If you’ve spent any amount of time in Italy, you have probably come across the name Cavour. I don’t think there’s a city or town of any size in the country that doesn’t have at least one piazza or via Cavour. So who was this Cavour? His name was Camillo … Read More
Polpo in umido con le patate (Octopus and Potato in Tomato Sauce)
After last week’s magnum opus, I want to share a simple, easy to prepare recipe with you this week. If you’re a seafood lover, this will be pure comfort food: polpo in umido con le patate, or Octopus and Potato Stew. The dish is often associated with the region of … Read More
Timballo teramano
Timballo teramano, one of the signature dishes of the Abruzzo region of Italy, is a kind of lasagna, but a very special one, made with the ultra-thin regional version of crepes called scrippelle instead of pasta. The filling can vary from locality to locality and even family to family, but … Read More
Arrosto di maiale con cipolline (Roast Pork with Pearl Onions)
While as we saw last week a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner is fish based, Christmas Day dinner is a carnivore’s delight. Capon is perhaps the most classic secondo (main course), but roast pork is also a popular choice. And an ancient one. The ancient Romans ate roast pork for … Read More
Baccalà alla piastra su purè di ceci (Pan Seared Salt Cod with Chickpea Purée)
Baccalà con i ceci (salt cod stewed with chickpeas) is one of the classic cucina povera dishes of traditional Roman cookery. Although not particularly well known among tourists, it’s a typical Friday special in homes and home style trattorias catering to a more local clientele. So when I came across … Read More
Pasta con zucca e funghi (Pasta with Winter Squash and Mushrooms)
An easy and versatile cold weather dish, pasta con zucca e funghi or Pasta with Winter Squash and Mushrooms, is the kind of pasta that you can prepare in 30 minutes or less. You just put the pot on the boil and start preparing the dressing for the pasta, which … Read More
Pasta alla grigia con carciofi
Our last day in Italy last spring was certainly memorable. The train back to Rome from Bari was cancelled midway through our trip due to a landslide on the tracks and, while we got eventually got there, we had a little four hour “adventure” along the way involving panicked crowds … Read More
Baked Clams Oreganata
It’s that time of year again. As longtime readers will know, once a year during the month of October— Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month—this otherwise continental Italian cooking blog take a moment to feature a classic dish from the Italian diaspora in the United States. This year we’re featuring Baked … Read More