Elegant cooking doesn’t need to mean complicated. Thin spaghetti with salmon roe is a pasta dish that you can whip up in the time it takes for the water to come to a boil and the pasta to cook—yet it is fancy enough for the most important or better yet, intimate … Read More
Pesce al forno con patate e carciofi (Roasted Fish with Potatoes and Artichokes)
Fish and vegetables are a fabulous combination. We’ve already posted about fish and potatoes—a classic–as well as the less well-known fish and fennel. Now that spring is here, let’s take a look at another great pairing: fish and artichokes. Like the other combinations we’ve seen, the method is very simple: … Read More
Sautè di cozze (Italian Steamed Mussels)
When we were living in Rome, there was a great little roadside restaurant close by called “Il Cantuccio”. They made a number of dishes well, but one of our standbys was sautè di cozze, literally “mussel sauté”. They are, in fact, an Italian version of that near universal dish: steamed mussels. … Read More
Pesce spada al salmoriglio (Swordfish with Salmorigio Sauce)
Salmoriglio is a typically Sicilian sauce that adds great flavor to fish, particularly that most typical of Sicilian fishes, swordfish. The fish is grilled or otherwise simply prepared and napped with sauce before serving. Salmoriglio looks like and plays a culinary role similar to the salsa verde that goes so well … Read More
Filetti di pesce al finocchio (Baked Fish with Braised Fennel)
Where would Italian food in the US be without Marcella Hazan? As much as I treasure my Campanian and Puglian food roots, I am forever thankful for the horizons that Marcella’s 1973 Classic Italian Cooking opened up for me. And even almost 40 years later, she continues to inspire. Here … Read More
Cioppino, an Italian-American Classic
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
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
Pesce al forno con patate (Baked Fish with Potatoes)
We’ve looked at Angelina’s pollo e patate (chicken and potatoes) and agnello e patate (lamb and potatoes). Well, fish is also exquisite with potatoes as well, and while the chicken and lamb were ‘down home’ dishes, pesce al forno con patate, baked fish with potatoes, is elegant enough to serve for a formal dinner party. It … Read More
