Farfalle con Zucchine e Pomodori {Butterfly Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes}
Doesn’t this pasta just scream spring! Its so colorful and happy and when I saw it at World Market, I knew I had to buy it {even if it was a little pricey ; )} Have I mentioned that I have an affinity for World Market. I go for something specific and leave with that plus some. Its like Target for me, I simply can’t get out under $50 evah. Sigh…This pasta was one of those extra finds.
Maccheroni ai Peperoni {Macaroni with Bell Peppers}
Peperoni in Italian isn’t what we refer to as “pepperoni”. Instead it means bell peppers. Beautiful vibrant colorful bell peppers. I much prefer the bold and beautiful red, yellow, orange bell peppers. Now if they were just as inexpensive as the green ones I’d be a happy camper ; )
Maccheroni ai Quattro Formaggi {Four Cheese Macaroni}
Cheese and pasta, yes please ; ) It doesn’t get much more comforting than macaroni and cheese. Maccheroni in Italian refers to any short tubular pasta. I like to use elbow noodles because they’re smaller which makes it easier to get a nice big heaping spoonful into your mouth ; ) You could easily substitute ziti or penne, which I will do if that’s what’s in the pantry. Use what you have!
Linguine alle Vongole {Linguine with Clams}
I can NOT believe that I have NOT posted my recipe for Linguine and Clams. It is up there on my list of favorite pasta dishes. Of course, you know by now my absolute favorite is Spaghetti alla Carbonara but this comes pretty close. I tend to prefer a white sauce with my Linguine and Clams so that’s what you’re getting today. Don’t worry I’ll eventually post my red sauce recipe too ; ) I’m a equal opportunity Linguine and Clams eater!
Announcing: Pasta 101 & Build a Better Panino!
There are so many exciting things going on lately that I wanted to share a few of them with you loverlies…In case you missed my announcement, I’ve joined the featured contributor’s writing team over at babble’s family kitchen. I’m thrilled beyond words and I’m literally bubbling over with ideas, tips, tricks and recipes that I can’t wait to share with everyone.
Pasta ai Broccoli {Pasta with Broccoli}
There is simply nothing like a big bowl of pasta. Carbs make me happy. Very happy. Even happier when I can feel better about eating them because they’re chock full of veggies ; ) Pasta ai Broccoli is well Pasta with Broccoli. Nothing complicated there. But it’s also full of tomatoes and herbs. And then we up the fun factor with this hot to trot pasta shape!
Maccheroni alla Ricotta {Macaroni with Ricotta}
How about a pasta dish that you can make with just THREE ingredients? How about a pasta dish you can make in under TEN minutes? Now that is my kind of math 3 ingredients plus 10 minutes ; ) I thought you might like that too!
Conchigliette con Piselli {Small Shells with Peas}
I never ever get tired of eating pasta. EVER. First of all, there are so many different varieties of pastas: long, short, homemade, flavored. And then you have an insane amount of different shapes of pastas, which of course have diverse textures. And then you figure in the sauce choices….exhale…well boredom is simply not possible ; ) The combination of possibilities are mind boggling. Mind boggling! And I LOVE that about pasta dishes!
Aragosta fra Diavolo {Lobster Fra Diavolo}
I truly adore seafood. Just the thought of a meal with seafood gives me goose bumps {in a good way obviously}. Being close to the coast we are able to enjoy a variety of seafood for the majority of the year. Lucky me I know ; )I’d be hard pressed to pick my absolute favorite BUT if you threatened to take my Nutella away and made me, I’d have to say lobster {don’t worry mussels, shrimp, crab, sea bass…I still love you!}
Pappardelle alla Salsiccia {Pappardelle with Johnsonville Sausage}
{Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. The opinions expressed, however, are my own. Always have been, always will be ; ) }
You all know we love sausage. You’ve heard me mention a gazillion times how much we especially enjoy Johnsonville Sausages {Here are just a few of the recipes we’ve featured using those scrumptious sausages: Stuffed Turkey Breast w/Pomegranate Glaze, Sausage Kebabs glazed w/balsamic and fig preserves, Ultimate Spaghetti Sauce…I could literally go on and on because, hello it’s sausage…told you we LOVE them and USE them all the time}
Project Food Blog: Video 411
I’m bubbling over with excitement. We’ve made it such a long way and again we couldn’t have done it without YOUR love and support so THANK YOU, each and every one of you! I’m truly honored to be standing amongst such a great group of food bloggers, they inspire me and amaze me on a regular basis. Okay, before I start bawling all over my keyboard let’s talk about this next challenge..The let’s get Paula completely out of her comfort zone challenge…
Cjalsons Krofin di Timau
Chances are good you might not have heard of Cjalsons before. After all it’s not a very Italian sounding name is it ; ) What are they you ask? *hand on chest* I’m so happy you asked ; ) Cjalsons are a traditional recipe from my beloved Friuli Venezia Giulia, which as you know by my many references to this jewel of a region, is located in the North-East of Italy.
Fried Spaghetti Pizza
Squeeeeeee! We’ve made it through to challenge 5! Thank YOU ALL so much for your votes and support! I’m quite excited about this next challenge. We were tasked with remixing a recipe, and that recipe is PIZZA! Yes, the iconic pizza. One of the most beloved amazingly delicious foods on the planet {at least in our house 
}
Linguine alla Cipolla {Linguine with Onions}
If pasta were an actress/actor it would win the award for best actress/actor in a major motion picture. It’s such a chameleon and adapts itself perfectly to it’s surroundings {aka sauces LOL} I know I’ve said this a gazillion time but the possibilities are limitless! Today’s possibilities involve onions and mushrooms!
read moreZiti agli Asparagi {Ziti with Asparagus}
Hello Fall! Nice to see you and your cooler crisp temperatures. Your beautiful leaves that fall ever so gently {well maybe not all the ones that fall into my yard but none the less} your vibrant colors, your comfy attire {so looking forward to wearing my new Lucchese Boots – swoon} and of course your comfort foods! Oh how I’ve missed you.
Yes comfort foods. Bring on the comfort foods! For me PASTA = comfort food. Punto {period} This dish is definitely comforting. Ziti agli Asparagi {Ziti with a fresh asparagus sauce} is creamy, luscious, and full of vegetables. So that counts as healthy in my book ; )
If you don’t cook with fresh asparagus because you’re not sure what exactly to do with it, fear not. It’s easy peasy {and SO much better than the canned asparagus}. To clean the asparagus just run your asparagus under cold water. Be careful of the tips as they are delicate. To trim them, there’s a quick trick. Take one stalk, hold it from both ends and gently bend until it breaks. The point where it breaks naturally is where you should trim from. You can use this as your guide to trim the remaining asparagus.
I don’t save the trimmed asparagus pieces because I find them to be a bit tough and fiberous. And who wants to eat that right.
See cooking with fresh asparagus is easy peasy! It’s a great dish and you can make this with any short pasta, I just happen to like Ziti. Fun to say, fun to eat!
Baci!
What you’ll need:
1 large bundle of fresh asparagus – trimmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 leek – sliced thin
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt/pepper
1 pound ziti
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano – grated
What to do:
1. Trim the asparagus {take one stalk bend it and where it snaps naturally is where you trim it} set aside.
2. Into a large saute pan add butter, garlic and leek. Cook over low heat until onions and leeks are translucent. Add chicken broth, wine and asparagus. Season with pepper. Heat to boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook approx 10 minutes OR until asparagus are tender.
3. WHILE the sauce is cooking, place a large pot of generously salted water onto boil. Add ziti, cook until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water in case necessary. Drain and set aside.
4. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon or skimmer, cut the tips and set aside. Place remaining asparagus and liquid from the pan into a food processor, blender and pulse to combine until it’s a smooth silky consistency. Return sauce to pan.
5. Place the drained ziti into the pan and toss to combine. If the mixture is too thick for your liking add a bit of pasta water to loosen. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips & Parmigiano Reggiano!
Buon Appetito!
Tortellini in Brodo {Tortellini in Broth}
Soup’s on! & this bowl I’m sending to my sweet friend Rachael {aka the oh so fabulous La Fuji Mama} all the way over on the West coast. If she lived closer I would most certainly deliver it myself. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have heard through the twitter vine that she’s recovering from having her tonsils removed so I’m helping out with a little guest post so she has time to focus on recovering {although I know she’d much prefer to be in the kitchen cooking up some fuji fabulousness}.
What do I want when I’m not feeling so hot. Soup, of course. Tortellini in Brodo {Tortellin in Broth} came to mind immediately. It’s just bliss in a bowl! You have a rich flavorful broth peppered with veggies which would be quite scrumptious on its own, but oh no, then you have little pillows of perfectly plump pasta bursting with cheese floating about just waiting on your spoon….perfection! And my little secret for making this dish great…come a little closer so I can whisper in your ear *Parmigiano Reggiano Rind* Yep, you won’t believe how much depth it will bring to your broth ; ) You know how much I love my Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, it’s like gold in my house so I try to find uses for the rind too, waste not want not ; )
Now that the temperatures are cooling off just a bit, it’s the perfect time to start enjoying bowls and ladels full of soup. And if it’s still hot where you are, just turn your air condition way down ; )
Go ahead over to La Fuji Mama’s for the RECIPE and be sure to send her some well wishes while you’re there!
Baci!
Spaghetti al Cartoccio {Spaghetti in Parchment}
I don’t know too many people that don’t enjoy spaghetti. I mean what’s not to love after all? Long luscious noodles, that you can spin and twirl to your hearts content. And they can be topped with a plethora {I just love that word} of sauces. Tomato, cream, meat, cheese, wine, and the list goes on and on. Delicious, inexpensive, and cook in a flash! Again, what’s not to love ; )
You know I obviously LURVE spaghetti. And I’m sure you all know by now that Spaghetti alla Carbonara is my ultimate favorite, I get goose bumps just thinking about it. You also know there’s not a pasta dish that I’m not fond of ; ) Just sayin. Spaghetti al Cartoccio is simply Italian for Spaghetti in parchment. If you’ve not baked with parchment this is an incredibly FUN and new way to enjoy a dish.
Parchment packs make a fantastic presentation. You set them down, carefully {we don’t want you to burn yourself now} open then and then watch as steam clouds come pouring out, and then as if on key you’ll hear the ooohs and aaaahs from your table guests. You can make one giant parchment packet OR I really like to do individual packets for each guest. Seems a little more special that way. And hello the cleanup couldn’t be easier ; )
This is a simple dish that comes together quickly. It’s a classic combination of fresh tomatoes, capers, herbs, and *smiling* Parmigiano Reggiano. Swoon! You could easily make these ahead of time and then just pop them into the oven when your guests arrive.
Baci!
What you’ll need:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic – minced
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf Italian parsley – chopped
2 cups fresh roma tomatoes – chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt/pepper
1 pound spaghetti {I like Barilla}
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano – grated
2 tablespoons fresh basil – chopped
1 tablespoon capers – drained
What to do:
1. Into a large saute pan add the oil, parsley and garlic and cook over medium heat for approx 1 minute {do not let garlic brown} Add the tomatoes and wine. Season with salt and pepper and allow to come to a boil. Stir often. Once boiling, reduce heat to LOW and simmer for approx 15-20 minutes. Stirring as necessary.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a large pot of generously salted water onto boil. When boiling, add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water in case needed. Drain spaghetti and set aside.
3. WHILE pasta and sauce are cooking, prepare your parchment paper packets. For a large packet you’ll need approx 24″ of parchment paper that has been doubled for thickness. If you’re making individual packets they should be approx 6″ of parchment paper {again doubled for thickness} It’s better to have MORE parchment than less.
4. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to the saute pan and toss to combine. Spread the spaghetti lengthwise onto the parchment paper. Sprinkle with cheese, capers & basil.
5. Fold the top of the parchment paper over {like you would fold a lunch bag} and then twist the sides. Place parchment packs onto a baking/cookie sheet and bake for approx 8-10 minutes.
Buon Appetito!
Note: for my gluten free friends. You can easily make this dish gluten free by substituting gluten free spaghetti!
Spaghetti alle Erbe {Spaghetti with Herbs}
This is one incredibly aromatic sauce. Of course it would be it’s Spaghetti alle Erbe {Spaghetti with HERBS} Not your typical herbs mind you, okay well one of them is typical, Parsley is included but the main herb is Mint, yes fresh mint! A smell that is immediately recognizable. I love mint and if you like mint you’ll like this unique sauce.
Orecchiette alle Olive {Orecchiette with Olives}
Orecchiette might be one of my favorite types of pasta evah! Maybe because Orecchiette means little ears in Italian. Maybe because they’re the perfect shape for holding the sauce. Maybe just because they’re adorable. Chissa {who knows} I just like them and I use them every time I can!
Ziti al Prezzemolo {Ziti with Parsley Sauce}
This is a quick and easy pasta dish that’s perfect for warmer weather! It takes all of about 8 minutes to pull together. Pretty much in the time it takes you to cook your pasta to al dente perfection you’ve got your dish complete. It’s fantastic for lunch or as a light dinner!
Welcome to my cucina! To see what we're cooking up in the Family Kitchen click HERE |
    
 |
|
|
Featured Links
Free Updates:
