Il Menu
This is where you can see what we might be able to make together. There are dishes that take little preparation and are great for weeknight cooking, and there are dishes that lend themselves to a more special setting!
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This is not an exhaustive list. I am always learning and testing and trying out new things! Ask me about what else we might be able to put together for your lesson!
Gli Antipasti
La Caponata
This dish, originally from Sicily, is a mix of onion, celery, tomato, eggplant and peppers. It is a blend of flavors that need a little time to be introduced to each other. But once they get to know one another...
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Le Bruschette con le Zucchine Marinate
This dish appears all over Italy in different incarnations. The bread is toasted and topped with zucchini strips that have been fried and then marinated in olive oil, vinegar, parsley, and basil. There is something perfect about this dish. The flavors all lift each other up. I love it!
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Le Bruschette della Zia Maria Giuglia
Ciabatta bread, toasted and rubbed with garlic. It's delicious just like that, but you can top it with fresh tomatoes, capers, and olives. Zia Maria Giuglia, entri nella leggenda!
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Le Bruschette Semplici
This is how my (other) aunt would always have her bruschetta. She would take any bread, old, new, it did not matter, and toast it. She always liked to toast it over a flame if possible, but as long as the bread took on a rough texture, she was not fussy. Then she would rub a garlic clove on the bread and drizzle olive oil on it.
Done. Amazing
Le Zucchine Ripiene
These are zucchini that have been scooped out. They are a blank canvas, you can fill them with whatever you want! I often use the zucchini flesh I just scooped out, sauteed with a shallot, some sun-dried tomatoes, bread, and lots of parmigiano. Then bake it!
Le Paste
Spaghetti Alla Nerano
This is from the pecorino pasta family. But the pasta is built around the zucchini that are cut into thin discs and fried and then added to the pasta. In my very humble opinion the zucchina is the unsung hero of Italian food. There, I said it.
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Pasta Cacio e Pepe
This Roman pasta has become a headliner in the last ten years. It is the grand daddy of the pecorino family of pastas. It is a simple dish in terms of ingredients, but it takes a little practice to get it right. Once you get it, though...
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Tagliatelle con Panna e Funghi
This is a pasta that borders on the richness of a risotto. Porcini mushrooms, along with any other fresh mushrooms you have at hand, in a creamy sauce, served on tagliatelle.
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Pasta Alla Norma
This dish champions the melanzane (eggplant) and how they marry with the ricotta salata and tomato sauce. I love this dish, and it is fun to make!
Penne al Fumo
Penne "with smoke" is a dish from Cortona, in the heart of Tuscany. My brother-in-law introduced me to it when I visited him there. Cream, a dash of tomato, pancetta, and chili. Smoke and mirrors.
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Spaghetti con Zucchine e Ricotta
This pasta is beautifully subtle. Zucchini, good olive oil, ricotta, and salt and pepper. There are no strong flavors, but they all work together so well. I learned this in Fabio's New York City apartment, where we would cook up whatever was at hand.
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Spaghetti Algio , Olio e Peperoncino
Often a late-night concoction, I have a couple of variations of this that you can learn, both guaranteed to be easy and to pack the right punch!
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Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Another dish from Lazio, the region around Rome. This dish and its cousin Spaghetti alla Gricia, get their character from the pancetta (or guanciale) that the sauce is built on.
Pasta con Broccoli
This dish features handfuls of roasted garlic plus broccoli, breadcrumbs, and Parmigiano. This is a weeknight marvel.
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Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
This, like Cacio e Pepe, is a very simple dish, but you have to pay attention! No cream, just cheese and pasta water! ​​​
I Risotti
Risotto agli Asparagi
This risotto, like all risottos, is creamy and rich. It has to be! Here, we use the whole asparagus, from the crunchy stems all the way to the delicate tips, to make a risotto that we top with a burrata, lemon zest, and olive oil concoction. So good. So, so good.
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Risotto con Radicchio e Gorgonzola
This risotto is cooked with a stock of onions, celery, and carrots, the holy trinity of Italian food! The radicchio gives texture and freshness, and the Gorgonzola gives, well, what Gorgonzola always gives: its unique flavor.
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Risotto ai Funghi
This is a classic. This risotto leans heavily on the porcini and the stock that they can make. Lots of Parmigiano and any other fresh mushrooms that we have here in our woods make this an amazing dish that always changes a little bit.
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Risotto ai Quattro Formaggi
Buckle up for this one. You are going to get four cheeses and the usual butter that any risotto warrants. But it is all worth it. Quattro Formaggi (pasta or risotto, it doesn't matter) is a landmark dish.
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