Tag Archives: Italian

just like I remember. [homemade ragù di carne]

January 4th, 2022 by | comments

My husband and I took a cooking class in San Gimignano on our honeymoon a few years ago and still talk about the class to this day. All of the food we made was incredible, but the ragù was the standout dish. I’ve been making my slightly revised version of the ragù for years and it tastes just like I remember in Italy. The recipe has minimal ingredients, but is packed with flavor. I decided to make homemade fettuccine for this post, but by all means, use store-bought pasta if you’re in a pinch! Although I will say, the thin and silky smooth homemade noodles do make a difference in this dish and are worth making if you have the time.

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IMHO. [creamy calabrian chili bolognese]

May 24th, 2021 by | comments

In my humble opinion (IMHO), there’s nothing better than a big, comforting bowl of pasta. If you’re feeling down or just really, really hungry, it’s sure to cheer you up and fill you up. This creamy Calabrian chili bolognese is one of my favorite pastas I’ve made in a while. It’s full of flavor with just the right amount of heat from the Calabrian chilis. Although I made way too much for two people, let’s be honest, it was gone in just a couple days.

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here’s hoping. [roasted bell pepper & tortellini soup]

December 18th, 2020 by | comments

Although I’m not a huge soup fan, I’ve got to say, this roasted bell pepper and tortellini soup was incredible. I was only able to try a very small bite, since I just had a major gum graft surgery, but my husband and mom both tried the soup and said it tasted as delicious as it smelled. Here’s hoping I’ll be healed up sooner rather than later so I can make this again and actually enjoy a bowl!

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from scratch. [homemade lasagna bolognese w. ricotta & spinach]

December 14th, 2020 by | comments

Is there anything more comforting and delicious than lasagna? Better yet, homemade lasagna? This recipe is made completely from scratch (well, almost) and is worth every hour it takes to make. The dish is layered with homemade noodles, followed by a 3-hour ragu, a spinach and ricotta mixture, and shredded mozzarella cheese. I’m drooling just trying to explain it – SO good!

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luscious. [homemade spinach & ricotta ravioli w. sage brown butter sauce]

May 12th, 2020 by | comments

Ever since my husband and I took a cooking class at Montese Cooking Experience in San Gimignano, Italy for our honeymoon in 2018, I have been itching to make homemade ravioli. This recipe is loosely based off of the ravioli we made in the class, which was in-cred-ible. If you ever have the chance to make it to San Gimignano, I highly recommend taking this cooking class – the instructor, Mauro was so sweet and incredibly knowledgeable.

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never go back. [homemade lasagna bolognese]

April 22nd, 2020 by | comments

Now that I’ve made lasagna entirely from scratch, I can honestly say I never want to go back to store-bought noodles – which is somewhat unfortunate, because this recipe will take hours of your time. But if you enjoy cooking (and lasagna) as much as I do, it won’t matter because it is SO worth it in the end! The homemade noodles make all of the difference and take this lasagna to another planet. The ingredient list and instructions may appear a bit daunting, but please don’t let that deter you from making this delicious dish!

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stars & stripes. [italian pasta salad]

July 2nd, 2019 by | comments

If you’re still searching for recipe ideas for your 4th of July get together, I’ve got you covered! I recently made this Italian pasta salad for a picnic with friends before a Hollywood Bowl concert and not a noodle was left in sight. The dish is simple, yet packed with flavor and texture. I will be making this again for my parent’s 4th of July party – per my mother’s request!

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flavor town. [pappardelle w. pork ragu]

June 29th, 2018 by | comments

One of my favorite gifts I received for my birthday the other week was The L.A. Cookbook, which includes delicious recipes from some of LA’s best restaurants. My husband and I have yet to make the trek to Union Pasadena, but now that we have this cookbook, we can make their incredible pasta with pork ragu whenever we want. The original recipe calls for tagliatelle, but we used pappardelle since that was what we had!

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