Caramelized Brussels sprouts and shallots concentrate in flavor and soften just enough to provide a slight textural contrast to the pasta. The sherry offers a touch of sweetness that perfectly matches the savoriness of the veggies and the speck. The dish is subtle yet each bite suffuses your mouth with flavor. Sublime!
Read MoreThis pasta dish was inspired by a meal I devoured in Florence, Italy. I don't actually recall what was in the ravioli there, but the creamy sauce flecked with speck (an Italian bacon) was out of this world. This is my homage to that.
Read MoreI do believe I could eat spaghetti alle vongole every day. It is simple Italian food at its very best. This dish is perfect!
Read MoreThis Mexican take on a summertime pasta seems odd but is definitely good! A bit of spice, lots of flavor, light and delicious.
Read MoreThis lobster pasta is a cholesterol bomb but totally delicious and worth it! I used two lobster tails, steamed them, and then made less of the sauces. I did not use or miss the salmon caviar; this is a very rich meal! This dish is not hard but you really have to pay attention and multitask. Have everything ready to go and at arm's length. Do not overcook the pasta before adding it to the skillet or you'll end up with a gummy mass.
Read MoreTo me, this dish is simple perfection and highlights the beautiful bounty of local farmers markets and eating seasonably from them. I had a huge mess of just-picked mixed baby greens -two kinds of kale, mustard- and some fresh, young goat cheese- wouldn't a combo of those make a lovely stuffing for fresh ravioli? Yes!
I always like whole wheat with greens so incorporated some whole wheat pastry flour into the pasta dough. As well, since spring is on the horizon, I added lemon zest to the ravioli filling and made a lemon-butter sauce to top it all off.
This traditional Italian ragu recipe is from one of Mario Batali's cookbooks and is delicious. Make the whole amount so that you have some to freeze- you'll be glad you did.
Read MoreThis pasta dough is easy to work with and delicious. I adapted this recipe from one I found on epicurious so that it would include whole wheat flour.
Read MoreWho doesn't love Tuscan food?! This is an homage to that region and the simple beauty of good Italian pasta.
Read MoreIn the mood for pasta, I was rummaging in my fridge and saw shredded rotisserie chicken, fennel and a bit of mascarpone. Some random flash of old reminded me that I’d once seen a dish with pasta, chicken and currants. YES! So, I sauteed some garlic, fennel and currants in some olive oil, salted it well, added a healthy dash of cinnamon and some chicken, sauteed some more, deglazed with some of the white wine I was drinking and kept warm.
In the meantime, in super-well-salted water, I cooked some whole wheat spaghetti until al dente, reserved 1/2 cup of cooking water, and then tossed the pasta, a nice knob of mascarpone and about 1/4 c cooking water into the fennel-chicken mixture. I stirred/cooked it all over low heat, adding a bit more cooking water as I went to keep it vaguely saucy, and served with freshly grated parmesan and some chopped fennel fronds on top.
This pasta dish is not subtle: you need to love garlic, anchovies and shrimp to groove on it, but if you do, this meal sings and you'll love it!! I found this recipe years ago and have been cooking it for us ever since. It
Read MoreThis pasta dish is really simple, quick and tasty, an excellent way to use and highlight fresh mushrooms.
Read MoreIn 2009, Gourmet published an Italian-American issue. The cover recipe was this one: the most spectacular meatballs ever. This is the sort of recipe that will make you feel like an Italian grandmother; you will mix and shape and fry and simmer for hours. Really, you need to dedicate a half-day to these meatballs and their sauce. But, if you do, you will be rewarded many times over
Read Moremusings from a stay-at-home, cooking-obsessed mom
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