Recipes

Summer is upon us and that means that tomato season is starting! Finally, we are starting to see real, juicy, sweet, succulent tomatoes… Yippee! If you love pasta with tomato and want a recipe that highlights fresh, ripe summer tomatoes, then read on about Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato, Potato & Basil. This lovely dish with barely cooked tomatoes, perfumed with fresh basil, and deliciously creamy from the potato is a winner. It’s light, economical, and absolutely delicious. It’s also a little bit out of the norm.

If you have traveled to Italy or other parts of Europe, you may have come across guinea fowl or guinea hen (faraona in Italian). I first encountered it in Italy and found it to be utterly delicious. Although it’s not very common in the USA, it’s something that I think many people would adore if they tried it. If you like chicken but are looking for something a little different, that’s leaner and that has even more flavor, consider trying it. Searching for an Italian guinea fowl recipe? This simple and satisfying recipe could be just what you’re looking for.

Pasta e Patate con la Provola is a Neapolitan classic, straight out of la cucina povera, or poor man’s cooking. I do not feel poor however when I eat it, I feel damned lucky! It is a hearty, scrumptious, and comforting dish normally served in winter. Nonetheless, it is freezing in Bologna right now which gave me the perfect excuse to make it today! Yippee for silver linings. I didn’t make it this winter so am mighty satisfied to have squeezed it in before it truly gets too hot to make it. If it’s cold wherever you are, this recipe might…

If you follow me at all on Instagram, you know that I adore artichokes. I love cooking them, eating them, and I can’t stop taking pictures of them. I really can’t! If you are similarly afflicted, this recipe for Artichoke Crostini with Parsley & Mint will be a winner. Toasted baguette slices are topped with a lovely, chunky puree of fresh artichokes that are delicately braised with garlic, then seasoned with parsley and mint. To finish, you top them with shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to add richness, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. They make a lovely starter to…

In America, we have a tendency to eat savory breakfasts. At least that was always my go-to. You know, eggs and bacon, omelets, egg and cheese on a roll… (Pardon me as I drool…) In Italy however, they seem to like a sweet breakfast. Toast with jam, biscotti, chocolate-filled pastries, donuts filled with pastry cream, or this Ciambella allo Yogurt agli Agrumi. A ciambella is a ring cake, similar to a bundt cake, and you see them all over Italy in a variety of flavors. Like a bundt cake, they are incredibly homey and easy to make. This Ciambella allo…

Let’s take a culinary journey to my Calabrian roots. Today, I’m sharing a little known dish called Spaghetti alla Corte d’Assise. If you enjoy exploring Italian regional cuisine and like spicy food, you’re going to love this recipe. Spaghetti alla Corte d’Assise is a delicious and fiery primo with simple ingredients – extra virgin olive oil, garlic, fresh chilies, tomato, parsley, and of course, spaghetti. It’s easy to make, super yummy, and satisfying. Read on to hear more about this Calabrian pasta dish!

If you’ve been to the Jewish Ghetto in Rome, you might have come across Pizza Ebraica before. For those unfamiliar, Pizza Ebraica isn’t pizza at all. It’s actually a kind of cookie – a rather large cookie! Pizza Ebraica is a specialty from the Roman-Jewish culinary repertoire. (Which is a treasure trove of delectable delights!) It is a very rustic cookie, filled with nuts, raisins, candied fruit, oil, white wine, flour, almond flour and little else. It is surprisingly delicious.

I must admit that before my Aunt Rose served me her Italian Lentil Soup (Zuppa di Lenticchie) years ago, I’d never liked lentil soup. What I’d tasted previously was always boring and poorly prepared and I just thought that it was bland “health food”. This soup, however, is delicious, comforting, and satisfying. It’s exactly what I want to eat when the weather gets cool. I eat it all fall and winter long and never tire of it. It’s a family favorite.

Today I want to talk to you about an interesting and unique recipe from the Emilia-Romagna region called Spoja Lorda (spoya lordah). Spoja Lorda is a stuffed fresh pasta that’s filled with cheese and traditionally served in broth. It’s perfect for the bitter cold weather we’ve been having lately. For those of you intimidated by stuffed pasta making, it could be a perfect recipe to start with. Compared to others, it’s very simple to prepare. Even better, it is delicious! It’s an excellent dish to make you happy, keep you warm, and give you comfort in the dead of winter.

I have been eating these Calabrian Stuffed Eggplants, called Melanzane Ripiene alla Calabrese, my whole life. Frankly, I can think of no other dish that has so much meaning to me. As I was planning my Christmas menus this year, it occurred to me that I should probably write the recipe down once and for all, so that I could pass it on and share it with others. Up until now, I’ve been preparing the dish like an Italian, all by eye. Some people aren’t comfortable with that, so I tested the recipe twice last week to get it just…