Inside Villa La Cassinella: A Private Chef Shares Her Holiday Risotto

Certain places on Lake Como hold their secrets close. Villa La Cassinella, perched on a private peninsula near Lenno, is among the most discreet. The 19th-century estate reveals little beyond its obvious beauty, standing as a masterpiece of secluded luxury. As for its owner, speculation ranges from Richard Branson to various other names, though the villa itself maintains a studied silence on the matter.

This summer, Chef Alessia cooked here as private chef, creating menus within walls that have witnessed centuries of Lake Como life. She's sharing a recipe from those months—one that traces her own journey from Como to Copenhagen's Michelin kitchens and back home again.

The Chef

Alessia's trajectory follows a familiar pattern for ambitious culinary talent. Born and trained in Como, she spent nearly four years in Copenhagen, including time at Geranium, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant that represents Nordic cuisine at its most refined. The experience added technique and perspective to her foundation in Italian cooking.

Her return led to Sapori in Movimento, a private chef service bringing restaurant-quality dining into homes and historic Lake Como properties. Villa La Cassinella numbered among her summer clients—a rare opportunity to work in one of the lake's most exclusive settings.

Why Become a Chef?
Alessia's path to professional cooking wasn't linear. "I was studying something completely different, biological and biomedical technologies" she admits. "Cooking was that activity that brought my family together—we'd leave our problems aside for a while and spend time in peace."
The kitchen represented refuge, not career. But when her original studies left her unsatisfied, she took what she thought would be a sabbatical year to find her direction. "I entered a professional kitchen for the first time, and I discovered another world entirely," she recalls. That experimental year became permanent. The family kitchen had taught her that food creates connection. Professional kitchens showed her it could also be craft, discipline, and art.
The combination defines her approach now—technically precise cooking that never loses sight of why people gather around a table in the first place.

The Villa

Villa La Cassinella occupies seven secluded acres on the Lavedo promontory, a self-contained estate comprising the main residence, guest houses, a pool house, and gardens that cascade toward the water. The property was transformed from a humble farmhouse in the late 19th century, with a defining renovation in the 1920s giving it the eclectic elegance visible today.

The villa's position—jutting into the lake with panoramic views toward Bellagio—makes it one of Como's most photographed properties, despite (or perhaps because of) its inaccessibility to the public. Cypress allées, ancient wisteria, and Porcinai's landscape design create what Alessia describes as "a place where fantasy wanders unconditionally."

For a chef, such surroundings demand food of equal beauty. The risotto she's sharing emerged from this context—a dish refined enough for the setting, rooted enough in tradition to feel authentic to place.

The French Toast Incident
Working at Villa La Cassinella this summer brought unexpected challenges. "One morning we had American guests," Alessia remembers. "Beyond the classic breakfast spread—fruit, croissants, biscuits—we always offered a daily special, sweet or savory. I thought, why not something from their food culture? Breakfast is so important. It sets your energy for the day. If it can bring you a bit of home when you're far away, it gives you double the boost."
She prepared French toast. The response was enthusiastic. Too enthusiastic.
"For the rest of their vacation, I had to serve French toast at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Really! Beyond whatever dessert was on the menu, French toast had to be there too." The guests requested cooking classes. They wanted the recipe written down. Even the villa staff got involved. "It became a bit of a joke around the property," she laughs.
It's the kind of story that reveals something about both the chef and the clientele at Lake Como's most exclusive properties—people seeking not just luxury, but the comfort of having exactly what makes them happy, prepared exactly right, by someone who genuinely cares about their experience. Sometimes that's a sophisticated tasting menu. Sometimes it's perfect French toast, three times a day.

The Recipe: Risotto with Almond, Bay Leaf, and Elderflower

"Risotto is one of the first dishes I learned to cook as a child, helping my grandfather at family lunches," Alessia notes. "In this recipe, I wanted to merge all my experiences."

The dish balances Como ingredients with Copenhagen precision. Almonds—the same pale color as Carnaroli rice—provide sweetness and subtle bitterness. Bay leaves and elderflower come from her garden, harvested in spring and dried for winter use. The technique shows Michelin training: the almond cream requires overnight soaking and careful blending, while the risotto itself demands constant attention and proper mantecatura.

"For me, this dish is a small comfort on the coldest days," she says. It's also sophisticated enough for a dinner party, which makes it ideal for holiday entertaining.

Ingredients
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion  
- 1 celery stalk
- 6 bay leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 320g Carnaroli rice
- 50g butter
- 60g Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt
- Dried elderflower powder
- 100g blanched almonds
- Lemon juice
- Soy sauce
- Almond oil

Method

Almond Cream (prepare the night before):
Soak blanched almonds in water for at least six hours. Drain and blend with an equal weight of fresh water, adding lemon juice, a tablespoon of soy sauce, almond oil, and salt to taste. Pass through a fine sieve for smoothest texture.

Vegetable Broth:
Combine 1 liter room-temperature water with carrot, onion, celery, and bay leaves. Bring to boil, reduce to gentle simmer, and cook for 90 minutes. Strain before using.

Risotto:
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Add rice and toast, stirring constantly. Deglaze with white wine and cook until absorbed. Begin adding hot broth gradually, stirring frequently and seasoning with salt as you go. 

After approximately 18 minutes, when rice is al dente, remove from heat. Stir in cold butter, grated Parmigiano, and 2-3 tablespoons almond cream until creamy and flowing.

Plate immediately and finish with elderflower powder.

On Classics

We asked Alessia which Nosetta piece she favors. "The Carlia in cotton tweed blue" she answers. "It's a classic."

The Carlia tote, named for Villa Carlotta on Como's western shore, represents Nosetta's design philosophy in its purest form. The cotton tweed comes from Como's historic textile mill Limonta—the same workshops that have supplied luxury fashion houses for generations. Vegetable-tanned Tuscan leather provides structure and handles that improve with age. No logos, no visible branding, just quality that speaks for itself.

That Alessia—trained at Geranium, cooking in Lake Como's most exclusive villas—chooses this particular bag suggests something about both the chef and the design. Some things endure not through flash but through being exactly what they should be. A well-made risotto.
A well-designed tote. Both require patience, quality materials, and respect for tradition balanced with modern sensibility.

Visit

The Carliaand our complete collection of Italian-crafted accessories are available at our store on Via Vitani in Como's historic center, in Cernobbio or online at nosetta.com. Each piece reflects the same commitment to Como craftsmanship and understated quality that defines the region's best traditions.

This holiday season, bring a piece of Lake Como's refined lifestyle home.

Follow Chef Alessia's culinary journey and contact for your own experience on Instagram  or reach out directly to discuss a private dining experience.