In the best spirit of the Guessipe, I’ve found Pasta Bolognese to have some pretty interchangeable components… red or white onion, celery or fennel, red or white wine, canned tomatoes or tomato sauce, milk or heavy cream. It’s the long slow simmer that brings it all together. Traditionalists might balk at this, but try it…
Tag: Italian
Saushroomichoke Pasta
I had the idea that marinated artichoke hearts would be a good way to amp up a pasta dish, and threw together this dinner. As my boyfriend wolfed it down, I asked him if it should be a Guessipe. He managed to pause between bites long enough to blurt out “Definitely! What are you going…
Bruschetta
I love bruschetta, but can’t bring myself to order it in a restaurant because it is so easy and inexpensive to make at home. The first time I made this bruschetta for my boyfriend he said, “This is the best bruschetta I’ve eaten in my life… and I’ve eaten a lot of bruschetta!”. Guessipe Toss…
Ricotta Cheesecake
What do you do when someone gives you 8 lbs of ricotta? Experiment with ricotta cheesecake! After testing out a variety of combinations, my boyfriend declared this one was the best cheesecake he’s ever had in his life, so it seemed my experimentation was complete. Using a mixture of ricotta and cream cheese gave the…
Ravioli in Pumpkin Cream Sauce
I had some more of the incredible ricotta from my cheese guy, plus a pumpkin that I had pureed after it had served its purpose as a holiday decoration. So I decided to make ravioli with a pumpkin cream sauce. The meal came out so good that my boyfriend said it was like eating in…
Truffle Mushroom Pasta
A friend gave me truffle oil, which of course I was thrilled to have! Just a small amount of truffle oil provides so much depth of flavor to a simple mushroom pasta dish. Basil adds a bit of freshness to brighten the richness. Guessipe 1/3 lb rigatoni, cooked to just al dente 1 TBSP butter…
Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Blood Orange Topping
My friend gave me a bag of blood oranges from his tree. They are sweet and so stunning, so I thought they would be a perfect topping for panna cotta. And I had some leftover buttermilk, so I decided to make it buttermilk panna cotta. Just a tablespoon of amaretto added a luxurious almond flavor…
Arancini
I made the Sausage Risotto with Balsamic-Roasted Shallots from the Back Pocket Pasta cookbook. First, let me say that it is INSANELY good. But it makes a pretty large portion, so I had quite a bit leftover even though my boyfriend went to town on it. So I made Arancini (Italian rice balls). I wouldn’t…
Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce and Fried Caper Crumbs
Cookbook Club – America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Illustrated For February’s Cookbook Club, people were able to choose recipes from the America’s Test Kitchen website and cookbook and the affiliated Cook’s Illustrated magazine and cookbook. To see what we selected from the thousands of recipe options, go to my cookbook club site. For now – my…
Whipped Ricotta Fettunta
I got another ricotta bounty from my cheese supplier (AKA friend who works for the best Italian cheese company ever). There is an Italian restaurant nearby that I used to go to specifically for their Whipped Ricotta Fettunta… until it occurred to me that with the incredible ricotta from my friend I could probably make…
Peperonata
One day I was looking for something to do with some spare bell peppers, and I remembered having peperonata when I was in Italy. It’s a stewed bell pepper dish which often also includes onion, garlic, and tomatoes. All I happened to have on hand was bell peppers and red onion, but it still came…
Pizza Sauce
My boyfriend is obsessed with pizza. I got him a pizza stone for Christmas one year, and he has been steadily honing his pizza-making skills by throwing regular pizza parties. My role is to make the pizza sauce. This recipe was one from a friend which I have tweaked to give it a bit more…