As regular readers will know, this blog is focused on authentic Italian home cooking, the kind that you might eat in Italy itself. But it is also, in some sense, about the Italian diaspora, so it is only fitting that, from time to time—at least once a year—we feature an … Read More
Pasta al forno (Baked Pasta)
Is there anything more comforting than baked pasta? If there is, I haven’t come across it yet. And while some pasta al forno dishes in the Italian repertoire—especially the two ‘star’ lasagne dishes, the South’s lasagna di carnevale and the North’s lasagne alla bolognese—are elaborate affairs, there are everyday versions that … Read More
Fregola con arselle (Fregola with Baby Clams)
Fregola (also called fregula) is a kind of pasta, typical of Sardinia, that looks and tastes much like Israeli couscous. Arselle are tiny clams that live under the sand right on the shore line. Although you might be surprised by the pairing, this odd couple makes for some delicious eating. … Read More
Polpette di melanzane (Eggplant Meatballs)
The cooking of Puglia, the region that encompasses the ‘heel’ of the Italian peninsula on the Adriatic Sea, deserves to be much better known. It practically defines the Mediterranean diet, with a strong focus on simply prepared fruits of the sea and fresh produce like fava beans, cime di rape … Read More
Insalata di riso con würstel (Italian Rice Salad)
Insalata di riso, or rice salad, is another staple of Italian summertime cooking. It’s quick and very easy to make, it can be made ahead—in fact, it only gets better after a day in the fridge—and it’s light on the stomach. And it lends itself to variations limited only to … Read More
Pesto alla trapanese (A Sicilian pesto)
One of the great joys of summer is the appearance of juicy, ripe tomatoes in the marketplace. Tomatoes that, for once, actually taste like tomatoes! And, of course, think about tomatoes and you’ll immediately think about pasta. There’s something about fresh tomatoes and pasta that was just meant to be. … Read More
Asparagi alla milanese (Milanese Asparagus)
Asparagi alla milanese, or Milanese asparagus, might just be the best known asparagus dish in the Italian repertoire. True to its Northern roots, it features butter and cheese, whose sweetness is the perfect offset to the somewhat astringent, slightly grassy taste of asparagus. A ‘sunny side up’ fried egg completes … Read More
Zuppa dei valdesi (Piedmontese Bread Soup)
A reader who I’ll call “Nancy T.” wrote me recently to tell me about a bread soup dish called zuppa that her Piedmontese grandmother used to make. The word is one of several in Italian that mean ‘soup’ (see our Glossary for details). A zuppa is rustic soup, typically the kind that … Read More
