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 is not really an Italian dish, as there are too many components and most Italians do not even know what a parsnip is. But it sure is delicious. The combination of flavors and textures is great: sweet plump shrimp … Continue reading Risotto with Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp and Parsnip
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)
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
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)
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)
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
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
These hare and savoy cabbage ravioli are similar to agnolotti from Piemonte, which are also stuffed with a mixture of braised meat and greens. I had some left over hare, which had already been cooked sous-vide (2 hours at 60C/140F). … Continue reading Hare and Savoy Cabbage Ravioli (Ravioli di Lepre e Verza)
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)
Ravioli and all other shapes of stuffed pasta are my signature dish, so I am always excited when I see a new traditional recipe that I did not know yet. Like the savoy cabbage tortelli I saw on Simona’s blog … Continue reading Tortelli di Verza (Savoy Cabbage Tortelli)
As mentioned before, my favorite type of food blogging is cooking, eating, and blogging all during the same evening. I just finished eating this nice pasta dish, and wanted to share it with you as it was nice. It took … Continue reading Pasta with Salmon and Fennel (Penne al Salmone Fresco e Finocchi)
Still more food from our trip to Southern Italy last September. We had dinner in Puglia at Già Sotto l’Arco, and one of the dishes there was orecchiette with a lamb ragù and cream of ricotta. The cream of ricotta … Continue reading Pasta with Sous Vide Lamb Ragù and Ricotta Cream (Orecchiette al Ragù di Agnello con Crema di Ricotta)
We love risotto and I usually prepare it once a week. A good risotto requires homemade stock and half an hour or so of stirring, but it is worth it to get a creamy consistency with a bite and a … Continue reading Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Sausage (Risotto con Porcini e Salsiccia)
There are already two other recipes for lobster ravioli on this blog (here and here), but I like them so much that I couldn’t resist posting yet another variation. This is now my favorite version, as the lobster bisque that … Continue reading Lobster Ravioli (Ravioli all’Astice)
Doing an excursion with food included is often a treat in Italy — as it was when we went on a boat tour of the Gargano peninsula in Puglia during our last vacation there. The pasta served for lunch was … Continue reading Handmade Cavatelli Pasta with Mussels (Cavatelli alle Cozze)
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
One of the questions that I get asked often is whether I always cook complex dishes, and what I cook when I get home from work. This is a typical example of something I whipped up when I came home … Continue reading Pasta with Runner Beans (Penne ai Piattoni)
Bea has Sicilian roots and that clearly shows in the recipe for Vermicelli alle Alici con pangrattato dorato that she posted recently. Since fresh anchovies are not so easy to find around here and it is a lot of work to clean … Continue reading Spaghetti with Mackerel and Breadcrumbs (Spaghetti allo Sgombro con pangrattato dorato)
On the beautiful Golfo di Policastro in Basilicata, Southern Italy, we had a wonderful dinner by the sea at Cala del Citro in Maratea. One of the dishes was black tagliolini with raw squid, and this recipe was inspired by … Continue reading Squid Tagliolini with Yellow Cherry Tomatoes
Red onions are the specialty of the town of Tropea in Calabria in the deep South of Italy. Red onions are even known as “cipolle di Tropea” throughout Italy. In and around Tropea you see red onions everywhere. The local … Continue reading Fresh Pasta with Red Onion, White Beans, and Pecorino (Fileja con cipolla di Tropea, Poverello bianco e pecorino del Poro)
Every region in Italy has its own pasta shapes. Sometimes shapes that look very similar have a completely different name. There are so many different pasta shapes, that I keep discovering new ones even in regions that I’ve visited before. … Continue reading Scialatielli ai Frutti di Mare (Fresh Pasta with Mussels and Clams)
The most famous Italian meat sauce for pasta is of course the one from Bologna: ragù alla bolognese. And with reason: if made properly it can be divine. Outside of Italy (or inside of Italy in tourist traps) it is … Continue reading Ragù alla Bolognese Sous-Vide
At the organic market I discovered a great ingredient, which is partially defatted pumpkin seed flour. Pumpkin seed kernels have 49% fat, 8% carbohydrates, and 30% protein, and so they are quite fat. Pumpkin seeds are pressed to get out … Continue reading Pumpkin Seed Flour Pappardelle with Roasted Pumpkin
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