Tag: italian

Italian lentil and escarole soup

We love lentil soup, and we were curious about escarole. So we tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013354-lentil-and-escarole-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share&cgs=c Our modifications: first, we added 2 celery stalks (diced) to the carrots and onion. Second, the recipe didn’t specify the type of lentils, so we used 1 cup French de Puy lentils (small, dark gray), which hold their shape…… Continue reading Italian lentil and escarole soup

Minestrone soup

We made this Cookie + Kate recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/classic-minestrone-soup-recipe/. This was healthy and tasty. Our modifications: first, for the vegetables we used 1 russet potato (diced), 1 zucchini (diced), and 1/2 cup French-cut string beans, which exceeded 2 cups. As a result, we increased the liquid to 7 cups. Second, we used a combination of no-salt…… Continue reading Minestrone soup

Baked orzo with roasted vegetables and spinach

We love orzo with tomato sauce, and we took inspiration from this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020823-cheesy-baked-orzo-with-marinara?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share&cgs=c Our modifications: first, we added a lot of roasted vegetables. We cut 3/4 of a medium cauliflower (saving the remaining 1/4 for another recipe), 1 large red bell pepper, and 2 large shallots into bite-sized pieces, tossed them with 1.5 Tbsp…… Continue reading Baked orzo with roasted vegetables and spinach

Lasagna roll-ups with cottage cheese and spinach

We are big fans of SkinnyTaste, and we enjoyed this recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/lasagna-roll-ups-with-cottage-cheese/. The cottage cheese worked really well. Our modifications: first, for the marinara sauce, we combined 15.5 oz Rao’s marinara and 8 oz no-salt tomato sauce to reduce the sodium. (We also prefer saucy casseroles, so 2 cups from the original recipe seemed too…… Continue reading Lasagna roll-ups with cottage cheese and spinach

Italian-style chick pea and orzo soup with mustard greens

On this chilly day, we craved a healthy, warming soup. We tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015767-chickpea-stew-with-orzo-and-mustard-greens?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. It was very tasty and satisfying. Our modifications: first, for the aromatics, we used 1 small fennel bulb, 1 stalk celery, 1 large leek (white part only and in lieu of onion), and two medium carrots. Second, along with the…… Continue reading Italian-style chick pea and orzo soup with mustard greens

Homemade turkey meatballs in store-bought marinara sauce

We made these Italian-style turkey meatballs from NYT Cooking: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018723-turkey-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. Our modifications: first, we doubled the recipe. In the doubled recipe, we also reduced the salt in the meatball mixture to 2 tsp (from 1 Tbsp). Second, to manage sodium in the marinara sauce, we combined 32 oz (4 cups) Rao’s marinara sauce with 16…… Continue reading Homemade turkey meatballs in store-bought marinara sauce

Italian-style spinach and ricotta manicotti

My husband had a craving for stuffed shells, and we settled on spinach and ricotta manicotti. We tried this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/spinach-ricotta-cannelloni/. Our modifications: first, we used 1 lb uncooked manicotti shells, which were the right amount for the spinach ricotta filling. The stuffed shells also fit in a 13 x 9” baking dish. Second, instead…… Continue reading Italian-style spinach and ricotta manicotti

Tuscan-style sautéed Swiss chard with bacon and chick peas

This is an easy recipe with surprisingly complex flavors: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-swiss-chard-with-garbanzo-beans-249801. The crunch of the Swiss chard steps reminded us of celery without the sharp flavor. Our modifications: first, based on our pantry, we used bacon instead of pancetta. Specifically, we cut frozen, center-cut bacon into matchsticks (3 cross sectional slabs). Second, towards the end of…… Continue reading Tuscan-style sautéed Swiss chard with bacon and chick peas

Italian-style sausage and barley soup with kale

This is an easy recipe that makes a nice, hearty soup: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026506-sausage-and-barley-soup-with-greens?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. Our modifications: first, we used two links of raw spicy Italian chicken sausage from Whole Foods. Second, for the greens, we found that half a bunch of curly kale was about 6 dry cups. Third, we added a parmesan rind along with the…… Continue reading Italian-style sausage and barley soup with kale

Simple baked ziti

We had a craving for baked ziti, but we had limited ingredients in our pantry – 1 lb uncooked ziti, Rao’s marinara sauce, and some cheese. We tried this simple recipe that doesn’t use ricotta cheese or heavy cream: https://asimplepalate.com/blog/easy-baked-ziti/ Our modifications: first, to manage sodium for the 3 cups of tomato sauce, we combined…… Continue reading Simple baked ziti