Bucatini alla'amatriciana

This was one of my favorite dishes while I was living in Rome.  First, because bucatini is so much fun.  It looks like fat spaghetti, and is used in much the same way as spaghetti, but it's hollow in the center.  You'll get some impromptu music during the course of your meal... Second, because it just tastes amazing.  Don't let my picture fool you... it's so much more than pasta and chunks of tomato!  It's pretty simple to make, though some of the ingredients might be difficult to find.

Fresh Pesto

I never really liked pesto until I lived in Italy... probably because most pesto in the USA isn't fresh.  Since I've been keeping a summer garden, and basil being a fixture in it, I've started to perfect my pesto recipe.  I think I've gotten it down pretty well.

Couscous with Asparagus, Chard and Shrimp

This is what happens when I go grocery shopping with no real shopping list except "I should make something with shrimp this week because it's on sale."  And after having been on vacation for a week in a country that loves fried food, I was in desperate need of greens.

I have no idea what to call this because I just whipped it up and it's so delicious I just had to share it.  It's similar to a previous recipe I posted, but I was amazed at myself for how wonderfully this turned out for me just decided to throw in some asparagus and shrimp.

Rainbow Chard with Couscous

I made the mistake once of not removing the stems of chard before putting it in my soup... let me just say that they are quite bitter.  But if sauteed up with some garlic and lemon juice, they're not so bad.

Quinoa with Kale

At last year's Thanksgiving, when my mom asked if I would make a quinoa dish, I just stared at her blankly.  One, I had no idea what she said.  Two, whatever it was, it didn't sound like it belonged at Thanksgiving.  She explained that it's a grain that's really healthy for you.  My disinterest continued.  Thanksgiving is supposed to be about consuming as many calories as possible, not making sure your digestive track is in order.   But in the last few months, my boyfriend and I decided we needed to start a healthier routine.  I finally decided to try quinoa, whatever it is.  Surprisingly, it's pretty amazingly delicious when done well.  This recipe has become a staple in my kitchen, and I've been making it about once a week.

Panzanella

At the same time I was living in Rome, a friend of mine was living in Tuscany.  We didn't know each other at the time, even though we went to the same university, but we now work together.  She shared this recipe with me, which she learned while living in Tuscany.  Tuscany has some of the best farming country in all of Italy.  And because of the all the farms and natural woodlands, a lot of the food is much more earthy and gamey than in other parts of Italy.  These seems like one of those recipes that you whip together when you have leftover bread that's about to go stale and a few too many tomatoes.  But it is a delicious snack or side dish!

Baked Cod

I must admit, I love fish.  But it's expensive. And it's not like beef or chicken where you can just pull something together and it's delicious.  The last month or so we've been stuck in dinner rut, in desperate need for new flavors.  Thank goodness cod was on sale when I decided to make this.

Gnocchi

As a kid I thought gnocchi was really fancy.  It wasn't like regular pasta... it was like a little pouch of carb-y goodness.  Come to find out, it's made out of potatoes... one of my favorite foods.  It's commonly served with pesto because it coats the gnocchi better than a red sauce (though ragu is a pretty commonly used red sauce with gnocchi).  Since I originally posted this over a year ago, I've improved my gnocchi and pesto recipes.  I've actually moved the pesto recipe here.

Picadillo

A little known Mexican dish that is oh so yummy. This is the recipe my paternal grandma taught me. I've found other versions in cookbooks but they have way more ingredients that don't make sense to me (Cooking sherry? Really?). But this is so simple and delicious you don't need any of that mumbo jumbo.

Ragu Sauce

When we Americans think of pasta, usually spaghetti with a red sauce comes to mind.  Maybe a fettuccine alfredo. And that's it.  Friends say that after having lived in Italy I've become a "pasta snob," but when I've tasted so many amazing sauces and combinations, how can I not be?!  Since coming back, I find American Italian pasta dishes to be bland sauce on top of mushy pasta.  In Italy, all sauces are made fresh and delicious... nothing is canned or pre-made.  

When I was living in Italy, my Italian teacher has a friend of hers who was a chef teach us some real Italian recipes.  I'm still looking for the gnocchi recipe in my email somewhere, but here's the ragu.  

Enchiladas

A friend at work says that Mexican food is a rip-off... it's the same 5 ingredients rearranged on a plate.  While there are a few staples, it's all so different.  And of that multitude of arrangements, enchiladas are probably the easiest to make.  This is how my mom taught me.  This one you MUST read the whole recipe first.  Being a recipe passed down over the generations, there's no such thing as measurements.  And it can get pretty messy so wear something you're okay with getting dirty.

Tuscan Soup

A quick soup filled with good for you veggies!

Spicy Tuna Pasta

A variation on the pasta con olio e aglio, this recipe makes sure you get your Omega-3's too!

Pasta con olio e aglio

This recipe I learned in Italy.  It's quite possibly the easiest way to make delicious pasta.