Sea scallops with fresh tomatoes and white wine over spinach fettuccine, topped with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan. A light, elegant pasta dinner in under an hour.
Oysters Philadelphia: sherry-poached oysters on a bed of sauteed celery, topped with bechamel, Parmesan, and paprika, then baked golden on rock salt. An elegant holiday appetizer.
Turkey cutlets Milanese with homemade Parmesan breadcrumbs, oven-baked instead of fried for a lighter take on the Italian classic. Crispy, golden, and ready in 25 minutes.
Alfredo pasta with heavy cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano finished with a dash of nutmeg. A rich, authentic Italian cream sauce with just 5 ingredients.
Italian-style mini meatloaves made with ground pork, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Ten individual portions glazed with ketchup for faster baking than a single large loaf.
Garbanzo soup with chickpeas, elbow macaroni, and dried mint in a savory beef broth. Topped with Parmesan and parsley for a hearty one-pot meal ready in 45 minutes.
Fettuccine alfredo made the Roman way, with handmade semolina pasta tossed in butter and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. No cream. Just butter, cheese, pasta water, and minutes of tossing.
Creamy tuna and mushroom pasta sauce made lighter with evaporated skim milk, Parmesan, shallots, and fresh herbs. A quick pantry-friendly dinner that tastes far richer than it is.
Most of my recipes are ideal for a good lunch or dinner, but would start the morning with this recipe.
Low-fat crab pasta with fresh tomatoes, steamed mushrooms, and peas in a creamy evaporated milk sauce finished with Parmesan. A lighter seafood dinner ready in 25 minutes.
Spaghetti carbonara with bacon, egg, Parmesan, garlic, and hot pepper flakes tossed together fast while the pasta is screaming hot. No cream needed for this Roman classic.
Fresh tomato pasta toss simmers blanched and peeled tomatoes with garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano, finished with a splash of cream over penne. A high-summer pasta sauce when tomatoes are at their peak.
Vegetarian eggplant Parmesan casserole layered with pan-fried eggplant slices, mozzarella, spaghetti sauce, and Parmesan. A simple weeknight version of the Italian classic using sauce mix for speed.
Fruity and creamy. Italian spaghetti with lemon, olive oil with a touch of basil. Bright, lemony flavors.
Pizza stuffed mushrooms filled with Italian sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, Parmesan, and seasoned crumbs. All the flavors of pizza in a bite-sized appetizer.
Italian Parmesan risotto topped with garlicky pan-toasted mushrooms. Creamy rice built one ladle of broth at a time, finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano and crowned with golden mushrooms.