Italian

bomboloni {italian doughnuts}

May 2, 2016 · 79 Comments

Bomboloni are irresistibly light and delicious Italian doughnuts that are fried, coated in granulated sugar, and traditionally stuffed with pastry cream.

Happy Monday! A new crazy week has begun, and really the only consolation I can give you is doughnuts! More specifically, Bomboloni, which are these absolutely mind-blowing Italian doughnuts. These are completely homemade and easier than you'd think! The only problem, as usual, is patience. You have to give these babies enough time to rise so that they become light, fluffy, sugary clouds. Sooooo good. And SO worth the wait!

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chicken marsala

Apr 27, 2016 · 2 Comments

Hello, lovelies! As you can see, my mushroom obsession is still alive and well, and today I'm sharing one of my all-time favorites- Chicken Marsala! Juicy chicken with an irresistibly creamy Marsala mushroom sauce on top. Serve this with mashed potatoes to soak up all that gravy and some steamed veggies, and you have an absolutely scrumptious dinner that's a worthy rival to any Italian restaurant. Let's get cooking!

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torta pasqualina {italian spinach & ricotta pie}

Mar 23, 2016 · 7 Comments

It's almost Easter! To be honest, this is probably the year I've been the most efficient at posting Easter recipes... we live pretty far away from our extended family, so it's hardly a big occasion in my household which makes it easy to forget. Today, I am celebrating my Italian roots by sharing some Torta Pasqualina! It literally means, "Easter cake," but simply put, it's a savory pie filled with ricotta cheese, leafy greens, and eggs. It's so good, and it has a fun surprise on the inside! Wanna see?

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cheesy meatball subs

Mar 17, 2016 · 5 Comments

Welcome, friends! In today's edition of "blogger problems are not normal people problems," do y'all know how difficult it is to take food pictures somewhere you're not used to? Oh mah gaaaah. I've been visiting my fiance' in Galveston for the week and I was like, "Well, I'm here all week so I might as well bring my blog stuff and make some food, yeah?" L O L. I should have known better. I'll tell you the ridiculous story in a second. But anyways... I made you Cheesy Meatball Subs!

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sausage risotto milanese

Mar 15, 2016 · 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DeliciousDinners #CollectiveBias

Hello, lovely readers! I am so excited to have paired up with Hillshire Farm® today to bring a delicious twist on an Italian staple: Risotto Milanese. While the traditional version uses crumbled sausage, I decided to swap it out for Hillshire Farm® Polska Kielbasa for a new, scrumptious weeknight dinner option. Imagine creamy, cheesy risotto, spiced with garlic, onion, and just a hint of saffron, combined with tasty, flavorful kielbasa sausage. It's a match made in heaven! Let me show you how it's made.

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asparagus & fried egg spaghetti

Feb 23, 2016 · 4 Comments

Hello, my beautiful friends! I've been on a bit of a savory kick lately, but I can't say I hate it 😉 The desserts will be back soon enough, I promise! Today, I'm sharing a delicious Asparagus & Fried Egg Spaghetti. Asparagus and fried eggs are something that my mom makes quite often for dinner, and I found it only fitting to put the whole thing on top of some garlicky, cheesy noodles. So you start with some fresh asparagus and cook them until just tender, then you cook some spaghetti until al-dente, and then finally saute the pasta and veg with olive oil, garlic, and tons of parmesan... and top the whole thing off with a fried egg for good measure. Grate more Parmesan on top, and dinner is served!

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minestrone soup

Jan 3, 2016 · 1 Comment

Happy 2016, my darlings! I'm so happy to have y'all back for yet another year. I'm hoping this year will be the best one yet! I'm sure everyone {including myself} has some New Year's resolutions, or at least the intent, to eat a little healthier in January. Partially to feel better and maybe lose weight, but also to recover from the calorie-fest that was December. Between Christmas parties and New Year's parties and decorated cookies and champagne and all of the above, it's almost too easy to go overboard 😉

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spiked italian hot chocolate

Dec 20, 2015 · 2 Comments

The weather has finally, finally turned cold in Texas {at least for the current hour} and I thought the only way to celebrate was to make some hot chocolate! But not just any hot chocolate, nope. Thick, rich, creamy Italian style hot chocolate. And I may or may not have added like a shot of bourbon to this. Ooops. Sorry not sorry, y'all. Tis the season after all!

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Join my Italian Holiday Table: Polenta con Salsiccia e Funghi & Baci-Stuffed Italian Chocolate Cake

Nov 16, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Hello, friends! The holidays are fast approaching, and I am beyond excited to be sharing these Italian recipes with you today! I have paired up with Colavita Olive Oil and Perugina chocolate to bring you two amazing dishes perfect for the holidays. We are starting off with a delicious creamy polenta topped with a savory sausage and mushroom tomato sauce, and we will wrap everything up with a luscious dark chocolate Italian cake… with a sweet surprise!

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sugo alle polpette {pasta & meatballs}

Nov 2, 2015 · 2 Comments

Hello, darlings! I am so excited to be sharing my mom's beloved meatball recipe today! This woman makes a pot of meatball pasta sauce like you wouldn't believe... and luckily, she's passed down that skill to me. So I, in turn, am passing the knowledge down to you! But first, I want to address a couple of Italian myths... like the belief that spaghetti and meatballs go together. Nope. Absolutely not. Have you ever noticed how the spaghetti are too thin and flimsy to really complement the meatballs and savory sauce? Well, there's a reason for that. And the reason is that meatballs are meant to go with chunky pasta, or at the very least, a wide noodle like fettuccine {like I used today}.

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the easiest creamy tomato sauce

Oct 20, 2015 · 1 Comment

I'm back at it again, y'all. Sharing a recipe so criminally easy that it can hardly be called a recipe...but it's delicious so here it is anyway. Creamy tomato sauce, made in no time at all, and with just like...6 ingredients. This is amazingly luscious and dreamy, and can dress up any pasta night! Who needs jarred pasta sauce anyway? Not you, that's who. Let's get to work! The pasta sauce of your dreams is just a short ways away!

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heirloom tomato and burrata pizza

Aug 30, 2015 · 3 Comments

Okay, this is such a blogger thing, but... do you ever make something just because you know it's gonna come out really pretty? That's like literally the story of my life. My entire blog is a collection of pretty food, and here's another pretty thing to add to the archives. Heirloom tomato and burrata pizza! Oh man, you guys. This is like margherita pizza on the next level. Yes, you have your crust and your tomato sauce... but then you add some ridiculously creamy burrata cheese, and some colorful sliced heirloom tomatoes, and you have a total showstopper. This is the perfect summery pizza!

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caprese pasta salad

Jul 4, 2015 · 1 Comment

Happy 4th of July, lovely readers! In case you're still scrambling to cook enough for today, and you're looking for a simple, fresh side dish for your barbecue... look no further. I've got you covered with this scrumptious Caprese Pasta Salad! This takes just minutes to throw together and it's a total crowd-pleaser. Let's get cookin!

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creamy broccoli pasta

Jun 2, 2015 · 2 Comments

Ah yes, yet another recipe to add to my collection of Italian food! This is creamy broccoli pasta, and it's super easy and super tasty. My mom makes this allll time time, and it's a perfect fast weeknight meal. I know pasta with broccoli sauce sounds a little funny, but don't underestimate the ability of Italians to turn anything into a pasta dish. Green beans? Yes, we put those in pasta. Spinach? Of course. Cauliflower? No biggie. Potatoes? Yep, even potatoes. I'll have to share THAT recipe sometime once it gets cold again, the combination of carbs on top of more carbs is a perfect stick-to-your-ribs, wintery kind of meal. But I digress. Broccoli! On pasta! Here it is.

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tomato sauce poached eggs

May 31, 2015 · 2 Comments

Tomato Sauce Poached Eggs, also called Eggs in Purgatory, are a hearty and savory dish that comes together quickly and with just a handful of simple ingredients. Be sure to serve with crusty bread to scoop up all of the saucy goodness!

I don't know why but I've been on a bit of an Italian kick lately. Must be the whole I'm-now-a-graduated-woman-with-a-Bachelor's-degree-and-therefore-technically-an-adult thing that is making me nostalgic for my childhood. Anywaysssss, this recipe is one that is near and dear to my heart, and I'm pretty sure I've been eating this ever since I could eat solid food. I'll be honest, the hardest part of this recipe was coming up with a name! In my house, we just call this "eggs and tomatoes." Like, not even 'tomato sauce'. Just tomatoes. So I figured calling this Tomato Sauce Poached Eggs would be acceptable, since the eggs indeed get poached in the yummy tomato sauce. Makes sense, no?

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mocha tiramisu with Lavazza Coffee

Mar 25, 2015 · 16 Comments

You guys! I am seriously beyond thrilled to announce that I am the latest brand ambassador for Lavazza Coffee! Lavazza is Italy's most popular coffee brand, so being chosen as a representative is a huge honor! As y'all know, I'm full-blooded Italian {and I'm also a college student}, so coffee for me is basically its own food group. To kick things off, I whipped up this incredibly delicious Mocha Tiramisu. I based it off of my mom's fantastic recipe, but decided to make things a little richer by swapping the regular vanilla cream with a chocolate mascarpone concoction. I'm a firm believer that if a little chocolate is good, a lot of chocolate is great! This dessert combines espresso-soaked ladyfingers, freshly whipped cream, and cocoa-mascarpone cream to create a treat that's rich and satisfying while still being incredibly light. ...

gnocchi with creamy pesto sauce

Oct 24, 2014 · 1 Comment

As y'all may remember, I made some homemade pesto a couple of weeks ago, and it was so delicious! But, as you may have ALSO noticed, the recipe made a few cups of sauce, and seeing as there is only one of me, I have literally been stuffing pesto in every-single-thing in an effort to use it up. I've mostly been using it plain in pasta, or as a marinade for chicken {which is totally delicious}, but pesto has such a strong, distinctive flavor and after a while, you just get plain sick of it. The other day, I randomly thought of a sauce I always buy for my nanny kiddos, which is a creamy pesto sauce that comes in an instant packet. You just take it home, add some oil and milk to it, mix in the dry spice mix, and you're good! So that got me thinking... why not turn my regular pesto into a creamy pesto, too?

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pasta al forno

Oct 11, 2014 · 3 Comments

Happy Saturday, friends! Today is a wet, rainy gameday here in Aggieland, so I figured we could all use some yummy comfort food before the football craziness begins! I guess you could be out tailgating in the rain, but eh... I'd rather be inside with a steamy bowl of pasta. I'm about to stand for like, 4 hours straight, so excuse me if I want to sit on my butt until then. This recipe is brought to you in part by the always-wonderful H-E-B, who is having an Italian product special for the month of October! I just about died of excitement when I opened my package and it had artisan pasta, tomato-basil sauce straight from Italy, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and some other characteristically Italian products. Squee! As y'all know, I was born in Italy and I'm very proud of my roots, so I couldn't pass up the chance to showcase some yummy Italian recipes!

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creamy shrimp and mushroom pasta

May 9, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The semester is over, so it's officially summer! The weather, however, hasn't quite realized this. We had scalding hot, sunny days in the last weeks of school, yet the past two days have been gray, cloudy, and rainy. UGH. This calls for some yummy, comforting food! If I'm stuck inside with gross weather, I might as well be enjoying myself. Enter, this dish! It has pasta, creamy tomato sauce, garlicky mushrooms, and juicy shrimp. Sooo good, and the indulgent creaminess of whole thing might make you feel guilty... except it's actually pretty guilt-free. Heck yeah! Food that tastes good while still being pretty good for you is my favorite!

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red pepper pasta with shrimp

May 2, 2014 · 2 Comments

We're in the middle of finals, and between studying and taking exams, I've made you... pasta! Because pasta is easy, delicious, fast, and totally comforting. And as an Italian blogger, I'm afraid the amount of pasta recipes I have on my blog is seriously lacking. So, well, here's another to add to my repertoire! Now don't get me wrong, I actually make pasta ALL the time, but the recipes I make are never really exciting enough to make it to the blog. Or the entire reason I'm making pasta is because it's late and I'm in a hurry, so of course I don't have time to blog said recipe!

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roasted tomato, arugula, and bacon jam pizza

Mar 22, 2014 · 4 Comments

After a super crazy week, it's finally the weekend! Yippee! I don't know about y'all, but for me, weekend = pizza. Always. I love a good ol' cheese or pepperoni pizza, though I've been known to also throw things like mushrooms, spinach, pesto, or broccoli on there. Mmm 🙂 I don't usually make my pizzas this fancy and gourmet, but my HEB Primo Picks package contained a jar of bacon jam, and I couldn't resist. Bacon jam pizza? Sign me up!

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braided pizza bread

Jan 3, 2014 · 8 Comments

Happy New Year! Wheee! To celebrate, I have a recipe that's easy, delicious, Italian... and shot with my brand new camera. This was so fun! I knew my first recipe had to be special, so this is what I settled on. The sun rises and sets on pizza dough around here, so using it was only natural. I stuffed the pizza dough with ham, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese, and baked up a soft, cheesy, totally irresistible bread. Yum!

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Italian

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time for dinner!