Once you know how to make fresh pasta, there are myriad ways you can put your knowledge to delicious use. One of the most lovely types of fresh pasta are the ever-popular ravioli, which, as you probably know, are a kind of stuffed pasta, typically square with fluted edges. The fillings … Read More
Pasta e ceci (Pasta and Chickpeas)
There’s nothing so satisfying yet so quick and simple than the combination of pasta and some sort of legume–beans, peas or, in this case, ceci (chickpeas). And, as you probably know, the combination makes for a complete protein with plenty of fiber and no cholesterol. This kind of thing is … Read More
Penne ai funghi (Penne with Mushroom Sauce)
Fall is my favorite season, and one of the best reasons to love the fall is all the wonderful food you get to eat! The sprightly but rather thin dishes of summer give way to more substantial fare: game, soups and stews of all kinds, pumpkin and other squashes, beans, … Read More
How to make fresh egg pasta
When making fresh home-made egg pasta, variously known in Italian as pasta fresca or pasta fatta in casa or pasta all’uovo, I usually make life easy for myself by using my trusty KitchenAid mixer to form and knead the pasta dough and then the pasta attachments to roll out and … Read More
Pasta alla Norma (Sicilian-Style Pasta with Eggplant)
This, one of my favorite summertime pastas, comes from Sicily. Along with pasta con le sarde, it is perhaps the most famous of Sicilian pasta dishes. And it is a fairly simple dish to make, the only slight complication coming from the initial preparation of the eggplant. To make pasta … Read More
Linguine al limone (Linguini with Lemon Cream Sauce)
Linguine al limone, or linguini with lemon cream sauce, is one of those quintessential summer dishes from southern Italy, specifically the Sorrentine peninsula of the Campania region, where they grow exquisite lemons. It’s sunshine on your plate. This dish may surprise you. The lemon flavor is not at all acidic … Read More
Risotto alla crema di scampi (Risotto with Puréed Shrimp)
As I have mentioned before, Rome is not really risotto country. But there is at least one risotto dish that appears on almost every menu in town: risotto alla crema di scampi, or risotto with crayfish (or shrimp) purée. It is one of my favorite risotti, but I hadn’t … Read More
Penne alla vodka (Penna with Vodka Sauce)
A quick post on this well-known but relatively new variant on penne all’arrabbiata: make your arrabbiata with less peperoncino than usual, just enough to give the dish a slight ‘bite’, and then add a shot glass or two of vodka to your sauce. Allow to continue simmer a few minutes … Read More