Tag: italian

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

Sicilian-style pasta with canned tuna

We craved a quick pasta dish, and we tried this: https://www.recipetineats.com/canned-tuna-pasta/ The capers, anchovies, and garlic remind us of Sicilian cuisine. Our modifications: first, based on our pantry, we used 7 oz mafaldine pasta, two 5-oz cans of no-salt tuna in water (which we drained, saving the tuna liquid separately), 1 tsp anchovy paste instead…… Continue reading Sicilian-style pasta with canned tuna

Pasta e fagioli, pressure cooker style

We love pasta e fagioli, and we tried this Instant Pot version: https://inquiringchef.com/instant-pot-pasta-e-fagioli/ Our modifications: first, we used diced center-cut bacon strips (about 2 inches, cut into three sets of match sticks) instead of pancetta. For the beans, we used 8 oz dried cannelini beans that we had reconstituted using this 1 hour quick soak…… Continue reading Pasta e fagioli, pressure cooker style

Giada’s sheet pan eggplant parmesan

At the beach, we decided to try this simple sheet pan recipe by Giada de Laurentiis: https://giadzy.com/blogs/recipes/sheetpan-eggplant-parmesan This was an easy, delicious meal that needed only a handful of ingredients. The panko topping was particularly good, adding a light crispy texture to the tender eggplant. Our modifications: first, due to a very sensitive smoke alarm…… Continue reading Giada’s sheet pan eggplant parmesan

Baked ziti with roasted cauliflower, bell pepper, and shallots

We love making casseroles for Sunday dinners and weekday lunch, so we tried this Cookie + Kate recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/baked-ziti-recipe-with-roasted-vegetables/ Our modifications: first, to reduce sodium, we mixed 24 oz Rao’s marinara with 8 oz no-salt tomato sauce to make 32 oz (4 cups) of red sauce. We also added crushed red pepper flakes (approx. 1/2…… Continue reading Baked ziti with roasted cauliflower, bell pepper, and shallots