If I’m being honest, I’ve never been a big fan of zucchini. So when I saw this dish, Spaghetti alla Nerano, on Stanley Tucci‘s special, Searching for Italy, I wasn’t initially that interested.
But when he said, it was his favorite pasta of all time and that he made it at least once a week, I thought to myself I have to give this a try.
Continue reading “Stanley Tucci’s Favorite Zucchini Pasta- Spaghetti alla Nerano”
This is such an easy pasta to throw together and so rich and satisfying. Sometimes less is more and the basic ingredients can really sing when left to their own devices.
While this isn’t a recipe tied to one specific village or city, it reflects the rustic cooking traditions of central Italy, particularly around Rome.
Continue reading “Rigatoni with Tomato Sauce and Sausage”
Marcella Hazan is the chef that taught me how to cook authentic Italian. She was tough and demanded authentic ingredients and no short cuts, but the recipes are timeless and still work today as well as they did 30 years ago. If you want one cookbook on Italian cooking, you can’t go wrong with her classic, “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking”.
Continue reading “Pesto Genovese Inspired by Marcella Hazan”
This sauce is packed with flavor. The roasted peppers complement the Italian sausage well. I like to use a mix of peppers, but I find that green bell peppers are too bitter, so I omit them.
Continue reading “Italian Sausage and Roasted Pepper Sauce”
These jumbo pasta shells are the kind of comfort food that I really enjoy cooking. It is the kind of food your Nonna would make on Sunday, and it is both comforting and very tasty.
Continue reading “Nonna’s Jumbo Pasta Shells Recipe”
There are so many options to make your own pizza. I really enjoy my 72 hour cold proof pizza dough, but sometimes I want something faster.
Continue reading “Delicious Pan Pizza with Focaccia Dough”
While this is not traditionally a dish found in restaurants around Italy, I think it’s pretty much synonymous with Italian American cuisine. My approach is to keep it simple and treat it as two dishes combined. Meatballs in a marinara sauce.
There are so many options for meatballs and so many things you can add. This is my basic recipe and feel free to experiment.
Continue reading “Homemade Italian Meatballs in Marinara Sauce”
This is a very old school Italian dish. It means a dish prepared in the “hunters style”. Historically it was made with rabbit or other game, really whatever was available, but I feel chicken is easier to find and just as good.
Continue reading “Chicken Cacciatore- Hunters Style Recipe”
Regular readers will know my love for Italian food runs deep, especially for the true comfort dishes practiced and perfected in kitchens by generations of nonnas (Italian grandmothers).
Sunday is a special day when the family comes together for a big meal and while each family has their own traditions of which dishes are served. In the US, the tradition of the Sunday Sauce is essential.
Continue reading “Authentic Sunday Sauce: A Step by Step To Create A Family Tradition”
Risotto is one of the simplest dishes imaginable, yet it is so often prepared poorly. The key is patience and flawless ingredients. There are no short cuts here.
Continue reading “Mastering Risotto: A Step-by-Step Guide”