primi piatti

Mediterranean Lemon Chicken

In this delicious dish, chicken thighs marinate in olive oil, white wine, lemon, and Herbs de Provence. The chicken is then transferred to a skillet and as the chicken cooks…
Pasta with Creamy Provolone Sauce

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 Chicken Orzo Soup

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

Anchovy Spaghetti

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  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…
Zuppa di Broccoli

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…
Burrata & Tomatoes

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…

Pantelleria Potato Salad

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  Potato salad with olives, tomatoes and capers is a popular salad on the island of Pantelleria (Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea). Capers are a small but distinctive…
Artichoke lemon & Pistachio Pesto

Artichoke lemon & Pistachio Pesto

  This light and bright pesto is simply perfect for spring and after you taste it you will want to keep some on hand. Initially, I was going to make…

Risotto al Finocchio

  Risotto should always be made with a short-grain rice because it absorbs the broth without the grains loosing their bite. Carnaroli, vialone nano and arborio are the main varieties.…
Chickpea Soup with Tomatoes & Pasta

Chickpea Soup with Tomatoes & Pasta

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  My family loves soup! We have our favorites, depending on the season and the time of day. During the heat of summer we enjoy, creamy tomato basil, chilled summer…
Summer Spaghetti

Summer Spaghetti

  In Sicilian cooking, green olives and capers go together like pine nuts and currants and the classic combination gives personality to this bursting-with-flavor pasta dish. This is a fresh…

Pasta alla Norma

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  The combination of pasta and eggplant is exclusively associated with southern Italy and principally Sicily. This is a combination I have been using for years in recipes such as, melanzane…
Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

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  As a child, I remember my mother preparing stuffed bell peppers on numerous occasions. It’s one of those recipes that you can prepare in advance, tend to four children,…
Warm Ravioli Salad

Warm Butternut Squash Ravioli Salad

  It seems to me that no sooner have the last of the trick-or-treaters gone home to sort out their bounty and I have polished off any remaining Halloween candy,…

Orzo with Roasted Shallots

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  This dish has three main ingredients and hardly needs a recipe, the ingredients, however, may need a bit of explanation. Orzo, is shaped like a grain of rice, is…
Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e Pepe

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  Cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) is a Roman pasta dish that one can find all over this Italian city. There are only three main ingredients; Pecorino Romano, black…
Melanzane alla Parmigiana

Melanzane alla Parmigiana

  Whenever my son, Joe, and I try a new Italian restaurant, the “one dish” that is a make-or-break decision to return, is eggplant Parmesan. The ingredients should compliment one…
Jambalaya Soup

Jambalaya Soup

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  As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have a special connection to New Orleans. My mother and my maternal grandparents, each 100% Sicilian, were all born and raised…
Lemon-y Lentil & Chickpea Soup

Lemon-y Lentil & Chickpea Soup

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  Viglia Capodanno, New Year’s Eve, is celebrated throughout Italy with family and friends enjoying food and drink. The drink is bubbly Prosecco and the food is symbolic of wishes…
Sicilian Girl