We’ve already gone over the basic recipe for minestrone on this blog. Once you’ve mastered that, it is a lot of fun to explore the many varieties of minestrone from all over Lo Stivale (meaning ‘the boot’ one of the many nicknames Italians give to their country). Perhaps the most delicious … Read More
Crema di cannellini (Tuscan White Bean Soup)
Here’s a quick and easy weeknight supper for you, Tuscan White Bean Soup: a purée of cannellini beans, seasoned with garlic and rosemary, and thinned out with water or broth to create a soup. Nothing could be simpler or more satisfying. And if you are using canned beans—which you can, why … Read More
Risi e bisi (Venetian Rice and Peas)
Sweet, fresh peas in their pods can be hard to find, but when I spotted some in a local market I grabbed them up to make a delicious Springtime dish from the Veneto: risi e bisi, or rice and peas in Venetian dialect. Although it resembles a risotto, the technique … Read More
Piselli alla romana (Roman-Style Peas)
Now piselli alla romana may be the shortest post I ever write, as this tasty and elegant side dish is about as simple as a recipe can get, short of boiling water. Ingredients Serves 4-6 as a side dish 1 large bag (approx. 450g/16 oz) of frozen peas, or the equivalent … Read More
For a May Day Picnic: Fave e pecorino (Fava Beans and Pecorino)
Fave e pecorino —fava beans and pecorino— is not really a “dish” at all, you just set out the fava beans, in their pods, and a hunk of pecorino cheese. Each diner opens the pods for themselves and eats the raw fava beans they find inside with a bit of pecorino, washed … Read More
Insalata di sardine e ceci (Sardine and Chickpea Salad)
One of the most delicious and satisfying antipasti in the Italian repertoire is also one of the simplest: fagioli e tonno, or Bean and Tuna Salad. Well, the other day I was rummaging through my pantry, not really feeling like cooking—yes, it happens even to me sometimes—and found a can … Read More
Polenta pasticciata con fagioli e verza (Baked Polenta with Beans and Cabbage)
It’s a shame to throw away leftover polenta. There are so many delicious ways to use it. As mentioned in an earlier post on how to make polenta, it hardens as it cools and can be sliced into squares or other shapes, then grilled or fried. But my favorite way … Read More
An Italian New Year’s: Cotechino con lenticchie (Cotechino with Lentils)
New Year’s Eve for Italians—like so many other holidays—is marked by a large, festive meal, often an elegant seafood dinner, called the cenone di San Silvestro or cenone di Capodanno, the word ‘cenone‘ being Italian for ‘big supper’. For me, following the typical Italian meal service, a perfect primo (first course) … Read More
