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Christmas Eve | Pasta | Popular | Seafood
Linguine Frutti Di Mare (Seafood Linguine)
If you are looking for a show stopping main course for your Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner, or any special occasion, look no further. This selection of fresh seafood in a delicious, light tomato sauce served over linguine will please any seafood lover. This classic Italian seafood pasta brings together the best…
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Sarde a Beccafico (Sicilian Stuffed Sardines)
Sarde a Beccafico is a traditional Sicilian dish of butterflied sardines stuffed with a sweet and savory mixture of bread crumbs, pine nuts, currants, anchovies, garlic and parsley. Baked in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon, it truly is a taste of Sicily. Back in 2001 I went to…
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Italian-American | Popular | Recipes | Veal
Veal Rollatini
Veal Rollatini is an interesting dish to me, not only because it is delicious, but because of the name. Veal, chicken or eggplant rollatini dishes are common on the menus of Italian-American restaurants. As the word rollatini might imply, these dishes consist of the main ingredient stuffed and rolled up. However, if you look in…
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Featured | Italian Grill | Popular | Recipes | Sausage
Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches
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…
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Beef | Popular | Recipes | Sunday Dinner
Beef Braciole
Beef Braciole, stuffed beef rolls slowly simmered in tomato sauce, are Italian comfort food at it’s best. Beef Braciole is classic Italian comfort food and a great dish to make on a wintery Sunday afternoon. Stuffed beef rolls, simmered slowly in tomato sauce so the flavors from the stuffing infuse the sauce and the meat…
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Christmas Eve | Fish | Popular | Recipes | Seafood
Red Snapper Livornese
Fragrant and flavorful with olives, capers and a light tomato sauce, Red Snapper Livornese is a seafood lover’s dream and may even make a few converts. A wonderfully pungent dish from Livorno on the western coast of Tuscany, Red Snapper Livornese, was a mainstay on my Father’s menu and one of the first recipes I…
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Featured | Pasta | Popular | Recipes | Weeknight Italian
Trenette al Pesto
In modern times the term Pesto has become a generic name for just about any combination of herbs blended with garlic, olive oil, nuts and cheese. However, the original Pesto is from Genoa in the Liguria region of Italy and is basil based and contains pignoli (pine nuts). Some people are turned off by the…
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Zeppole
You don’t have to wait for the next Italian festival or carnival to enjoy some fried dough. With this recipe you can make delicious Zeppole right at at home. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and let the memories of eating them out of the bag while enjoying the sites and sounds of the feast come right…
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Saltimbocca alla Romana
Saltimbocca is a classic Roman veal dish. In fact, it is so typically Roman that the name Saltimbocca alla Romana seems redundant to me. But, that’s what it was called on my father’s menu, so I am sticking with it. This is a great dish to serve for company. Plate it over some sautèed spinach…
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Sicilian Pistachio Pesto
Here is another excellent Sicilian variation on pesto. This is different from the Trapanese Pesto that I featured last week in that there is no tomato, and it uses pistachios instead of almonds. Think of it as closer to Genovese basil pesto, but with pistachios rather than pignoli. The difference is that instead of just…
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Prosciutto e Melone
Sweet ripe cantaloupe wrapped in paper-thin prosciutto. One of Italy’s simplest and most perfect combinations. Prosciutto and Melon is a simple and classic Italian combination. Quality ingredients are key here, use good imported Prosciutto di Parma or if you want to try something different, Prosciutto di San Daniele from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy….
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Fried Calamari
Fried Calamari has become ubiquitous, I see people ordering it everywhere from pizza places, to the local sports bar alongside a plate of Buffalo Wings. It perturbs me to see the dish lowered down to the level of deep fried bar food. Sometime I even catch myself raising an eyebrow when I see it on…
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Appetizers | pantry | Recipes
Roasted Peppers
Sure you can buy roasted peppers in a jar at the supermarket, but there is really no reason to do that when it is so easy to roast your own. After I roast the peppers I like to store them in an airtight container tossed with some extra-virgin olive oil and sliced garlic. They will…
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Appetizers | Recipes | Risotto | Sicilian
Arancini with Smoked Mozzarella and Basil
A few weeks back I featured a Fig and Prosciutto Arancini recipe. One of the great things about Arancini is that you can take the basic recipe and change the flavors up by varying the stuffing. This slightly more traditional but no less tasty variation with smoked mozzarella and basil comes from my sister in-law, Diana. Another great thing about…
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Appetizers | Recipes | Risotto | Sicilian
Arancini with Fig, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola
Arancini, stuffed risotto balls, are a traditional street food in Sicily. The most common stuffing is meat sauce, peas and cheese. However, I wanted to try something a little different and the the inspiration for this version actually came from a pizza. We have been ordering the fig and prosciutto pizza from a local restaurant,…
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Sformato di Parmagianno and Prosciutto
From Prosciutto, Pancetta, Salame by Pamela Sheldon Johns (Ten Speed Press, 2005)Here is an elegant but simple dish that can accompany roasted or grilled meats. A sformato is a dish that is cooked in a mold, then unmolded to serve. Serves 4 8 slices prosciutto di Parma 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion 3/4…
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Pasta e Fagiole
From Cucina Napoletana: 100 Recipes from Italy’s Most Vibrant City (Interlink Books, 2008) This is very much a country dish. In areas where meat was scarce or expensive, legumes were often used to provide necessary protein in the diet – with the added benefit that they were filling and could be used over the winter months when…
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Parmigiana Di Melanzane
From Cucina Napoletana: 100 Recipes from Italy’s Most Vibrant City (Interlink Books, 2008) Possibly one of Naples’ best-known traditional dishes, and taken all over the world by the waves of migrants seeking a new life after World War II, parmigiana di melanzane is as tasty as it is familiar. Salting the eggplants before cooking is the key…
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Eggplant Rollups
From Puglia: A Culinary Memoir (Italy’s Food Culture) (Oronzo Editions, LLC, 2008) Serves 6 1 onion, minced Extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups fresh tomato puree or 2 8 -ounce cans Basil leaves 3-1/4 pounds eggplant (6 small) 2 eggs Sea salt Flour for dredging Stuffing: 6 ounces ground meat, any combination of lamb, veal, and pork 2…
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Spedini Alla Romana
4 slices of white bread 4 slices of prosciutto 4 slices of mozzarella cheese flour for dredging 2 large eggs beaten vegetable oil 4 anchovy filets 2 tablespoons of butter Serves 2 Place one slice of bread on working surface, then place 2 slices of prosciutto and 2 slices of mozzarella on top of bread…
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Caponata
From Jamie’s Italy (Hyperion, 2006) This is a fantastic dish from southern Italy that’s eaten as a warm vegetable side dish or a cold antipasto. Sicilians are really proud that it’s made with produce from their island. All the different methods of making it are more or less the same – the thing that makes it special,…
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Baked Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto
This recipe is best made with thick asparagus spears; however if all you can find are thin ones, wrap 2-3 spears in each slice of prosciutto. This dish can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. Regardless of the course served with, it always draws praise from my dinner guests. Prep time: 5…
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Bresaola with Arugula and Parmigiano (Italian Cured Beef)
Bresaola is a cured and air dried beef that is the specialty of Valtellina in the Lombardy region in northern Italy. You should be able to find it in a good Italian deli or specialty store. I remember whenever my Dad had some in the restaurant, I used to love slicing it up paper thin,…
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Appetizers | Recipes | Salads
Caprese Salad
Recently I conducted a small poll on the Italian Chef Facebook page asking what kind of summer recipes people wanted to see more of here. No cook recipes like salads and cold antipasti narrowly beat out Italian grilling recipes. So, over the next couple of weeks I am going to feature some of my best…
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Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
We have actuallly had a Baked Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus recipe on the site for years. But lately, I find myself making it on the grill much more often. The prosciutto gets nice and crispy and you get a smokey flavor, expecially if you use charcoal. Plus, this recipe is about as easy as it gets….
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The Great Cherry Pepper Hunt of 2011
The week after Christmas, I was chatting with my friend Mark on IM. He was telling me about the Christmas Eve fish dinner his Mother (she is originally from Naples) made. He was running down the list, Linguine con Vongole, Fried Calamari, etc. While it sounded like a great dinner, it didn’t really excite me…
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My Favorite Weeknight Pasta Dish
For me, a good weeknight dinner must possess two essential qualities: My favorite weeknight pasta dish, Pasta with Grape Tomatoes, satisfies both of those requirements perfectly. I have been making this dish so regularly lately that every time I am in the supermarket I pick up a pint of grape tomatoes knowing that I will…
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Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are one of those appetizers that always disappear first at any gathering. They look impressive on the table but are actually quite simple to make, my favorite kind of recipe. These savory little bites were a staple at my father’s restaurant, and I’ve lost count of how many trays of them I’ve made…
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Stuffed Artichokes
The Holidays are coming and Stuffed Artichokes makes for an excellent appetizer. We have them on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They are deceptively simple to prepare, the video below demonstrates how easy they are to stuff, and work well as a make-ahead option. You can stuff and refrigerate them the day before you are going to…
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Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is one of Sicily’s most celebrated dishes, a simple combination of pasta, tomato sauce, fried eggplant, and ricotta salata that has become a symbol of Sicilian cooking. The dish comes from Catania, on the eastern coast of Sicily. The name is said to be a tribute to Norma, the opera composed by…
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Pasta al Forno with Sausage
Pasta al Forno simply means baked pasta, and unlike a lot of Italian dishes, there is no single definitive recipe for it. Every region has its own version, every family has their own take, and almost any combination of pasta, sauce, and cheese can find its way into a baking dish. Some versions are elaborate:…
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Pasta al Tonno (Pasta with Tuna)
Pasta al Tonno is the ultimate Italian pantry meal. A can of tuna, some garlic, olive oil, parsley, and a box of penne – that’s all you need. This is the kind of pasta you make on a busy weeknight when you haven’t had time to shop but still want something that tastes like a…
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Christmas Eve | Pasta | Popular | Seafood
Linguine Frutti Di Mare (Seafood Linguine)
If you are looking for a show stopping main course for your Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner, or any special occasion, look no further. This selection of fresh seafood in a delicious, light tomato sauce served over linguine will please any seafood lover. This classic Italian seafood pasta brings together the best…
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Ricotta Gnocchi
These melt-in-your-mouth ricotta gnocchi were a staple at my father’s restaurant, and I never really saw them on the menus of other Italian places back in those days. Potato gnocchi seemed to be much more prevalent—probably because they’re a bit easier to work with and hold up well to heavier sauces. But these ricotta gnocchi…
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Penne Con Fagiolini
You don’t need a fancy culinary school degree to sauté green beans in olive oil and garlic and toss them with penne, but that doesn’t mean it still isn’t a great idea. Fagiolini are green beens, also known as string beans. Green beans sautéed in olive oil with garlic are delicious on their own. Toss…
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Homemade Fresh Pasta
Making fresh pasta at home might seem like a daunting task, and while it is time consuming and with definite effort involved, it is not all that difficult and you will be handsomely rewarded for the extra work. Fresh pasta is not a replacement for the dried, factory produced pasta you find on the supermarket…
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Bacon | Lasagna | Pasta | Recipes | Sunday Dinner
Spinach Lasagna
Although this vegetarian spinach lasagna varies slightly from the traditional version of this classic Italian dish, it is equally delicious and filling. A flavorful homemade tomato sauce enrobes three layers of pasta filled with a creamy, cheesy spinach mixture and topped with golden baked mozzarella for an irresistibly mouth-watering meal. Although authentic lasagna is made…
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Penne Arrabiata
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…
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Pasta Puttanesca
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…
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Cacio e Pepe
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,…
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Pasta | Recipes | Sausage | Weeknight Italian
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
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…
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Penne Filetto di Pomodoro
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…
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Aglio e Olio (Pasta with Oil and Garlic)
Garlic, olive oil, red pepper, parsley. The pasta Italians make at midnight when the kitchen is empty. Aglio e Olio Mondays used to be a thing in our house, but we drifted away from that, replacing it with takeout way too often. Well, it’s time to get back to basics. Sometimes I run the two busy…
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Featured | Pasta | Popular | Recipes | Weeknight Italian
Trenette al Pesto
In modern times the term Pesto has become a generic name for just about any combination of herbs blended with garlic, olive oil, nuts and cheese. However, the original Pesto is from Genoa in the Liguria region of Italy and is basil based and contains pignoli (pine nuts). Some people are turned off by the…
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Garganelli with Fresh Ricotta and Grape Tomatoes
A few weeks back I was talking to my Mom about quick and easy pasta dishes. She mentioned that my grandfather used to make pasta and toss it with fresh ricotta cheese, a little grated pecorino and salt & pepper. I thought that was a great idea and planned on trying it out, eventually. I…
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Tortellini alla Panna (Tortellini in Cream Sauce)
When I went to the pasta shop this weekend to buy tortellini, I noticed that they had two types – meat and cheese. This seemed odd to me because I had always know those little rings of pasta as being stuffed with meat. Back when I was working at my Father’s restaurant, some nights he…
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Bolognese Sauce (Ragu alla Bolognese)
Just about every region of Italy has its own version of a Ragu, a slow cooked meat sauce, but perhaps the most famous is from the city of Bologna in Emilia-Romagna, Ragu alla Bolognese. Where in other areas, especially in Southern Italy, the Ragu typically starts with large cuts of meat which are cooked slowly…
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Spaghetti alla Gricia
The key ingredient in Spaghetti alla Gricia is guanciale, cured pork jowl. Guanciale is also traditionally used in the classic Roman Pasta dishes, Bucatini all’Amatriciana and Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Since guanciale is not easy to find outside of Rome and the Lazio region in Italy, and until recently impossible here in the U.S., substituting pancetta…
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Paglia e Fieno with Prosciutto and Cream
Every once in a while I pick up my copy of Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan, and flip through it looking for inspiration. Most times that inspiration comes in something that is so simple, that I kick myself for not thinking of it on my own. Prosciutto, cream and Parmagiano-Reggiano makes an…
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Fettucine Alfredo
This is not the healthiest dish in the world, but like I always say, everything in moderation. Treating yourself to this classic pasta dish once in a while won’t kill you. The short cooking time for the pasta is because we are using fresh homemade fetuccine, if you are using dried pasta cook until al…
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Marinara Sauce
Marinara derives from the Italian word for sailor, marinaro. Due to these origins I have seen many people say that marinara sauce must contain something from the sea, usually anchovies. Actually, this is not the case, the origins of marinara sauce are that it is the sauce that they made in Naples for the sailors…
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Pumpkin Gnocchi with Parmigiano, Sage, and White Truffles
From The Da Fiore Cookbook: Recipes from Venice’s Best Restaurant by Damiano Martin (Harper Collins, 2003)When Mara and Maurizio return from Alba with the first white truffles of autumn, it means that these pillowy, bite-size bundles of pumpkin gnocchi will be on da Fiore’s menu. Slicked with sage butter and topped with just a few truffle slivers,…
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Late-Night Pasta Sauce with Pine Nuts and Raisins
From Marcella Says…: Italian Cooking Wisdom from the Legendary Teacher’s Master Classes, with 120 of Her Irresistible New Recipes by Marcella Hazan (Harper Collins, 2004) At the hour that some of my neighbors in Florida are already halfway into their night’s sleep, many Italians are beginning to feel a gnawing emptiness that needs to be filled with…
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Penne With Eggplant, Tomatoes, Black Olives, and Basil
From A16: Food + Wine (Ten Speed Press, 2008) Eggplant vies with zucchini for the distinction of Campania’s most common summer vegetable, and its meaty texture is a natural for pasta. Toothsome penne tossed with chunky bits of eggplant, olives, and tomatoes is so hearty that I almost forget that this dish is vegetarian. Serves 4 as…
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Lamb and Ricotta Crespelle with Tomato and Pecorino
From A16: Food + Wine (Ten Speed Press, 2008) Lamb is the most commonly prepared meat in southern Italy, for good reason. Sheep are nimble animals and require less food and pastureland than cows, which are important traits in the rocky, dry terrain of Campania and surrounding regions. The lambs we get from Don Watson of…
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Spaghetti with Meatballs
We have received many requests for this recipe, which in many peoples’ minds is synonymous with Italian food. In actuality, this is more of an Italian-American dish, since in Italy they do not serve their meatballs on top of pasta. This recipe comes from Chef Paolo’s wife, Frances, who in my humble opinion makes the…
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Pasta with Zucchini and Mozzarella
When preparing for large parties, baked pastas are a very popular menu choice, especially if time is an issue. The advantage of preparing a dish ahead of time and then popping it in the oven just before your guests arrive, so that you can spend more time enjoying their company than working, is very appealing….
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Pasta Piselli
Pasta with Peas, very basic, very quick to prepare and very good. I do not know of an Italian that does not enjoy this dish. Serves 4 1 package of frozen fresh peas 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 large onion chopped. 1/4 cup of marinara sauce 1 pound of datali pasta or small shells Bring…
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Baked Ziti
Baked Ziti is a classic Italian-American comfort food with layers of tender pasta, rich marinara, and melted cheese that comes out of the oven bubbling and irresistible. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd or making ahead for a busy weeknight. Updated on January 26, 2026 I still remember, years ago, my wife and I had…
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Short Rib Ragu
A ragu is a slow cooked meat based sauce, and there as many variations as there are regions in Italy. I have posted a couple of versions of Ragu alla Bolognese in the past, but strangely enough I have never featured a Southern Italian ragu. This is especially perplexing, considering I am Sicilian, and grew…
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Bucatini all’Amatriciana
This typically Roman pasta dish was traditionally made with guanciale, but since that ingredient used to be very hard to find outside of Italy, and the Lazio region in particular, pancetta has became a common substitute. This is changing and guanciale can now be found at certain specialty food stores here in America. While you…
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Pasta with Summer Squash
I feel like I have been beating the simplicity theme into the ground the past few weeks, but the fact of the matter is, this is how I cook in the summer. There are so many great seasonal ingredients that I look forward to all year, and I want to put them front and center…
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Linguine with White Puttanesca
I love Pasta Puttanesca. The olives, capers, anchovies & garlic. But sometimes I want those bold flavors without the tomato, and faster. This is that dish. The idea is simple: take Linguine Aglio e Olio and add anchovies, olives and capers. No tomato sauce, just olive oil and garlic. It comes together even quicker than…
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My Favorite Weeknight Pasta Dish
For me, a good weeknight dinner must possess two essential qualities: My favorite weeknight pasta dish, Pasta with Grape Tomatoes, satisfies both of those requirements perfectly. I have been making this dish so regularly lately that every time I am in the supermarket I pick up a pint of grape tomatoes knowing that I will…
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Sunday Dinner: Green and White Pappardelle Bolognese
A few weeks back I was at Borgatti’s pasta shop, down in the Arthur Avenue area in the Bronx. While I was waiting for my ravioli I saw the guy at the counter cutting up some sheets of green(spinach) and white pasta into pappardelle. It looked so good I thought of getting some for myself,…
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Lasagna | Pasta | Recipes | Sausage | Sunday Dinner
Sausage Lasagna
The magic of sausage! It can take an ordinary lasagna and turn it into something special. Yet, even before the sausage, this is no ordinary lasagna. Fresh homemade pasta for the noodles, the Ricotta-Béchamel sauce from Chef Silvia’s Hand Rolled Lasagna and fresh mozzarella already take this to another level. Add the sausage and it’s…
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Pasta | Recipes | Sausage | Weeknight Italian
Penne with Sausage and Cream(Penne alla Norcina)
Pasta with Sausage and Cream is a hearty, substantial dish that is quick and easy enough to make on a weekday night. If I had to pick a region that this sauce is typical of I would say Emilia-Romagna, specifically Bologna. I don’t know if they would serve it on penne there, but I think…
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Tagliatelle with Tomato Sauce and Ricotta
My wife made a trip to Arthur Avenue this weekend and picked up, among other things, some fresh ricotta cheese from Calandra Cheese Market and tagliatelle from Borgatti’s Pasta. While trying to figure out what sauce we should serve with the tagliatelle, she suggested that I make a Tomato Sauce with fresh ricotta on top…
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Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a classic Roman pasta dish, that has become a standard on menus in Italian restaurants around the world. As with any dish that becomes this ubiquitous, many variations tend to crop up, with people adding different ingredients along the way. One addition that pops up frequently is cream. While I…
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Homemade Tortellini
Last week I posted a recipe for Tortellini Pasticcio. What I did not mention in that post is that the tortellini I used were homemade. I had still been tweaking the recipe for the filling and wanted to wait until I settled on a final combination of meats before I shared it. The filling that…
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Tortellini Pasticcio
Tortellini alla Panna is a classic Northern Italian preparation of meat filled Tortellini tossed in a cream sauce. My father used to serve a Tortellini Pasticcio that consisted of Tortellini alla Panna layered with Bolognese Sauce and then baked in the oven. I have been wanting to make this at home for a quite a…
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Lasagna | Pasta | Recipes | Sunday Dinner
Lasagna Bolognese
There are several things that differentiate Lasagna Bolognese from the Southern Italian style Lasagna that is more familiar to Americans. The most noticeable differences are the use of Béchamel Sauce instead of ricotta cheese, and the absence of mozzarella–only Parmagianno-Reggiano cheese is sprinkled on each layer–which results in a more delicate lasagna. Lasagna Bolognese should be made…
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Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes
I wanted to make a pasta dish Sunday for dinner and since I had just recently made and frozen a large batch of Italian sausage, Sandy suggested I defrost a few and make pasta with sausage. Great idea! I used sweet sausage for this but if you want to go spicier you can use hot…
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Hand-Rolled Lasagna
About a year or so after my father sold his restaurant and retired, I decided to get back in the restaurant business part-time, mostly to earn some extra money. I got a job waiting tables at a restaurant called Biscotti in Ridgefield, CT where the chef, Silvia Bianco was doing some amazing things in the…
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Bacon | Lasagna | Pasta | Recipes | Sunday Dinner
Spinach Lasagna
Although this vegetarian spinach lasagna varies slightly from the traditional version of this classic Italian dish, it is equally delicious and filling. A flavorful homemade tomato sauce enrobes three layers of pasta filled with a creamy, cheesy spinach mixture and topped with golden baked mozzarella for an irresistibly mouth-watering meal. Although authentic lasagna is made…
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Lasagna | Pasta | Recipes | Sausage | Sunday Dinner
Sausage Lasagna
The magic of sausage! It can take an ordinary lasagna and turn it into something special. Yet, even before the sausage, this is no ordinary lasagna. Fresh homemade pasta for the noodles, the Ricotta-Béchamel sauce from Chef Silvia’s Hand Rolled Lasagna and fresh mozzarella already take this to another level. Add the sausage and it’s…
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Lasagna | Pasta | Recipes | Sunday Dinner
Lasagna Bolognese
There are several things that differentiate Lasagna Bolognese from the Southern Italian style Lasagna that is more familiar to Americans. The most noticeable differences are the use of Béchamel Sauce instead of ricotta cheese, and the absence of mozzarella–only Parmagianno-Reggiano cheese is sprinkled on each layer–which results in a more delicate lasagna. Lasagna Bolognese should be made…
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Hand-Rolled Lasagna
About a year or so after my father sold his restaurant and retired, I decided to get back in the restaurant business part-time, mostly to earn some extra money. I got a job waiting tables at a restaurant called Biscotti in Ridgefield, CT where the chef, Silvia Bianco was doing some amazing things in the…
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Easy Lasagna
This is a relatively easy version of a Southern Italian Style lasagna with ricotta cheese and mozzarella. You can make it even easier by using no-boil lasagna sheets and skipping the cooking the pasta step. Some people might turn their nose up at the idea of using the no-boil pasta, but not all shortcuts are…
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Appetizers | Recipes | Risotto | Sicilian
Arancini with Smoked Mozzarella and Basil
A few weeks back I featured a Fig and Prosciutto Arancini recipe. One of the great things about Arancini is that you can take the basic recipe and change the flavors up by varying the stuffing. This slightly more traditional but no less tasty variation with smoked mozzarella and basil comes from my sister in-law, Diana. Another great thing about…
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Appetizers | Recipes | Risotto | Sicilian
Arancini with Fig, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola
Arancini, stuffed risotto balls, are a traditional street food in Sicily. The most common stuffing is meat sauce, peas and cheese. However, I wanted to try something a little different and the the inspiration for this version actually came from a pizza. We have been ordering the fig and prosciutto pizza from a local restaurant,…
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Wild Mushroom Risotto
Recipe attribution and credit can be a tricky thing. The internet is like the wild west when it comes to this, ripe with ripped off recipes and people stealing other people’s ideas without giving credit. Several times I have stumbled across my own recipes copied word for word on other sites without attribution, and I…
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Seafood Risotto
This recipe actually comes from my friend Michael who prides himself on his risotto skills. He feels the error that most people make when cooking risotto is that they go overboard on the stirring and end up with a gummy blob. Risotto is supposed to be creamy with distinct grains of rice not a mushy…
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Radicchio Risotto
From The Silver Spoon (Phaidon Press Ltd, 2005) Serves 4 About 6 1/2 cups of Vegetable Stock 6 tablespoons butter 1 onion, chopped 7 ounces radicchio, cut into strips 2 cups risotto rice 5 tablespoons white wine 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated salt Bring the stock to a boil. Meanwhile, melt half the butter in another pan,…
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Risotto Milanese
A successful risotto can only be made using a particular type of Italian rice. The rice must be able to absorb lots of liquid to give it that creamy texture while still delivering an al dente firmness to the bite. The three types of rice Italians favor for risotto are arborio, vialone nano, and carnaroli….
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Butternut Squash Risotto
Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall/winter ingredients. When the season comes, I especially look forward to having two dishes: Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Butter and Sage and this Butternut Squash Risotto. Over the years I have experimented with different timings and methods of incorporating the squash into the risotto, and I found I…
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Pizza – The Grandma Pie
My first exposure to a pizza called a Grandma Pie was at a local pizzeria here in Monroe, CT, Julian’s. The Grandma Pie at Julian’s was like a Sicilian, rectangular with a thick fluffy crust, but topped with fresh mozzarella and a garlicky sauce. Since then I have seen Grandma pies in New York pizzerias…
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Grilled Pizza Dough
From American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed Press, 2003) This dough needs to be very extensible and supple because it is pressed out quite thin, almost as thin as a flour tortilla. The dough is easy to make, but the technique for properly grilling a pizza, as perfected…
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Neo-Neopolitan Pizza Dough
After trying countless pizza dough recipes over the years, this Neo-Neapolitan dough from From Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day cookbook has become my absolute go-to. What I love most about it is its versatility—it performs beautifully whether I’m cooking indoors in my home oven or firing up my Roccbox in the backyard. Indoors: I use…
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Grilled Pizza
Grilled pizza. It doesn’t sound right, does it? Whenever I tell my friends that I am making grilled pizza, they usually give me a skeptical look. It is not until I finish explaining the process that I hear a hesitant, “That sounds good.” Nobody really is completely sold on the idea until they actually taste…
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Bacon | Charcuterie | Pizza | Recipes
Charcutepalooza: Fresh Bacon and Pizza
I have never taken part in a blogging challenge or event before, but when I heard about Charcutepalooza, I knew I had to participate. Charcutepalooza is the brainchild of two food bloggers, Mrs. Wheelbarrow and The Yummy Mummy. Each month for a year they pick a recipe from Michael Ruhlman’s excellent book, Charcuterie, and the…
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Grilled Pizza Puttanesca
I was going to include this pizza in the same post as the Grilled Pizza with Cherry Tomatoes I featured recently. At the time I was just topping it with chopped olives and capers and it was very good that way, but I still felt something was lacking. So, I held off on sharing the recipe, while…
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Grilled Pizza with Cherry Tomatoes
I recently came across some delicious cherry and grape tomatoes at my local farmers market. I was planning on making some grilled pizza and as soon as I tasted them, I knew that they had to go on least one of the pizzas. I did two versions, one replaced the sauce completely with the tomatoes,…
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Italian-American | Popular | Recipes | Veal
Veal Rollatini
Veal Rollatini is an interesting dish to me, not only because it is delicious, but because of the name. Veal, chicken or eggplant rollatini dishes are common on the menus of Italian-American restaurants. As the word rollatini might imply, these dishes consist of the main ingredient stuffed and rolled up. However, if you look in…
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Recipes | Sunday Dinner | Veal
Veal Sorrentino
This past weekend my mom came up to spend the day and I wanted to make something special, so I reached into my old school bag of tricks and made Veal Sorrentino. It had been quite a while since I made this and I had forgotten what a great and unique veal dish it is….
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Beef | Popular | Recipes | Sunday Dinner
Beef Braciole
Beef Braciole, stuffed beef rolls slowly simmered in tomato sauce, are Italian comfort food at it’s best. Beef Braciole is classic Italian comfort food and a great dish to make on a wintery Sunday afternoon. Stuffed beef rolls, simmered slowly in tomato sauce so the flavors from the stuffing infuse the sauce and the meat…
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Recipes | Sunday Dinner | Veal
Ossobuco
Ossobuco is a classic Milanese dish that pairs perfectly with another specialty from the Lombardy region, saffron infused Risotto alla Milanese. The name Ossobuco literally translates to “bone with a hole” which is a reference to the marrow filled hole in the center of the veal shank. You might be tempted to skip the tying…
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Costolette di Maiale Con Salvia
From Jamie’s Italy (Hyperion, 2006) Pork chops are a pretty regular occurrence in Italy. They can be cooked in many, many way: but this recipe is one of my favorites. When I first saw it being made in a trattoria in Florence on my first-ever trip to Italy, the young lady who was making it inserted a…
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Veal Capriciosa
Cutlets, they are a staple of every Italian’s diet. Veal cutlets and chicken cutlets are quick to prepare and can be enjoyed in many different ways. This variation of the veal cutlet is served with a refreshing salad on top and is quite delicious. Of course if veal is not your bag then you can…
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The Veal Cutlets of Trattoria Battibecco
Biba Caggiano has written some of my favorite Italian cookbooks. Her book Biba’s Italy: Favorite Recipes from the Splendid Cities is one I keep coming back to, and this Cotoletta alla Bolognese is a perfect example of why. The technique of coating the veal cutlets with Parmigiano-Reggiano before breading adds a savory depth that I…
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Steak Pizzaiola
For all of you steak lovers out there, here is an excellent alternative to a plain grilled or broiled steak. If you do not wish to add the mushrooms and peppers, it is delicious just with the marinara sauce alone. Serves 4 4 boneless Shell Steaks 1/4 cup olive oil 1 large green pepper and…
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Saltimbocca alla Romana
Saltimbocca is a classic Roman veal dish. In fact, it is so typically Roman that the name Saltimbocca alla Romana seems redundant to me. But, that’s what it was called on my father’s menu, so I am sticking with it. This is a great dish to serve for company. Plate it over some sautèed spinach…
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Cutlets | Sunday Dinner | Veal
Sunday Dinner: Cotoletta alla Bolognese
Earlier in the week I featured a recipe for Veal Cutlets Milanese that was pretty popular. So, I thought I would keep the cutlet theme going by recommending a very different style from The Italian Chef archives for your Sunday dinner this week. The Veal Cutlets of Trattoria Battibecco is a variation on Bolognese Style…
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Cutlets | Recipes | Sunday Dinner | Veal
Veal Cutlets Milanese Style
Veal Milanese is one of those recipes that you should be able to find on a site called The Italian Chef, but inexplicably it has been absent here up until now. I decided to rectify this, but have been struggling with a write-up to go along with the recipe. Everything I came up with about…
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Chicken Cacciatore
The trend in Italian restaurants today to be new and innovative has unfortunately forced some excellent traditional dishes such as Chicken Cacciatore off the menus. This is a shame, because if you ask me, great food should never go out of style. Chicken Cacciatore, which translates to “hunter’s chicken,” is a rustic Italian dish that…
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Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata is one of those Italian-American classics that proves you don’t need a long ingredient list to make a delicious meal. Thin chicken cutlets, a bright lemon-butter sauce, briny capers, and a splash of white wine, that’s it. This was a staple at my Dad’s restaurant and it’s still one of my go-to weeknight…
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Chicken Scarpariello
The aroma of this dish takes me back to my days waiting tables at my Dad’s restaurant. Whenever I carried Chicken Scarpariello across the dining room, the lemon-garlic scent never failed to make me hungry. This is his recipe, the one I grew up with, and it’s all about that bright, garlicky pan sauce. This…
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Chicken Paillard with Arugula Salad
Thin cut Chicken Paillard quickly browned on both sides and topped with a peppery, lemony Arugula Salad is an easy, healthy and delicious weeknight meal. Chicken Paillard topped with a salad was one of my staple meals when I waited tables at my Father’s restaurant. It was quick and easy enough that I didn’t feel…
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Chicken Marsala
Always a crowd pleaser, Chicken Marsala is a classic dish that is actually quite easy to make and can be ready to eat in under 30 minutes. Chicken Marsala is a simple, but delicious old Italian classic. Sometimes in my quest to find new recipes and dishes I forget about my old favorites. Quite a while…
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Chicken | Cutlets | Recipes | Sunday Dinner
Chicken Parmigiana
Chicken Parmigiana with breaded chicken cutlets, marinara sauce, parmigiano and melted mozzarella cheese is a classic Italian-American comfort food. I know on Labor Day weekend you are supposed to grill. But the forecast had been calling for rain on Sunday and I had just recently made a batch of Marinara Sauce. So, I thought what better way…
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Grilled Chicken with Salmoriglio
Grilled Chicken with lemony Sicilian Salmoriglio Sauce is an iconic summer dish to me. It has been part of my barbecues for as long as I can remember. Not only is it simply the best grilled chicken but making it evokes such great memories from the past: Cookouts in my parents backyard. Visiting my Uncle Vinny’s on…
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Rabbit Braised with Wine, Olives and Sage
From Biba’s Italy: Favorite Recipes from the Splendid Cities (Artisan, 2006) The Tuscan way of preparing delicious home-cooked meals is straightforward and uncomplicated, and proves that you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen. This typical family fare can be made with rabbit, pheasant, or chicken, and is a staple of Florence’s trattorie, where the rabbit…
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Grilled Chicken with Piri Piri Sauce
When I decided to add this blog to ItalianChef.com, I thought it would be a good forum for occasionally writing about other types of food. The main focus will always be Italian cuisine, but I do branch out and would like to share my experiences with cooking in general. My wife, Sandy, is Portuguese and since we have been together…
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Spaghetti alla Gricia
The key ingredient in Spaghetti alla Gricia is guanciale, cured pork jowl. Guanciale is also traditionally used in the classic Roman Pasta dishes, Bucatini all’Amatriciana and Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Since guanciale is not easy to find outside of Rome and the Lazio region in Italy, and until recently impossible here in the U.S., substituting pancetta…
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Rack Of Lamb
I made this Rack of Lamb paired with Risotto Milanese as part of a Valentines Day dinner for my wife, Sandy. I discussed making it and possibly featuring it here to some co-workers during lunch the week before. Suprisingly, one of them, Mark said he didn’t think Rack of Lamb was a good Valentines Day…
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Pork Chops with Peppers
There may not seem like a lot to this dish, but boy is it tasty. Pork chops with vinegar peppers is an old Italian stand-by. For a different variation on this dish you can home fry some potatoes and put them on top. Serves 2 4 center cut pork chops 1/4 cup olive oil 6…
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Roasted Pork with Rosemary, Sage, and Garlic
From Biba’s Italy: Favorite Recipes from the Splendid Cities (Artisan, 2006) Umberto, the owner of the quaint Osteria del Caffè Italiano, is a man with a mission: he wants his customers to enjoy his food and to have a good time. The night my daughter Paola and I were there, he took over the duties of the…
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Pork | Recipes | Sunday Dinner
Porchetta
In Italy, Porchetta is a deboned pig, stuffed and rolled, and there are many versions depending on the region. I wanted to make Porchetta, but was not quite up to deboning and stuffing a pig, so I decided to do what you might consider “Porchetta Lite”. After doing some searching through recipe books and on…
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Italian Grill | Lamb | Recipes
Lamb Chops Scottadito
In Italian the word scottadito means burned fingers. This dish is named scottadito because the lamb chops are so delicious that you can’t resist eating them sizzling hot, straight from the grill and burning your fingers. Recommended for This Recipe: Note: This post contains affiliate links. More Recipes
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Grilled Swordfish with Pesto Trapanese
I was looking to do some kind of new fish on the grill. I have my standards that I go to all summer long, usually involving swordfish, or steelhead trout, but was in the mood for a change. I decided a simple grilled swordfish with pesto would be a good idea. The reason I do…
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Branzino di Lina in Cartoccio
Many of my favorite memories of visiting Sicily over the years revolve around food. The way a meal could stretch for hours. The way my aunt would disappear into the kitchen and come back with something extraordinary made from almost nothing. My late Aunt Lina lived in Motta Santa Anastasia, a small town in the…
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Sole Francese
Sole Francese was a constant on my dad’s menu and has always been a popular Italian-American favorite. Who can resist a golden egg-battered fillet smothered in a lemon butter wine sauce? The majority of the recipes here on ItalianChef.com were on the menu at my father’s restaurant or came from him when he was still…
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Pasta al Tonno (Pasta with Tuna)
Pasta al Tonno is the ultimate Italian pantry meal. A can of tuna, some garlic, olive oil, parsley, and a box of penne – that’s all you need. This is the kind of pasta you make on a busy weeknight when you haven’t had time to shop but still want something that tastes like a…
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Christmas Eve | Pasta | Popular | Seafood
Linguine Frutti Di Mare (Seafood Linguine)
If you are looking for a show stopping main course for your Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner, or any special occasion, look no further. This selection of fresh seafood in a delicious, light tomato sauce served over linguine will please any seafood lover. This classic Italian seafood pasta brings together the best…
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Christmas Eve | Fish | Holidays | Seafood
Insalata Frutta di Mare
This refreshing Italian Seafood Salad (Insalata Frutta di Mare) features tender calamari, shrimp, and scungilli tossed in a bright lemon and olive oil dressing. It’s a classic antipasto that lets the quality of the seafood shine through with minimal fuss. The simple dressing of fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and parsley enhances the…
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Fried Calamari
Fried Calamari has become ubiquitous, I see people ordering it everywhere from pizza places, to the local sports bar alongside a plate of Buffalo Wings. It perturbs me to see the dish lowered down to the level of deep fried bar food. Sometime I even catch myself raising an eyebrow when I see it on…
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Sarde a Beccafico (Sicilian Stuffed Sardines)
Sarde a Beccafico is a traditional Sicilian dish of butterflied sardines stuffed with a sweet and savory mixture of bread crumbs, pine nuts, currants, anchovies, garlic and parsley. Baked in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon, it truly is a taste of Sicily. Back in 2001 I went to…
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Christmas Eve | Fish | Seafood
Italian Christmas Eve Dinner
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…
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Sole Piccata
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…
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Fish | Italian Grill | Recipes | Seafood | Sicilian
Swordfish Sandwiches
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…
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Italian Grill | Recipes | Seafood | Sicilian
Grilled Swordfish with Breadcrumbs
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…
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Christmas Eve | Fish | Popular | Recipes | Seafood
Red Snapper Livornese
Fragrant and flavorful with olives, capers and a light tomato sauce, Red Snapper Livornese is a seafood lover’s dream and may even make a few converts. A wonderfully pungent dish from Livorno on the western coast of Tuscany, Red Snapper Livornese, was a mainstay on my Father’s menu and one of the first recipes I…
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Pesce all’Acqua Pazza (Fish in Crazy Water)
I first had this dish at a small restaurant in Positano on the Amalfi Coast called O’Capurale and was blown away by how flavorful yet light it was. Pesce all’Acqua Pazza means Fish in Crazy Water. Many American interpretations of this dish seem to take this translation extremely literal. They really accentuate the “crazy”, using…
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Seared Tuna with Sweet and Sour Cipollini Onions
Whenever possible I like to feature Sicilian inspired dishes here for a couple of reasons. First, my family is Sicilian in origin. Although my parents met here in America, both of their families are from the same town in Sicily, Francavilla di Sicilia. Second, and more importantly, Sicilian cooking is awesome and unique! In it you can…
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Fish | Italian Grill | Recipes | Seafood | Sicilian
Swordfish Sicilian Style
Swordfish Sicilian Style is kind of a deceiving name for this dish, considering that swordfish is prepared so many different ways in Sicily. Dishes like Stuffed Swordfish Rolls and Swordfish coated in breadcrumbs and grilled are also very typically Sicilian just to name a couple. But, this tasty lemon, oil, garlic and white wine sauce just never fails to…
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Clams Oreganato
Clams Oreganato. Baked Clams. Stuffed Clams. No matter what you call them, they are a great starter for your Christmas Eve fish dinner. It is very important that the stuffing stays moist and does not become dried out. If the bread crumb mixture feels too dry, you may have to add a little more oil,…
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Clams and Mussels Posillipo
You don’t see mussels and/or clams Posillipo on too many menus anymore, which is really a shame because it is a great dish. Foodie “purists” will claim that dishes such as this are not really Italian but Italian-American inventions. I am pretty sure that in Naples, which Posillipo is a neighborhood in, you will find…
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Seafood Risotto
This recipe actually comes from my friend Michael who prides himself on his risotto skills. He feels the error that most people make when cooking risotto is that they go overboard on the stirring and end up with a gummy blob. Risotto is supposed to be creamy with distinct grains of rice not a mushy…
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Linguini White Clam Sauce
If the idea of shelling more than a dozen clams doesn’t appeal to you, ask them to shell them for you at your favorite fish market. Just make sure they pack them with their juices when they give them to you. Serves 4 3/4 cup of olive oil 4 cloves of Garlic chopped 1 and…
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Pesce alla Paolo
Recently, we went down to visit my parents in New York. I needed to stock up on some essentials to bring back home to Connecticut, so my Father and I took a drive down to Arthur Avenue, the Little Italy section of the Bronx, to do some shopping. While there we stopped at Randazzo’s Fish…
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Shrimp Scampi
I am extremely allergic to shellfish, which would not be a problem if had this condition my whole life and I really didn’t know what I was missing out on. Unfortunately, this is not the case; I developed it as an adult, long after Shrimp and Lobster were entrenched near the top of my favorite…
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Shrimp Oreganato
This recipe is a very tasty shrimp dish, the key to which is making sure that it stays moist and does not become dried out. If the bread crumb mixture feels too dry, you may have to add a little more oil, use your judgement. Serves 4 2 cups bread crumbs 1/4 cup olive oil…
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Linguine with Blue Crab Sauce
From Italian Family Dining: Recipes, Menus, and Memories of Meals with a Great American Food Family (Rodale Books, 2005) We serve this pasta every Christmas Eve, as part of the Cena della Vigilia feast. The recipe comes from Edward’s godfather, Tomasso, an Italian fellow who worked in the Pennsylvania coal mines. He never spoke English, and sent…
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Le Migliori Polpette di Tonno
From Jamie’s Italy (Hyperion, 2006) Just about everyone I know is a fan of meatballs, so I thought I’d give you a recipe for these, as they are something a little different. I’ve seen them made in Sicily in the same way, using a mixture of swordfish and tuna ? not canned tuna though. These have…
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Codfish with Brocoletti di Rape
From Italian Family Dining: Recipes, Menus, and Memories of Meals with a Great American Food Family (Rodale Books, 2005)This is one of our favorite dishes, and we eat it frequently during the winter. You can substitute any large, whitefish, like striped bass, for the cod. You can also substitute chunks of fish, like monkfish. Serves 4 2…
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Mussel Soup
From Sicily: Culinary Crossroads (Italy’s Food Culture) (Oronzo Editions, LLC, 2008) Mussels have several other dialect names in Sicily–cozzi, cozzi niura, arcella, catacozzula, anapinnula–to name a few. The mussels that have been grown for centuries at Ganzirri, an inlet just outside Messina are much renowned. 4-1/2 pounds fresh mussels in their shells 1 medium onion, chopped 1…
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Seared Tuna With Sweet-Sour Onions
From Seafood alla Siciliana: Recipes and Stories from a Living Tradition (Lake Isle Press, 2009) Here’s another variation on the agrodolce theme, based loosely on a recipe from Charly, chef of Taormina’s Vicolo Stretto restaurant. With red onion crowning each tuna steak, it looks pretty and makes an especially nice warm-weather dish, served at room temperature–like…
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Stuffed Lobster
This recipe comes from my Cousin Sal and the dish is the centerpiece of his traditional Christmas Eve meal with his family. Chopping up the meat from the claws and including it in the stuffing is a really nice touch. Serves 4 2 lobsters, 1 1/2 – 2 pounds each 1 cup bread crumbs 2…
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Spaghetti with Tuna and Anchovies
From Italian Family Dining: Recipes, Menus, and Memories of Meals with a Great American Food FamilyItalian Family Dining (Rodale Books, 2005) We tested this recipe with a very fine canned tomato called Vaegri — indeed, the best we ever tasted beside our own homemade. We buy it at Tino’s Deli in the Bronx. We prefer fresh or…
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Spaghetti Alla Rosinella
From Cucina Napoletana: 100 Recipes from Italy’s Most Vibrant City (Interlink Books, 2008) In this typical pasta dish from the Posillipo district of Naples, the most is made of the fresh seafood available along the coast of Campania. Posillipo, situated at the western end of the Bay of Naples and leading down to the water, is one…
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Broiled Stuffed Squid
From The Silver SpoonThe Silver Spoon (Phaidon Press Ltd, 2005) Serves 4 4 squid, cleaned 1 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprig, plus extra to garnish 1/2 garlic clove 1 cup bread crumbs olive oil, for drizzling and brushing salt and pepper lemon wedges, to garnish Preheat the broiler to hot. Chop the squid tentacles with the parsley and…
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Black Bass With Sicilian-Style Pesto
From Urban Italian: Simple Recipes and True Stories from a Life in Food (Bloomsbury USA, 2008) For years, I thought Sicilian Pesto was some weird, made-up American sun-dried-tomato abomination. It wasn’t until my first trip to Sicily that I discovered that pesto alla Siciliano was actually Italian–and more to the point, that there was a reason to…
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Aromatic Salmon Steamed In Foil
From Seafood alla Siciliana: Recipes and Stories from a Living Tradition (Lake Isle Press, 2009) A fish from Northern Waters, salmon appeared in Sicilian markets only in the aftermath of globalization. It is a convenient and delicious option for American cooks, however, and takes very well to Sicilian flavors. Seasoned couscous goes well with this dish. Serves…
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Fish | Recipes | Seafood | Weeknight Italian
Pan Seared Tuna with Rosemary Oil
In 2005 Sandy and I took a two week trip to Italy. We started in Venice and worked our way down through Tuscany, Rome and The Amalfi Coast to Sicily. We were married less than two years at the time and didn’t have children yet, so it was the perfect time in our lives for…
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Italian Grill | Recipes | Seafood | Sicilian
Involtini di Pesce Spada
The last time I visited Sicily just about every restaurant I went to had a variation of these typically Sicilian stuffed swordfish rolls on the menu. This is one version of the dish, it can also be found with a stuffing that contains currants and pine nuts. I’m a big olive and caper fan so…
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Christmas Eve Menu 2009
With Christmas less than two weeks away this is a good time to encourage anybody who is interested in having a traditional Southern Italian all fish Christmas Eve Dinner to check out our Feast of the Seven Fishes menu. We first published this menu, with dishes like the Fried Calamari pictured above, on The Italian Chef…
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Pistachio Gelato
We are having a bit of a heat wave here in Connecticut this week. I figured what better way to fight the heat than to try out a new flavor of gelato. I wanted to make a Sicilian style gelato, so I decided to go with a very popular flavor in Sicily, pistachio. Sicilian style…
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Ricotta Cheesecake
Desserts were not the strong suit of my father’s restaurant. You ate there for the pasta dishes and the Italian entrees. Dessert was an afterthought. Like many Italian-American restaurants at the time, we had premade desserts we got from a vendor like spumoni and tortoni. We did stuff our cannolis fresh, and made desserts like…
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Almond Biscotti
Crisp, nutty, and perfect for dunking. This Italian classic belongs in your cookie jar. These almond biscotti strike the perfect balance between traditional Italian crispness and American tenderness. After testing various butter amounts, I’ve landed on a half-stick, just enough to create a biscotti that’s satisfyingly crunchy on the outside while maintaining a pleasant bite…
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Chocolate Zabaglione
Part mousse, part custard, all romance. This is the Valentine’s dessert your date will actually remember. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and I wanted to make a special dessert so I decided on a twist on an Italian classic, Zabaglione. Zabaglione is a traditional Italian custard made by whipping Marsala wine with sugar…
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Homemade Sicilian Cannoli (Shells and Filling)
Every year for Christmas I get pastries and biscotti from Del Prete pastry shop in Bridgeport. Everything there is great, but they make the best cannoli in Connecticut. So you can imagine my disappointment to find out they had a fire and are temporarily closed, so I need to get my cannoli for the holidays…
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Blood Orange Granita
Hey Phil. Why are you making tasty frozen treats in the dead of winter? Blood Oranges are in season. But isn’t it too cold for Granita? Blood Oranges are in season. Wouldn’t Blood Orange Granita be more appropriate in the summer? Blood Oranges aren’t in season in the summer. Why do you have to make…
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Ricotta Zeppole
How do you make Zeppole, the classic fried dough treat served at Italian Festivals even better? Add Ricotta Cheese of course! Growing up I was always used to seeing the plain flour based zeppole at festivals, your traditional fried dough, which I still love. But I find myself making ricotta zeppole more often lately. I…
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Granita di Caffè con Panna
Summer is flying by and I am feeling a little self-imposed pressure to get in all of the great Summer recipes I had planned on. I may not get them all in but it really would have been a shame if I didn’t make this espresso granita with whipped cream. This is a really great…
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Dessert | Featured | Gelato and Granita | Recipes | Sicilian
Granita di Limone
Some of my fondest memories of my (too few) visits to Sicily are of sitting in the café in the morning and having a Granita di Limone (Italian Lemon Ice) and brioche for breakfast. That’s right, I said for breakfast. In the summer in Sicily, granita and gelato are breakfast foods. That’s what I call…
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Chocolate Gelato (Sicilian Style)
What is gelato? Some might say gelato is just the Italian word for Ice Cream. While close, that wouldn’t be exactly accurate. There are two big differences between Italian gelato and American ice cream. The first is that gelato contains less butterfat; it is typically made with whole milk rather than cream (in some rare cases…
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Zeppole
You don’t have to wait for the next Italian festival or carnival to enjoy some fried dough. With this recipe you can make delicious Zeppole right at at home. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and let the memories of eating them out of the bag while enjoying the sites and sounds of the feast come right…
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Gianduja Gelato
From The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments (Ten Speed Press, 2007) On my first visit to Torino, I arrived in rabid pursuit of qianduja, a confection made from local hazelnuts ground with milk chocolate that is a specialty of the Piedmont region. I’d also never had gianduja gelato at the source. I did…
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Custard Gelato
From Gelato!: Italian Ice Creams, Sorbetti, and Granite by Pamela Sheldon Johns (Ten Speed Press, 2008)One of the most popular flavors in gelaterie in Italy is crema, a simple frozen custard unenhanced by any flavoring. It has a rich yellow color due to the brightness of the yolks of Italian corn-fed chickens. Makes 1-1/2 quarts; serves…
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Zabaglione Gelato
From The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments (Ten Speed Press, 2007) True zabaglione?a foamy custard of egg yolks, wine, and sugar?is often made to order in Italian restaurants. Moments after the waiter takes your order, you’ll hear the frenetic “clang-clack-clang” of the whisk hitting the copper bowl in the kitchen. Once it’s reached…
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Tiramisu
Tiramisu literally translates to “pick me up.” We have had many requests for this classic Italian dessert and I’m sure my mother’s recipe which is presented here will pick up anybody who tries it. Serves 6-8 1 Package of Savoiardi (Italian Lady Fingers) 4 egg yolks 1/2 cup of sugar 1 lb of Marscapone cheese…
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Caffè Latte Gelato
From Gelato!: Italian Ice Creams, Sorbetti, and Granite by Pamela Sheldon Johns (Ten Speed Press, 2008)Hardcore coffee-lovers can intensify the flavor of this coffee gelato by doubling the amount of ground coffee. It is essential to grind the coffee fresh and as fine as possible to extract the most flavor. Makes 1-1/2 quarts; serves 6 2…
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Vanilla Gelato and Affogato
This week I had a strong craving for Affogato, a simple but delicious Italian dessert that is made by pouring a shot of hot espresso over a scoop of vanilla gelato. Naturally, to make this I needed vanilla gelato. So, this was as good a time as ever to break out my ice cream machine,…
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Biscotti
There is an Italian bakery in Bridgeport, CT called Del Prete, and they make these great mini biscotti. They are the perfect size for dunking in an espresso or a glass of vin santo. I usually get the chocolate and the almond from Del Prete, but have been making butterscotch biscotti off and on for…
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Stracciatella Gelato (Italian Chocolate Chip Ice Cream)
Stracciatella Gelato is kind of like American chocolate chip ice cream, except completely different. Instead of the chips and sometimes chunks you find in American product, Stracciattella has fine bits of chocolate throughout, which results in a smooth texture with just the slightest crunch in every bite. This is achieved by drizzling in a thin stream of melted…
