Lasagne is the ultimate comfort food. It is made by layering white sauce, bolognaise sauce and lasagne sheets and baking it until the pasta is soft. Click here for the recipe for Spaghetti With Bolognaise Sauce.
Tag Archives: Italian
Tartufo (Dark Chocolate Ice-cream)
The rainy weather in Johannesburg at the moment is probably not ideal for ice-cream eating, but make it so long for when the sun comes out! It only has 4 ingredients, and you do not need an ice-cream maker to make it! After tasting Tartufo at Bar Tre Scalini in Rome in 2005, IContinue reading “Tartufo (Dark Chocolate Ice-cream)”
Authentic Panna Cotta
This classic Italian dessert Panna cotta is made of sweetened cream which is thickened with gelatin and usually moulded. The cream may be flavoured with vanilla, coffee, rum, etc. Although the name does not sound appetizing at all (it means ‘cooked cream’ in Italian), panna cotta is silky smooth with a melt-in-the-mouth texture and is as close to perfection asContinue reading “Authentic Panna Cotta”
Biscotti
Every home should permanently have a jar of Biscotti in the kitchen! Best biscuits ever to nibble or dunk in coffee or as the Italians do, in sherry or wine! Thanks to the clever Italians! New style biscotti are light, crisp and irresistible and have gained popularity worldwide! These Italian “biscuits” were traditionally hard andContinue reading “Biscotti”
Olive Tapenade
This Ancient Roman dish makes the perfect appetizer. You can use the Tapenade, also known as Olive Paste, as a condiment, with pasta or as a spread. Be sure to try Olive Tapenade Palmiers.
Muffuletta Bread
This uncomplicated bread is quick to mix and bake and what is used when making an authentic Muffuletta Sandwich, the ultimate make-ahead picnic sandwich.
Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad)
Panzanella is a Tuscan salad consisting of chunks of soaked stale bread and tomatoes, sometimes also onions and basil, dressed with olive oil and vinegar. Making Panzanella salad is a terrific way to use up stale or leftover bread.
Ciabatta With Variations
The most effortless recipe for home-made Italian bread. Ciabatta literally means “slipper” in Italian, so keep this in mind when shaping the bread! The bread is deliciously hard and crisp served soon after baking but may be enjoyed within a day or frozen, thawed and reheated.
Chicken Puttanesca
This tangy, somewhat salty Italian pasta dish has ingredients that are typical of Southern Italian cuisine: tomatoes, olive oil, anchovies, olives, olive oil, capers and garlic. Traditionally, the sauce is served with spaghetti, although it also goes well with penne, tagliatelli, linguine and even rice. salt and pepper to season the chicken4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 100 g each)olive oilContinue reading “Chicken Puttanesca”
Spinach Gnudi
Gnudi (pronounced nude-y), is basically meatless meatballs, and the best way to eat spinach! I adapted this recipe from a recipe by Canadian-Italian celebrity chef David Rocco. It is a firm family favourite and I get requests to make it often! 600 g baby spinach leaves 1 large egg, (yolk only) 60 ml spring onion, finelyContinue reading “Spinach Gnudi”
Affogato (Coffee Dessert)
Affogato (Italian for “drowned”) is a coffee-based dessert. It is basically a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a shot of hot espresso. Quick and easy! 1 liter vanilla ice-cream 10 shots (30 to 45 ml per person) hot fresh espresso coffee To serve Italian biscuits, e.g. biscotti or amaretti Line up 10 dessert glasses. PlaceContinue reading “Affogato (Coffee Dessert)”
Tiramisu
Tiramisu means “pick me up” and is a popular coffee-flavored Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers or Boudoir Biscuits dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa. Countless variations of Tiramisu exist. (see variations below). Marsala wine can be added to the recipe, but other liquors areContinue reading “Tiramisu”
Almond Cantucinni/Biscotti
Enjoy as is or dip in coffee or sweet dessert wine such as sherry as the Italians do!
Home-made Basil Pesto
This is one of my all-time favourite recipes to make – it has so many uses! Stir it into cooked pasta or roasted vegetables, use it as a topping for bread or baked potato, etc. You are going to need a food processor to make it. Unless you want to try and do it Jamie Oliver-style withContinue reading “Home-made Basil Pesto”
Panettone
Panettone is an Italian type of sweet bread originally from Milan, which is usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year. Traditional Panettone is flower-pot shaped and to achieve this effect it is baked in a deep high container with slanted sides. You can use a silicon mould, a 1.5 litre soufflé dish, aContinue reading “Panettone”
Ossobucco
This dish is a Milanese specialty of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine and broth. It is often garnished with gremolata and traditionally served with polenta or mashed potato. When loosely translated from Italian, Ossobucco means hollowed bone – a reference to the large piece of marrow in the center of the vealContinue reading “Ossobucco”
Veal With Tuna Sauce (Vitello Tonnato)
Vitello tonnato is a Piedmontese dish of cold, sliced veal covered with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce that has been flavored with tuna. It is served chilled or at room temperature as the main course of an Italian meal or as antipasto. This dish has unlikely ingredients, but the end result is quite delicious! Be sureContinue reading “Veal With Tuna Sauce (Vitello Tonnato)”
Parmesan & Potato Focaccia
This is my version of focaccia bread that I ate in Tuscany, Italy a few years ago. Focaccia (pronounced “fo-KA-chee-a”) is an Italian flatbread, often topped with herbs and spices or other ingredients such as cheese, vegetables or meat. It is similar in style and texture to pizza dough, but without the tomato sauce baseContinue reading “Parmesan & Potato Focaccia”