Eggplants might just be my favorite summer vegetable. In fact, eggplant parmigiana is probably my single favorite dish, but it is quite hefty eating as well as quite a multistep production to prepare. Sometimes you just want something lighter and easier to make without skimping on taste. Today’s dish, melanzane … Read More
Orecchiette con pomodorini e rucola (Orecchiette with Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula)
Here’s my candidate for the quickest and easiest pasta of all time, orecchiette con pomodorini e rucola, or Orecchiette Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula. As many of you will know, orecchiette, literally meaning “little ears”, is perhaps the most iconic fresh pasta of Italy’s Puglia region. Many if not … Read More
Baccalà al forno con patate (Oven-Roasted Salt Cod with Potatoes)
As many of our readers doubt already know, Christmas Eve dinner among Italians traditionally features a seafood menu. And it just wouldn’t be Christmas Eve unless at least one dish on that menu includes baccalà, or dried and salted cod. Besides being a fixture on festive tables, baccalà is immensely popular … Read More
Funghi gratinati (Gratinéed Mushrooms)
Mushroom lovers will love this dish. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy their unadulterated woodsy flavor than this simple, light gratin which Italians call funghi gratinati. It’s a quick and easy dish, almost a “non recipe”: You just place mushrooms on a baking dish, sprinkle them with … Read More
Penne al baffo
Penne al baffo is one of those quick and easy pasta dishes that epitomize casual Italian cookery at its delicious best. Shallots and ham are quickly sautéed, tomato passata and cream are added and reduced into a lovely coral colored sauce. Your pasta, cooked to slightly less than al dente, … Read More
Spaghetti alla puveriello (Poor Man’s Spaghetti)
The ultimate cucina povera dish, Spaghetti alla puveriello, or Poor Man’s Spaghetti, was invented in the desperate days of post-World War II Naples. This dish could be made with the few staples a family was likely to be able to find, if only on the black market. Basically, Spaghetti alla … Read More
Scaloppine di pollo alla valdostana
I’ve always been puzzled by the popularity that chicken breasts enjoy, in particular here in the US. If you ask me, I’d nominate them as the world’s least interesting protein. Especially in this age of industrial poultry farms, chicken breasts tends to lack any discernible flavor, and then they dry … Read More
Pasta con zucchine e ricotta (Pasta with Zucchini and Ricotta)
It may be super quick and simple to make, but Pasta with Zucchini and Ricotta is as delicious in its own way as any fancy special occasion dish. And it’s customizable, too. You can adjust measurements, and mix and match all sorts of optional ingredients to suit your taste and … Read More
