Tag: parmesean

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Veggie

Pasta Primavera

one and a half slices past primavera girlypop recipe spring cherry blossoms washington dc
one and a half slices recipes local delicious food

Quick Pasta Primavera

one and a half slices past primavera girlypop recipe spring cherry blossoms washington dc

hot take girl dinner is getting a springtime refresh. The OG girl dinner is giving summer and this, well, this is for cherry blossoms in full bloom 🌸use whatever veg you have. peas, carrots, and asparagus are on rotation at Valley house atm. don’t skip the lemon and parm | happy springtime!

what you need

1 1/2-2 cups of veggies of choice, diced small

*I like carrots, frozen peas, and asparagus

1/2 shallot or 1/4 yellow onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 1/2 cups pasta of choice (I’ve been on this huge radiatore kick that has dominated girl dinner)

1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded finely)

2 tablespoons salted butter 

2 tablespoons olive oil

(optional) 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

(optional) splash of half and half or heavy cream

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Set the pasta to boil according to package instructions. Don’t forget to reserve a couple splashes of pasta water!

When the pasta is al dente: in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot/onion and cook for 1 minute until it softens. Add the vegetables and sauté 2 minutes more until starting to soften. Sprinkle the garlic, lemon zest, and cherry tomatoes on top and give everything a nice stir.

Push the vegetables to the edge of the saucepan and add a couple splashes of pasta water to the pan. Stir this together with the butter to create a silky sauce in the middle of the pan. Then transfer the drained al dente pasta to the saucepan. Stir everything together.

As the pasta simmers, add the parmesan cheese to the top and the half and half, if using. Stir together until combined. Once this comes together, but before the veggies are overcooked, plate and top with additional parmesan cheese. Enjoy warm and steaming.
pasta
Categories
Omni

Tuscan Chicken Soup

one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Tuscan Chicken Soup

Man, the soups are slaying this fall. This one is in the same category as the Zinger Chicken Soup, which is zestier, and Viking Lentil Stew, which is heartier. This one, above all, is warm. Just warm. Super freaking cozy while maintaining a light level of flavor profile intrigue. It’s a curious little sweater of a soup for fall and winter evenings that takes exactly 1 hour to get on your table.

⛄🔥❄️

what you need

1 quart (36 fl oz) chicken broth + 1 cup water

~3 small white or red potatoes, skinned and diced tiny

~3-4 carrots, skinned and diced tiny

2-3 cups swiss chard, washed and chopped coursely (without the stems removed)

1 tablespoon salted butter

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 yellow onion, diced tiny

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb fresh white meat chicken

1 can (8 oz) cannellini beans (or other white bean of choice)

zest from 1 full lemon

1 parmesan cheese rind

freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving

2 tablespoons olive oil per bowl for serving

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Utensil: Dutch oven or large cooking pot

Melt butter over medium heat in pot. Add diced onion, sauté for 2 minutes, then add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the thyme, oregano, and crushed red pepper, and give it a good stir.

Place the parmesan rind, chicken broth, water, and whole pieces of chicken in the pot with a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer with the pot covered for ~30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot to a cutting board and shred it with a fork. Then return it to the pot. Also remove the parmesan rind from the pot and throw it away.

Add the potatoes, carrots, and beans to the pot and simmer, covered, for an additional 2o minutes. At this point, kill the heat and add the lemon zest and swiss chard, stirring a bit, then covering the pot (without heat) for 5 more minutes.  

Note: at this point, you can add a splash of heavy cream of half & half if you want the soup truly creamy, but I find that the starch from the potatoes and the beans has thickened it to my particular liking. 

Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of really good olive oil per bowl (you should be able to see plenty of the little oil beads in the soup). Grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top and enjoy immediately.

more warm soups for winter
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Veggie

Girl Dinner

one and a half slices zucchini parmesan girl dinner pasta delicious
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Girl Dinner

trust me you want it

I’m entering my level up era and I’ve been eating a lot of girl dinner. Yes, I know, girl dinner is french fries and a pornstar martini. But this girl dinner is a fraction of the cost and it takes like 15 minutes to make. At home. So you can continue doing #levelup things (or play videogames, either). 

also, have you tried the primavera version?

what you need

2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced or minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

(optional) 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 zucchini, cute into small slices

1 small handful of angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup good parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

how to make it

Set a pot of salted water to boil. Add your pasta and boil until cooked through.

In a pan, sauté garlic and zucchini until al dente in the first tablespoon of butter. Remove from heat until the pasta is ready. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, all the lemon, and a bit of black pepper. 

Return to heat and add the pasta using tongs, allowing several tablespoons of the pasta water to spill into the pan (no need to drain). Toss the mixture once or twice.

After about a minute of sizzle and simmer, add the cheese and some salt and give the pasta another couple of tosses. Plate immediately and top with a bit more parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. 

more girl snack dinners
Categories
Omni

Summer Sausage Orzo

one and a half slices oneandahalfslices summer orzo pasta one pot meal recipe
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Summer Sausage Orzo

Well, we’ve done it. We’ve completed another legendary summer. From Yellow 2023 to substantial Gulf Stream boating, we have arrived back in Northern Virginia sunkissed, well-fed, and ready for a Virginian Fall. But before we say goodbye to the sunny season, I’ve got a collection of recipes for you that all share the theme of Deep Summer. We will end with one or two cocktails as a perfect segue into bourbon season. Perhaps you’ve still got a couple peaches rolling around. Maybe you’ve sun dried a tomato or two. These next few recipes are for you. We’ll start with date night Orzo. Then quickly move to dessert: oven-crisped almond peaches. 

So… it’s date night (oh no… you all know how my date nights go down). We are welcoming ourselves back to Virginia and into a swanky new condo in Arlington with a kitchen worthy of the Food Network. Our first Saturday Supper is right around the corner (#iykyk… the door is open, come cook with us!) Anyway, date night. Theme: deep summer. Drinks, vibe, music (see below), and a spectacular main course – spicy, filling, with a super complementary and unique flavor set that sits comfortably on the palate. It helps to pre-chop everything but otherwise this dish comes together nicely in just one large skillet. Emphasis on ‘large’ as this uses an entire pound of Orzo. It will easily feed a family or you’ll have leftovers for a couple of days. Enjoy your last little bit of summer, and pair with some Oven Crisped Peaches for dessert or a Peach Smash cocktail.

Credits

Recipe inspo: Half Baked Harvest (man, Tieghan does some interesting recipes, especially if you’re feeling quick weeknight Asian). 

Local sausage: Longstone Farm, you have my heart, and all of my business when it comes to pork chops and loose sausage.

🌴          🌴         🌴

what you need

1 pound loose sausage of choice

1 small zucchini, finely diced

1 large shallot or half a yellow onion, finely diced

1 pound of orzo

5 cups of vegetable broth

juice from half a lemon

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup of sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 cup of good parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

a handful of fresh basil, cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups of fresh spinach

1/2 cup of half and half, or milk substitute of choice

how to make it

Place an extra large skillet over medium heat and begin by browning the sausage. Then add the shallot, garlic, oregano, thyme, red pepper, and sundried tomatoes, stirring until they soften, ~3 more minutes.

Pour in the vegetable broth and the mustard, stir briefly, and let the mixture come to a boil before adding the orzo and the zucchini. Let simmer on medium heat for ~15-20 minutes or until Orzo is cooked through (this took a while for me). You can cover the dish or leave it uncovered, but monitor the liquid to ensure the orzo absorbs everything it needs to but does not burn. Stir frequently.

At this point, turn off the heat or turn it way down to its lowest setting. Mix in the cheese, the half and half, and lemon, and the spinach until just combined and the spinach has wilted, ~2 minutes. 

Remove from heat, spoon into bowls, and top with parmesan cheese and strips of basil. Serve immediately. 

🎶🎧🎶

I’ll leave you with my summer vibes, in case you didn’t get to check the Yellow 2023 playlist collection.

Red Red Rubies – so named for its having come to life in the month of July.

For deep summer, gulf stream boating, and collage art.

Headliner song: Confetti by Charlotte Cardin. 

Cooking prep!
Date night flowers
Other things to do with sausage

White Bean Chorizo Soup

As we enter into the longest winter months with January barely having come to a close, it seems like it will never be warm again. These are the months for soups, stews, and roasts; hearty and cozy. This is one such soup. It is creamy (without any cream) and I hereby dub it my Winter Soup, topped with spicy chorizo, salty pepitas, and a dash of oregano.

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February 6, 2021 1 Comment
lentil sausage stew soup recipe oneandahalfslices

Viking Lentil Stew

If there is crisp in the air, you want this. You want two bowls of this. And you want it with parmesan cheese on top. It is the most flavor-rich, complex soup I have probably ever tasted. It leaves you full, warm, and longing to make another pot. The secret is in the quality of the sausage.

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October 21, 2020 1 Comment
Categories
Veggie

Warm Brussels Caesar Salad

one and a half slices warm brussels sprouts crunchy spicy salad recipe
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Spicy Warm Crunchy Brussels Caesar Salad with Almonds

That’s a lot of adjectives in front of “Caesar Salad,” but I assure you this salad is not difficult. It is also fantastic. The spicy comes from cayenne. The crunchy comes from toasted almonds, and the quinoa if you feel so inclined to try crisping it. Crisping quinoa does involve an extra step but it makes the quinoa taste vaguely nutty and a little popcorn-esque. You could just as easily use regularly prepared quinoa, though, and this salad would be unchanged. The tahini Caesar dressing is also king – super lemony and salty with parmesan cheese as any good Caesar should be. 

what you need

2 bunches of large Brussels Sprouts, shaved or sliced very thinly

3-4 tablespoons of minced chives

1/2 cup toasted almond slivers

1 cup of Quinoa, cooked according to the package

2-3 glugs of olive oil

(optional) 1/4 cup dried cranberries

For the dressing…

1/4 cup tahini

Juice from half a lemon

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup (heaping) of parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1 clove of fresh garlic, minced 

salt, cracked black pepper, and tons of cayenne pepper

2-3 glugs of olive oil

how to make it

Make the quinoa according to the package and let it cool uncovered for a while. Preheat the oven to 400. 

Chop or slice the Brussels Sprouts (a mandolin works great if you have one), toss in olive oil and salt, and spread out on a pan. Roast at 400 for 10 minutes, then stir the Brussels, and continue roasting for ~5-7 more minutes. You’re going for al dente.

If you’re going to crisp your quinoa, you can do so at the same time as the Brussels. Just spread them out on some parchment paper, drizzle with a bit of oil, stir, and roast until beginning to crisp but not burn.  

While the Brussels are roasting, make the dressing. Put all ingredients in a small chopper and blend until smooth, adding water or nutmilk incrementally as needed to thin it out. 

When the Brussels come out of the oven, place in a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes. Pour the dressing on top and toss until well coated. Add in the chives and almonds, and toss a bit more. If using regularly cooked quinoa, add it in and toss with the Brussels, but if using crisped quinoa, I like to add it on top and toss it lightly before eating. 

Top with a slight dusting of parmesan cheese and enjoy warm.

Green Vibes
Categories
Veggie

Vegetable Tian

one and a half slices vegetable tian ratatouille french authentic recipe
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Vegetable Tian (aka Ratatouille)

one and a half slices vegetable tian ratatouille french authentic recipe

This dish is one of those you love to make simply because everyone goes crazy over how beautiful it is. Perfect for potlucks, Friendsgivings, and the like, this can also just majorly dress up a weeknight dinner table. You could actually make it an entire meal by adding some cooked loose sausage to the bottom along with the onion, but I’ll leave that variation up to you.

Vegetable Tian is another name for the dish we all may know as Ratatouille. You’ve seen the Disney movie with the adorable little mouse chef. Traditional ratatouille has everything from tomatoes to eggplant and, like most exquisite French cooking, is a peasant dish. It is typically made by dicing and sautéing the vegetables — super simple — served over rice or polenta. Ever since I saw the Disney movie, of course, I wanted to learn how to make the neat little vegetable stacks. But in the interim, this rendition will suffice. You can make it in a square or a round pan though, of course, I am going to recommend cast iron.

Pro tip: try to slice everything evenly. A mandoline helps… but I don’t have one. Also…when selecting your vegetables, try to pick vegetables that look more or less the same size and shape. This will help you in the stacking process.

 

🐭

🍅🥔🍆

 

🍅🥔🍆

🐭

what you need

1-2 small zucchini

1-2 medium yellow squash

2-3 roma tomatoes

3-4 small white or red potatoes

1 yellow onion, coarsely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup parmesan cheese

thyme, salt, and black pepper for garnish

olive oil

how to make it

Preheat oven to 350 and then set to diligent work washing and slicing your vegetables. I hate to tell you this but the more thinly you slice them, the better this dish will look. Once you’ve got all your veggies sliced, drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a cast iron skillet and sauté your onion and garlic for just a few minutes until they soften.

Remove from the heat and spread the onions out so they cover the bottom of the skillet. Then set to work alternating your vegetables in a spiral pattern or however you see fit. Once complete, drizzle with olive oil; garnish generously with thyme, salt, and pepper; and top with about 1/4 of the parmesan cheese. 

Bake the Tian for one hour. At the one hour mark, remove from the oven and add the remaining 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Return to the oven for just a few minutes or put it under the broiler for a minute to crisp it up. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

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More Food from Cinema!
one and a half slices harry potter recipe butterbeer hogwarts winter grog

Butterbeer (iced)

Whether you like your butterbeer hot, iced, boozy, or clean, I’ve finally got the recipe for you. #youreawizardharry 🪄

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October 14, 2024 1 Comment
One and a half Slices chocolate cake recipe Chocolat movie

French ‘Chocolat’ Cake

You guys know I’ll take pie over cake any day, but if I’m going to indulge in cake, it can’t be the big, billowy, blustery American cake layered with frosting and unnecessary sweetness. Over and over again I gravitate towards French cakes because they are just more delicate, using minimal flour, relying instead of almond meal, and frequently topped with cream instead of icing. This one is on par with my little lemon cake but it’s chocolate… with just a few tablespoons of almond meal, it has a dense but delicate consistency. You could whip it up in under an hour for a last minute dessert and it’s beautiful with a coffee or a bourbon. #minimalistcooking

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April 2, 2022 1 Comment
french chocolate cake recipe one and a half slices

Simple Chocolate Cake

Now is the moment where we ask ourselves if we really needed another chocolate cake recipe. The answer (much like chocolate chip cookies) is always yes. Specifically, we can put this one in the category of #minimalistbaking and #frenchsimplicity. I’ll say this: there is a reason French cooking is king in the world of the culinary, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the decadence of the pastries or the massive amounts of butter and everything to do with its simplicity. The Five Mother Sauces, the peasant food-turned-elegant. Anyway, this cake is slightly denser than the French ‘Chocolat’ Cake as it is truly flourless. Enjoy!

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June 11, 2022 No Comments
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Veggie

Signature Salad

one and a half slices signature arugula salad recipe
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

OneandahalfSlices Signature Salad

one and a half slices signature arugula salad recipe

There is a lot of salad in the OneandahalfSlices universe. You know, #eatfoodnottoomuchmostlyplants. That said, this is easily the favorite. It is green, zesty, and light. It works as a side salad, say, to Spaghetti al Limone, Fettuccine Alfredo, or Chicken Korma, or stands on its own with a hard boiled egg and some extra avo. Trust me. Make it once and it will quickly become your favorite, your go-to, and just like that avocado and arugula will permanently live in your fridge. 

🥑

what you need

1 package baby arugula

1 avocado

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated very finely

juice from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 glugs good olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

(optional) 3 tablespoons pepitas

(optional) 3 tablespoons dried cranberries or golden raisins

(optional) 1 hard boiled egg

how to make it

Toss arugula in a mixing bowl with olive oil, salt, cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice. Toss well to coat.

Add the parmesan cheese and toss some more!

Thinly slice the avocado and add to the top of the salad.

Top with pepitas, cranberries, thinly sliced hard boiled egg, if using, and a little more black pepper and parmesan cheese.

🥑

 

More Summer Salads
one and a half slices warm brussels sprouts crunchy spicy salad recipe

Warm Brussels Caesar Salad

That’s a lot of adjectives in front of “Caesar Salad,” but I assure you this salad is not difficult. It is also fantastic. The spicy comes from cayenne. The crunchy comes from toasted almonds, and the quinoa if you feel so inclined to try crisping it. The tahini Caesar dressing is also king – super lemony and salty with parmesan cheese as any good Caesar should be. 

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May 25, 2023 No Comments
one and a half slices greek greek salata salad recipe

Maroulosalata

Most people think of Greek salad as tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, and plenty of olive oil. Marousalata, however, is a salad frequently served in Greek homes. It is a simple salad. An every day salad. An everybody salad. And here to stay in my kitchen. 

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October 29, 2022 No Comments
one and a half slices healthy vegetarian recipes sprouts

Brussels Sprouts Salad

For those who think you don’t like Brussels Sprouts, pause… let’s see what happens to them when we add a decent flavor profile. This healthy, clean salad is crunchy, flavorful, and interesting all in one bite. It’s fresh like summer, crisp like springtime, and full of fall and winter flavors. A perfect snack, app, or dinner if eating light. Makes me think that maybe some Instagram Reels are worth watching…

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January 16, 2022 2 Comments
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Veggie

Pasta Pomodoro

pasta recipe pomodoro red creamy simple easy sauce
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Simple Pomodoro (tomato) Sauce

pasta recipe pomodoro red creamy simple easy sauce

There is a lot to be said for simple, staple recipes. The French five mother sauces are said to be like the First Principles of cooking. Master these five sauces and you can make any sauce. The five French sauces are: Béchamel, Velouté, Espagnole, Tomato, and Hollandaise. All excluding the latter begin with a simple Roux (fat source, like butter or meat drippings, plus flour – what Americans know as the most basic gravy). 

The béchamel is the dairy-based sauce – think fettuccine alfredo. The velouté is a different kind of white sauce where the creaminess comes from an animal fat like chicken or pork drippings, not milk or cream.  This can be one kind of gravy. The Espagnole is the second kind of gravy, where the drippings come from a red meat. The tomato sauce is, well… tomato. And Hollandaise, from which we get its sister Béarnaise, is a butter, egg yolk, and lemon-based sauce. 

Pomodoro sauce is the Italian name for the simple tomato-based mother sauce, as “pomodoro” means “tomato” in Italian. It is meant to be the quickest, simplest pasta topper and I give it to you here in five simple steps that will keep you away from canned pasta sauce for life (as will my meat-hearty Bolognese sauce). 

🍅

what you need

1/2 onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2-3 handfuls of cherry or roma tomatoes, diced finely, with all their juices

1 handful of fresh basil

1 splash cream or half and half

how to make it

First. Sauté the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until fragrant, ~3 minutes.

Second. Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil and the tomatoes (and juices), stirring to combine and cooking for an additional ~5 minutes.

Third. Puree the tomatoes in a food processor and then strain back into the pan to remove the seeds.

Fourth. Add the splash of cream and stir over medium heat until hot.

Fifth. Top with fresh basil and grilled chicken, if desired, then spoon over pasta.
Other Pasta Dishes
one and a half slices zucchini parmesan girl dinner pasta delicious

Girl Dinner

I’m entering my level up era and I’ve been eating a lot of girl dinner. Yes, I know, girl dinner is french fries and a pornstar martini. But this girl dinner is a fraction of the cost and it takes like 15 minutes to make. At home. So you can continue doing #levelup things (or play videogames, either).

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August 23, 2024 2 Comments
one and a half slices fettucine alfredo recipe

Fettuccine Alfredo

Creamy, comforting Fettucine Alfredo is hard to beat. Fettucine Alfredo is one of those “authentic” Italian classics that should be made with reserve pasta water, a little butter, and parmesan, but old habits die hard and I make my alfredo just like my mother. So, yeah, don’t eat a gallon of this stuff, but by all means, throw some steamed broccoli or sliced chicken onto a bed of this dreamy creaminess and float on off to heaven. Any which way, this is pure comfort in a pasta bowl, and perfect for my Sunday afternoon.

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September 17, 2022 2 Comments
one and a half slices recipe italian spaghetti meatballs

Best Meatballs

Last weekend my world was changed forever when I was schooled by a friend very dear to me in the subtle art of the perfect Lady and the Tramp style meatball. That fine grained, tender, perfectly seasoned Italian delicacy resting resting lightly atop a bird’s nest of egg noodles dusted with Parmesano Reggiano. As it turns out, the secret to the very best authentic Italian meatballs is threefold: 1) cook them a long ass time, 2) use a combination of meats (beef, pork, and lamb), 3) the love of cooking. Slow cooking. So here we have it. The Whiffletree Farm three-meat authentic Italian meatball recipe.

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December 15, 2022 1 Comment
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Veggie

Spaghetti Al Limone

one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Spaghetti al Limone

This is a fresh, light, summery pasta dish I have wanted to try for a long time in keeping with my predilection for lemon things (like my equally as simple Little Lemon Cake). Pasta al Limone is an Italian classic (see notes below for short commentary on ‘Italian Classics’). It requires just a handful of ingredients and only takes as long to make as it does to boil pasta. I like it with a piece of lemon-marinated, grilled chicken on top. Lemon and Pasta may not seem like two things that go together but, trust me, they do. It has an elegant simplicity to it that is perfect for a summery Sunday afternoon, a weeknight, or a date night. Do something different. Lemon Pasta. 🍋 

what you need

Zest from 1 lemon

1-2 generous tablespoons lemon juice, depending on desired lemon flavor

1/2 package dry spaghetti noodles

1 handful of fresh basil or mint, cut into strips

1 cup Parmesan Reggiano cheese

3 tablespoons good olive oil

(optional) 1/2 tablespoon butter

(optional) pine nuts, toasted

Suggested chicken marinade: the rest of the lemon juice, salt, pepper, dash cayenne

🍋🍋🍋

how to make it

Begin boiling pasta per directions on package. 

In serving bowl, zest the lemon and add the lemon juice. Grate cheese using fine hand grater, and add olive oil, salt, and black pepper to taste. Using a whisk or a fork, mix ingredients until just combined. When pasta is almost finished, spoon 2 tablespoons of pasta water into the serving bowl along with the butter (if using), and resume combining cheese mixture. Reserve 1 cup of hot pasta water and set aside. 

Strain the pasta and place into serving bowl. It is important you do this while pasta is piping hot. Using tongs, begin to mix the pasta and the cheese mixture until thoroughly combined, adding pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. Be sparing.

Once sufficiently combined, mix in basil and top with pine nuts (if using). Serve warm with a piece of grilled lemon chicken over the top. 

Afterward on ‘Italian Classics’ The Italians have always created pasta dishes that the rest of the world covets. That perfect, carrot-and-celery-scented bolognese, a light and airy fettuccine alfredo, the illusive meatball. Also, the seemingly simple dishes that are still fantastic – Cacio e Pepe, Pomodoro sauce, Bruschetta, Caprese. So what is so difficult to recreate about authentic Italian cuisine? And why do Italian restaurants here in the US leave you feeling overly full and uncomfortable? The short answer to both questions is ingredients. I have compiled a list of Italian cuisine rules of thumb that are by no means comprehensive but will instantly improve your Italian dishes once implemented. The first is by far the most important.

1) Most American renditions of Italian cuisine are cream and/or butter based. Most authentic Italian dishes are actually olive oil and/or pasta based. In short, we use cream and butter to make our dishes ‘creamy’ all the while removing the natural thickening agent present in all pasta. As pasta boils, the gluten cooks out into the pasta water. This means that a little bit of pasta water acts like a thickening agent that could form the basis for a creamy sauce. This is the case in Pasta al Limone, where the seemingly ‘creamy’ pasta sauce can be created using little to no butter or cream, and only a splash of reserve pasta water. The only dairy you really need is the cheese. See the cooking technique for Pasta al Limone above for an illustration of this practice. 

2) Do not make red sauces heavier by using red wine. Use white wine instead.

3) Use nutmeg to accent white, creamy sauces, and fennel to accent dark, red sauces. 

4) Turn to good olive oil, salt, and pepper for seasoning and saucing first before butter, cream, sugar, and cheese.

5) Do not put sugar in your red sauce. Or buy red sauce with sugar listed as an ingredient. Ever. Period. If you do this, we are no longer friends. 

Other Pasta Dishes
spaghetti Bolognese recipe pasta oneandahalfslices

Essential Bolognese Sauce

This Bolognese sauce is as authentic as they come, with a counterintuitive yet elegantly simple sauce making process that will ensure you never touch another jar of Classico. It is meaty, salty, and carries richness made possible only through the simplest yet most flavorful of vegetables – carrot and celery. And also… let’s talk about olive oil.

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October 21, 2020 16 Comments

Pasta Verte

This is the freshest, crispest, heartiest, lightest, most beautiful springtime thing I can think to make when the chill finally leaves the Virginia air around noontime but the mornings are still a little frosty. You can make it in one pot, with one blender, and with one half hour, which makes it a great weekday lunch if you’re working from home or weeknight dinner if you walk in late. Join me in getting my green on, courtesy of David Frenkiel from Green Kitchen Stories. David takes much better photographs than I do but I’ve made a few design modifications to the original recipe that I think serve this one well. 🌷

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April 7, 2021 No Comments
pasta recipe pomodoro red creamy simple easy sauce

Pasta Pomodoro

Pomodoro sauce is the Italian name for the simple tomato-based mother sauce, as “pomodoro” means “tomato” in Italian. It is meant to be the quickest, simplest pasta topper and I give it to you here in five simple steps that will keep you away from canned pasta sauce for life.

Go To Post »
November 7, 2021 No Comments
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