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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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

I adore making fresh pasta. I adore eating pasta. Unfortunately, I can’t do either as much as I’d wish due the reality of my slowing metabolism. (Grrr…) Therefore, when I have the opportunity to do both, I want it to be special and worth my while. This elegant lasagna with mushrooms, ham, and béchamel, celebrating fall mushrooms, and fresh, silky, egg pasta, fit the bill this past weekend.

In The Search for Risi e Bisi (Part 1), I described my quest to find and eat this iconic Venetian dish, in Venice. It should have been easy, right? It ended up being quite a challenge! Risi e Bisi, a humble yet elegant dish of fresh spring peas and rice is a cross between a soup and a risotto. Even though it’s a very traditional and seemingly important recipe, it’s nearly impossible to find in restaurants in the city.

My husband and I just had our 10th wedding anniversary this week. (Holy moly!) That coincided well with our daughters’ 8th birthday, Easter and her Easter vacation. To celebrate these very important occasions in style, we decided to go to Rome for the holiday. We spent a week there on our honeymoon, so for sentimental reasons, it was perfect. It’s also my happy place.