I LOVE ❤️ ceci [beans], aka garbanzos , aka chickpeas. Ceci in Italian, garbanzos in Spanish and chickpeas in English are all the same thing. I just think they have a wonderful creamy sweet taste that is terrific when used in soups, stews, braises and salads. I remember my mom Josie making pasta e fasule, a wonderfully thick and soulful soup with pasta and ceci. You might know this name from Dean Martin’s famous song, That’s Amore!

Continue reading Ceci (Chickpeas) and Shrimp Salad with Anchovy Breadcrumbs at Our Italian Table.

As the Spring fades into Summer, I wanted to do something special with my last batch of fava beans. Fava beans are a labor of love. They take a lot of garden space for a small number of pods. Then, a whole pound of fava bean pods reduces down to a cup after shucking, blanching, shocking and peeling. Nothing, but nothing, can compete with fresh fava beans from the garden, but Trader Joe’s does sell frozen fava beans that are ready to use.

Continue reading Fave alle acciughe (Fava beans with anchovies) at Our Italian Table.

Fennel is probably my favorite vegetable. Every time I eat it, I am reminded of Italy. Fennel seeds and more recently pollen show up in all kinds of Italian receipes. And fennel is found up in numerous liqueurs including Strega.

Cooking up a batch of fennel on a weeknight could not be easier. Here’s one approach that develops deep rich flavors and then finishes with a gentle braise.

This recipe serves 2 people as a side dish.

Continue reading Caramelized and braised fennel at Our Italian Table.

Italian “salsa verde” is very different from the pureed green stuff you pour into those little plastic cups and drizzle on your tacos. The Italian stuff is a briney, lemony and bright mixture with a wide variety of uses. In fact, Italian salsa verde is well suited to drizzle on simple grilled fish, roasted chicken or boiled meats in sandwiches.

I like to always have a little jar of this wonderful condiment in the fridge.

Continue reading Salsa Verde – Not the stuff that goes on tacos… at Our Italian Table.

When I was recently in Rome, I enjoyed a plate of “abbacchio alla romana” at Da Bucatino (http://www.bucatino.com), a restaurant just downstairs from the apartment I was renting. This is an always packed trattoria in the Testaccio neighborhood just south and across the river from Trestavere, near the center of Rome. I love to pick restaurants based on where (1) the locals are and (2) no menus in English can be found. Da Bucatino delivered on both counts.

Continue reading Abbacchio alla romana (Baby lamb Roman-style) at Our Italian Table.

With Tuscany fresh in my mind, I knew the moment I woke up this morning what I was going to make for lunch today. One of my favorite restaurants in Montalcino is a rustic place called Grappolo Blu. Their simple Tuscan fare never disappoints and the owner, Luciano, never fails to recommend just the right wine to pair with your meal. Whenever I visit, the antipasti of choice for me is their plate of marinated anchovies drizzled with parsley pesto and served with a simple pile of chickpeas.

Continue reading Bringing Tuscany Home: Anchovies Marinated in Parsley Pesto and Chickpeas at Our Italian Table.

My sister Michele visited me this week in L.A. for my official IBM retirement party. We thought hard about what to cook together. We’re focused on Sicily at the moment and discussed that nothing but nothing is more Sicilian than pasta con le sarde. Fennel and sardines are so plentiful in Sicily that this dish jumps right out of nature. And when combined with the sweet and sour flavors imported by the Arabs around 900 A.D., you get that classic Sicilian flavor palette.

Continue reading Pasta con le sarde (Pasta with sardines) – The national dish of Sicily at Our Italian Table.

Sicily’s cuisine is vastly different from the rest of Italy and heavily influenced by its Mediterranean neighbors. The classic sweet and sour flavor palette, along with exotic ingredients such as saffron, all came from North Africa and the Middle East. In fact, hard durum wheat and rice both came to Italy via Sicily and saffron dates back three millennia.

This classic Sicilian dish is common to the city of Palermo, where cauliflower is called broccoli.

Continue reading Pasta with saffron and cauliflower (Pasta con i broccoli rimestati) at Our Italian Table.

This easy Sicilian pasta has become a weekday favorite in the house – incredibly easy and simple to make. Don’t let the anchovies scare you away!! The salty taste mellows beautifully against the earthiness of the whole wheat pasta.  The end result is downright delicious thanks to the garlic and anchovies. The breadcrumbs add a wonderful texture to the dish. Serve with a crisp white or light red and smile.  Enjoy!!

Pasta with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs (Pasta c’anciova e muddica)

Ingredients:

For the breadcrumbs:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the pasta:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 (2 ounce) cans of anchovies, drained and roughly chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Freshly grated parmigiano, to taste

1 pound of whole wheat pasta

Equipment:

1 large skillet to hold the anchovy sauce, 1 large pot to cook the pasta

Directions:

1. Toast the breadcrumbs:  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet until hot. 

Continue reading Pasta with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs (Pasta c’anciova e muddica) at Our Italian Table.

Another cold and snowy week here in Pennsylvania! But alas, I know spring is around the corner because my gardening catalogs have begun to arrive – wohoo!  New tomato varieties to pick from, new climbing roses to plant!! I can feel the thaw in the air! And what better time to look at all those wonderful catalogs than over a plate of warm pasta, a glass of hearty red?  I haven’t made this dish for quite awhile and with a beautiful crunchy head of cauliflower in the refrigerator, thought it would be the perfect simple dish for dinner. 

Continue reading Pasta with Cauliflower, Pancetta and Anchovies at Our Italian Table.