Cook for the Cure: Fresh Beet Pasta
Those that know me, know I love PINK. And if it’s pink and sparkly ding ding ding. Love it even more. And if it’s pink and for a great cause. Swoon! Well today we’re going pink and it’s definitely for a great cause. I’m honored to help spread the word about COOK FOR THE CURE. If you’re not familiar, “Cook For The Cure, it’s a program that gives people with the passion for cooking a way to support the fight against breast cancer. Through culinary based fundraising, events, auctions and the sale of pink products, the partnership between Susan G. Komen for the Cure and KitchenAid has raised $8 MILLION in the past decade.”
Gioia {Joy} Campo dei Fiori
Photo: Campo dei Fiori
I find joy in a lot of things. For instance: when my kids ask for seconds on something they didn’t think they’d like. When they say thank you and please without being prodded. When they hug and kiss me for no apparent reason. When I bite into that first spoonful of a fresh jar of Nutella. And I’m practically giddy when I make a trip to to the farmer’s market. It’s one of my most favorite past times. I could literally spend hours looking around at all of the fresh fruits and vegetables. Their colors, their smells literally send me into a daydreaming tizzy where recipes immediately start to whirl through my head. Yes I just can’t help it. I am a food person.
Penne all’Arrabbiata {Spicy Penne Pasta}
Arrabbiata sauce is simply a spicy tomato sauce. You can pair it with just about any pasta you like. I happened to have Voiello’s le Penne Lisce in my pantry and so Penne all’Arrabbiata it was. Arrabbiata means angry/mad in Italian. With the sauce it refers to it’s spicy “hot” side.
Sorbetto di Melone {Cantaloupe Sorbet}
Dessert in the summer time should be quick and refreshing. Nothing complicated {we don’t need another excuse to heat up our kitchen do we ; ) }. With so many fresh fruits in season the possibilities for ideas are endless. For me, Sorbets are my go to summer time dessert. It’s obvious how much I adore them {you’ve seen our GRAPE, POMEGRANATE, CHERRY, and WATERMELON} Sorbets use just a handful of ingredients and take minutes to prepare. You could even have the machine running while you’re eating dinner and it will be ready by the time you are! Easy peasy.
Marmellata d’Arance {Orange Marmalade}
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunkist Growers. All opinions are 100% mine.
Want to know a secret? Last summer I caught the canning bug. I thought it was something incredibly difficult and not for me. Was I ever wrong! Yes I admit it’s a little time consuming but it couldn’t be easier and you reap the benefits all year long. You already know we can our tomatoes, but we loves jellies, jams and marmalades too.
Sorbetto di Uva {Grape Sorbet}
If you want a super simple and scrumptious summer treat then sorbets are your answer {wow that’s a mouthful ; ) }. You can make a sorbet from just about any fruit or combination of fruits. We recently shared a POMEGRANATE SORBET and a CHERRY SORBET. And we can’t forget about the WATERMELON & LIME SORBET that made it’s debut last summer. Now we have a robust red grape sorbet to tempt your taste buds.
Affogato al Caffe {Affogato}
If you like espresso and you like gelato {or ice cream} then this dessert is for you. Affogato means “drowned” in Italian, which is exactly what you are doing to the gelato/ice cream with the hot and steamy espresso. I never know whether to eat it with a spoon or a straw so I use both ; ) I even like to up the ante by adding a shot of Amaretto {and the only Amaretto for me is Amaretto di Saronno}
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!
Salsa di Pomodoro {Tomato Sauce}
There is something so beautiful about a simple plate of pasta. One of the simplest is when it’s dressed with a basic tomato sauce. This 5 ingredient sauce easily comes together in less than 30 minutes and can be used for a variety of dishes. The key to a simple dish is always using the freshest quality ingredients possible.
Negroni
There are a few classic Italian cocktails, the Negroni is on that short list. It’s said to have originated in Florence as a twist to the Americano cocktail. It’s an aperitif which is meant to be enjoyed prior to dinner to stimulate the appetite {not that I have any problem with that}. And while I was in ROMA recently we did just that.
Nutella Shooters
You knew it was only a matter of time before we posted a Nutella cocktail/shooter right ; ) We’ve actually made these several times but for some reason they’ve disappeared before I was able to shoot them : D. Even though they taste like a milkshake these are definitely an adult beverage. Don’t be fooled by their innocent taste, they will sneak up on you!
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.
Sorbetto di Melagrana {Pomegranate Sorbet}
I’ve officially brought my ice cream maker out of it’s winter hibernation. It gets a pretty heavy workout in our house during the warm months and needs a little reprieve during the colder months ; ) The only decision what was to make in it first. A refreshing sorbet seemed like a great choice ; )
Nutella Pancakes
It’s been a while since our last Nutella posting {gasp I know}. I thought I’d rectify that with a short stack of Nutella deliciousness. While I was in Roma last week I had a Cornetto with a pocket Nutella just about every morning for breakfast along with my cappuccino. It was perfetto but it made me realize that I didn’t have very many Nutella breakfast options for you. So now I give you….Nutella pancakes {& they couldn’t be easier to make}
Good Eats in ROMA!
{Fior di Latte, Nutella & Arancia Rosso Gelato}
Ciao da Roma! As you can imagine, I’ve been eating my way all around Rome with the ah-mazing Bertolli team! We’ve tasted everything from Gelato to Spaghetti alla Carbonara {come on, you know that was coming} to Ossobucco to … why don’t I just share a few of the photos with you instead of telling you about them ; )
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.
ROMA! Through the eyes of Bertolli!
Bella Roma. One of my favorite places on earth. The city is completely magical and if you’ve never been, it’s even more stunning in person than the pictures you have seen. Every time I visit Rome I view the city in a different light. I can hardly contain my excitement as I’ll be arriving in bella ROMA in just a few days, and on this trip I will be seeing Rome through the eyes of BERTOLLI.
I’m going on a SECRET UNDERCOVER MISSION! While I can’t share all the details {yet – hello top secret in fact it’s SO top secret I won’t even find out until I get there ; )} I can tell you that Bertolli is launching a brand NEW PRODUCT this fall and you’ll be hearing about it EXCLUSIVELY from bell’alimento.
Panzanella
If you’re like me, you don’t like wasting any food. Including stale bread. Yes, sometimes it happens, the bread gets stale before we can use it. Normally I would turn it into homemade breadcrumbs but now that spring is here and summer is right on it’s heels, I prefer to make Panzanella out of that stale bread.
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