I am always asked where I get my ideas for the recipes that I post on my blog. Some recipes are inspired by dishes I enjoy while dining out, others from magazines, and some are just shared with me from others. My children went to The American School of Milan in Italy during our eight […]

The post Cheese Ravioli With Spicy Cream Sauce first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

I always have salami and cheese in my refrigerator for us to snack on, or to make a quick appetizer for our family pizza nights. I often slice the salami and cheese before the family arrive so it is easy to assemble a plate for everyone to enjoy with a glass of wine. Once sliced […]

The post Focaccia Studded With Salami & Pecorino Romano Cheese first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

My husband and I are very particular over where we dine out. There are very few Italian restaurants that we will eat at, but one of our favorites is Osteria Tulia, or Bar Tulia in Naples, Florida. There are so many dishes that chef Vincenzo Betulia offers that I love, and this raw cauliflower salad […]

The post Raw Cauliflower Salad With Currants & Almonds first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

Living in Milan many years ago, we were very familiar with buffalo mozzarella. Still, we didn’t often see burrata, which originated from the Puglia region. Having visited Puglia many times since then, I have fallen in love with burrata, and we eat as much as we can when we are in Italy. If you are […]

The post Burrata With Warm Tomatoes & Olives first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

These little gems are called ricotta spinach gnocchi, or ravioli gnudi as they resemble the filling often used to stuff ravioli. This recipe was adapted from Davina Cucina’s (otherwise known as Judy Witts Francini) cookbook called Secrets from My Tuscan Kitchen. The changes I made to the recipe create gnocchi that are similar to ones I […]

The post Ravioli Gnudi With Quick Tomato Sauce first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

We have a pizza oven at our house in Italy, as well as our house here in Florida. My husband is the only one who knows how to properly use the pizza oven, so when my husband isn’t home, and I am craving pizza, I use my kitchen oven. To get the best results when […]

The post Pizza With Lemon, Mortadella, and Black Olives first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

We are now living in Florida permanently, so we do not eperience cold weather very often. Every so often though, we’ll have a few weeks during the winter months where the temperatures drop and we have to wear jackets. When it comes to planning meals during cooler weather, I tend to crave warm, hearty soups, […]

The post Creamy Tomato & Basil Soup first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

Cantucci, the twice baked Tuscan almond cookie that is best dunked into a glass of Vin Santo wine are very well known worldwide. Tozzetti, are very similar to cantucci in preparation and appearance, but are often made with a combination of almonds and hazelnuts (not almonds alone), and are common to Lazio and Umbria. In […]

The post Tozzetti (Umbrian Almond & Hazelnut Biscotti) first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

I am always looking to try new vegetable sides, and this one is a keeper. Cubed potatoes are tossed with sliced garlic and onions and are roasted until crispy and lightly browned. Chopped tomatoes are then added for the last ten minutes so that they just begin to soften and release their juices. Once the […]

The post Potatoes With Tomatoes And Basil first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

Although asparagus can be found in our markets year round, this tender vegetable is at its best in the spring. Spring peas are also delicious, but if you need to, use frozen baby peas. I am always looking for ways to add eggs into my recipes since I have my own laying hens and this […]

The post Asparagus, Pea Salad with Eggs & Pancetta first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

Risotto is an Italian specialty more common in northern Italy where it is so popular it is often preferred over pasta. Risotto has a reputation of being somewhat fussy to prepare, but in reality this dish is economical, extremely versatile, and takes less than thirty minutes to complete from start to finish. A true Italian […]

The post Risotto With Spring Peas, Ham & Fontina first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

I have a passion for poultry. It is not often you will come across passion and poultry used in one sentence, but I must admit that I am quite enamored with chicken for some strange reason. Of course, it is only chicken that I have an addiction to, not all poultry, but unfortunately, “A Passion […]

The post Creamy Chicken Thighs With Pancetta & Mushrooms first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

Folks often ask me where I get my inspiration for the recipes on my blog. Some recipes originated from delicious dishes that I enjoyed while dining out. Others are shared by friends. Some are born when I am browsing through a cookbook or magazine, but this recipe may have the strangest story. I was in […]

The post Crispy Lasagna first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

I have been living between two homes for the past month or so. Our new home is just about completed, but we still have a few permits to pass before we can officially move in. So, I am at the new house bright and early every morning, caring for my goats and chickens. My husband […]

The post Sausage Stuffed Eggplant first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

Living in Florida, you seldom get the chance to prepare hearty soups and stews. We recently had a few days of cooler weather, however, and I couldn’t help myself! I made a big pot of this soup that we enjoyed over a couple of days. This is an easy soup that you can pull together […]

The post White Bean Escarole Soup first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

When entertaining friends and family during the warmer weather, I often like to serve this antipasto salad as a first course. For me, this salad should have a mix of greens, including bitter lettuces such as radicchio and escarole. Romaine lettuce is also a common green used in this salad. Once you have your base […]

The post Antipasto Salad first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

Easter in Italy is a Christian based holiday, which begins on Palm Sunday, and culminates the following week on Easter Sunday. Although all of Holy Week is important, it is Easter Sunday when the real festivities begin to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Easter week, or Holy Week is celebrated in many diverse ways across […]

The post Easter In Italy first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

Easter is a very important holiday in Italy, and like most Italian holidays it revolves around both the church and holiday food specialties. Easter in Italy is a Christian based holiday, which begins on Palm Sunday, and culminates the following week on Easter Sunday. Easter Monday also known as Pasquetta, or Little Easter, is also […]

The post Italian Easter Recipes first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

My Mom wasn’t the best cook in the world, but she did make us homemade meals every night for dinner. She had a few specialties that she excelled at, like roast pork, scalloped potatoes, lemon meringue pie, apple pie, and cabbage rolls. My Dad was a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so we did […]

The post Hot Cross Buns first appeared on Italian Food Forever.

Fennel is one of those vegetables that is often overlooked here in North America. In Italy, fennel is utilized in many ways, from eating it raw as you would celery, to including it in soups, pasta sauces, or roasting or baking it as a side dish. Just like celery, the entire plant is edible, and […]

The post Sicilian Fennel & Orange Salad first appeared on Italian Food Forever.