Traditional Italian Spaghetti Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino

Spaghetti drizzled with hot and garlic-infused olive oil. 

A classic Italian dish, so simple and yet so delicious.

The classic Italian spaghetti aglio, olio and peperoncino (garlic, oil and hot peppers) is the quickest and easiest pasta you can possibly prepare.
And it's one of my family's favorite. It's a great recipe for all those occasions when time is of essence: the kids are starving and begging for food. Or also when the fridge is mostly empty, and there is no time for a run to the grocery store.This pasta takes no more than 15 minutes from start to finish. And it's made with very simple and basic ingredients which I always have available in my kitchen.
To make this recipe a success you need a good quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley (better if the flat, Italian type) and hot peperoncini, which are those tiny, dry, and extremely spicy red peppers. The fruity flavor of the olive oil is complemented by the spicy and nutty taste of garlic and peperoncino. And the chopped parsley, sprinkled over the pasta at the end, balances all the flavors and adds freshness to this typical Italian dish. As I said: so simple, yet so delicious!
Buon appetito!

Ingredients: serving 4 people

• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 peperoncini (dry hot peppers)
• a small bunch of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 12 oz of spaghetti pasta (thin or angel hair)

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it boils, cook the spaghetti following the time direction on the box. Make sure to cook the pasta al dente, so my suggestion is to set the timer for one minute less than indicated on the box. Taste the pasta before draining.
2. Saute' the garlic cut in slices with the peperoncino broken in pieces for a couple of minutes in the olive oil. Turn off the heat once the garlic is slightly golden.

3. Drain the spaghetti. Drizzle with the olive oil infused with the garlic. You can remove the garlic and peperoncino if you prefer, or leave it with the pasta, for a bolder flavor. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Seafood Spaghetti with Spicy Sole Fillets

This one-dish pasta dinner with seafood is hot and spicy.

A must-try recipe that is super easy and quick to prepare.

This is one of my favorite one-dish pasta dinner, simple and quick to make in no more than half an hour. Dover sole fillets are easy to find at most supermarkets, at least around here. And even better, are among the cheapest seafood there is.
This recipe combines the delicate flavor of the sole fish, the strong and nutty aroma of the garlic, with the super hot peperoncino, all cooked in white wine.
You can always adjust the recipe based on your taste. For my family, I cut the garlic in big slices so that I can remove the garlic and peperoncino before serving. This will make the pasta a little more kids friendly, but still very flavorful. Or, if you prefer, you can chop the garlic in small pieces, and break up the peperoncino for a deliciously hot and spicy pasta.
Tonight, I'm enjoying my dinner watching an amazing sunset over the Pacific ocean. Buon appetito!

Ingredients, serving 4 people:

• 6 medium dover sole fillets, about 2/3 of a pound
• about 1/3 cup of flour
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 peperoncini (dry hot peppers)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 12 oz of thick spaghetti

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Directions:
1: Cut the sole fillets in pieces. Dip in flour and mix to coat all pieces..

2. In a large skillet heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, cook the fish - make sure to shake off any extra flour from the fish before cooking it. Sprinkle with salt.

3. Remove the sole from the skillet and set aside. Clean any left over olive oil from the skillet. I used very little oil that there was not much left.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the spaghetti when it boils following the directions on the box.
5. Saute' the sliced (or chopped) garlic cloves and the hot pepper in about three tablespoons of olive oil, using the same skillet.

6. If you'd like, remove the garlic and hot peppers from the oil, once the garlic it's slightly golden.  Add the cooked sole, the white wine, a couple of tablespoons of water (from the pasta pan) and the parsley. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the alcohol evaporates and the sauce dense up a little. Don't let it dry. Add a little bit of olive oil or water if necessary.

Drain the pasta when ready, and toss it in the skillet with the fish. Mix well, and serve immediately. Top with more chopped fresh parsley if you'd like!

Buon appetito!

Savory chicken rolls with ham and provolone cheese

For tonight, not your usual boring chicken dinner.

These chicken rolls with ham and cheese, saute' in white wine,  make a fun and delicious meal for your family

With a busy daily schedule it's useful to have some easy and quick dinner recipes, especially if they can be prepared ahead of time. So here is one for you to add to that list.
I made these chicken rolls with ham and cheese yesterday before picking up the kids from school. I knew what was coming up for me in the afternoon. In addition to the usual homework and violin practice, my kids had a basketball game, and a loooong baseball practice. Two different locations, obviously! Which meant A LOT of driving around in traffic. We made it home really late, all exhausted and really hungry. Luckily I planned ahead of time, so I only had to warm up the chicken rolls, dress the salad and voila', dinner was ready in no time!
My kids devoured these rolls in two minutes. Deliciously filled with ham and cheese, saute' in white wine and aromatic herbs. Savory, quick and homemade.


Ingredients: serving 4

• 8 thin slices chicken breast (total about 1.25 lb, 550 gr)
• 8 slices (4.5 oz, 130 gr) of ham
• 8 slices (6 oz, 185 gr) of provolone cheese
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• a few sage leaves
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) of white wine
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Cut the chicken breast in 8 thin slices. Pound the  slices to make them thinner and more even. I use plastic wrap to cover the chicken, so that you don't get your kitchen counter all messy.

2. Place one slice of ham and one of cheese (cut it in half if necessary) over each slice of chicken.
Roll up starting from the smallest side, and secure with a toothpick.

3. In a large pan, saute' the crushed garlic clove, in a few tablespoons of oil, with the rosemary and the sage.

4. Add the chicken rolls. Cook over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Turn the rolls over and cook for another few minutes.

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5. Salt to taste. Add the white wine. Cover the pan and cook the chicken for another 20 minutes over medium heat.

Remove the toothpick, and if you like, cut in slices. Serve with your favorite veggies.

Buon Appetito!

Sole Fillet Rolls with Prosciutto and Asparagus

Ready to wow your guests with these elegant and delicate sole fillets wrapped around prosciutto and asparagus?!?

Here is an easy and quick way to impress your guests. These sole fillets are quite simple to prepare, following this step-by-step recipe. The delicate taste of the sole fish perfectly combines with the savory aroma of the prosciutto and the beautiful and unique flavor of the asparagus. Sprinkled with white wine and chopped Italian parsley, these rolls are baked (not fried), making a super healthy dinner.

Ingredients: serving 4

• 8 dover sole fillets
• 8 slices of prosciutto
• 16 asparagus (if thick) or 24 more if thin
• 1/2 cup, plus one tablespoon, of plain bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove (optional)
• salt

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Directions:
Step 1: Remove the bottom part of the asparagus stalk, sanpping it with your hands as close to the bottom as you can. Boil the asparagus in a pan with salted water for 5-8 minutes based on how thick the asparagus are.
Step 2: While the asparagus are cooking, in a bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, with two tablespoons of parsley and the egg. Add some olive oil (maybe one or two tablespoons) to make the mixture come together.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Over each sole fillet, place a slice of prosciutto, some of the bread crumb mixture and two asparagus. Roll the fillet as shown in my picture.

Step 4: Place all the rolls into an oven pan, seams down. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of bread crumbs and one of parsley. Add the white wine, and salt to taste. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until the sole fillets are fully cooked.

Enjoy!

Creamy Pasta with Butternut Squash and Mascarpone Cheese

A delicious combination of sweet butternut squash, creamy mascarpone cheese, crispy crumbled bacon, and sage infused butter sauce, makes this pasta worth a try!

This pasta has it all: a balanced, nutrient-rich dish that will make you feel happy and satisfied.
It has sweet and nutty butternut squash, which is a great source of vitamin C, fibers, magnesium and potassium. It has all the calcium and proteins that you need, from the mascarpone and the parmesan cheese. And the carbs and fibers form the pasta.
And then, there is bacon. Sinfully crispy bacon.
You can always make this pasta without it. But, what can I say? Dinner should not only be wholesome and balanced, but also fun and tempting. And bacon is an amazing addition to the taste.  The sweet and rich flavors of the squash and cheese is really only complete with the crunchy and smoky  aroma of the bacon.
And note, this recipe is fast and quite easy. A bowl of this pasta will leave you full and happy, so make sure to add it to your list of one-dish dinner recipes.

Ingredients: serving 4

• 1 lb (450 gr) of butternut squash, cleaned, peeled and cubed
• 5-6 leaves of sage
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 4 oz (110 gr) of mascarpone cheese
• 4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 slices of bacon, thick cut (optional)
• salt and pepper
• 12 oz (340 gr) of pasta, I used Barilla casarecce pasta

Preparation time: 35 minutes
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel, clean and cut in cubes the butternut squash. As soon as the water boils, cook the squash for about 5 minutes.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter with the sage. After the 5 minutes remove the squash from the water. Don't throw away the water - you will use it to cook the pasta! Add the squash to the skillet and saute' for another 5-10 minutes until soft.

3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water, using the same water you cooked the squash in. And cook the bacon in a separate pan until crispy. Cut the bacon in pieces.

4. Mash some of the squash with a fork, and add the mascarpone to the skillet. Add several tablespoons (a few at the time) of the boiling water to help the cheese melt, and make a creamy sauce. Adjust with salt if necessary.

5. Drain the pasta and toss in the skillet with the mascarpone and squash sauce, adding the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with pepper.

Serve immediately with crumbled crispy bacon on top. Enjoy!