There are two ways to make colored pasta. The first is to have a very colorful sauce that changes the pasta’s color completely. The second way, is to add in various purees, spices, herbs or other natural colorings when making the dough. Although you see photos for the pink pasta I would suggest making just a normal colored fresh pasta since the color will turn pink regardless thanks to the beet sauce!
Here’s a 30 second time lapse video of me in my italicana kitchen making three types of homemade pasta and sauces (all recipes to come!) You can pop on over to my youtube channel for more videos.
Oh man, this recipe is a winner. It’s quite the pleasant surprise for even the pickiest of eaters. For example, my dad, a steak and potatoes kind of guy, LOVED this fresh pasta with beet sauce topped with roasted Brussels sprouts, goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. Then there is Mr. Italicano who snubs any recipe made with beets, yet devoured a whole plate of this pasta before I could relay to him the main ingredient. Um. Yah. It’s that good.
Apart from it’s utter deliciousness, it’s also festive—look at those vibrant colors! I mean, who doesn’t like to wow their dinner party guests with stunning dishes at Thanksgiving or Christmas? So to recap: it’s super yum, it’s downright beautiful, but I still haven’t even told you the best part:CONTINUE READING
Being that Mr. Italicano and I spent the weekend with friends on a sailboat in the Italian region of Liguria, it was only fitting that I posted this delicious recipe for homemade pesto alla genovese since it is a typical Ligurian delicacy, by now known and celebrated throughout the world.
If you are planning a trip to Italy and are thinking about making your way to Liguria to check out the Cinque Terre, I highly recommend taking another few days to do these following three things: CONTINUE READING
I love eating raw almonds by the handful, they are one of my favorite snacks. But, sometimes raw almonds aren’t satisfying enough. Sometimes I want something creamy and smooth, like almond butter, to spread on toast, mix into a delicious smoothie bowl or eat by the spoonful.
Peanut butter is finally found in most normal grocery stores in Italy (hurray!), but it’s hard to find other nut butters. Almond butter has a more delicate taste in respect to peanut butter and has more Omega 3 fatty acids that are important for a healthy heart. It is also high in vitamin E and magnesium. The only place that may have almond butter was a little organic store on the other side of town. So, I got on my bike and headed on a bumpy ride through the cobble stone streets. When I saw the little glass jar my eyes lit up, I grabbed it off the shelf and caught a glimpse at the price: 10euros! What? The jar was tiny. Miniscule. I checked out the ingredient label: almonds and cane sugar. Sugar…sugar…sugar….Ugh. Enough with putting sugar in everything! It was settled. I would make it myself.
Although the bag of organic raw almonds still cost meCONTINUE READING
I apologize for the absence in the past month! If you’ve been following italicana kitchen on Facebook, Instagramor Twitter then you’ve probably been following my USA food tour. I’ve been reporting back on Radio Bruno, an Italian radio station,on new food and wine trends in America, I’m organizing private pasta-making classes in people’s homes using the lovely Smeg stand mixer, which I absolutely adore, and I’m doing pasta-making demonstrations at various Williams-Sonoma stores and The Culinary Stone in Seattle,Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.
If you are in the Seattle or Spokane area, contact me to organize a homemadepasta-making class! I’ll be in Seattle until READ MORE!
Making gnocchi is easy to do; making greatgnocchi is hard. There are many factors that could make your 4 ingredient recipe go awry. Luckily I have some tips and tricks straight from my Italian mother-in-law, Patrizia, that will make your gnocchi melt in your mouth every time.
Apart from it’s utter deliciousness, it’s also festive—look at those vibrant colors! I mean, who doesn’t like to wow their dinner party guests with stunning dishes at Thanksgiving or Christmas? So to recap: it’s super yum, it’s downright beautiful, but I still haven’t even told you the best part: CONTINUE READING
