As the summer wanes here in the northern hemisphere and the temperatures begin to dip, it will soon be time to think about turning the oven on again. And, in our house, that means it’s time to get ready for lasagna! One of the most versatile ways of making lasagna … Read More
Insalata di riso con tonno (Italian Tuna Rice Salad)
Mid-August, when the temperatures climb to tropical heights, is a time when even the enthusiasm of even the most avid cook can begin to wane. Italians often turn to easily prepared dishes that need minimal or no actually cooking. Salads are an obvious choice, and rice salads are a favorite. … Read More
Pomodori ripieni di riso (Baked Tomatoes with Rice)
A staple of summer picnics and tavole calde, pomodori ripieni di riso, or Baked Tomatoes with Rice, make for a simple and relatively quick weekend dinner, a buffet item or a tasty summer antipasto. Here’s the recipe: Ingredients Serves 4-6 Optional: Directions Take as many tomatoes as you have dining companions, … Read More
How to Make Homemade Tonnarelli
Tonnarelli is the Roman name for the pasta you may know by its more popular Abruzzese name, spaghetti alla chitarra. It is a fresh pasta that looks like square spaghetti. In Rome, this pasta is sold in any supermarket but elsewhere, you may find you have to make it yourself. Due to its … Read More
La genovese (Neapolitan Beef and Onion Pasta Sauce)
Besides ragù alla napoletana, la genovese is probably the most iconic of all Neapolitan pasta sauces, and yet it is little known outside Italy or, for that matter, little seen outside Naples itself. And, for reasons I cannot quite figure out, it did not seem to survive the trans-Atlantic voyage; … Read More
Pasta con la cicoria (Pasta with Chicory)
Cicoria, or chicory, also known in English as ‘curly endive’, is a staple of the central and southern Italian diet, or at least so it was traditionally. People from Campania like Angelina were said to be especially fond of leafy green vegetables, so much so that they were sometimes called … Read More
Non-Chef Nick’s Paella mexicana
It’s the 4th of July here in the US and the national holiday naturally makes me yearn for… paella! Well, not just any paella, but paella mexicana, a Mexican-style version inspired by my fellow blogger Non Chef Nick’s latest post on In the Kitchen with Nick. I absolutely love paella. … Read More
Spaghetti con le zucchine (Spaghetti with Zucchini)
As we’ve seen before, pasta and vegetable dishes are a quick and easy solution for weeknight dinners, when you don’t have the time or the energy for anything fussy or fancy. This may be the easiest of them all: Spaghetti with Zucchini. Ingredients Serves 4-6 500g (1 lb) spaghetti 500g … Read More
