This classic Italian pasta shape is incredibly easy to make! Homemade ricotta cavatelli use the same dough as ricotta gnocchi, but the shape is even more simple! No special tools required, just your hands and a wooden board! Toss them with a Bolognese, marinara or of course, broccoli rabe!
Read MoreThis pasta dish is the epitome of Summer! Fresh lemon brightens up creamy ricotta to make the perfect pasta sauce! Toss in peas for some green - OR - chopped zucchini or spinach - whatever you like! Best of all? It all comes together in the time it takes the pasta to boil so you're not standing over the stove!
Read MoreThis light and fresh Summer salad is quick and easy to make and can be tailored to any diet! Orzo, which are small pasta, cook up in just 4-5 minutes. Tossed with fresh Summer vegetables, extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and you have lunch on the table! Top you salad with grilled shrimp or chicken (thanks to the folks at Traeger Grills for helping us out!), or swap in feta cheese for a vegetarian version. Vegan? Toss on some grilled tofu instead, or just add in beans like ceci. Gluten free? Swap the orzo for rice or quinoa! You get the idea.
Read MoreWatch how quick and easy it is to make a healthy spinach pesto from scratch! Pestos are a great way to dress pasta, chicken, shrimp, anything really! And the best part is they're ready in minutes; the food processor handles it all for you! I make my spinach pesto with fresh baby spinach, toasted walnuts, garlic and some parmesan cheese! Rounded out with a quality olive oil and you've got a quick and easy sauce that's both healthy and delicious!
Read MoreThis has been a HUGE request, both on the channel and in cooking classes! So I finally got around to playing with some gluten-free flour and found that a good old fashioned egg pasta dough works best! Along with the VERY rustic, truly hand-cut pasta form! Rolling the dough through my hand-crank machine was a struggle but simply rolling it out on the board and cutting the pasta by hand worked out great! It tastes REALLY good - no difference between this gluten-free version and regular fresh pasta! No change in cooking time either!
Read MoreThis delicious Tuscan style ragu comes to us from Fattoria il Poggio - a farm in Montecarlo that we visited on my last culinary tour of Italy! The team there was amazing and they were so generous to share their small cookbook with me and allow me to share their recipes! Their ragu sauce recipe seemed perfect as we head into these cooler days. It's rich and hearty and perfect over your favorite pasta on a chilly day! It does take a little over an hour to pull together so it's definitely best for a Sunday style dinner!
Read MoreThere's something about seafood that just screams Summer for me. And since we're winding down these last lazy, hazy days, I couldn't think of a better dish to serve up than spaghetti with clams! It's quick and easy, packed with fresh Summer flavors, and great for entertaining!
Read MoreMy friend Mike Favetta joins me in the Cucina this week showing us his version of pasta cacio e pepe! This classic Roman dish only has 3 ingredients but is often difficult to make! Mike shows us what he learned from the "Nonna" downstairs from his apartment in Milan!
Read MoreI can't think of anything more impressive than hand made pasta. It's literally the way to anyone's heart! These ravioli are fun to make with and for family and friends - plus they have the easiest sauce EVER! Thanks again to the staff at Certosa di Pontignano AND Florencetown for showing us this one!
Read MoreThis cherry tomato sauce recipe is SO easy! You can literally get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes! Four simple ingredients marry together to make the perfect dressing for pasta.
Read MoreIf you grew up in an Italian home and so much as sniffled, you were immediately served a warm bowl of pasting soup! Know as "Italian Penicillin" this simple soup is so comforting if you have a cold (or the flu!). Easy to digest, packed with nutrients and a touch of protein from the egg; it's just what the doctor - and Nonnas all over - ordered! Stay well my friends!
Read MoreI'm sharing my great-grandmother's recipe for hand-made potato gnocchi! Born in northern Italy, she taught me how to make these perfect pasta pillows from scratch, and now I'm sharing them with you! This is a cherished recipe for me and I hope it becomes one for you as well!
Read MoreI'm getting you ready for Christmas with another great holiday dinner dish! Lasagna Bolognese is a classic for Christmas Day in Italy and here in the States! Make this easy recipe ahead of time and stash it in the freezer for a simple first course OR any time winter meal!
Read MorePasta Bolognese is one of those hearty, perfect for cold weather meals. In Italy, any sauce with meat is called a "ragu" but Bolognese is distinguished by being based on mirepoix instead of tomato. Use this recipe for a delicious dinner or add it to your Holiday menu!
Read MoreLearn how to make this classic Roman dish! With only three ingredients it's the perfect weeknight meal. Al dente pasta, bathed in pork drippings and cheese - really what more could you want!? A crack of fresh black pepper and dinner is ready!
Read MoreI really can't think of more quintessential Fall dish than this one. Earthy mushrooms mixed with fresh ricotta and parmesan cheeses, filling fresh pasta. Topped off in what is quite possibly the easiest sauce you will ever make!
Read MoreThe epitome of poor man's food. Pasta & beans. Pasta e fagioli. Or, as it has come to be known here in the North East, pasta fazool (I cringe to write that). Whatever you call it, however you make it - it's an easy, quick and delicious dinner. Perfect for a chilly weeknight! Buon Appetito!
Read MoreThis classic dish is SO simple to make at home! Put down the box and try making this quick & easy version! Perfect for busy parents with hungry kids!
Read MoreIt's an annual tradition for so many Italian-American families. You'll see them in driveways and garages, on back patios and front porches; cutting, cooking and jarring tomatoes. The Mollano family in Nanuet New York were kind enough to let us come to their home and share their tradition with us. PLUS watch how you can win a cookbook!
Read MoreSummer's NOT over just yet and I have one more dish bursting with fresh summer flavors! This dish is so simple and uses one of my favorite flavor combinations! Zucchini with basil, lemon and ricotta! It's the perfect pasta dish for summer.
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