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Simple Pasta with Garlic & Olive Oil

Simple Pasta with Garlic & Olive Oil by John Spottiswood

This is a classic recipe that is so simple to make but always delicious. You can serve this as a side dish to any grilled meat or vegetable entree. It can also stand on it's own or be paired with a salad for a light lunch or dinner. It's a great, easy recipe to add to your list of staples. Using a good olive oil is key here. I…

12 votes
24525 views
Minestrone Romagna Style

Minestrone Romagna Style by John Spottiswood

This is the way minestrone is made in Romagna. It's not a lot of prep time, but you simmer the soup for a long time until all of the vegetable flavors mellow into one mild but delicious soup. The subtle flavors of this soup are even more delicious the next day, so it is a good dish to prepare in advance of guests arriving for a…

14 votes
21619 views
Sicilian Eggplant & Ricotta Pasta

Sicilian Eggplant & Ricotta Pasta by John Spottiswood

This is yet another wonderful Italian recipe that I've adapted from Marcella Hazan's classic "Essentials of Italian Cooking". This one is good enough that my wife put a little smily face in the upper corner of the recipe and wrote "It's a keeper!". I think you'll feel the same way. We served this for friends with a wonderful citrus…

12 votes
10587 views
Tuscan Vegetable Soup - La Ribollita

Tuscan Vegetable Soup - La Ribollita by John Spottiswood

We made a heaping pot of this up at Heavenly Valley last week when up there for ski week. It was the perfect capstone to a wonderful day snow boarding. We were limited to vegetables we could find at the local supermarket, and substituted regular green cabbage for the black leaf Kale. While it was still good, I would recommend…

6 votes
8705 views
Pasta with Butter and Parmesan Cheese

Pasta with Butter and Parmesan Cheese by John Spottiswood

I've been cooking this recipe for so long, and it is so simple, that I have often overlooked posting it. We had it with our grilled chicken this week, and finally I'm putting it online. Marcella Hazan says this method of cooking pasta has eclipsed all others as the favorite amongst Northern Italians. And I must say it's among the…

6 votes
7333 views
Italian Chick Pea Soup

Italian Chick Pea Soup by John Spottiswood

Chickpeas are one of my favorite ingredients in soup. They don't lose their texture or their nutty flavor. Whether in a spicy Harira (served during Ramadan) or in this mild flavored Italian soup, Chickpeas make soup both nutritious and delicious. This soup has been popular in Italian homes for over 1000 years, and it was…

12 votes
6304 views
Ricotta and Greens or Spinach Pasta

Ricotta and Greens or Spinach Pasta by John Spottiswood

This is another excellent dish that takes advantage of delicious and healthy greens. This is a Sicilian dish that I absolutely love. Our kids all went back for seconds. It's also quite beautiful...the lousy picture I took does not do it justice. A healthy and yummy treat! This is also adapted from Red White and Greens by Faith…

4 votes
2540 views
Chilled Italian Zucchini Appetizer

Chilled Italian Zucchini Appetizer by John Spottiswood

This is a fantastic recipe that I adapted from Marcella Hazen. She recommends serving this at room temperature, but I've had a similar broccoli appetizer at a great local Italian restaurant and they chill it, so I thought I would too. I think it would be great either way. If it's hot out, and a chilled appetizer would be nice, then…

6 votes
4450 views
Farro with fresh herbs

Farro with fresh herbs by John Spottiswood

I had Farro for the first time recently at a party at a winery. I thought it was fantastic served under grilled lamb. It's a little crunchier than barley, and has a subtle nutty flavor. You'll love it with grilled meat! It's a little hard to find, but try an Italian supermarket or Whole foods. You can also substitute "spelt", but…

2 votes
3170 views
macaroni and cheese

macaroni and cheese by Carol Teng

A delicious, easy to cook meal.

7 votes
19525 views
Spinach and Ricotta Balls - Gnudis

Spinach and Ricotta Balls - Gnudis by John Spottiswood

I've been looking for tasty ways to cook spinach and wild greens because they are so healthful. This one is fantastic. These are called Gnudis in Florence because they are "nude", e.g. missing the pasta on the outside. These are sort of like a spinach ravioli without the pasta. If that doesn't sound all that flavorful to you, wait…

6 votes
6703 views
Bread Soup

Bread Soup by Judy Rodgers

Here is an easy-to-remember recipe for delicious, hearty Tuscan-style bread and vegetable soup. It calls for equal amounts of each vegetable, and then you build the soup starting with the firmest vegetables, finishing with the tenderest ones. You can certainly adjust, or estimate, the amounts of any or all ingredients, but if you’ve…

1 vote
6090 views
Orange perfumed risotto

Orange perfumed risotto by Alida

A very straightforward dish. A light risotto with a delicate aroma of orange. You will use the zest as well as the juice so it would be best to use an organic orange.

2 votes
1959 views
Asparagus risotto

Asparagus risotto by Alida

I find cooking asparagus in a risotto makes the dish particularly creamy. As for any risotto you have to add a nod of butter at the end. In Italy we call this "mantecare" which means stirring the butter into the risotto after it has been cooked. This will make it creamy and translucent and will add extra flavour.

1 vote
2029 views
Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter

Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter by spele

I love to eat vegetarian, when it's not boring. This is one of my favorite gnocchi recipes. Easy and tasty.

2 votes
5642 views