• nicolepellegrini on December 08, 2010

  This is the book that taught me how to truly cook Italian food. I still reach for it by default before all others!

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Conchiglie con bacon, piselli, e ricotta (pasta shells with bacon, peas and ricotta)

  • Breadcrumbs on November 11, 2013

    p. 150 - Wonderful! Marcella points out that the sauce takes so little time to prepare that you can start it at the same time you put the water on to boil for the pasta. That’s exactly what I did and the dish truly does come together in no time. The only adaptation I made was to add some fresh basil to the finished dish. This is another example of how a few great ingredients can be combined to produce something truly wonderful. The shells were the perfect vehicle to scoop up the cheese and peas. The simplicity of the sauce allows the sweet peas to shine. I used the bacon fat but didn’t use any bacon at all in the dish. The bacon flavour was not discernable in the finished dish and I honestly think this would be perfectly fine if one used butter instead of the bacon fat. Delicious and definitely a dish I’ll repeat. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/325700#8444632

• Insalata di arancia (orange and cucumber salad)

  • wester on September 17, 2012

    Very colorful, but the taste wasn't that interesting. Nice enough though, I might make it again if I happen to have the ingredients on hand.

• Costolette di maiale ai due vini (pork chops braised with marsala and red wine)

  • vickster on September 13, 2013

    This recipe is simple and delicious. But I would use a different cut than loin. I made with thick loin chops and they were still chewy after more than an hour of cooking.

  • clepro on April 09, 2024

    Marsala

• Castagne alla romagnola col vino rosso (chestnuts boiled in red wine)

  • KarenS on November 24, 2010

    Delicious! Used part sweet vermouth. Used fresh chestnuts that were 'cured' so the meat shrinks from the skin a little. The liquid boiled off after only 40 minutes, watch out.

• Pesce spada al salmoriglio (swordfish with salmoriglio sauce)

  • nicolepellegrini on July 16, 2018

    A real classic I've made countless times before, with both swordfish and tuna. It skirts just to the edge of too much salt, but needs that strong flavor bite since there are so few elements to the dish. Using fresh oregano is a must, and I actually like using flowering oregano and adding some of the flower buds for the brightness and color.

• Salmone a la stimpirata (salmon, stimpirata style)

  • nicolepellegrini on May 11, 2020

    I've made this before with other fish steaks (as described in the version of this recipe in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking) and it's equally good with salmon as described here. The sauce is pungent yet doesn't overpower the flavor of the salmon.

• Gamberi ai ferri come le cannocchie (grilled shrimp, cannocchie style)

  • nicolepellegrini on July 24, 2021

    Longtime favorite recipe. I remember my grandmother making this when I was a kid and I still love it today.

• Pesce da taglio in salsa (halibut with white wine and anchovy sauce)

  • nicolepellegrini on July 27, 2018

    Always one of my favorite recipes for halibut; I've prepared it numerous times. Fast to throw together and a good mixture of sour/salty/fresh flavors for the fish.

• Rice with Savoy cabbage (Riso con la verza)

  • nicolepellegrini on September 28, 2018

    This was unexpectedly lovely and a perfect dish for the start of Autumn. I never would have given it a try if not for stumbling upon it here when I had some cabbage and cheese to use up. There's a richness to it with all the cheese that makes it taste almost like a risotto but without all the hard work. I did use a smoked mozzarella, which I think definitely added an extra depth of flavor.

• Verza cruda in insalata (raw savoy cabbage salad)

  • nicolepellegrini on July 21, 2020

    I didn't follow this exactly - instead of rubbing a breadcrust with garlic and letting it sit, I tossed some dried garlicky breadcrumbs into the cabbage and then dressed it. The garlic definitely gave the cabbage a needed "kick" to enjoy as a simple one vegetable raw salad. Not something I'd rush to make again but perfectly fine for making a side salad when perhaps you don't have any good lettuce on hand (and that cabbage has been sitting around in your fridge needing to be used soon!).

• Cotolette alla Palermitana (breaded veal cutlets, Palermo style)

  • nicolepellegrini on June 04, 2020

    One of those recipes from "More Classic..." that didn't seem to make the cut for inclusion in "Essentials", and I can sort of understand why after making it. Thought it was just okay. Broiling as a lighter technique than pan-frying was something I wanted to try, but I thought it made the finish on the breadcrumbs uneven - some were well-browned and crispy, others ended up soggy (especially on the flipped-over side). Also was hard to get the breadcrumbs to stick with just the olive oil coating vs. a more traditional egg-wash or flour-egg-breadcrumb technique. Don't think I'd make again.

• Costolette di vitello profumate all' aglio e rosmarino (sauteed veal chops with garlic and rosemary)

  • nicolepellegrini on July 13, 2020

    My standard for preparing veal chops. Consistent and excellent, the main trick is cooking the veal just thru without burning the breadcrumb topping.

• Pasta with sardines, Palermo style (Pasta con le sarde alla Palermitana)

  • runoutofshelves on March 15, 2020

    This was delicious as usual, one day we will try some other recipes but it tasted great tonight. Bucatini pasta is unexpectedly delicate with its hollow stem. The combination of saffron, pine nuts and raisins is perfect.

• Fettuccine con le zucchine fritte (fettuccine with fried zucchini)

  • mjes on August 19, 2021

    Okay, I found the instructions rather over-complex ... have you ever had trouble washing grit off a zucchini? do you really have to be thorough patting basil dry when you are going to add it to pasta? However, the recipe at its base is a simple pasta with vegetable dish with garlic and a bit of Parmesan cheese. Very nice and worth repeating.