Italian Cuisine Recipes

Condiments, Pastas, Sauces

Speedy Cherry Tomato Sauce

A versatile summertime staple, this quick and easy sauce is a delicious way to use an abundance of cherry or grape tomatoes. It will even make the most of off-season cherry tomatoes. This is the sort of easy summer cooking I love: basic, fresh ingredients coming together as something altogether pleasing in a few short…

Casseroles, Pastas

Spaghetti Casserole

Saucy, meaty, cheesy, and delicious, this make-ahead casserole is a longtime favorite that’s perfect for family dinners, casual entertaining, potlucks, and anytime you need to take a meal to a friend.    My clearest memories of this spaghetti casserole is eating it in the days after my first son was born. Appreciating the sleep-deprived state…

Cookies, Desserts

Italian Ricotta Cookies

These tender, cake-like cookies are topped with an irresistible glaze and look beautiful on a cookie platter. Perfect for special occasions from Christmas and Easter to baby showers. Simply change the color of the sprinkles!   Credit for this absolutely delightful cookie recipe goes to my friend, Kalyn, who bakes these gems every holiday season with…

Pizzas, Snacks

Freezer English Muffin Pizzas

Simple ingredients are assembled into meaty pizzas that can be baked straight from the freezer for easy, satisfying meals whenever needed. Loved by kids and adults alike, these are not your ordinary English muffin pizzas!   Do English muffin pizzas bring back memories for you? With three easy ingredients and perfectly portioned for one person,…

Condiments, Dressings

Homemade Zesty Italian Dressing Mix

You control the ingredients with this copycat recipe that’s easy to make with everyday spices. Fast, fresh-tasting, economical, and endlessly versatile!   A packet of Good Seasons Zesty Italian Dressing provided a convenient shortcut for me for years. I first discovered it when I was dating my husband and we were invited to a coworker’s…

Condiments, Sauces

Spinach Pesto

Easy, accessible, and endlessly versatile, this flavorful pesto is especially ideal when fresh herbs aren’t available. Perfect for adding flavor to pasta, pizza and flatbread, sauces, sandwiches, and so much more, the simple recipe can be customized with a variety of nuts, seeds, and cheeses. Plus it maintains its vibrant green color and freezes well!  …

Main Dishes, Sauces

Pan Seared Lamb Chops (with optional bonus sauce)

Juicy, mouthwatering, pan-seared lamb chops are restaurant quality but couldn’t be easier to prepare at home. Minimal ingredients and a hot skillet are all that’s required. As an added perk, the recipe can easily be prepared for one or two diners, or for a larger family.    Most holidays, our whole family is together and we…

Beverages, Cocktails

Homemade Limoncello

Bring the Amalfi Coast to you with this easy-to-make Italian liqueur. The lightly sweet, lemony flavor is perfect as a mixer or an after-dinner drink and makes a festive holiday or hostess gift. 🍋           My mother-in-law introduced me to this light-tasting, lemony Italian liqueur several years ago after she and…

Beverages, Cocktails

Aperol Spritz

Bright orange in color, lightly sweet, and crisply refreshing, an Aperol spritz conjures up the taste of summer all year round. This simple formula guarantees a perfectly balanced cocktail every time. No cocktail shaker required!     A really good Aperol spritz conjures up images of sitting on a piazza in Italy (or maybe your front…

Condiments, Sauces

Leafy Greens Pesto

Quite possibly the most versatile pesto ever, this simple recipe will make delicious use out of a variety of healthy greens and can be enjoyed in so many ways! I adore this pesto for so many reasons. Sure there’s the fact that homemade pesto really, really does taste so much better than store-bought. As always, I…

Pizzas

Wild Mushroom Pizza

The flavor-packed “sauce” and topping for this unconventional pizza may be prepared in advance so the pizza can be simply assembled and baked when ready to eat. Even those who dislike mushrooms have fought over the last slice!         I fully realize that photos depicting shades of brown may not convince you…

Appetizers, Main Dishes

Porcupine Meatballs

The silly name becomes apparent when these tender meatballs are pulled from the oven. For a satisfying entree portion, we like to make jumbo meatballs, but you may roll them smaller if preferred.   Meatballs are classic comfort food, for sure. These quirky meatballs, however, have the ability to truly satisfy while stimulating some light-hearted…

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