August on the lake
August means that Lake Como is a shimmer with heat and color. The stone villages hold the warmth of the afternoon, cicadas sing from gardens and wooded hillsides, and the lake remains busy until the last light fades behind the mountains. As evening approaches, the air softens, tables move outdoors, and the first lamps begin to glow along promenades, courtyards, and village lanes.
This is the month when the lake becomes most beautiful after sunset. Historic cloisters turn into open-air cinemas, palace courtyards fill with music, and narrow streets become galleries illuminated by strings of tiny lights. Films, concerts, art, and summer celebrations offer a reason to linger outside long after dinner, when the heat eases and the reflections on the water become part of the performance.
Back in the kitchen, we celebrate Peperoni, the glossy, sweet peppers that bring the colors of August to the table. Our Recipe of the Month is Peperoni Agrodolce, Sweet, sharp, silky, and deeply Italian, it is a dish made for summer tables and evenings shared beneath the stars. This is our most loved and most frequently requested recipe at Lake Como Kitchen, so here it is folks ENJOY!
Stars Over the Lake
August evenings on Lake Como have a theatrical quality of their own. As the daylight fades, mountains become dark silhouettes and familiar buildings seem to take on new lives. A convent cloister becomes a cinema, a historic palace fills with piano and song, and village streets glow with art, conversation, and music.
The season’s cultural events are not confined to formal theatres. They unfold in gardens, courtyards, piazzas, and beside the water, allowing the landscape to become part of the experience. Here are some of our favourite ways to enjoy arts, cinema, and summer nights around the lake this August.
Ciak 8, Cinema under the Stars in Gravedona ed Uniti
The historic cloister of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie becomes an intimate open-air cinema during August. The stone arches frame the screen, while the open sky above gives each film a sense of occasion. The program begins on Monday, August 3 with several dates up to August 26.
35mm in Villa at Villa del Grumello, Como
On Sunday, August 23 at 21:00, the park of Villa del Grumello hosts an open-air screening of Nouvelle Vague, directed by Richard Linklater. The garden setting, offers a beautiful alternative to a conventional cinema. Arrive early enough to enjoy the grounds and the changing evening light before settling in for a film beneath the trees.
Como Lake Alto Lario Music Festival, Gravedona ed Uniti
The fourth edition of the Alto Lario Music Festival continues through August with three concerts in the historic settings of Palazzo Gallio and the cloister of Santa Maria delle Grazie. On Sunday, August 2 at 20:45, the cloister hosts Digressions, performed by soprano Marilena Gaudio, clarinettist Giambattista Ciliberti, and pianist Flavio Peconio. The program moves through classical music, opera, tango, ragtime, and Neapolitan song.
On Sunday, August 9 at 20:45, Palazzo Gallio presents Vive la France. The festival closes on Monday, August 24 at 20:45 in the convent cloister with Morricone and Beyond.
Arte nel Vicolo, Gravedona ed Uniti
On Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9, Via Sabbati and Piazza Garibaldi become an evening gallery for Arte nel Vicolo. Beginning at 20:00, the narrow lanes are decorated with lights and filled with paintings and works by local artists. Games, music, and entertainment add to the relaxed atmosphere, turning one of Gravedona’s most characteristic streets into a lively cultural walk.
This is an event made for wandering rather than rushing. Take time to look at the work, speak with the artists, and enjoy the way the lights and artwork transform the old stone alleyways after dark.
La Notte di San Lorenzo, Colico
Monday, August 10 is the traditional night for watching shooting stars, and Colico marks the occasion with an evening celebration in Piazza Garibaldi. The event begins at 20:00 with music and family entertainment, followed by a DJ set that continues until midnight. At 22:30, fireworks are launched over the lake, filling the water and sky with colour.
Ingredient of the Month: Peperoni (Bell Peppers)
Peperoni are among the most vivid treasures of the August kitchen. Their smooth skins shine in shades of red, yellow, orange, and green, while their flavour changes beautifully with heat. Raw peppers are crisp, bright, and slightly grassy. Once roasted or slowly cooked, they become sweet, silky, and deeply aromatic.
Across Italy, peppers appear in antipasti, pasta sauces, vegetable stews, baked dishes, and simple contorni. They welcome bold flavours, particularly garlic, anchovies, capers, vinegar, olives, and fresh herbs. Their natural sweetness also makes them particularly suited to agrodolce preparations, where sugar and vinegar create the balance of sweet and sour that is so distinctive in Italian cooking.
August is the moment to use peppers generously. Choose those that feel firm and heavy, with smooth, glossy skins and no soft spots. Red and yellow peppers offer the greatest sweetness, while green peppers bring a sharper, more vegetal character. Combining several colours creates a dish that is as beautiful on the table as it is satisfying to eat.
HERE ARE FOUR OF OUR FAVORITE ITALIAN WAYS TO ENJOY PEPPERS:
Peperoni Arrostiti con Aglio e Prezzemolo: Whole peppers are roasted until their skins blister and blacken, then peeled and dressed with garlic, parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, and a light touch of vinegar. Served cool or at room temperature, they make a simple and deeply fragrant antipasto.
Peperoni alla Piemontese: Roasted pepper fillets are topped with anchovies, garlic, and olive oil. The salty anchovy melts into the sweetness of the pepper, creating a bold northern Italian antipasto that is particularly good with crusty bread.
Pasta con Crema di Peperoni: Roasted peppers are blended with olive oil, garlic, and Parmigiano or soft ricotta to form a silky pasta sauce. Finished with basil and black pepper, it is creamy without feeling heavy and brings intense summer colour to the table.
Peperoni Ripieni alla Ligure: Peppers are filled with a savoury mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, capers, olives, herbs, and anchovies, then baked until tender and golden. They can be served warm or at room temperature as a substantial antipasto or light summer meal.
RECIPE OF THE MONTH: Peperoni Agrodolce (sWEET & SOUR PEPPERS)
Agrodolce is one of the most recognisable balances in Italian cooking. The word combines agro, meaning sour, with dolce, meaning sweet, describing dishes in which vinegar and sugar work together rather than competing. It is an ancient technique found throughout Italy, particularly in vegetable preparations designed to be enjoyed after they have had time to rest and absorb their seasoning.
Our Peperoni in Agrodolce has become one of the most loved and frequently requested dishes at Lake Como Kitchen. Guests are often surprised by how a short list of ingredients can produce something so layered and memorable. The peppers soften into glossy morsels, the vinegar brings freshness, and the sugar rounds out the acidity without making the dish overtly sweet.
It is particularly well suited to August because it can be prepared ahead and served warm, cool, or at room temperature. It works beautifully as an antipasto, a colorful contorno beside grilled meat or fish, or spooned generously over toasted bread topped with creamy stracciatella and finished with black pepper. Like many of the best Italian vegetable dishes, it improves as it rests and is even more delicious the following days as it stores really well in the refrigerator.
Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed with the back of a knife
50 g (about 4 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
700 g (about 1½ lb) mixed red, yellow, and orange bell peppers
10 g (about 1¾ tsp) fine sea salt
30 g (about 2½ tbsp) granulated sugar
80 g or 80 ml (⅓ cup) white wine vinegar
Instructions:
Prepare the peppers: Wash and dry the peppers. Cut them into bite size chunks, removing any seeds.
Infuse the olive oil: Place the extra-virgin olive oil and crushed garlic in a wide, heavy-based pan. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the garlic to perfume the oil without colouring or burning.
Begin cooking the peppers: Add the sliced peppers and the salt to the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning the peppers regularly so they become glossy and begin to soften around the edges. Stir only periodically, leaving them alone is better.
Add the agrodolce: Add the sugar and then pour in the white wine vinegar. Stir only once or twice to distribute the agrodolce, again stirring less is good.
Cover and simmer: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes. Again avoid over stirring. The peppers should become tender and silky while still holding their shape.
Rest and serve: Transfer the peppers and their juices to a serving dish and allow them to rest. Serve warm or at room temperature. For the fullest flavour, prepare them several hours ahead and allow the agrodolce to settle into the peppers before bringing them to the table. Or place peppers and their liquor in a glass jar and refrigerate for later enjoyment.
Why we Love it: Peperoni in Agrodolce is a perfect expression of the Lake Como Kitchen philosophy: simple ingredients, careful technique, and a result that feels far more generous than the effort required. We love the contrast between the natural sweetness of the peppers and the clean brightness of the vinegar, as well as the way the vegetables become silky without losing their character. It is colorful, adaptable, and made for sharing. Most of all, it is one of those dishes guests ask for again and again, proving that the recipes people remember most are often the simplest ones, prepared with balance and care. And if you have been to our experience you know just how we love to serve it!
Wine Pairing: Pair Peperoni in Agrodolce with a chilled Pigato from the Riviera Ligure di Ponente. Its bright citrus character and gentle notes of flowers, herbs, and almond complement the peppers without adding further sweetness. The wine’s freshness balances the olive oil, while its savoury finish works particularly well with the vinegar and garlic. Serve it well chilled, but not icy, so its fragrance remains expressive beside the sweet and sour intensity of the dish.
As August evenings unfold beneath the stars, we hope you find time to experience the lake after dark, through a film in a cloister, music inside a historic palace, art along a village lane, or dinner shared outside as the air begins to cool. May your table be colorful, your evenings unhurried, and your month filled with the warmth and glow of high summer.
See you on the lake,
The Lake Como Kitchen Experience Team