Pasta and chickpeas is one of those combinations that was just meant to be. You can find scores of renditions up and down the Italian boot, though mostly in the southern regions. Today we’re taking a look at Naples’ take on the dish which goes by the name lampi e … Read More
Roccocò napoletani (Neapolitan Christmas Cookies)
Made with mixed spices, nuts and candied fruits, the Neapolitan cookies known as roccocò napoletani are vaguely reminiscent of our fruit cake, but, in my humble opinion, much more appealing in both in taste and texture. Roccocò are rather crunchy on the outside but, when properly made, soft and chewy … Read More
Scarola imbottita al forno (Oven-Baked Stuffed Escarole)
The people of the Campania region and its capital Naples are great lovers of leafy green vegetables. Even before they became famous for pizza and pasta, Neapolitans were so enamored of their greens that other Italians would call them mangiafoglie, or “leaf eaters”. That love of leafy greens has come … Read More
Soffritto napoletano
We don’t often think about it, but meats also have seasons. Just as lamb is a talisman of the spring, autumn and early winter is pork season. In the days before freezers, it was the time of year when pigs were traditionally slaughtered. The colder weather acted as a natural … Read More
Cremolata di pesche (Peach Cremolata)
Perhaps due to Italy’s hot summers, Italian cuisine, especially southern Italian cuisine, offers a dazzling variety of frozen desserts. Gelato is probably the most popular type, but then there’s also sorbetto and granita as well. And each type comes in a wide variety of flavors. We’ve covered many of these … Read More
Melanzane imbottite alla napoletana (Neapolitan Style Stuffed Eggplant)
Eggplant might just be my favorite summer vegetable, and we’ve prepared it every which way on this blog: grilled, sautéed, marinated, breaded and fried and of course baked, as a classic parmigiana di melanzane. We’ve even shown you how to prepare eggplant as a chocolate covered dessert! But for some … Read More
Polpo alla luciana (Santa Lucia Stewed Octopus)
I love octopus. And in my opinion this iconic Neapolitan dish, polpo alla luciana or Stewed Octopus in the style of Santa Lucia, with is one of the loveliest ways to prepare it. And surely one of the simplest. You simmer the octopus whole in a typically Neopolitan soffritto of … Read More
Spaghetti alla puveriello (Poor Man’s Spaghetti)
The ultimate cucina povera dish, Spaghetti alla puveriello, or Poor Man’s Spaghetti, was invented in the desperate days of post-World War II Naples. This dish could be made with the few staples a family was likely to be able to find, if only on the black market. Basically, Spaghetti alla … Read More
