Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Gnocchi (pronounced nyok-ee) go way back to Roman times. They were made from semolina dough, mixed with eggs. Roman legions spread the dish throughout the European region where they have…
First Courses (Primi Piatti)
lemon Pesto Pasta
I love lemons! They are little powerhouses of flavor. Behind his (or her) bright yellow jacket, awaits an assertive little fruit just bursting to be squeezed or zest. This simple,…
Pasta with Truffle Mascarpone Cream Sauce
Italian truffles, worth their weight in culinary gold, are highly coveted and sought out to take an ordinary recipe to superb new heights. Tartufo, as they are called in Italy,…
Cannellini Bean Soup with Sauteed Swiss Chard
Beans such as cannellini, are an incredible part of a healthy diet because they provide you with a high protein and fiber content without overloading a meal with calories. A…
Zuppa di Colazione (Breakfast Soup)
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Soup for breakfast might sound a bit strange to you, but this is really very good. In the Lombardy region of Italy, there is a very old city called…
Mediterranean Grain Bowl
After I was married, the first house my husband and I bought was only a couple of miles away from my mother. Quite often I would stop by for a…
Pasta with Creamy Provolone Sauce
Provolone is an Italian cheese made from cow’s milk. The flavors can range from mild and sweet to sharp, based on the amount of time it ages. This sturdy cheese…
Lemon Risotto
Prior to the beginning of the 20th century, most lemons consumed in America were of the Italian variety and imported from Messina, Sicily, Siracusa, Sicily, and Sorrento, Campania. The Mediterranean…
Parmesan Wafers with Tomato & Bread Soup
A few crumbles of a good quality Parmesan is a delight to savor. I have taken this Italian treasure of a cheese and turned it into wafers that are a…
Apple Bacon & Pecan Salad with Creamy Provolone Dressing
I love a good salad! And I am not talking about a plate of iceberg lettuce with bottled dressing! There are a multitude of easy-to-find ingredients that add flavor,…
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
There are many cultures in which an egg drop soup is made. Chinese cuisine offers a version, also known as egg flower soup, the Greeks make theirs with avgolemono…
Anchovy Spaghetti
Recipes, such as, Cacio e pepe, Capellini and Clams and Spaghetti alla Carbonara, are what I call “Pantry Meals.” Even when the cupboards and frig are seemingly bare, just…
Polpettine Di Cavolfiore
Cauliflower mixed with cheese and egg, shaped into balls and then rolled in breadcrumbs and fried, are a delicious choice for a first course or vegetarian entree. The traditional…
Zuppa di Broccoli
This soup has a mere three ingredients … and that’s counting the water! My grandmother made broccoli soup the same way she made macaroni and cauliflower soup. I love…
Antipasti with Tonnato Sauce
Tonnato is a creamy sauce that is traditionally used with Vitello tonnato, a Northern Italian dish, that consists of chilled, sliced veal and a tuna sauce spooned on top.…
Burrata & Tomatoes
Burrata is a cream filled mozzarella sack. Invented in Puglia, Italy, as a way to use the scraps of curds left over after twisting balls of mozzarella. The scraps…
Orecchiette al Ragu
This pasta dish has a creamy richness with very little fat and serves four generous portions using only half a pound of ground beef. In less than an hour,…
Asparagus Tart
Asparagus is my favorite spring vegetable! When tossed with ravioli it becomes a lovely light lunch and combined with lemony chickpeas creates a perfect picnic salad. If I’m in…
Lemon-Roasted Asparagus & Ravioli
Spring is the season for asparagus. Crops are harvested from late February to the end of May, with April being the height of the season. This is a simple…
Andouille Pasta
My mother, who was born and raised in New Orleans, used a spicy sausage in certain dishes, such as, jambalaya, but never with pasta. So, I decided I’d give…