Butternut Squash Soup {Crema di Zucca}
Crema di Zucca {Cream of Pumpkin Soup} is a simple, wonderful oh so creamy and velvety fall/winter soup. So much so, you won’t believe how incredibly easy it is to pull together. A little peeling, a little chopping a little simmering, a whirl in the blender and Voila! You’ll be dunking your spoon at warp speed into this bowl of bliss. So next time you see those gorgeous gourds in the market be sure to pick them up so you can make this!
How to Make Pizza Dough
It should come as no surprise that I fell in love with GOOD pizza while living in Italy. Did you know that all you need to make your own pizza dough are 5 simple ingredients. I’m betting you probably already have them in your pantry. If you have a stand mixer it will take you about 10 minutes to pull this pizza dough together. Then you walk away while it does it’s thing. It doesn’t get much easier than that. The hardest part will be deciding what you’re going to top your pizzas with, and in case you’re having a hard time deciding we have a few recipe suggestions for you.
Prugne al Vino {Plums Poached in Wine}
Simple is almost always better. At least I think so. Simple suppers, simple desserts, simple pleasures. Today we have a simple dessert that is certain to please. We’re poaching beautiful seasonal plums in wine with spices. It’s easy peasy and you can make this in less than 15 minutes. So there are really no excuses NOT to enjoy dessert ; )
Tartine alla Pizzaiola {Pizzaiola Tartines}
These tartines are an elegant and easy appetizer that you can pull together in nothing flat. It makes use of simple sandwich bread {perfect for that bread that might be a little on the stale side} and a few other ingredients that I’m betting you probably have on hand. And if you don’t you probably have something that would substitute nicely. I think it’s pretty fantastic you can make something so elegant out of everyday white sandwich bread!
Penne with Olives {Penne con Olive}
Did you know that October was National Pasta Month! Not that I need an excuse to make pasta or anything ; ) But since it is we should be celebrating! Today we’ve whipped up an oldie but goodie. A favorite from my childhood. Penne con Olive is simply Penne Pasta in a creamy tomato and olive sauce. The kicker in the sauce, Greek yogurt! I love a touch of tang.
Ravioli in Bianco {Ravioli with Garlic Cream Sauce}
If you have 15 minutes then you can make this meal. It’s perfect for a lunch or a light dinner. You will want to make sure you have bread. The sauce beckons for it. It demands it. And you’ll want some mints nearby too. Trust me on that one.
Torta di Funghi {Rustic Mushroom Tart}
If you’re not eating mushrooms, you should be. At least I think so. Beyond being extremely tasty they’re also really good for you. If you’ve been reading bell’alimento for any length of time you know we adore mushrooms. There are no shortage of mushroom recipes on this blog. This rustic tart might be one of my favorite mushroom recipes to date. It makes a spectacular appetizer for a party or a light lunch.
read moreCapellini in Bianco {Angel Hair Pasta with White Sauce}
Capellini {can also be called Capelli d’Angelo} in Bianco is a simple 10 minute meal that will satisfy you completely. Bianco means white and refers to the simple cheese sauce that coats this delicate pasta. Normally I prefer a spaghetti or linguine {which is probably why this is the first angel hair recipe on the site tee hee} but here it’s the perfect fit for this sauce.
Pomodori Ripieni di Riso {Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice}
I’m a big fan of making something new and creative out of leftovers. A take two meal if you will. This is one of those recipes. I use leftover rice or risotto and after infusing it just a bit with fresh herbs it’s then stuffed into beefy flavorful tomatoes. Simple and scrumptious with just about 10 minutes of prep time. And no worries if you want to make this but don’t have any leftover rice, just whip up a quick batch. This is a vegetarian version but you could easily “beef” it up with your favorite ground meat.
Roasted Tomato Pesto
Pestos can be pulled together so quickly and add so much flavor to a dish. I’ve been experimenting with different variations of pesto and came up with this oven roasted tomato pesto that besides oven roasted tomatoes also incorporates sun dried tomatoes. More tomato flavor than you can shake a stick at ; )
Spinach Pesto
We shared our SPAGHETTI AL PESTO last week where we featured a simple and scrumptious pasta dish made with the classic basil pesto. Now we’re continuing our pesto love fest with a variation on the classic basil pesto…Spinach Pesto!
Crema di Pomodoro {Cream of Tomato Soup}
It’s almost SOUP season. Are you ready? I am! I’ve decided to kick start the season with this rich and thick Cream of Tomato Soup. It’s made with the last of my fresh tomatoes from my garden {I used a combination of yellow and red tomatoes producing this gorgeous orange soup} and the secret ingredient – potatoes! That’s right potatoes. It thickens the soup and gives it an extra complexity. It will have your family wondering what it is about this soup that’s so rich and delicious ; )
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.
Ciambella {Chocolate Ring Cake}
Sometimes you just NEED cake and you want one that is not fussy or fancy just fantastic. This Ciambella {Italian for ring cake} is your answer. My poor tube pan has been quite neglected {probably because it was shoved into the back of my prop pantry out of sight} but when I spied it the other day I knew I’d be making this simple chocolate cake. I’m going to be putting the tube pan in with the other pans because I know I’ll be making variations of this again and soon.
Torta al Limone {Lemon Tart}
A s much as I want the cooler temperatures of fall I’m still not ready to give up the longer hours, the sun and the laid back attitude that summer has. Sadly I know I can’t have it both ways so I’ll just eat tart instead ; ) Specifically lemon t art! Lemon screams summer. It’s yellow, it’s happy, it’s got zing! I could be talking about myself right now {I realize I’m not yellow but my hair is at least that’s what my kids call it}
read morePasta Fredda {Cold Pasta Salad}
It doesn’t get much more simple, seasonal or satisfying that this pasta fredda. It’s what I love about summer personified in a bowl. The tomatoes and basil are from my garden and if I just owned an olive grove I could make my own olive oil and olives to go with ; ) Could call it bell’olive it has a nice ring doesn’t it. Until then I’ll use the best extra virgin olive oil and Castlevetrano Olives I can find while I’m dreaming about a little place to call my own in the northern Italian countryside.
Pappa al Pomodoro {Tomato and Bread Soup}
Next to making PANZANELLA for me, the next best thing to make with stale bread is this hearty Tuscan tomato and bread soup, Pappa al Pomodoro. It will warm you from head to toe and fill you completely. The ingredient list is short and simple and if you have a garden most of them are probably growing uncontrollably in them right now.
Zabaglione
Looking back through my recipes I can’t believe I haven’t shared this simple and perfect dessert, Zabaglione. The first memory I have of Zabaglione was during our first few weeks in Italy. We had moved out of the Pensione {long term hotel} and into our new home. Our neighbors almost immediately invited us over so they could get to know “La Famiglia Americana”. Despite my broken Italian and their pretty much non existent English we had the most amazing evening. There was laughter, there were hugs, double kisses, and of course food and wine.
Spaghetti Gelato
That’s right, don’t adjust your glasses or your screens. You read correctly. That says SPAGHETTI GELATO. And to answer your next question, no I’m not crazy {well okay maybe a little LOL} This is a blast from my past that I’m so happy to share with you. Growing up in Italy this was a special treat that we would have at the gelateria {ice cream shoppe}. It was the most glorious creamy vanilla gelato topped with fresh strawberry sauce and white chocolate shavings. It does indeed look like spaghetti with tomato sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano, BUT is in fact gelato.
Sgroppino al Limone {Lemon Sgroppino}
What is a Sgroppino you ask? Well it’s pretty much a boozy Italian smoothie! This Sgroppino al Limone {Lemon Sgroppino} is as it’s name suggests incredibly lemony. It’s a refreshing chilled cocktail that’s perfect to sip during these warm okay who am I kidding HOT HOT HOT summer months.
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