I was in the lovely town of Praiano on the Amalfi Coast recently for a family wedding. There I discovered a rather thick semi-long fresh pasta called scialatielli, served with a delicious sauce of lobster simmered in fresh tomato. It was a most memorable meal, made even more special by … Read More
Spaghettini all’acqua di limone e provolone
Spaghettini all’acqua di limone e provolone—thin spaghetti cooked in lemon infused water and finished with provolone cheese—was invented by Chef Peppe Guida, chef at the Michelin starred restaurant Osteria Antica Nonna Rosa on the Sorrentine Peninsula about 11 km west of Sorrento. In this rather trendy, lighter alternative to the … Read More
Vignarola (Roman Spring Vegetable Medley)
This iconic Roman dish called la vignarola is a ‘medley’ of spring vegetables made from spring onions, fava beans, artichokes, peas and tender lettuce, flavored in typically Roman style with a bit of guanciale. If there’s one Roman dish that says “spring on a plate”, this is it. Admittedly, prepping the vegetables, … Read More
Brutti ma buoni
Brutti ma buoni, meaning “ugly but good”, is the jocular name Italians give to these nut and meringue cookies originally from north-central Italy (their precise origin is disputed) but now popular all over the country. The recipe is simple enough, though you need to take some care so they come … Read More
Carciofi alla romana (Roman Style Artichokes)
Artichokes are back in season! There is scarcely any vegetable more typical of Roman cooking, perhaps of all Italian cookery, than the artichoke. One of the most iconic Roman artichoke dishes is called, appropriately enough, carciofi alla romana or ‘Roman Style Artichokes. Stuffed, trimmed but whole, with garlic and herbs, … Read More
Polpo alla piastra su crema di piselli (Seared Octopus over Green Pea Purée)
A simple but elegant main course, polpo alla piastra su crema di piselli (Seared Octopus on Green Peas Purée) provides a striking contrast of colors, textures and taste, with the dark purple of the briny chewy octopus set against a backdrop of the velvety, sweet bright green of the pea … Read More
Bigoli in salsa
Venice isn’t really pasta country. As Hedy Giusti-Lanham and Andrea Dodo put it in their lovely 1978 cookbook The Cuisine of Venice and Surrounding Northern Regions, now sadly out of print, “In and round Venice, a series of polenta dishes will be mentioned first, then some rice dishes and at … Read More
Uova sode alla piemontese
Uova sode alla piemontese (Stuffed Eggs Piemonte Style), also known as uova ripiene al tonno, is an exquisitely simple yet elegant dish. Just hard boiled eggs filled with tuna whipped with the egg yolks, capers and anchovies, and sometimes olives. The recipe is about as effortless as you can imagine, … Read More
