Main Dishes

Troccoli Pasta

Makes 1 1/4 lb You can find a troccoli tool online or at specialty stores, but these can also be cut by hand. Use the same recipe to make maccheroni alla chittara (spaghetti) using a chittara tool, which uses wires to cut sheets of dough into strands. Ingredients 7 oz […]

Main Dishes

Troccoli with Lamb and Pepper Sauce

Makes 6 servings Though this sauce is relatively basic, lamb adds that sort of can’t-quite-place-it flavor that you and your guests will love. We like pairing it with homemade Troccoli pasta, but you can use whatever dried variety you prefer. Make the sauce well-ahead, if you like, and freeze it […]

Grilling

Turkey Sausage and Pepper Sliders

Makes 10 servings These sliders take the mess out of the east-coast favorite sausage sandwich! We’ve included a pinch of red pepper flakes, but if you like spice, you can add more, or even start with hot Italian sausage. Once grilling season is over, you can use this mixture to […]

Soups and Stews

Tuscan White Onion Soup

Makes 1 1/2 quarts This soup is a winter favorite. It pairs one of our favorite spices, cardamom, with white onions, crispy prosciutto, and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for a combination of sweet, salty, and buttery that will knock your socks off. Ingredients Soup 1/4 cup olive oil or unsalted butter 2 […]

Breakfast and Brunch, Main Dishes

Uova in Purgatorio (Eggs in Purgatory)

Makes 4 servings This simple egg dish is an amazing, flavorful dish as long as you use the very freshest eggs and the best good quality tomatoes. This is no place to use generic canned tomatoes! Ingredients 2 lb ripe plum tomatoes 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Using Dried Pasta

A box of pasta in the pantry means you always have something to cook. Be sure to seek out high-quality pasta and remember to cook it properly. It should be al dente (meaning that it has a pleasant “chew” but not undercooked). There aren’t very many tricks to cooking pasta, […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Using Leftover Parmesan Rinds

If you are regularly splurging on beautiful craggy pieces of Parmigiano-Reggiano (or, it’s more local cousin Parmesan), you should enjoy every last bit. That includes the rind! As a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano ages, it develops a natural protective layer that, over time, becomes dry and hard. That layer is full […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Using Salt Cod

Salt cod is a staple ingredient in cuisines around the globe, including Latin American, Italian, and Spanish cuisine. Some of the most beautiful stalls in La Boqueria, Barcelona’s bustling central market, are devoted to salt cod. You might think of salt cod as a dry, salty preserved fish product that […]

Main Dishes

Vegetable Lasagna with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Makes 6 to 8 servings Ingredients Roasted Vegetables 1 large eggplant (about 2 lb) 4 medium zucchini (about 1 1/2 lb) 2 large ripe yellow tomatoes Kosher salt, as needed 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced Leaves from 6 thyme sprigs 3 red bell peppers Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed Extra-virgin […]

Chef's Notes Plus

What I’m Cooking: Lemon Baked Pasta with Broccoli Rabe

I haven’t always embraced my Italian-American identity. That’s not to say I’m not proudly Italian-American, or that I’m somehow ashamed of my Italian ancestry. It was more the Jersey Shore Italian-American stereotype that sort of haunted me, even before MTV entered the conversation. On campus at The Culinary Institute of […]

Chef's Notes Plus

What I’m Cooking: Tangy Couscous Salad

One of my favorite flavor profiles is the Italian agrodolce, a sweet and sour sauce that makes any dish more exciting. Made simply by reducing vinegar with honey, agrodolce can be created on its own and added to dishes later, but I often prepare this sticky and sweet sauce in […]

One-Dish Meals

White Beans with Salsa Verde

Makes 4 to 6 servings These beans, a nice crusty bread, and a chiled glass of wine make the perfect light summer dinner or brunch dish. Salsa verde is an herby Italian sauce with hundreds of variations, so don’t hesitate to change the proportions of the sauce to suit your […]