Many people think of minestrone as the kind of hearty fare best eaten in the cold weather months. Minestrone is wonderful in fall and winter, of course, but it can actually be enjoyed year-round, its component ingredients changing with the seasons, served hot in the winter, warm in the spring … Read More
Quadrucci in brodo (Pasta Squares in Broth)
The simplest, and perhaps the best, way to use your skills for making fresh pasta and broth at home is to serve a warming bowl of pastina in brodo. It makes a wonderfully light but savory primo piatto, especially apt when you plan on a substantial (but not too assertive) … Read More
Ravioli al sugo di pomodoro (Homemade Ravioli with Tomato Sauce)
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
Fresh egg pasta, variously known in Italian as pasta fresca or pasta fatta in casa or pasta all’uovo, is one of the pillars of Italian cookery. Given the poor quality of most store bought fresh pasta—not to mention the price—every would be Italian cook should really learn to make it … 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