Marcella's Italian Kitchen
Penne with mushroom sauce (Penne col sugo di funghi coltivati)
This is a simple recipe of Italian origins, but one that pops with flavour. The magic combination in this recipe is the melding of earthy mushrooms and anchovies. Anchovies have long been used as an "umami" agent in the Mediterranean and European cuisine. Across the world, anchovies have been used similarly: Jeotgal in Korea, fish sauces, Nam pla in Thailand, and Nuoc nam in Vietnam; shaved, smoked skipjack tuna in Japan; and other dried, salted, fermented, and fish pastes. This is a...
Chickpea, spinach and dried mushroom soup (Zuppa di ceci, spinaci e porcini secchi)
When I ask friends, and most Indian chefs, about Italian soups the first answer is always minestrone. And then there is never another...
Zucchini. soup, Amalfi-style (Zuppa de zucchini all'Amalfitana)
Sometimes a soup brings out the vegetable's freshness and flavour. This is the soup that pushes boring zucchini to a masterful vegetable. For this recipe, use only young zucchini, not older ones, and red, ripe tomatoes with a beautiful flavour. This is a simple soup, and ingredients matter so much. The soup can be left chunky, but I find that folks are put off by the soft vegetables and end up focusing on the flavours rather than the beautiful soup. So I puree the soup to a thick, creamy...
Spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce (Spaghetti col Pomodoro fresco e la cipolla)
Sometimes I crave a large bowl of pasta, hot, cheesy and delicious. Italian Pomodoro sauce is an essential sauce in Italian cuisine with...
Fusilli with roasted tomatoes and hot pepper (Fusilli col sugo dei pomodoro forno)
Pasta is comfort food meant to satisfy the soul. Its world is wide, with over 300 shapes, innumerable sauces, and baked recipes. Each...
Zucchini fritters with fresh tomato sauce (Frittelle di zucchine col pomodoro fresco)
Zucchini has always been a favourite vegetable on the Italian table, and the cuisine has developed many recipes for baking, frying,...