Francesca Montillo on The Backpack Show

Francesca Montillo is a native Italian, Boston-based culinary instructor, author, and the founder of Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures. After a successful career in healthcare management, Francesca took a leap of faith on the verge of turning 40 to turn her lifelong passion for Italian food and travel into a full-time dream business. Today, she hosts boutique, slow-travel culinary tours across Italy and is the author of several bestselling cookbooks, including The 5-Ingredient Italian Cookbook and The 30-Minute Italian Cookbook. Her mission? To show the world that authentic Italian cooking—and travel—should be simple, unhurried, and full of flavor.