Pastina is a classic recipe for when you are feeling sick or cold. It is ideal for older people or children, as well, because it is easy to digest. It isn’t meant to be fancy or heavily seasoned. Instead, rely on the simple flavors to comfort you. It feels silly to add the recipe here because it is so simple, but I have had a few people ask me for the recipe. The beauty is that it is ready to eat in ten minutes with ingredients you usually have on hand:)
You will need:
2 cups chicken broth (bone broth preferred)
pinch of salt
3/4 to one cup of pastina (or very small pasta like orzo)
1 tbsp butter
1/4 grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Steps:
Bring the broth and salt to a rolling boil.
Add the pastina and cook for 8 minutes. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. I stir constantly because it tends to stick to the bottom as it absorbs.
Once the pastina is cooked, stir in the butter and the freshly grated parmesan cheese. Make sure the parmesan is good quality. Sometimes, if I feel fancy I might put a scrunch of black pepper.
Sprinkle some extra grated parmesan on top, and enjoy.
Lately, I have been flagging recipes I like from Instagram and saving them to try later. I have been especially interested in weeknight meals rather than a Sunday show stopper. This sauce was definitely easy and worth the time. You could make it vegetarian or add some sausage or chicken to it, rather easily. I chose to slice up some Sundried tomato chicken sausage in a pan and add it to the pasta for a simple, fast meal. Here, you let the oven do all of the work, which frees you up to put together the rest of the ingredients. The roasting in the oven paired with fresh basil created a lot of flavor in a short amount of time. This recipe has been replicated over several sites. The only difference here is the addition of a little red pepper to balance the sweetness of the ricotta and roasted tomatoes. This took under 30 minutes to put together and was very easy.
You will need:
1 lb of roma or campari tomatoes, quartered
1 head of garlic with the root end sliced off
Olive oil, as needed (several glugs)
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)
6-7 leaves of fresh basil
1/4 cup of ricotta
Pasta of your choice- spaghetti, bucatini, busiati or penne
Steps:
Preheat oven to 375
Put tomatoes and garlic in a pyrex or casserole dish. Add salt, pepper and red pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.
While tomatoes are roasting, begin to boil pot of water for your pasta. Add salt to the pasta water.
When tomatoes are finished, add them to a blender. Squeeze garlic from the bulb, and and add that as well. Add basil and ricotta and blend until smooth.
Add the tomato sauce to a sauce pan over medium-low heat.
When pasta is finished (al dente), strain and add it to the sauce pan to finish off.
Work in reserve pasta water and some cheese (parmesan or romano) until creamy. Serve and enjoy.
This is a 100 percent comfort recipe and is part of the series of my finding solid weeknight one-pan recipes to enjoy after a long workday. There are many shortcuts you can take with the this recipe – using premade meatballs or switching meatballs for another leftover protein (shredded chicken, sausage), or if you prefer to make it all homeade, you can do that, as well.
This pasta sauce would work with many types of proteins (shrimp, chicken, beef, pork sausage). I opted for chicken meatballs because I wanted meatballs, but lighter. I also added mint and parlsey, rather than just basil because I think it is a good combination and I already had it on hand. Also, I like to use red chili flakes in sundried tomato sauces for additional flavor.
Another practical aspect of a one-pot meal, is that you can add other vegetables into the dish. I always like to sneak in as many vegetables as possible when cooking for my family. In this particular instance, I took some frozen spinach, patted it dry, and stirred into the sauce for an additional source of nutrition.
You will need:
Ingredients for the meatballs
1 pounds ground chicken
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp sweet paprika
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 breadcrumbs, italian style
1 egg
2-3 tbsp chopped basil leaves (5 leaves), 1 tbs chopped mint (3-4 leaves),* 1 tbs chopped italian parsley*
1-2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
1 tbsp unsalted butter for cooking
Ingredients for sauce and orzo
4 garlic cloves minced
1 shallot finely chopped
16 oz dry orzo pasta
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried red chili flakes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Steps:
Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix until just combined, using your hands. Roll the meat into 2 tablespoon-sized balls. It makes for about 18 meatballs.
Heat oil and butter over medium in a large skillet or pot. Add meatballs and brown all over. Remove from skillet. They don’t need to be cooked through because they will finish cooking when returned to the sauce.
Add a little more olive oil to the pan if needed. Add shallot and garlic, cook for until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add orzo and toast for 2 minutes while stirring. Stir in salt, peppers, oregano and tomato paste and mix it together.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered while stirring occasionally to keep the orzo from sticking, until almost al dente and almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
Add cream, sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Add lemon juice and stir in Parmesan. Return meatballs to the skillet, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Tiramisu is my favorite dessert of all time. I like to have it for my birthday every year and usually like to bring it to holiday parties for others to enjoy. This recipe is not mine – it is one I really enjoy and use over and over again and so I would like to share it with you. Normally, I like to adapt or change things around, but this one is perfect, as is. Ideally, let this chill for 48 hours to allow the flavors to fully develop. I tend to make this 2 days in advance. Source: Gina Petitti.
Total time: 1.5 hours (preparation & chilling)
Ingredients
6 extra large Eggs, room temperature
1 cup Sugar
4 Tbsp Kahlua, divided
2 lbs Mascarpone Cheese
1 cup Heavy Cream
2 ½ cups Espresso
½ cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 package Lady Finger Cookies (2 if you want to make extra)
Extra sifted Cocoa Powder for topping the dessert
Steps for making the cream:
Use a bain marie on your stove or use a sauce pan filled halfway with water, heat to a low, gentle boil.
Using a pyrex bowl – Beat eggs and 1 cup of sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy.
Move the bowl of eggs and sugar over the saucepan. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to beat the eggs until foamy for 5-6 minutes.
Remove the eggs from the heat and beat for another 6 minutes until the texture and color is a bit more of a custard.
Add 2 Tbs of kahlua and mascarpone into the egg mixture and beat for another 2-3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream until there are stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture so you do not knock the air out. Cover with saran wrap and chill for an hour.
Steps for assembling the tiramisu:
While the cream mixture is chilling, brew the espresso.
Add 2 tbs of kahlua, 2 tbs of cocoa and brown sugar to the coffee mixture. Blend with a whisk and allow it to cool down.
Using a 13 x 9 baking dish, dunk ladyfingers in the coffee mixture. Be quick because they will crumble if they get too wet. I usually turn in over just once on each side and shake the extra off. Assemble in the dish. If you need to cut the edges of a few cookies to make it fit, that is absolutely fine. I try my best to maximize the space.
Spoon some of the whipped cream onto the layer of the cookies and spread around.
Complete another layer of ladyfingers (I lay them the opposite way of the first layer) and then cream. Dust with cocoa powder and chill. Ideally, you should allow 48 hours before serving.
Note: This recipe usually makes extra, so I often assemble another 9 inch pan and make a smaller cake to give away or enjoy at home.
This is a very rustic, simple breakfast, yet it remains a family favorite. It seems ridiculous to write out this recipe or suggest this as a breakfast idea, but after seeing it on several tapas menus, I thought it might be worthwhile. This is ideal when you have some good, crusty bread laying around and a ripe Campari or Roma tomato.
You will need:
Slice of a baguette or ciabatta bread
Splash of olive oil (1 tbs)
1-2 ripe Campari or Roma tomatoes
1 tsp minced garlic
Scrunch of fresh ground salt
Steps:
Heat a sauté pan or skillet to medium and add olive oil when hot
Heat bread in olive oil, making sure to allow the side that will have tomatoes to develop a nice crust
Add garlic and tomatoes. They should get blisteringly hot and soft. You can do this beside the bread if your pan is large enough.
Smear the crushed tomatoes across the top of the bread and add the tiniest scrunch of salt to bring out the tomato flavor.
The base of Amatriciana is guanciale (pork cheek), pecorino romano cheese and tomatoes. It is a fairly simple recipe to put together and you can use pancetta as a substitute for guanciale. Dried pasta is preferred – I prefer bucatini, but spaghetti or penne are perfectly acceptable. The recipe that follows is not mine – I got inspiration from Top Chef contestant Buddha and his “marry me” pasta. This is almost completely his recipe and we absolutely loved it. It has a lot of depth and flavor and is best served piping hot. Make sure to use a pan or cast-iron skillet/enamel ware that you can stick in the oven.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz guanciale or pancetta
2 medium red shallots (finely diced)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 oz finely chopped thyme
1 lb (16oz) bucatini
1 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese
Over medium heat, add guanciale or pancetta to pot and cook for 5-7 min. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a small bowl lined with a paper towel and set aside, leaving any rendered fat behind in the pot.
Add shallots, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt to the pot, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomato paste and continue stirring constantly. Add canned tomatoes and place a lid on the pot. Then take the pot and place in a 380F oven for 45 min.
When you pull the pot from the oven, with a crush the tomatoes with a whisk into a sauce and add the crispy guanciale back into skilled and stir into the sauce until all the ingredients are incorporated. Season with salt to taste. Keep the sauce on low simmer.
Boil bucatini until just shy of al dente. Using a large, slotted spoon transfer the pasta directly into the skillet and toss with the sauce and mix. Reserve a little pasta water to work into the sauce as needed until pasta is creamy and coated.
Serve with finely grated pecorino, red pepper flakes and a splash of olive oil.
Pasta arriabbiata refers to a tomato, red chili peppers, and garlic-based sauce. I found this recipe* using sun-gold tomatoes and butter and found it absolutely simple, yet delicious. You can use dry pasta, but we made homemade and the flavor made all the difference. You can also use traditional cherry tomatoes, but we absolutely loved the flavor of the sun-gold tomatoes, cooked down. Fresh parmesan, of course is preferred, but store-shredded is also fine. In the end, the sauce itself is very simple – both in ingredients and assembly. If you prefer to make this vegetarian, simply leave out the anchovy paste and add a bit more salt to taste.
If you are going to make homemade pasta, you will need to do so about 2 hours ahead: for assembly, and hour and 1/2 to rest and dry. If not, any shape will do. We made ours with orecchiette, but it is truly your preference. The recipe is here: Pasta – Orecchiette.
You will need:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 pints sun-gold cherry tomatoes, halved
4 tbs butter, unsalted
1 tsp anchovy sauce
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, dried
1 cup shredded parmesan
Handful of fresh basil, torn
Kosher salt, as needed
1lb dried orecchiette or
3 cups semolina flour (fine) & salt for fresh orecchiette (for making fresh pasta)
To make the sauce
Heat olive oil in heavy pot (like a dutch oven) over medium heat. Also heat separate pot with salted water for your pasta.
Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes)
Mix 1 pint of the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and cook until tomatoes burst and become saucy (about 8 -10 minutes)
Cook fresh pasta in salted water (2-4 minutes, depending on type).
Using slotted spoon or tongs, transfer pasta to tomato pot. Be sure to save a little starchy pasta water as a reserve.
Add butter, anchovy sauce, and remaining tomatoes to the pot and stir. Cook until glossy, adding pasta water as needed, until it is creamy. Season with salt and stir in parmesan. Top with fresh basil.
*Pasta recipe is my own. The recipe for the sauce is from Bon Appetit.
This fiery shrimp and tomato pasta is easy to make and very satisfying. The name Fra Diavolo translates to “brother devil.” The origins are southern Italy where there is abundant seafood, herbs and fiery peppers. If you know this blog, we also often make shrimp Diablo (a Latin American iteration with cilantro and avocado) when I have some good avocado. I love this dish when it is getting cold – the pasta comforts you and the chilis warm you up. They say not to put cheese on this because its seafood, but I often put a little fresh parmesan on top because it makes me happy.
This sounds means it’s about to smell amazing in your house 🏡
You will need:
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb linguini
1 sweet bell pepper (yellow or orange), sliced thinly
4 roma tomatoes, halved – then quartered
one 28 oz can, whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), with juice
juice of 2 limes
2-3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs salt
4 cloves garlic – crushed*
3 bay leaves
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tbs capers
2 tbs anchovy paste
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Steps:
Marinate the shrimp in lime juice and a bit of salt for 20-30 minutes.
Fill a large pasta pot with water and bring to a boil.
Heat large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil when warm. Add garlic and saute for a minute or so. Add pepper slices and stir and cook for 3 minutes until they soften a little.
Add oregano, bay leaves, thyme and saute for 2 minutes. Then, add crushed pepper and capers, saute for 5 minutes until fragrant. Add roma tomatoes, saute for 5 minutes.
Add canned tomatoes, you can crush them with your fingers beforehand or break them up with a wooden spoon, cook for 5-7 minutes. Add anchovy paste, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add butter halfway through to add richness and depth.
By now, the pasta water should be boiling. Add remaining salt and pasta. Cook until al dente. Reserve a little pasta water before draining (about a cup).
While the pasta is cooking, add shrimp and cook until it just turns pink (4-5 minutes). Add parsley to finish. Use reserve pasta water if needed when you add noodles to the sauce and work it in.
Marinating the shrimpLiquid gold ❤️❤️ and secret sauce weapon
*Note – if you have difficulty peeling fresh garlic, soak them in a dish of hot water for a few minutes. Voila! Easy to peel!
Sunday sauce is a rich meaty traditional sauce to serve for a big family meal. It is best cooked low and slow for several hours. You can also add Italian sausage and or meatballs to the sauce, depending on the size of your meal. This makes a very double portion. I use it for a meal for 5-8 people, and freeze the rest for another meal in the future.
You will need:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 pork short ribs (around a 1lb)
1/4 pound pancetta
several Italian sausage links, spicy or sweet depending on preference*
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
5-6 fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup red wine
Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed by hand
Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes.
2 pounds penne, ziti or pasta or your choice (one that can support a hearty meat sauce)
2 tablespoons tomato paste* if needed
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
In a large enameled cast-iron pot, heat 2 Tbs olive oil until shimmering. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole in a single layer along with the sausage links. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, around 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer the short ribs and sausages to a plate and set aside..
Pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add 2 more Tbs of olive oil. Add the onions & carrot, and a generous pinch of salt; cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 7-9 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, pancetta and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the vegetables and pancetta with 1/3 cup red wine until the liquid is evaporated.
Add the tomatoes with their juices. Be sure to rinse a little of each can with some extra water to get all the bits, swirl it around and add to the pot. Season with red pepper flakes and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
Return the short ribs, sausages and their juices to the pot, cover partially and simmer over low heat, turning the short ribs occasionally, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
30 minutes before serving: Set a large pot of salted water to boil for your pasta. For your Sunday sauce – add fresh basil leaves 30 minutes before serving. Add more oregano or salt as needed. If necessary, add tomato paste in the last half hour to thicken the sauce as needed. Finish off the sauce with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
20 minutes before serving: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. and set aside
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Transfer the pasta and toss well with some of the sunday sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add some of the reserved pasta water and work it in. Top with additional cheese and pieces of meat from the sauce.
You need a lot of time to make a proper Bolognese sauce, as it is best left to simmer for around 3-4 hours. As a result, this is a perfect Sunday sauce – leaving it to simmer all day and fill the house with good aroma:) What sets a Bolognese apart from other meat sauces is the sofritto (onion, celery and carrot) and the addition of milk or cream. You can use wine here two ways – deglaze the vegetables before you add the meat, or deglaze the meat before you add tomato. I have done it both ways, but this recipe will be incorporating the wine with the meat. This portion should make a double batch for a family of 5-6. We use half, and then freeze the other for a day we don’t feel like cooking. Always serve with a great loaf of bread and pasta.
You will need:
3-4 Tbs olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
1 cup small onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
Salt, 3-4 tsp (divided)
Black pepper, 1 tsp
1 bay leaf
Fresh basil (7-8 leaves)
1 pounds ground beef (85 or 90% lean)
1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
1 cup dry red wine
1 quart or large can (28 oz) peeled tomatoes (I prefer Cento San Marzano)
1 quart or large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup milk or cream
1 pound wide pasta – Pappardelle or Tagliatelle
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
Steps:
In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened. Add celery and carrot, sprinkle 1 tsp of salt and saute for an additional 4-5 minutes.
Add meat and break up with a wooden spoon, stir and mix the sofritto (onion, celery, carrots) until browned. Season with another tsp of salt. Add red wine and cooked until it is reduced and the liquid is mostly evaporated (around 7 -8 minutes).
Add tomatoes, breaking them up and incorporating them into the mixture. Add remaining salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Fill one of the tomato cans with water (getting all of the tomato juice mixed in) and add to the pot. Fill the other tomato can with water and set aside, in case you need to add more liquid to the pot later on.
Reduce and simmer the sauce for 3 and 1/2 hours. The goal is that the water should be almost evaporated and the sauce should be thick* (use extra water if needed as it simmers) or if it is too liquid, add some tomato paste to thicken it up. After 3 and 1/2 hours, add the fresh basil on top and stir into the sauce.
In another pot, heat salted water and cook your pasta until al dente. Before you strain it, reserve one cup of pasta water and set aside.
After four hours, your sauce should be thick enough that when you move the wooden spoon across the bottom of the pot, you should see it the bottom. Taste the sauce and add more salt, if needed.
To finish, add 1/2 cup of milk or cream, and cook for several more minutes.
Using a clean large sauce pan, heat it over medium-high heat. Add half of the portion of Bolognese sauce and cooked pasta and incorporate. Add 1/2 cup pasta reserve water and work it through – add more if needed. Incorporate the Pecorino Romano cheese and serve.
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