Baking seems to be popular when in lockdown, or at least the idea of baking must be, because flour, yeast, and other baking supplies are sold out everywhere. But pears were on sale and I had walnuts that needed to … Continue reading Pear and Walnut Cake (Torta di Pere e Noci)
Happy Easter everyone! I thought this white asparagus lasagne was going to be good, but it turned out even better than I expected and I am most definitely making this again. The secret to this lasagne is that the white sauce … Continue reading Asparagus and Goat Cheese Lasagne (Lasagne agli Asparagi con Formaggio di Capra)
Simple dishes can be surprisingly good. Many traditional Italian recipes can be linked to the local circumstances. Liguria is a mountainous strip of land along the Mediterranean coast without any room for growing wheat. But there are lots of chestnut … Continue reading Chestnut Tagliatelle with Basil Pesto (Tagliatelle di Castagne al Pesto)
Paola of Primo non sprecare always has tasty Italian recipes. Her lentil and artichoke soup intrigued me, because I had not encountered that combination before. It is a vegan soup from only a few ingredients with a surprising flavor that … Continue reading Lentil and Artichoke Soup (Zuppa di lenticchie con carciofi)
Stefano of Italian Home Cooking, an Italian chef who lives in the UK, always has great authentic regional Italian recipes. When I saw this very unusual cake from Monferrato in Piemonte on his blog, I decided at once that I … Continue reading Italian Apple and Pumpkin Cake (Torta Monferrina di mele e zucca)
One of the questions I get asked the most is “Do you also cook elaborate meals on weekdays, spending a long time in the kitchen?” I always answer that I do cook nice food every day, but that it doesn’t … Continue reading Spaghetti with Squid ‘in Bianco’
There are so many recipes on this blog, that I do not know by heart everything that’s on it. And so I only recently noticed that I had never posted a recipe for risotto ai funghi, because every time I … Continue reading Mushroom Risotto (Risotto ai Funghi)
Sometimes I pick the wine first and then think of a dish. I had a nice bottle of 2007 late harvest Gewurztraminer from Alsace and I thought it would be great with duck ravioli and orange sauce, and so that … Continue reading Duck Ravioli with Orange Sauce (Ravioli all’Anatra con Salsa d’Arancia)
In La Maddalena we had a wonderful dinner at The Bistrot, a trattoria that prides itself on using ingredients from local artisan producers. La Maddalena is the capital town of the Maddalena archipelago on the North-East of Sardinia and the … Continue reading Chiusoni alla Gallurese (Pasta Dumplings with Salami, Cherry Tomatoes, and Pecorino Cheese)
Sometimes I see an interesting ingredient at the market that is interesting mostly because I don’t use it often, and then I buy it and it ends up going past the expiry date because I don’t use it often. Sounds … Continue reading Pasta with Chestnuts and Sausage (Pasta con salsiccia e castagne)
I prepared this dish a couple of months ago and neglected to blog about it. Although Stefano presented it as a summer dish, it is great for autumn as well. Celery is often used in Italian cooking together with onions … Continue reading Pasta with Celery (Pasta al Sedano)
This appetizer was inspired by something we had at Taverna Estia** near Naples in Italy. Deep fried mozzarella is a common appetizer, but here it is enriched in two ways. First, by including tuna in the filling. Second, by using … Continue reading Deep Fried Mozzarella and Tuna with Almonds
Red mullet is a very tasty fish, but it dries out easily as it is very lean. By cooking it sous-vide at a low temperature, the fish will be very tender and juicy. Flaked and mixed with extra virgin olive … Continue reading Pasta with Red Mullet Sous-Vide and Pistachios (Taglioni con Triglie e Pistacchi)
This is what I had for dinner tonight. Quick and simple, but very tasty. There are a couple of tricks that I used: Instead of dicing the fish and then browning it, I browned it first and then diced it. … Continue reading Paccheri al Ragù di Rana Pescatrice (Pasta with Monkfish)
Scarpaccia is a zucchini cake from the northern coast of Tuscany. There are two versions: savory from the town of Camaiore, and sweet from Viareggio. I had already prepared and blogged about the savory version, so now it’s time for … Continue reading Scarpaccia di Viareggio (Zucchini Cake)
When we were anchored in the Maddalena Archipelago, north of Sardinia, in an area that is known as the Piscine Naturali di Budelli, I thought it would be appropriate to prepare pasta with mussels and cherry tomatoes for dinner. Because … Continue reading Cooking on board: Pasta with Mussels, Cherry Tomatoes, and Basil
Before the secondo piatto I blogged about yesterday, I served this pasta with squid ragù. With the feeble heat of the gas stove and the thin pans provided I could not sear the squid, so I decided to braise the … Continue reading Cooking on board: Pasta with Squid Ragù
We had good memories of dining at La Saletta in Alghero on Sardinia two years ago, and so we were looking forward to our return. Unlike most restaurants in port town Alghero, La Saletta specializes in meat rather than seafood. … Continue reading Dining in Italy: La Saletta
It’s amazing how much inspiration for new dishes I get from one trip to Italy. We are about to leave for this year’s trip to Italy, but I haven’t prepared all the dishes yet that I wanted to after last … Continue reading Burrata Ravioli with Cod Confit and Chard Puree (Ravioli di Burrata con Merluzzo e Purè di Bietole)
Ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta is a very popular Italian dish. But on a weekday after work there is no time to make ravioli. And so I prepare this quick and easy pasta with spinach and ricotta. Fusilli is … Continue reading Fusilli Pasta with Spinach and Ricotta (Fusilli Spinaci e Ricotta)
Another recipe with green beans. I haven’t posted a Biba Caggiano recipe in a while; she’s my favorite Italian cookbook author from the time before I could read Italian cookbooks myself. This is perfect for the summer and excellent to … Continue reading Green Beans, Potato, and Pancetta Salad (Insalata di fagiolini, patate e pancetta)
Although I have been to Sicily a number of times and I have tasted local dishes there like caponata, pasta con le sarde, arancini, and busiate, I had never heard of melanzane abbottonate until I read about them on Stefano’s blog. … Continue reading Sicilian Stuffed Eggplant (Melanzane abbottonate)
Still more recipes to go from the memories of our trip to Southern Italy last year. We had dinner at Già sotto l’arco* in Puglia and the dish I remember the best was squid ink tortelli filled with tuna and … Continue reading Tuna Ravioli (Ravioli al Tonno)
This is hardly a recipe, but it is very good and so I wanted to share it with you anyway. In Italy this is called a “salad” of strawberries and parmigiano. To make this work, you will need high quality ingredients: … Continue reading Strawberries with Parmesan and Balsamic Vinegar (Insalata di Fragole e Parmigiano)
Radicchio di Treviso is an Italian type of chicory from an area near Venice. It is related to what is known as witlof in the Netherlands. I had cut some heads of radicchio into quarters and brushed them with olive … Continue reading Pasta al Radicchio
My favorite way of preparing cauliflower is slow roasting it. This gives the cauliflower great depth of flavor that is so much more tasty than steamed or boiled cauliflower. Cauliflower can be roasted quickly in half an hour at 225C/440F. … Continue reading Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower (Pasta e Cavolfiore)
Outside of Italy, most people consider “Italian food” as one cuisine. In fact, the Italian cuisine is very local, and even the next village over may prepare a dish differently. During our vacation to Southern Italy last year, we enjoyed … Continue reading Mackerel ‘in Carpione’ with Spaghetti Aglio-Olio-Peperoncino
At seafood restaurant Angiolina in Pisciotta, south of Naples, I enjoyed a wonderful seafood and vegetable soup. Back home I made my own version. You can easily adapt it to what is available and seasonal, in terms of both seafood … Continue reading Seafood and Vegetable Soup (Zuppa Mediterranea)
Last September I enjoyed a wonderful plate of ravioli at ristorante Vecchia Vieste in the town of Vieste in the South-Italian region of Puglia. The ravioli were stuffed with cernia (grouper) and pistachios, and served with a ragù of cicale di … Continue reading Sea Bass and Pistachio Ravioli with Scampi Ragù
At Angiolina, a bit South of Naples, I enjoyed fish fillet pan fried in batter with sage. I liked this somewhat unusual combination of fish and sage very much, and so decided to prepare something similar at home. According to … Continue reading Fish with Sage and Runner Beans (Filetto di Pesce alla Salvia)
