Italian grandmothers, or nonnas, are known for their delightfully hearty, rich, home-cooked meals.
Any household would treasure their Sunday meals, but when it comes to putting a feast on the table, you always hear that nonnas do it best.
Sure, they may have perfected classic Italian dishes — like the bacon-topped spaghetti carbonara — but their greatest joy comes from sharing their food, their warmth, and their laughter with everyone else around them.
That is exactly why Uber, a transportation service company, partnered with famed sausage company Johnsonville for a project titled "Sausage Nonnas."
The initiative invited three real-life Italian-American grandmas to cook food on the road, and deliver them to hungry, grateful customers all across the city of Chicago.
On the menu? Spaghetti with sausage meatballs, rigatoni with sausage, and sausage lasagna.
Scroll further to read more about the "Sausage Nonnas" project, and let us know your thoughts on their delicious-looking meals in the comments below!
In many parts of the country, Italian-American grandmothers, or nonnas, are heralded as saints.
Not only do they bring the traditions and customs of their homeland, they also pass down to us the hearty recipes for scrumptious, saucy family meals.
Three very special Italian grandmothers have recently gone on the road in Chicago, delivering their meals in person to other families.
They participated in a collaboration between Uber, a transportation service company, and Johnsonville, a famous American sausage company.
And just like that, the “world’s most elite sausage-delivery service” came into being.
Each nonna traveled in her own customized tiny home. It was in each of these adorable, cozy little homes that they made more than a total of 100 meals for those around the city.
Nonna Antonia comes from Ateleta, Italy, and came to the states in 1948.
Since then, she has been cooking her special rigatoni with sausage every Sunday.
In her spare time, Antonia likes to teach her granddaughter how to knit and make meatballs.
Nonna Gina is famous for her spaghetti with sausage meatballs.
Hailing from a small town outside of Naples, she is passionate about family, food, and classic Italian songs.
Nonna Lidia is sought after for her sausage lasagna. She cooked with her mother at a young age, and came to America in 1952.
She loves to shop and party with her family!
To receive a homemade meal from the nonnas, guests had to request a delivery via Uber’s smartphone app.
They could track their delivery on the app, but many of them were so anxious and delighted that they waited for hours outside their homes.
“Delivering homemade sausage meals throughout the city of Chicago is great in and of itself, but having authentic Italian nonnas cook and deliver those meals raised the bar to a whole new level,” said Ryan Pociask, a senior director at Johnsonville.
These Italian nonnas brought their joyful cooking on the road — which made for a hilarious film reel — but furthermore, gave us all important little tips to follow in the kitchen.
“The first thing when you cook, you have to have a comfortable kitchen, and tools to work with,” said Nonna Lidia, “and then you start to cook, prepare your meal the way you’re supposed to.”
“My favorite thing in the kitchen is the stove — and a bottle of wine,” said Nonna Gina.
This project was a great way to bring delicious, authentic food to people of all backgrounds and cultures.
If the nonnas hit the road again in the future, we’ll be the first ones to call!
Be sure to watch the video below to see the Sausage Nonnas in action!
Please SHARE if you'd love to spot the Sausage Nonnas driving through your town!
