It is a tradition with many Southern Italian families to celebrate Christmas Eve with an elaborate fish banquet, Il Cenone di Vigilia. Sometimes referred to as The Feast of the Seven Fishes, not everybody sticks to exactly seven; some go up to 11 or 12, predominantly shellfish. This tradition actually started out as a gesture…
Penne Arrabiata translates to Angry Penne, which is an apt name for this spicy pasta dish. My father didn’t typically put too much spice into his cooking, but this was one exception. If people wanted the pasta angry they got it angry! If you look at and try different people’s versions of Penne Arrabiata, you…
Sole Piccata is a good example of a light and tasty seafood dish that is easy to prepare. When my father made sole (or chicken) piccata at his restaurant he didn’t typically put capers in it, but many chefs do. I am a big caper fan, especially with fish, so I like to include them…
Summer weather is finally hitting us here in Connecticut, and when it’s this hot I like to keep my cooking as simple as possible, preferably outside on the grill, while still maximizing flavor. These Swordfish Sandwiches certainly check off all of the boxes. Perfectly grilled swordfish steaks on crusty Italian bread with peppery arugula and…
Where I come from we would call this a wedge, some people call it a hero, some call it a hoagie or grinder, so I am just going with Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches here and you can call them whatever you like. Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches rank right up there with Grilled Chicken with Salmoriglio as one…
Pasta Puttanesca is loosely translated to “street walker’s pasta.” There are a lot of stories about how this name came about. The most popular is that the ladies of the evening in Naples used to make Pasta alla Puttanesca and put it out on the windowsill so that the aroma of the sauce would attract…
I really love Roman cuisine, especially the pasta dishes. I have featured classics like Carbonara, Buccatini all’Amatriciana and Spaghetti alla Gricia here in the past. Cacio e Pepe is another one to add to our repertoire of crowd pleasing Roman pasta dishes. Cacio e Pepe literally means cheese and pepper, which are the two main ingredients,…
Sausage and broccoli rabe is a great combination—one of those classic pairings that just makes sense once you taste it. Even if you’re not a big broccoli rabe eater (and I know the bitterness can be polarizing), you need to try them together. The contrast between the slight bitterness of the broccoli rabe and the…
I have been fascinated by this Sicilian technique of coating marinated swordfish in breadcrumbs and grilling it ever since I first saw it in the book Coming Home to Sicily by Fabrizia Lanza. So, now that the warmer spring weather has finally hit, what better time to feature it? I made some small tweaks to her recipe, including…
Filetto di Pomodoro, with prosciutto and onion, is a rustic and hearty tomato sauce that goes great over penne or your favorite pasta shape. Filetto di Pomodoro is the first of my Dad’s recipes from the restaurant that I learned to cook well. I worked as a waiter at the restaurant and didn’t have my…
