Home from Rome

Hello everyone! Sorry for my absence lately – since getting home from our trip to Italy, life has been busy! We had an amazing time, and besides the beautiful religious aspects of the trip, the next best part was the delicious food! (is that a surprise?) We ate plenty of pizza, pasta, and of course, gelato! I could write for weeks about all that we did, and feel free to ask me about it, but here are some photo highlights to give you a taste of what we saw and ate.

(left to right: Nutella focaccia. Sweet shop in Assisi. Cannoli. Prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula sandwich. Latte and a Nutella croissant. Salami and mozzarella sandwich. Sausage and mushroom pizza. Bakery with HUGE meringues. Fresh focaccia bread from the brick oven.)

(left to right: St. Peter’s Basilica. The Colosseum. St. John Lateran. The Pantheon. Pope Francis! The Spanish Steps. St. Paul Outside the Walls. Trevi fountain. St. Mary Major.)

(left to right: Mezze maniche con chianti, speck e zucchini. Risotto radicchio e speck. Pasta cacio e pepe. Fregnacce con broccoli, speck e pecorino. Fusilli panna, funghi e salsiccia. Pasta carbonara. Pasta bolognese. Risotto ai funghi porcini. Gnocchi alla sorrentina.)

(left to right: In Assisi: St. Francis Basilica. St. Clare Basilica. St. Mary of the Angels. In Pisa: The leaning tower (built as the bell tower for the cathedral!) The beautiful cathedral. The baptistry outside of the cathedral. In Florence and Siena: The cathedral in Florence. The gorgeous dome in the cathedral. The cathedral in Siena.)

(left to right: Strawberry and pistachio gelato. Banana and chocolate combo. Chocolate hazelnut. Dark chocolate. Chocolate rum from San Crispino. Mint chocolate. Kit Kat gelato. Coconut and chocolate combo. Tiramisu gelato – my favorite!)

While we had a great time and would love to visit again, it’s good to be back in Texas and cooking in my own kitchen. Stay tuned for some tasty things coming your way!

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

I thought this was a fitting post to announce that my dear husband and I are going to Italy next month! This trip started as a dream that we almost laughed off as impossible, but after looking at our vacation fund and rearranging our schedules, the dream became an unexpected reality! We’ll possibly be in Rome when the new Pope is chosen, take a side trip to Pisa, Florence, and Siena, plus we’ll be there for Holy Week and Easter! Can’t wait to share the experience with all of you.

Besides the awesome religious aspect of our trip, I’m beyond excited for all the great food we’ll get to eat. Although, I gave up coffee and Jason gave up alcohol for Lent. Go figure! We’ve been joking about how on Easter, I’ll be buzzed from espresso and he’ll be buzzed from Italian wine.

Besides pasta and pizza, one of my favorite Italian foods is gnocchi. I’ve always bought it pre-made at the grocery store, but have had it on my try-to-make-at-home list for a long time. Feeling all giddy and inspired by our upcoming trip motivated me to finally give it a try!

If you’ve never had gnocchi, I encourage you to give it a try! (the store bought variety is so easy to make – you just boil it like pasta) Gnocchi is typically a potato based dumpling that’s light, fluffy, and delicious. With only three main ingredients – potato, egg, and flour – it’s a pretty basic dish to make. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some prep work involved in making the dough, but once you get the gnocchi shaped, the cooking process goes pretty quickly.

This Italian favorite can be paired with pesto, marinara, cream sauce, or just some simple butter and herbs. I usually add some Italian sausage, then have some salad or a vegetable on the side to make a delicious hearty meal. Enjoy!

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes, halved
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt and pepper
Pesto sauce (or your sauce of choice)

Yield: 4-6 servings

Directions:
Place the halved potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water. Boil for about 40 minutes or until soft. Remove potatoes one by one with a slotted spoon and quickly peel them. Mash the potatoes with a with a fork or a ricer and ensure there are no lumps. Don’t over mash – they should be light and fluffy. Let them cool for about 10 minutes.

Shape potatoes into a mound with a well in the middle. Pour the egg into the well and sprinkle on 3/4 of the flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Using a metal cutter, mix the flour, potato, and egg by gently chopping and scraping the ingredients together. Chop, scrape, chop, scrape until the ingredients are roughly combined. The dough should be moist but not sticky. If they are too sticky then sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 of flour.

Lightly flour your work surface and then gently roll the dough several times with a very light touch. You don’t want to over mix the dough. It should feel light and airy. Place the dough on a clean surface and cut about 8 logs.

On a floured surface, gently roll each log so that it’s about 2/3 inch thick. Using the cutter, cut off 1/2 inch or smaller pieces. Mark the gnocchi with a fork by lightly but quickly rolling them down the inside of the fork’s prongs. This reduces the bulk of the gnocchi and makes little grooves to catch the sauce.

Bring some salted water to the boil. Have a non-stick pan ready, on medium heat, with 1 tsp of butter next to the boiling water. Place the gnocchi in batches into the boiling water. Remove them with a slotted spoon as soon as they float to the top and then sauté them in the butter for about 1 minute or until they brown slightly.

Place the browned gnocchi into the waiting bowl of pesto and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Source: Slightly adapted from All Things Nice

Spicy Peanut Chicken Pasta

I’m such a sucker for peanut sauce – there’s just something about it that’s irresistible to my taste buds. So you can imagine how much I loved this Asian pasta dish with a spicy peanut sauce. The variety of vegetables gives it vibrant color and makes you feel a little healthier eating this tasty dish.

Quick tip: you can add the chopped vegetables to the cooking pasta for about 5 minutes to slightly cook them while still leaving a bit of crunch. Mix in the sauce, top with chopped cilantro, and you have a delicious meal after my own heart.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 cup shredded or julienne carrots
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 head of broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped or shredded cooked chicken breast (2-3 breasts)
8 oz cooked whole grain linguine

For the dressing:
5 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp sesame or canola oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 small piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 clove garlic
1 tsp brown sugar
1/3 cup peanuts
Sriracha sauce (a few dashes – or more to your taste)

Cilantro for garnish

Directions:
Puree all of the dressing ingredients (except peanuts) in a food processor until smooth and creamy.  Add the peanuts last and process until just finely chopped.

Cook the pasta and add the vegetables into the water for the last 5 minutes to soften them a bit. Drain and return to the pot. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Add more sriracha if you want a spicier taste. Top individual servings with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from Pinch of Yum

Lasagna Rolls

These are a fun different take on your classic lasagna! This pasta dish is also very easy to make – I made some little step-by-step photo collages to give yall a better idea. I stuck with more traditional flavors but you can mix it up with a vegetarian style or whatever you like. (I made half with spinach for me and half without for hubby)

You just cook the lasagna noodles till al dente, spread your choice of filling, then roll up the noodles!

Spread a little sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, line up the rolled lasagna, top with some more sauce and mozzarella, and bake! Easy as that!

Lasagna Rolls
(makes 8 rolls) 

Ingredients:
8 lasagna noodles
1 lb ground Italian sausage
8 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
Frozen or fresh spinach, liquid squeezed out (about 5 oz – optional)
Pasta sauce (homemade or store bought)
Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the lasagna noodles till al dente, per the directions on the box. Strain the noodles and lay out on parchment paper. Cook the Italian sausage until done. Drain grease and set aside.

To make the cheese mixture, combine the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder. Spread mixture on the lasagna noodles, dividing evenly. Next, spoon the sausage evenly onto the noodles. Add the spinach on top of the sausage (optional). Spoon a light layer of sauce onto each noodle. Tightly roll each noodle from the top towards you.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce into a 9×13 baking dish and line the lasagna rolls in the dish. Spoon more sauce on top of each roll. Bake for 15 minutes, then take out and add mozzarella cheese on top of each roll. Bake for another 15 minutes and serve while hot.

Source: Adapted from Something Shiny

Linguine with Pea Pesto

If you love peas, you will LOVE this dish! As a huge fan of traditional basil pesto, this pasta dish delivers an interesting spin on pesto sauce. Very different, but it works! The color is bright and fresh and you can easily add extras to it, like a nice grilled chicken breast on top. Yum! So if you’re feeling adventurous, give this dish a shot and you might be pleasantly surprised!

Linguine with Pea Pesto

Ingredients:
10-ounce package frozen peas, defrosted
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp walnuts, toasted if desired
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt (plus a pinch for salting water)
1/3 cup olive oil
12 oz linguine pasta

Directions:
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add peas and cook them for 2 minutes. Drain and either put in an ice bath or let them cool to lukewarm before making pesto.

Set aside 1/2 cup of the cooked peas. Combine the remaining peas, garlic, walnuts, 1/3 cup parmesan, and salt in food processor and whirl for 2-3 minutes, until smooth. At the end, drizzle in the olive oil while processor is running.

Cook the linguine until al dente, per the directions on the box. Set aside 2 cups of the pasta water to thin the sauce later. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Over medium heat, toss the pasta, pesto, and extra peas. Add pasta water a little at a time to thin the sauce as needed. Let it cook together for 1 minute so it all combines. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh herbs (optional) and remaining parmesan cheese.

Source: Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Fettuccini Alfredo with Zucchini Ribbons

For the month of June, my hubby and I are working to eat healthier than usual and include more fresh vegetables and meats. So lucky for you readers, there will be some good wholesome recipes coming your way! (and less cupcakes and cookies, so sorry in advance )

This recipe is a great option to get your fettuccini alfredo fix without the extra calories of a typical cream sauce. It still has awesome flavor and the zucchini ribbons are a nice fresh addition. The original recipe asked for fresh parsley, but due to the fact that I have lots of fresh basil in my garden, I quickly made that change. You could also throw in some other vegetables and turn it into a pasta primavera dish. Yum!

Fettuccini Alfredo with Zucchini Ribbons

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium zucchini
12 ounces fettucini noodles
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk (not condensed milk)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)

Directions:
Slice the ends off the zucchini and discard. Using a peeler, slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 clove of the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the zucchini ribbons and cook until the zucchini is tender, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a bowl.

Cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Ladle out a half cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and return it to the pasta pot.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Stir the flour into the low-fat milk until it is completely dissolved. Put the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the remaining clove of garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the flour-milk mixture and cook until the mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Add the evaporated milk, salt, and the cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Add the sauce, the zucchini, and 3 Tablespoons of the basil to the pasta in the pot and toss to combine. Add a little of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen.

To serve, place 2 cups of the pasta mixture on each plate and garnish with remaining basil.

Source: Slightly adapted from Food Network