Ricotta and spinach are a classic combination in Italian cooking, especially as a stuffing for ravioli. It also works great with a ‘pink’ tomato sauce, which means a tomato sauce that is mixed with either cream or white sauce (besciamella). … Continue reading Spinach, Ricotta, and Tomato Lasagna (Lasagne di Magro)
Manfrigole are comfort food from Valtellina, a valley in the North of Italy near Switzerland. I encountered them for the first time during the wine trip to Lombardia last fall, where we enjoyed them for both lunch and dinner. Manfrigole … Continue reading Manfrigole (Buckwheat Pancakes Filled With Casera Cheese)
This is a very simple recipe that I found in the Italian book “Le ricette di Osterie d’Italia”. The zucchini are boiled in the marinade and then left to cool. It can served as part of a spread of antipasti, … Continue reading Marinated Zucchini (Zucchine marinate)
Risotto alle Rape is a simple risotto that is prepared with turnips in Italy, but can just as easily be prepared with kohlrabi (which is a close relative with a very similar flavor). As always with risotto, the quality is … Continue reading Turnip or Kohlrabi Risotto (Risotto alle Rape)
Vignarola is a stew of the vegetables that grow around Rome at the end of Spring, beginning of Summer. I was reminded of this dish by Jo’s Frascati Cooking That’s Amore. Vignarola can be a contorno (side dish), minestra (hearty … Continue reading Vignarola (Roman Vegetable Stew)
Last fall we had a wonderful evening with Bea at Antica Trattoria Galleria in Milano, where we enjoyed a risotto that was listed on the menu as Risotto all Longobarda. It contained porcini mushrooms, taleggio cheese, and saffron. Here is … Continue reading Risotto alla Longobarda (Risotto with Dried Porcini Mushrooms, Taleggio, and Saffron)
This mushroom soup is surprisingly simple to prepare, yet so delicious and elegant. The star of the dish is fresh truffle. I used black winter truffle, because that is what’s available at the moment. Although truffle isn’t cheap — this … Continue reading Mushroom Soup with Truffle
When I was writing the recent post about dishes we have on a regular basis, I noticed that there were a few dishes that I make several times per year, but are not featured on the blog yet. As there … Continue reading Penne with Roasted Celeriac (Penne al Sedano Rapa al Forno)
Melanzane fritte in pastella are slices of eggplant/aubergine dipped in batter and then deep fried until crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. With some basil and tomato dipping sauce this is a lovely appetizer, that could also … Continue reading Fried Eggplant (Melanzane Fritte in Pastella)
Flan di zucchine is a typical dish from Piemonte that we enjoyed at Due Lanterne in Nizza Monferrato. It is a savory flan (pudding) filled with zucchini and served with a lukewarm tomato salsa, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. … Continue reading Flan di Zucchine
This is what we’ve just had for dinner, or as the primo piatto to be more precise (with a flat iron steak as secondo piatto): orecchiette pasta with slow-roasted cauliflower, capers, anchovies, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, and … Continue reading Pasta with Slow-Roasted Cauliflower (Orecchiette al Cavolfiore)
In Italian cooking, an important distinction in pasta sauces is between ‘red’ (with tomato) and ‘white’ (without tomato). Many recipes come in white and red versions. I often have both versions on my blog, such as wild boar ragù (red … Continue reading Fresh Pappardelle with Mushroom and Walnut Ragù
This vegetable appetizer was inspired by a dish we enjoyed at Casa Velha in Portugal a few weeks ago, though it is certainly not a Portuguese dish. I liked the idea of using thinly sliced celeriac (celery root) instead of … Continue reading Celeriac ‘Ravioli’ with Parsnip and Mushrooms
We love eggplant and we love Thai food, so it was no surprise that we loved this when our friend Melvin prepared this for us according to Pailin’s recipe. Although you could also make it with regular eggplant, it is … Continue reading Thai Eggplant Salad (ยำมะเขือยาว)
Unlike other ‘old-fashioned’ vegetables like parsnip that are now in every supermarket, chard is still difficult to find in the Netherlands. As research for this post I googled Italian recipes for lasagne alle bietole and noticed that most recipes use … Continue reading Chard Lasagna (Lasagne alle Bietole)
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)
The first time I prepared this risotto it was very much an improvisation because I had some zucchini that needed to be used up, and I regretted not taking photos for the blog. But it was a good excuse to … Continue reading Risotto with Zucchini, Pine Kernels and Basil
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)
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)
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)
The same post on Oven-dried Tomatoes that features Parnsip Planks (which I tried) also features Parsnip Bark. When you make parsnip bark the inside of the parsnip will be left, which you can turn into parsnip puree. Parsnip bark is … Continue reading Parsnip Bark (and Parsnip Puree)
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)
One of my main sources of inspiration for new dishes to try and recipes to discover is other food blogs. One of my favorite recent additions is My Slice of Mexico by Irene, who was born in Mexico and now … Continue reading Mexican Green Beans with Chipotle and Cream
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)
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
This splendid method for preparing parsnips was shared recently on Oven-Dried Tomatoes. I turns humble parsnips into something that looks and tastes great. The caramelization brings out the sweetness of the parsnips. He also showed a different method to produce … Continue reading Parsnip Planks
The season for asparagus has started, and so it is time for a nice risotto. The delicate taste of asparagus calls for a recipe with few ingredients, which does not even include pepper. Parmigiano reggiano should be used with restraint. … Continue reading Asparagus Risotto (Risotto agli Asparagi)
This pasta and leeks casserole is Italian comfort food at its best. It is easy to prepare and very creamy and tasty. The flavor of the leeks is enhanced by slightly caramelizing them. I used mozzarella on top, but you … Continue reading Pasta and Leeks Casserole (Pasta con Porri al Forno)
Thanks to the warm weather we’ve had lately, Dutch white asparagus are available some weeks earlier than other years. I was shopping for a dinner party and had realized (1) that I wanted to add some more vegetables to the … Continue reading White Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Honey
If you are looking for something delicious and elegant yet vegan for your Christmas dinner, look no further. The holidays are often about eating a lot of meat, but this vegan dish has all the flavor and all the protein … Continue reading Delicious Vegan Pumpkin Ravioli
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