Pasta alla Norma is a staple Italian first course almost unknown in North America. The dish, native to Sicily, is especially known in southern Italy but can be found all around the country. Alla Norma sauce (likely named after the opera Norma, by ... Continue reading
Tag: sauce
Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans Pasta
This article is about pesto, the second most famous Italian pasta sauce, of course after tomato sauce. However, this is not about the traditional way to make “Pesto Genovese” – using a mortar; there’s plenty of good resources on ... Continue reading
Tortiglioni all’Arrabbiata
Sugo* all’Arrabbiata is a classic pasta sauce from central/southern Italy that can be prepared very quickly, while the pasta cooks. This sauce is traditionally quite spicy, and this is at the origin of its name (all’arrabbiata, in Italian ... Continue reading
Home-Style Pizza
Unless you have a brick oven in your backyard, you can’t quite make pizzeria-style pizza at home; the regular kitchen oven simply can’t reach high enough temperatures. It is, however, possible to approximate the flavors of a ... Continue reading
Pasta Names Explained
In this atypical post, we will go over some of the most common pasta cuts and describe the origins of their names. We will use the following template: Italian Name (Literal Translation) Photograph* (photos are at scale) The root word that ... Continue reading
Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino – The Staple Midnight Pasta
Aglio (pronounced ‘ah-llyo’), Olio e Peperoncino (Garlic, Oil and Chili Pepper) is one of the simplest and most popular Italian pasta sauces, and one of the most delicious. Its simplicity is unmatched for showcasing perfectly cooked, ... Continue reading
Cooking Pasta 101
In the Pasta 101 article we went through the different types of pasta and the Italian traditions around it. Let’s now talk some more on how to cook pasta, and particularly dry pasta (‘pastasciutta’). Let’s start with quantities. ... Continue reading
Pasta with Gorgonzola
This quick and versatile recipe is another great representative of the cuisine of northern Italy. With any kind of strong, creamy cheese and a handful of always-ready ingredients, this delicious sauce can be whipped together from scratch in minutes. In ... Continue reading
Pizzoccheri della Valtellina
Pizzoccheri is a Northern Italian dish almost unknown in North America. It originates in Valtellina (known as Valtelline or Val Telline in English), a valley at the very top of Lombardy. Despite the name, Pizzoccheri has nothing to do with pizza. It ... Continue reading
