Fall is my favorite season, and one of the best reasons to love the fall is all the wonderful food you get to eat! The sprightly but rather thin dishes of summer give way to more substantial fare: game, soups and stews of all kinds, pumpkin and other squashes, beans, … Read More
How to Roast a Pepper
A quick note today on the method for roasting peppers. And a very common—and very savory—antipasto: peperoni con alici, or Roasted Peppers with Anchovies. How to roast a pepper The lusty, smoky flavor of home-roasted peppers more than justifies the minimal effort required to make them. You begin by charring … Read More
Pasta alla Norma (Sicilian-Style Pasta with Eggplant)
This, one of my favorite summertime pastas, comes from Sicily. Along with pasta con le sarde, it is perhaps the most famous of Sicilian pasta dishes. And it is a fairly simple dish to make, the only slight complication coming from the initial preparation of the eggplant. To make pasta … Read More
Fagiolini all’agro (Green Beans with Lemon and Oil)
This dish of green beans dressed with fresh lemon juice and olive oil, to my mind, typifies the simple elegance of Italian cuisine. Fagiolini all’agro, also known as fagiolini all’insalata, is austere in its simplicity but yet, when made with the freshest and best quality ingredients, is truly delectable. Trim … Read More
Seppie coi piselli alla romana (Roman-Style Braised Squid and Peas)
Strange as it may seem, squid and peas were made for each other. The sweetness of peas sets off the brinyness of squid perfectly. And the savoriness of a tomato sauce brings it all together nicely. This dish, as so many traditional Roman dishes, is really quite easy to make but … Read More
Peperoni ripieni di tonno (Tuna Stuffed Peppers)
There are so many different ways to stuff a pepper. Here’s one, Tuna Stuffed Peppers, that I particularly like. Stuffed peppers are commonly used as an antipasto or part of a buffet. But, to my mind, they are substantial enough to serve as a secondo. In fact, last night they were … Read More
Patate in padella (Sautéed Potatoes)
These pan-fried potatoes make for a wonderful accompaniment to lamb and other meat dishes, and they are incredibly simple and easy to make: Peel and cut waxy, yellow-fleshed potatoes into wedges, put them in a non-stick frying pan with olive oil, a sprig of rosemary and a slightly crushed but … Read More
Tagliatelle alle zucchini (Tagliatelle with Zucchini)
Vegetables and pasta were meant for each other. And no vegetable says summer like zucchini. Ergo, there’s no more iconic summer pasta than tagliatelle with zucchini! Start by sauteing some sliced baby zucchine in olive oil with a chopped up shallot over moderate heat, seasoning with salt and pepper as it … Read More
