• mziech on April 18, 2020

  Absolutely love this book! Foolproof recipes and a focus on not so common dishes (so recipes that aren't included in other cookbooks). Already looking forward to the follow-up cookbook Food of the Italian Islands.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Zucchini patties (Frittelle di zucchine)

  • csp on July 17, 2024

    Easy and a great way to use summer squash.

• Bread "meatballs" (Polpette casce e ovo)

  • Stephenn31 on December 12, 2023

    Better as a starter than a main. I did need more liquid than just from the can of tomatoes so I used vegetable broth. Make sure the pot will be big enough for the bread to expand and to shake the balls to help turn them while cooking.

• Carrati with ricotta and walnuts (Carrati con ricotta e noci)

  • csp on November 12, 2024

    Really rich and tasty. Add more pasta water to loosen up the since it thickens once you plate the pasta.

• Cavatelli with tomato and wild mint pesto (Cicatielli con pulieio)

  • lkgrover on October 17, 2021

    Terrific pasta sauce with lots of herbs; the kitchen smells amazing. I substituted Aleppo pepper flakes for peperoncino flakes; used both basil & parsley. I used dry rotini pasta instead of making cavetelli.

  • mekral on April 01, 2023

    I concur with the other note. This is a great and easy to make pasta. I also used another dry pasta, but no problem.

• Orecchiette with burrata, tomatoes, and almond pesto (Orecchiette con burrata, pomodorini, e pesto)

  • stepharama1 on June 05, 2023

    The flavors are excellent but I'd recommend increasing the amount of tomatoes and basil. I'd also decrease the amount of pasta. If I had used the exact amounts specified in the recipe, my pasta would have looked nothing like the photo in the book. The sauce would have been too minimal.

• Paccheri with capers, olives, anchovies, and fried bread crumbs (Paccheri alla cilentana)

  • lkgrover on January 31, 2022

    Quick pasta recipe, using mostly store-cupboard (pantry) ingredients. I used spaghetti instead of paccheri pasta.

• Candele with 'nduja (Candele con 'nduja)

  • TrishaCP on May 14, 2020

    This is very, very rich and decadent, but tastes delicious.

• Spaghetti with dried fruits and nuts (Sicchie d'a munnezza)

  • lkgrover on March 27, 2022

    Excellent pasta recipe to clean out the pantry. I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned.

• Potenza-style chicken with herbs and wine (Pollo alla potentina)

  • kemccarthy on December 20, 2025

    I’ve made this several times but made the mistake of following the direction to braise the chicken for 30 minutes rather than checking the internal temperature. The chicken cooked to 145°F within 10-15 minutes last night and turned out much better. I used a mix of fresh rosemary and thyme to replace the basil.

• Cauliflower, olive, pepper, and caper salad (Insalata di rinforzo)

  • nicolepellegrini on July 02, 2021

    I was out of celery so I substituted radishes for a similar crunchy element - could really see doing this preparation with any number of different vegetables. Quite tasty, even better the second day when it had more time to sit and marinate.

• Crispy potatoes with onions and Parmigiano-Reggiano (Patate raganate)

  • HarlanH on December 02, 2021

    the water that's included to boil seems to be excessive, as it was quite liquid-y at the end of cooking. The results were just fine -- I wonder if this requires the Tropea onions called for to be great, as the merely fairly sweet white onions I used weren't that exciting...

  • lkgrover on November 03, 2025

    Good potato side dish. I made with a mixed package of baby new yellow & red potatoes cut into 2 cm pieces; decreased the roasting time to 45 minutes. Also used a normal yellow onion (instead of Tropea onion, which is unavailable here).

• Sautéed celery with olives (Sedano alla Molisana)

  • Yildiz100 on June 08, 2020

    I used store bought breadcrumbs mixed with a bit of chopped parsley and grated parm instead of making the book's breadcrumbs. This recipe is a really nice way to eat celery and a great way to use a lot if you need to clean out the fridge, but it makes a lot of dirty dishes for a simple side.

• Sautéed fennel and herbs (Finocchi in padella)

  • tekobo on June 30, 2022

    Great way to cook fennel. Left out the breadcrumbs.

• Pear, arugula, and scarmorza salad (Insalata di pera, rughetta, e scamorza)

  • djnielsen64 on November 10, 2024

    Loved it! Scamorza is delicious and goes so well with the sweet pears and bitter arugula.

• Easter bread (Casatiello)

  • mziech on April 18, 2020

    great recipe! Easter bread with a rich filling. Recipe was spot on.

• Country-style almond cake (Mandorlaccio)

  • tekobo on June 30, 2022

    Delicious and gluten free

• Cherry vermouth (Ratafià)

  • mziech on April 18, 2020

    Love this! worth the effort of waiting and perfect balance of sweet and sour. Will make this again next season.