
- 24 g protein
Endurance
Potato Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil
Potato gnocchi made from baked (not boiled) russets, one egg and just enough flour to hold them together, dressed in a…
- 1 hr 45 min
- 526 kcal
- 17 g protein
Endurance
Butternut Squash Risotto (Risotto alla Zucca)
Risotto alla zucca is the autumn risotto of Lombardy and the Veneto: arborio rice cooked slowly in broth with…
- 45 min
- 622 kcal
- 14 g protein
Endurance
Sicilian Tuna Pasta (Pasta al Tonno)
Sicilian tuna pasta is a 25-minute pantry dinner: spaghetti tossed with olive-oil-packed tuna, burst cherry tomatoes…
- 25 min
- 662 kcal
- 31 g protein
Endurance
Pasta e Ceci (Roman Pasta with Chickpeas)
Pasta e ceci is a Roman one-pot dish of short pasta simmered with chickpeas, rosemary, garlic and a spoon of tomato…
- 35 min
- 611 kcal
- 23 g protein
How we build an endurance recipe
Runners, cyclists, swimmers, hikers and anyone with long days on their feet burn through glycogen, and glycogen comes from carbohydrate. Italy has spent centuries perfecting exactly the foods an endurance athlete needs: pasta, risotto, farro, polenta, bread, potatoes, fruit — cooked in ways that are easy on the stomach.
Our endurance recipes are designed around timing:
- Fuel-up meals (the night before, or 3–4 hours before): 80–120 g of carbohydrate per serving, moderate protein, low fat and fiber so digestion is easy — pasta e ceci is the one we cook most often.
- Recovery meals (within a couple of hours after): carbohydrate plus 20–30 g of protein, and sodium to replace what you sweated out — Sicilian tuna pasta hits all three in 25 minutes.
- Everyday training meals: balanced plates with complex carbs and plenty of vegetables for the days in between.
Each recipe tells you which slot it fits and why.
For the reasoning behind the timing — how many grams of carbohydrate, how many hours before the start, and what to eat on race morning — read our guide on carb loading the Italian way. For the hours after the finish line, what to eat after a long run covers carbohydrate, protein, fluid and salt.