Steak with Shallot, Butter & Balsamic Sauce
Steak is sexy. Yes. It is. There’s nothing like a perfectly cooked piece of melt in your mouth steak. For me that means medium. Not too rare, definitely not too done. Nothing worse than a piece of overcooked meat. If I wanted beef jerky I would have gotten beef jerky (I happen to adore beef jerky just not when I’m craving a melt in your mouth steak). One of my goals for this year is to conquer my fear of the flame, aka grilling.
read moreRoast Pork Loin {Arista al Forno}
To say we’re pretty fond of the pig is an understatement. The pig gives us so many fantastically delicious cuts from: Bacon, to Pork Tenderloin, to Pork Shoulder to well I could go on and on, so it’s only fitting that the pig should be a big deal, right? ; )
Radiatori with Pumpkin Sauce {Radiatori Con La Zucca}
I have a thing for uniquely shaped pastas. Whereas we can always find spaghetti, penne, elbows, ziti, fettucine in our regular markets it’s not everyday that we come across radiatori and others like it. I always find fantastic pasta selections at World Market . For the record, World Market doesn’t know who I am {well okay I do have a rewards card so I’m guessing SOMEONE over there has my name and number on file} which means that they have given me zilch in exchange for mentioning them. I just happen to LURVE them and spend way too much moo-lah in the store ; )
read moreBraised Pork with Rosemary and Mushrooms {Arrosto con il Rosmarino}
I could tell you how incredibly insanely delicious that braised pork roast is in the photo. OR how I used it to make not one but three meals. But I know you see that gorgeous cassis Le Creuset in the photo and you see giveaway in the title and now you’re heart is beating a little faster and you’re just not thinking clearly. It’s not your fault. It is Le Creuset after all. So I’m just going to get right to it. Christmas is coming a little early for someone. ONE lucky bell’alimento reader is going to WIN one of those for her {or him} self!
read moreEggplant Lasagna {Lasagne con Melanzane}
It’s officially COLD here. Have I ever mentioned that I’m not a cold weather kinda girl? Or a morning person but that’s a whole nother story. When the temperature drops below 60 degrees {I know I’m a light weight but I live in the South and that is COLD to me LOL} It’s time to light the fireplace and fire up the oven. One of the the first things I like to make is Lasagna. When I want something heavy, hearty and filling my go to is my LASAGNE ALLA BOLOGNESE. When we want something on the lighter side we make this fantastic vegetarian eggplant lasagna.
read morePollo alle Olive {Chicken with Olives}
Simple suppers are what I need right now. Someone in our family has an activity every day of the week. EVERY day of the week {that makes me tired just typing that}. Which makes getting dinner on the table a little challenging. Lucky for me, I like a challenge. 30 {ish} minute meals are a staple in our house for just that reason. This chicken with olives is a fantastic recipe for those busy nights.
Paglia e Fieno {Straw and Hay Pasta}
Pasta makes me swoon. I could literally eat pasta every day and be a happy camper. And I wouldn’t get tired of it. I mean how could you tire of pasta? There are a zillion different possibilities. You have hundreds of pasta choices. Everything from long and lean cuts to short and sassy and everything in between. Then there is the SAUCE. The sauce is the make or breaker for me. Endless pairings possibilities, and that it what keeps me coming back to my beloved pasta time after time.
Spaghetti al Pesto {Spaghetti with Pesto}
Pesto is one of my favorite condiments/sauces of all time. It’s so incredibly versatile and can be made with a variety of ingredients. Basil is the classic ingredient and is what we’ve used to make this incredibly flavor yet super simple spaghetti dish perfect for those busy nights. If you have a food processor {or blender} you can whip up a fresh batch of pesto in no time. If you don’t, don’t worry you can get your arm exercise in for the day and make it old school style.
Baked Gnocchi with Two Cheeses
While I know it’s the middle of summer, BUT sometimes you just need a little comfort food even if it needs to go into the oven for you to enjoy it ; ) I just turn the air down a bit more that day. Gnocchi falls into that category. They’re little pillows of perfection to me. Darling delicious dumplings that are irresistible. They’re big on flavor and fill you up quickly. This baked version is no exception!
Ruote e Piselli {Wagon Wheel Pasta with Peas}
It’s summer time. It’s HOT, the kids are home on summer vacation and they are about to eat us out of house and home. Is it the same for you right now? During these busy and WARM months I need quick and delicious meals to get on the table in a hurry. Ruote e Piselli is a meal that can be prepared in 10 minutes or less. Ruote means wheels in Italian and besides being fun to look at and eat they’re the perfect shape pasta to pair with vegetables!
Pizza Grigliata con le Salsicce {Grilled Sausage Pizza}
Who doesn’t like a nice slice of pizza. We adore homemade pizza and make it often BUT during the summer months when it’s smoking hot outside I’m not a huge fan of heating up my oven to sweltering temperatures. Since I don’t have the luxury of an outside pizza oven {dare to dream} the next best way for us to make our beloved pizza is to GRILL it! Grilled pizza is ah-mazing and couldn’t be easier!
Spaghetti al Moro
I was recently in bella Roma with the oh so favoloso Bertolli team. We ate our way around the eternal city, savoring the deliciousness that is authentic Italian cuisine. I’ve been to Rome many times but this time I got to see Roma through the eyes of Bertolli. We visited fresh markets, where we were inspired by the most vibrant and beautiful fresh vegetables/herbs. We chatted with the lively suppliers who were so generous with their time and tips. We visited cheese shops, bakeries, salumerias, gelaterias, pizzerias and oh so much more. We even shot the TV commercial for the super secret Bertolli product that’s launching soon. While I can’t tell you what the product is just YET {don’t even think about asking because I’m a vault ; ) } I CAN tell you about one of my most memorable meals in Rome.
BLT Bucatini
If you like BLT’s and you like pasta then you’ll LOVE Domenica Marchetti’s recipe for BLT Bucatini! In fact I’m pretty sure you’re going to love every recipe from her stunning new cookbook “The Glorious Pasta of Italy” It is without a doubt one of the most beautifully written & photographed cookbooks I have ever seen.
Pollo in Salsa Rosa {Chicken in Pink Sauce}
Go ahead and get your baguette ready. This is one saucy chicken dish. This is a perfect go-to weeknight dinner because after you’ve browned the chicken it pretty much cooks itself. Freeing you up to, well perhaps enjoy a glass of wine and sit down and put your feet up for a change ; ) Okay well that usually doesn’t happen at my house BUT it sounded good didn’t it. What it does do is afford me the luxury of getting other things done while my dinner is cooking away.
Scaloppine di Pollo {Chicken Scaloppine}
Need something delicious on the table in 30 minutes or less? This is your dish. It’s fast and flavorful. The key is using thin cutlets, and the secret is in the sauce. It’s a thick and rich sauce that clings to the chicken cutlets like they just met and can’t get enough of each other ; )
Involtini di Pollo alla Salvia {Chicken Roulades with Sage}
Roulades sound very fancy but they couldn’t be easier to make. Roulade comes from the French word “rouler” meaning to roll. And that’s exactly what you’re going to do. Roll. Making roulades isn’t just tasty, it’s also a great way to stretch your meal budget.
Pollo al Brandy {Chicken with Brandy}
I’ve said it a gazillion times, chicken is so incredibly versatile. So much so, I don’t know how anyone could ever tire of it ; ) At least that’s what I keep telling my family LOL. We’re big fans of chicken thighs and legs in our house. Not that I don’t like the chicken breasts, the darker meats just seem to be more flavorful to me and the fact that they’re also less expensive doesn’t hurt ; )
Spaghetti con Olive e Limone {Spaghetti with Olives and Lemon}
Spring has SPRUNG! As it’s getting warmer and we’re spending more and more time relaxing and soaking up the sun {ehem okay that’s what I wish I was doing. Instead I’m busy running around like crazy is more like it} I find dinner time is sneaking up on me and I’m not as prepared as I’d like to be. SO what’s a girl to do…throw together a quick and simple pasta dish of course ; )
Timballo di Bucatini {Bucatini Timbale}
I know it’s spring and typically one doesn’t eat baked pasta in spring, but our weather as been bi-polar lately. It’s been 80 degrees one day and then 40 degrees or 60 degrees the next. So not only have we had to turn the heater back on, I’ve fired up the oven for a few comfort dishes. Baked Pasta is one of those!
Piccata di Pollo {Chicken Piccata}
I can not believe that I haven’t shared my recipe for Chicken Piccata before now. It’s one of those dishes that is so simple in it’s preparation but full on flavor. It’s perfect for a weeknight as it comes together in less than 30 minutes or it’s even fancy enough for company {we don’t have to tell them how simple it was ; 0 }
Welcome to my cucina! To see what we're cooking up in the Family Kitchen click HERE |
    
 |
|
|
Featured Links
Free Updates:
