Spring is finally here you say? Well, not around these parts. It’s cold and wet, and there’s snow on the ground—comfort food weather. And is there anything more comforting than melted cheese? Today’s recipe, one of two dishes called frico, is something like a potato pancake, only you pile on lots … Read More
Cacio e pepe, a Roman classic
When you’re in a real hurry or just too tired to cook anything too elaborate, here’s a great solution: cacio e pepe, literally ‘cheese and pepper’, a pasta dish usually made with spaghetti, bucatini or—my personal favorite—tonnarelli, a kind of square spaghetti better known Stateside by its Abruzzese name, spaghetti … Read More
Sciatt (Buckwheat Cheese Fritters)
Sciatt are cheese-filled buckwheat fritters from the Valtellina, the same region where the buckwheat pasta pizzocheri come from. The cheese used for sciatt, Valtellina Casera, is also typical for dressing pizzocheri. Although they share the same basic ingredients, the two dishes could hardly be more different, a wonderful example of how method can create incredible … Read More
Fiori di zucca fritti (Angelina’s Fried Zucchini Blossoms)
Zucchini is everywhere in our markets in the summer, but zucchini blossoms are another story. They are awfully hard to find. Forget about supermarkets, a better bet is your local farmers market—and even then you may need some luck. So your best bet is to grow your own zucchini, and then you’ll … Read More
Insalata caprese all’americana (American-Style Caprese Salad)
Long time readers of Memorie di Angelina know that we pretty much stick to tried-and-true traditional Italian home cooking on this blog, but every once in a while, I get the urge to be creative. This week’s post is one of those rare occasions. Here’s an American style variation on a … Read More
Crema di ricotta (Ricotta Mousse)
Ricotta has got to be the most versatile of Italian cheeses: it makes its way into a variety of savory pasta dishes, from the popular pasta con la ricotta to the iconic ricotta-filled ravioli and—of course—southern-style lasagna, and any number of desserts, from the grand Neapolitan pastiera to the elegant budino di ricotta to … Read More
Cavolfiore al gratin (Cauliflower Gratin)
There’s something so comforting about creamy gratins. Who wouldn’t go for that bubbly, cheesy, warming goodness? Cauliflower Gratin is not exclusively Italian, of course—the Brits have their Cauliflower Cheese and the French their chou-fleur au gratin— but I think it is particularly nice made with Italian cheeses like Parmesan and … Read More
Pasta con la ricotta (Pasta and Ricotta Cheese)
Pasta and ricotta make for a perfect impromptu meal or weekend dinner. The mellow flavor combination of tomato, ricotta and a bit of parmesan cheese is vaguely reminiscent of southern-style lasagna. But unlike lasagna, it’ll be done in less than 30 minutes—the time it takes to bring the water to … Read More
