• nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

  I was a big fan of Luca on MasterChef Season 4, and I'm even more of a fan since spending time with his cookbook. It's such a great mixture of simple to elegant Italian food with an emphasis on Northern-style cooking. The writing style is fun and easy to read, and Luca really taught me how to make risotto properly with this book. Many of the recipes are not that hard to make but show a few simple tricks or unusual ingredient combinations that make them feel more like "restaurant quality" dishes.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Ricotta, honey and pine nut crostini (Ricotta, miele, e pinoli crostini)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

    Love this - it's a simple and surprisingly delicious crostini, great for entertaining.

• Beet, goat cheese, and pistachio crostini (Barbabietole, caprino, e pistacchi crostini)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

    Very tasty, just a little awkward to eat unless you dice the beets very small.

• Gorgonzola, roasted pepper, and balsamic glaze crostini (Gorgonzola, peperoni arrosto, e balsamico crostini)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

    My favorite crostini in the book - it's quite beautiful and looks elegant on a buffet or dinner party spread. Have made it several times and had people ask me for the recipe.

• Tomato, mozzarella, and spicy salame bruschetta (La bruschetta bomba)

  • nicolepellegrini on June 22, 2015

    Big hit when I made these as part of a party buffet. The spicy salami makes for a nice spin on a typical tomato brushetta.

• Prosciutto-wrapped figs with goat cheese (Fichi con prosciutto e caprino)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

    So delicious and almost decadent. I've converted people who say they don't like figs with this simple recipe.

• Clams and mussels with cherry tomatoes in white wine broth (Cozze e vongole al vino bianco)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

    This makes a HUGE amount of food. I had it one night as prepared and the next day served the leftovers with spaghetti as the variation describes.

• Beet and goat cheese risotto (Risotto con barbabietole e caprino)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

    This is a really fun risotto to make - and serve. The color comes out almost a bubblegum pink which is shocking to a lot of people. But if you love the combination of goat cheese and beets then you should really like this risotto.

• Asparagus and lemon risotto (Risotto con asparagi e limone)

  • nicolepellegrini on June 22, 2021

    I did not add the finishing butter called for in this recipe and I'm glad I didn't! It was already extremely rich, and I definitely feel it would have made it unpleasantly so to add that much butter at the end.

• Sausage and radicchio risotto (Risotto salsiccia e radicchio)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

    This is a very hearty, very rich risotto. The radicchio gives it a needed bitter bite.

• Orecchiette with zucchini, ricotta, and mint (Orecchiette con zucchine, ricotta, e menta)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

    Easy, fast, yummy. Love the note that the fresh mint adds to the sauce.

• Grilled vegetables with parsley-garlic pesto (Verdure grigliate)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 21, 2015

    Great dish for entertaining - it's been a hit several times when I've made it, one of my favorite preparations of grilled vegetables because of the thin slices that really soak up the flavor of the marinade.