i. Biography
From the hotel management school of Serramazzoni in Modena to Condividere in Turin, Federico Zanasi’s career follows a distinctly Italian line: training rooms, brigade heat, and the discipline of mountain hospitality. In contemporary Italian cuisine, the Emilian chef has built a language that stays close to regional seriousness while moving toward something lighter, more teasing, and more fluid.
The Path
Working first as chef at Moreno Cedroni, Federico Zanasi would have met the basics that matter in any serious kitchen: pace, precision, and the ability to keep service under control. He later served as head chef at Hotel Principe delle Nevi in Cervinia, Aosta Valley, where high-altitude hospitality added its own demands—clean lines, clear execution, and the controlled elegance the setting asks for. Those years in exacting kitchens gave his cooking its structure. What remains in view is not a break from that training but a refinement of it, with the discipline of those rooms carried into a more polished contemporary register. Today, Federico is chef of Condividere, where that accumulated experience is put to work in a modern setting.
The Work Today
Since 2016, Zanasi has led the kitchen at the Turin restaurant as chef and executive chef. The role defines his current position: an Emilian cook shaping contemporary Italian cuisine through a menu that approaches familiarity with a sharper edge and a lighter hand. The food does not discard memory; it reorganizes it, giving recognizable forms a different rhythm, a clearer structure, and the occasional surprise. At Condividere, the work is one of careful recalibration. Dishes start from known territory and move ahead through substitution, compression, and restraint. That balance—between heritage and experiment, comfort and clarity—sits at the center of his cooking. It is an approach that stays attentive rather than showy, grounded without being fixed, and interested in how a dish can be turned slightly off its original course without losing its shape.
Signature
Federico's signature dishes include L'insalata di mare (quasi) senza pesce, Valpellinentze soup, and Passatelli in Parmesan rind broth. Taken together, they point to the terms his cooking works in: revision, regional memory, and traditional forms treated with a fresh eye. The register is measured, but the wit and precision are there.
Acclaim
Federico's honors include Best Sous Chef of the Year (2011).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Federico
Where did Federico Zanasi work before?
Federico Zanasi's earlier career included Moreno Cedroni and Hotel Principe Delle Nevi.
What recognition has Federico Zanasi received?
Best Sous Chef of the Year (2011).
