Cuisine: Italian

Tuscan White Bean and Lentil Soup

This Tuscan White Bean and Lentil Soup is easy and quick to make. It can be made in an Instant Pot, a Slow Cooker or on the stovetop. This soup calls for the rind of Parmesan cheese. The rind adds a robust flavor. You should never throw out the rinds. I keep them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. You can use it for soups, stews, risottos, tomato sauce, etc.

By Leslie Blythe

Italian Orange Slices

Our friend Melanie taught us this method of making Italian Orange Slices. They are simple and yet are incredibly delicious. We happen to have an orange tree in our backyard that is bursting with fruit. You can also add sliced red onions, olives, oregano, or fresh basil, which is more like the Sicilian recipe.

By Leslie Blythe

Baked Ziti

My daughter Grace made this classic Baked Ziti recipe. Unfortunately, I got the photo and recipe, but not the dinner invitation! Her version is vegetarian, but you could add ground beef or sausage if you want. It's kind of a freeform lasagna. It's inexpensive to make, family-friendly and doesn't require all the layering that lasagna does. I can also be made ahead to be ready to pop in the oven later in the day. It looks SO good, maybe she'll bring me some leftovers!

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken Saltimbocca

Saltimbocca (alla Romana or Roman-Style) is an Italian dish made of veal lined or wrapped with prosciutto and sage; marinated in wine, oil. This dish is also popular in southern Switzerland. My friend Melanie made this Chicken Saltimbocca, which is the American version that uses chicken instead of veal, spinach instead of sage and is rolled up and cooked in stock or you could use white wine. Saltimbocca in Italian means 'jump in your mouth’.

By Leslie Blythe

Tuscan Portobello Stew

This Tuscan Portobello Stew is vegetarian, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone, meat-eater or otherwise, who doesn't love it. Did you know the portobello is really a brown crimini mushroom? Once the little crimini grows up to be about 4" - 6" in diameter, it becomes a portobello. The portobello in Northern Italy is called "cappellone" which means "big hat". This stew is wonderfully rich, but only has about 310 calories per serving. I suppose adding the big hunk of crusty bread might take it over the edge! The recipe calls of dried herbs, but I used fresh.

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Instant Pot Lasagna

I made this Instant Pot Lasagna using my 7” Fat Daddio's Round Removal Bottom Cheesecake Pan. I have to say, it was the best lasagna I have ever made. I have also included the oven instructions if you do not have an Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker. I love the way it looks and it's so much easier to serve sliced into pie-shaped wedges.

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Italian Sausage & White Bean Braise

This Italian Sausage & White Bean Braise is simple and comforting. Braising is a combination-cooking method that uses both wet and dry heats: typically, the food is first sautéed or seared at a high temperature, then finished in a covered pot at a lower temperature while sitting in liquid. This technique imparts deep layers of flavor. Serve it with your favorite bottle of wine and some crusty bread to sop up all that lovely juice.

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Turkey Caprese Burgers

I bought some ground turkey and decided to make a Turkey Caprese Burger. Not only that, but I made some Balsamic, Basil Mayo to go with it. The patties are seasoned with Italian spices, sun-dried tomatoes and topped with fresh mozzarella.

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Pasta con Pesto di Agrumi (Pasta with Citrus Pesto)

I have several citrus trees in my backyard and they are bursting with fruit. To use some of my oranges, I made this Sicilian-inspired pesto, which is quick to prepare, refreshing, and delicious, and can also be eaten cold, so leftovers are perfect for your lunchbox the next day. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze to use at another time.

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Passata Sauce from Pizzeria Mozza

Years ago, I took the last pizza class at Pizzeria Mozza with my good friend Chris, who happens to be one of my mentors. I want to tell you about the sauce. This sauce is so easy, it seems like you’ve forgotten something. There is no garlic, no herbs in this sauce!

For their pizzas – also called Passato. The sauce is not complex, instead showcasing the ingredients.

KEY 
The variety of tomato. Best: San Marzano. You want tomatoes that have more meat—lots of flesh – less water, fewer seeds, and sweeter. “DOP” designation is important. Homegrown tomatoes are often very watery making them less desirable since so much water would have to be cooked off.

TIPS 
Pan you use to cook sauce should be twice the size as amount of product you’re adding. A heavy pan—the heavier the better – should be used because it prevents sticking. Enameled cast iron (like Le Creuset) is perfect. Simmer the sauce gently until you get the taste you want. Taste often. It should not take that long to produce the sauce as it is simple with few ingredients.  Do not cook it to a paste.

Cool down the sauce before putting in on pizza dough.  It's a 2-ounce ladle of sauce per pizza. No more. You can also use this sauce for pasta as well.

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