This is the classic soup of pasta and beans from Southern Italy, especially popular in Napoli and the Amalfi coast.  Don't be a fool...eat pasta fazool!  It is truly amore! If you can't find pancetta, you can use a couple of strips of unflavored bacon. 2 oz pancetta, diced  2 T olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ t red pepper flakes ½ cup dry white wine 2 T tomato paste 2 quarts chicken stock 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1 (3-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind  2 (14 oz) cans cannellini beans with liquid Salt and fre ..read more

This sandwich makes a delicious dinner accompanied with a salad or soup. There is enough left over for another couple of dinners or lunches. The entire house had the amazing aroma of that chuck roast slowly cooking in my oven for hours.  You can use a slow-cooker, but brown the meat first. 2 T avocado or olive oil, divided 2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced 3 ½ to 4 lb chuck or rump roast trimmed of excess fat Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 cups beef broth 1 T roasted beef base (in an 8-oz jar) 2 fresh rosemary sprigs 1 T fresh oregano sprigs or freeze ..read more

It is rare to find this lobster dish in a restaurant that is affordable and chock full of lobster. It was $23.00 for two large lobster tails and the canned tomatoes and fettuccine, I had in my pantry.  My husband was a happy man last night! 2 frozen lobster tails, thawed 3 T olive oil, divided ½ t sea salt ½ to 1 t red pepper flakes (depending upon how spicy you like it) ¼ t fine ground black pepper ½ medium yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced or minced ½ t dried oregano (I used freeze-dried) ½ t dried basil (I used freeze-dried) ½ cup dry white wine 2 cups crush ..read more

 Fra Diavolo is an Italian-American creation which translates to 'brother devil'. All'Arrabbiata is an Italian creation from Rome which translates to 'angry'. They are both spicy, using red pepper flakes and have a tomato base.  You can serve shrimp fra diavolo with pasta or without. Serve this with a green salad, and a glass of vino rosso. 1 lb large to jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed 3 T olive oil, divided ½ t sea salt ½ to 1 t red pepper flakes (depending upon how spicy you like it) ¼ t fine ground black pepper ½ medium yellow onion, diced 2 cloves g ..read more

Here is a hearty Sunday Italian-American dinner from Mamaw, Elizabeth Greco Noviello. Some Italian-Americans call their sauce that is cooked with meat "gravy". The beef is so tender and the marrow bones give the gravy so much flavor. Buona Domenica a tutti! 2 (28 oz) cans whole peeled Italian tomatoes 2 lbs beef shank with marrow bones intact 2 T extra-light olive oil or avocado oil, divided 1 medium onion, diced 4 oz pancetta, diced 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 T tomato paste ½ cup dry red wine ½ t red pepper flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 T chopped fresh basil 1 lb ..read more

To butterfly a chicken for roasting, you remove the backbone, make a slit in the breastbone, also known as keel bone, and flatten it before cooking. The chicken cooks faster and the skin browns more evenly with this method. I made a fresh salsa verde (green sauce) to serve along with the chicken.   1 (3 to 4 lb) whole chicken 4 fresh thyme sprigs 1 T extra-light olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place chicken, breast side down, on a plastic cutting board. Cut out the backbone with kitchen shears and trim off any excess fat at the b ..read more

This is one of America's favorite Italian dishes. In Italy, they make it with veal. Lee's Kitchen Tips: You may wonder what the difference is between marinara sauce and tomato sauce. Marinara sauce is a tomato sauce without any meat. Tomato sauce can be flavored with pancetta and then removed. Marinara Sauce 2 T olive oil ½ medium yellow onion, diced ½ t red pepper flakes 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 1 (28-oz) can San Marzano-style whole peeled crushed Italian tomatoes ¼ cup water ½ cup dry white wine 1 t granulated sugar Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 T ch ..read more

This is another classic Italian-American pasta dish. Jumbo shells are usually found in boxes, in the pasta aisle of your grocery store. My kids loved this dish growing up. You can also add some fresh chopped spinach to the cheese filling if you wish. Tomato Sauce 2 T olive oil  1 small yellow onion, diced ½ t red pepper flakes  2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled Italian tomatoes  1 T tomato paste 1 T chopped fresh basil ½ cup Pinot Grigio or other dry white wine Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Four Cheese Filling 16 oz container whole milk ..read more

The French have the omelette, the Spanish have the tortilla de patata, and the Italians have the frittata (frittate, plural in the Italian language). A Frittata is an egg dish that can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack. Make it your own frittata by substituting a few of the ingredients with a few of your own favorites. Be creative! 3-oz packet pancetta, diced 10 cremini or white mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 2 olive oil or avocado oil 3 to 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced ½ large red bell pepper, diced 1 large shallot, cut in half and thinly sliced ..read more

I had this wonderful crispy chicken recipe in a restaurant in Amalfi, Italy. Arugula is also known as rocket in Italy and probably comes from the French word roquette. You can also make this with veal, but cook the veal for only 2 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite white Italian wine. Molto delizioso! Fresh Tomato Salsa 2 cups red or multi-colored cherry tomatoes, diced  3 T extra-virgin olive oil 2 t  balsamic vinegar 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 T chopped fresh basil ½ t chopped fresh oregano  Salt and freshly ground black pepper Mix the above ingr ..read more