Ravioli alla Ricotta e Spinaci {Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian | 22 comments

Who doesn’t love little edible pillows filled with creamy goodness {aka Ravioli}? You can fill them with just about whatever your heart desires. And yes even though I could eat them in their natural naked state and be quite content, my favorite way is to drizzle them with the most simple of sauces – a butter and sage sauce! Yes, that amazingly aromatic butter sauce so silky it just slides right over your tongue! mmmh swoon! Yes, food is sexy people! I keep telling you this! LOL

Fettucine Profumate {Aromatic Fettucine}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta | 15 comments

You all know how much I love a nice plate, bowl or hey I’d even eat it in a cup LOL of PASTA! It satsifys me down to my soul. And when you add a creamy luxurious MUSHROOM sauce just *swoon* I know, it doesn’t take much LOL. This dish is NO exception. It’s full of veggies too so no need to feel guilty about indulging. Not that I ever feel guilty about it though : ) 

Capellini ai Funghi e Caviale {Angel Hair w/Mushrooms & Caviar} + GIVEAWAY !

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Pasta, Seafood | 153 comments

It’s almost Mother’s Day! Yes, that’s right, honey are you listening ; ) For me, it’s a day when all I really want is peace & quiet in the house {Miss Priss, Middle Man & Bruiser you listening} & for someone else to cook for me. And if there happens to be a little something extra well then that’s just icing on the cake! Okay maybe a nice bottle of wine too ; ) 

Campanelle alla Mozzarella {Campanelle Pasta with Mozzarella}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian | 24 comments

This pasta is just summertime in a bowl to me! I actually nicknamed it Caprese Salad Pasta ; ) Because well it pretty much is LOL. It’s perfect when the weather is hot and you don’t want to be in the kitchen heating up the house with the oven. Because I really don’t need my a/c bill to be any higher during our hot southern summers, know what I’m sayin’. And did I mention it takes like 8 mins to cook. Yes, EIGHT little minutes. Just long enough to cook the pasta (to al dente perfection of course) Yes, my kind of meal ; )

Bertolli’s “Into the heart of Italy” EXCLUSIVE + {GIVEAWAY}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta | 43 comments

{Photo credit, Lisa Leone}

Have you been following along with Bertolli’s “Into the heart of Italy” Web series? I hope so! So far there have been three webisodes. Each one more exciting than the last! The entire series is beautifully done and everytime I see one, it makes me long for bella Italia! I’m secretly hoping to win Bertolli’s contest for a Ultimate Culinary Vacation to ITALY! Yes, you can enter too, but if you win, you’ll need to take me with you OKAY ; ) tee hee

I’m over the moon excited to share with YOU that Bertolli has graciously given US some EXCLUSIVE behind-the-scenes fotos & VIDEO from the Carnevale celebration, which will be featured in the next episode of “Into the Heart of Italy: The Secret of the Mediterranean”. It’s scheduled to premiere April 26. In this upcoming episode, Rocco, Marisa and Dan attend the Carnevale celebration and make a delicious garlic shrimp, penne and cherry tomatoes dish. That means WE’RE seeing this before anyone else ; )  How cool are we ; )

Linguine ai Frutti di Mare {Seafood Linguine}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Pasta, Seafood | 31 comments

Frutti di Mare translates to fruits of the sea and boy is this dish full of fruits from the sea. It has almost all of my favorite seafood: Mussels, Clams, Shrimp and Scallops. If it happened to have had some lobster & crab well I would have just been in seafood heaven! If you don’t happen to like some of these *and gasp if you don’t* just leave them out.

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe {Spaghetti w/cheese & pepper}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian | 35 comments

 
I don’t think you’ll find a simpler dish than this. Pasta, Pecorino cheese & pepper. Yes that is the extent of it. Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe is a very traditional Roman dish. In case you’re wondering why Formaggio isn’t used in this title, “Cacio” is Italian dialect for Cheese. In it’s simplicity is it’s deliciousness (deep, eh ; ). It’s a dish that has to be eaten immediately and while very warm. It’s perfect for those nights when you’re in a huge rush and you need something on the table NOW! Or when you’re coming home super late and want something more than a bowl of cereal!   

Pasta Gratinata con Verdure {Pasta au Gratin w/Vegetables}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian | 25 comments

Casseroles. Some people love them, some not so much! Me, I fall into the first category. Perhaps it’s because (at least for me) it’s a one dish meal! I like the idea of only having one dish to clean up! I’ll let you in on a little secret, dishes and I don’t see eye to eye. Matter of fact, I can’t stand them. Washing them that is. I’m happy to shop for new dishes any day of the week. I’m happy to cook up a storm, but the cleanup, well that’s another story. But alas, my dish fairy has yet to show up. So, until then I like to throw in a casserole every now and then.

Farfalle al Mascarpone {Butterfly Pasta w/Mascarpone Sauce}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Bread, Pasta, Sides, Vegetarian | 19 comments

I just love pasta. I mean I really LOVE pasta (as if you didn’t know that by now tee hee). It’s the perfect dish. You can literally make it a million different ways. Okay I haven’t actually tested out that theory but I’m working on it! Plus I know you’re probably ready for something other than chicken! I KNOW I’ve  had a lot of chicken lately, really I know, and NO in case you’re wondering I’m not tired of it *wink wink*  but I have been wanting some pasta so voila a pasta dish! This dish will make you want to scrape the bowl with your finger! & It’s all because of the sauce. Not just any sauce. A creamy tomato-y basil-y melt in your mouth Mascarpone sauce *swoon*.

Agnolotti di Zucca {Pumpkin Agnolotti}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian | 23 comments

We’ve been snowed in since Friday & this recipe is one of the only good things that has come from it! I have serious cabin fever ppl (plus I’m almost out of wine NOT good!) I love the snow. Okay, not completely true, I love to LOOK at the snow. I’m not a cold weather girl. Now if I was on a mountain in a fabulous lodge, with loads of Ciocolatta Calda, cute snowboots, sitting in front of fireplace with nowhere to go, MAYBE! But alas, not my life.

So on day five of being snowed in, rations are getting low & me not wanting to venture out onto the icy roads, I thought let’s make some fresh pasta! I’ve obviously got the time. And all of the ingredients (surprisingly) ! I even made homemade bread yesterday! I’ve been a baking fool. Well that and the gas oven pretty much keeps the kitchen warm LOL!

Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino {Spaghetti w/Garlic, Oil & Chili Peppers}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian | 34 comments

This might possibly be one of the quickest & most simplest dishes you will ever make. It has only 4 ingredients but those four ingredients come together to make an incredible display of fireworks in your mouth! It’s an explosion of flavors that you won’t soon forget. The first time I ever had Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino was at a little place in Montereale Italy called the Spaghetti House! They had EVERY kind of spaghetti you could have ever wanted & then some! You would NOT leave hungry. Mamma & her boys made sure of that. They even had mezzo plates so you could indulge yourself with two types of spaghetti! Boy I miss that place! I don’t think I ever got through all of the types of Spaghetti they had, I’d get hung up on a few favorites, but mannaggia they were just so good I couldn’t help myself ; )

Gnocchi al Burro e Salvia {Gnocchi w/Butter & Sage Sauce}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta | 42 comments

Gnocchi… let me count the ways I love you ; ) tee hee, You make me SO happy! I could seriously eat you every day ; ) Yes every day, I would not tire of you. So chamelonlike. You adapt to almost anything I mix you with. So amicable. Lurve that about you. You play well with others. A quality I wish my bambini had *sigh*

Today I decided to do a basic potato gnocchi! And oh what I love with basic gnocchi is a nice simple sage buddah sauce…*swoon*

Ten in 2010

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta | 9 comments

This is going to be harder than I thought… *sigh* but then again, anything worth it usually is…

One of my goals was to be more active, and well sadly I don’t have the luxury of being able to go to a gym. So that’s out (but if anyone out there would like to gift me a gym membership – which would have to include daycare – yes I come with strings (LOL) that’d be awesome – just sayin) I’d be happy to go outside to walk or bike but HELLO IT’S FREEZING people & I’m just not meant for the cold…So I needed to find another solution…. Voila…the wii fit… I know, crazy as it sounds I’ve managed to squeak out 30 mins each day for some me — I mean wii –  time & well I can say that I have noticed a slight difference…

Spaghetti alla Fiamma {Flaming Spaghetti}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta | 31 comments

Can I just say, how much I LOVE using my kitchen torch! Any opportunity to do so & I’m in! Who wouldn’t want a plate of flaming spaghetti? I mean hello those Japanese Steak Houses aren’t so popular for no reason ; ) Spaghetti alla Fiamma, pronounced well duh I think you can get Spaghetti all-a Fee-ah-ma is a plate full of fiery pasta goodness. And you have a huge helping of peas in there too so it’s a good way to sneak in those veggies.

Lasagne alla Bolognese

Posted by Paula in Beef, Pasta, Pork | 17 comments

Who’s ready for some LASAGNE? Me, me me! As soon as the weather turns frightful (& well, hello … old man winter has indeed arrived) I feel the urge for Lasagne!

Well to be completely up front with you, this is not a quick Lasagne Recipe. So if you’re looking for QUICK, you’re going to be disappointed. You’ll be better off going & picking up a box of Lasagne from the freezer section of your grocery. Oh it’s not going to be very good, but it will be quick.

Penne Calabresi {Calabrian Penne}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian | 22 comments

Okay, well I thought I’d give you a little reprieve from all the chicken recipes as of late – LOL! Not that I’m abandoning my dear friend Pollo or anything. Just have a CRAVING for pasta. Plus, it’s right after Thanksgiving & I’m literally stuffed. I’m going to have to break out the “roomy” pants for about a week. Don’t act like you don’t have some *wink wink* Why do I stuff myself so every year? Dimmi…. eh? And besides, I’ve held out on the pasta recipes for awhile.

Maccheroni alla Vodka {Macaroni w/Vodka}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian | 24 comments

So you like things a little Piccante? Well then this dish is perfect for you! It’s just the right amount of spiciness without being so overwhelming that it sets your mouth completely on fire. It definitely has a kick to it.

Ragu’ alla Bolognese {Bolognese Sauce}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Beef, Main Course, Pasta, Sauces | 36 comments

Some things in life are worth waiting for, and a good sauce is one of them (at least for me anyway). And no surprise then, this is one of those sauces! Ragu alla Bolognese. Pronounced bowl-own-ez-ay, it’s an amazing, rich, beautiful, robust sauce.

Eat on 30 Project – Day 4 {Pasta alla Norma}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian | 22 comments

Eat on 30 Project – Day 4 {Pasta alla Norma}

Not sure what this is all about? Click the LINK HERE to find out all about it. It will also have a list of all of my other Fab Foodie Friends who are participating as well. Be sure to stop by & show them some love too! See what meals they’ve been cooking up & read their trials & tribulations. We’ve also got a great giveaway that is wrapping up tomorrow. Click here and enter to win!

Sformato di Maccheroni {Macaroni Pie}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta | 32 comments

Sformato (sf-four-ma-toe) di Maccheroni (ma-ker-o-knee)! How fun is this? In English, it translates to Macaroni Pie! Well that’s what the literal translation is but I’m thinking it looks more like a cake, don’t you? Either way you slice it -tee hee, sorry, couldn’t resist! It’s dee-lish. It’s one for the young or young at heart. It’s a mound, or formation, if you will (that’s for you cookie *winking*) of ooey, gooey cheese. Not any cheeses mind you — fabulous Grana Padano & Fontina Cheeses. Ooh, so good! No processed cheeses allowed here. This is grown up cheese.