Guest Post: Orecchiette with Leeks and a Leek Blog Hop

Posted on Nov 30, 2012 | 11 comments Today I’m doing a guest post over at Shut Up and Cook: The Attainable Gourmet, and I hope you’ll stop by and check it out. Besides the recipe for orecchiette with leeks and ricotta (yes, it’s as good as it sounds and easy as can be!), Erina’s blog is just a joy to explore. I’ve known Erina since college, when she was one of the stars of the all female a cappella...
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Noodle Salad with Poached Chicken and Peanut-Lime Dressing

Posted on Nov 12, 2012 | 14 comments I’m going going to lie to you: this noodle salad has a few steps and a fairly long ingredient list. But, besides the fact that it’s totally worth it, this is also really three recipes in one. The peanut-lime dressing is one of my favorites, and is excellent over any salad. I like to toss it with shredded cabbage to bring to potlucks. If you’re vegetarian, vegan, or just short on...
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Saffron Lasagna ~ Lasagna alla Zafferano from A Family Farm in Tuscany

Posted on Oct 31, 2012 | 18 comments As an Italian-American, I’ve eaten plenty of lasagna in my day. But none like this. I’m used to layers of noodles and sauce that are cemented with mounds of cheese. This authentic Italian lasagna, however, relies primarily on a saffron-hued béchamel sauce to act as the glue. There’s no mozzarella, no ricotta. Just grated Parmesan, meat sauce, and a luscious besciamella made with butter,...
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Pasta with Ricotta and Brussels Sprouts

Posted on Oct 8, 2012 | 22 comments Although I didn’t grow up eating Brussels sprouts, as an adult I’ve fallen in love with them. And, while I make them often, I’ve only posted one Brussels sprouts recipe on the blog. I knew I had to change that. Fortunately I came across this easy and delicious pasta with ricotta and Brussels sprouts recipe from Culinary Adventures with Camilla, my assigned blog for this...
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Ricotta Gnocchi and a Cheese Blog Hop

Posted on Jul 27, 2012 | 43 comments If you’ve ever been too intimidated to make your own pasta, gnocchi is a great place to start. And if regular potato gnocchi seems like too much work, well ricotta gnocchi is the way to go. This Italian pasta dumpling has three – yes just THREE! – ingredients and doesn’t require the use of a pasta maker. You just mix together ricotta, flour, and an egg and gently knead it...
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Spaghetti Carbonara for #SundaySupper

Posted on Jun 3, 2012 | 31 comments The theme for this week’s #SundaySupper is “Celebrate Your Heritage” and, in case my last name didn’t give it away, I am Italian-American (and Hungarian, and other stuff too, but mostly Italian). Although my family hails from the South of the boot, I couldn’t resist bringing Spaghetti Carbonara – a decidedly Roman dish – to the table. Although I...
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Pesto Pasta for #SundaySupper

Posted on May 20, 2012 | 38 comments I am very excited to be participating in a new group this week – the #SundaySupper movement! After seeing that some of my favorite bloggers were involved, I was of course intrigued. “Our Mission,” according to founder Isabel “Foodie”, “is to Bring back Sunday Supper Around the Family Table in every home. The Family Table can be anywhere as long as the main...
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Edamame, Basil, and Ricotta Pasta

Posted on Apr 18, 2012 | 29 comments Here’s another simple, delicious, healthy weeknight pasta for you. Spring is in the air, and this dish is the perfect way to celebrate. Shelled soy beans are combined with plenty of chopped fresh basil and creamy ricotta to create a simple, flavorful sauce for pasta. I used try-color penne here, but any shape or flavor would be delicious. To save time, cook the soy beans briefly in the...
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Skinny Penne a la Vodka

Posted on Apr 16, 2012 | 43 comments And I’m back! Thanks for bearing with me while I traveled and spent time with my sister. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. I promise I’ll catch up with all of you soon. Penne a la vodka is one of my favorite pasta dishes. It’s not one that I ate much growing up, but I remember ordering it as a teenager in restaurants and feeling very grown-up. My most vivid...
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Spaghetti with Mushroom Cream Sauce and a Pasta Blog Hop

Posted on Mar 2, 2012 | 45 comments I don’t think that it’s an exaggeration to say that growing up we ate pasta every single night with dinner. In today’s carb conscious, diet crazy world that may elicit gasps, but in my Italian-American family it was just the norm. And while I was a picky eater, I never got sick of pasta. My dad – the cook in our family – mixed up the shapes and sauces, served it with...
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