Just make it yourself! From pasta to sauce
Cooking pasta is really easy. Making your own pasta is, too, by the way. With this recipe for homemade pasta dough, nothing can go wrong. After all, all you need for homemade “pasta secca” is durum wheat semolina, water, salt, and good olive oil. Whether you serve the pasta as a main course or a side dish—with a little skill, it’s simple to prepare.
We all know how daunting it can be the first time, but once you’ve made pasta dough yourself, you’ll never want to eat store-bought pasta again. And once the nerves from your first attempt have faded, you’ll be creating little works of art.
Why not try making your own tagliatelle, orecchiette, pappardelle, and fricelli—or even lasagna sheets—for your next lasagna? With a little practice, you’ll master stuffed pasta, too. Then you’ll be able to whip up dishes like ravioli with sautéed baby artichokes and lemon butter, tortellini in tomato-bacon sauce, or Sardinian ravioli made with a very special folding technique. Your homemade pasta doesn’t just look great and taste delicious—your culinary skills will also make a huge impression.
Spaghetti with Eggplant Balls: Delicious and Vegetarian!
Does this dish remind you of *Lady and the Tramp* too? Visually, definitely—but these balls are made from eggplant and are therefore completely vegetarian.
And if you leave out the Pecorino in this recipe, it’ll make even a vegan’s heart beat faster. It’s fresh, it’s delicious, and it tastes like bella Italia! This Italian dish with eggplant, tomatoes, and basil brings Mediterranean flavors to your table—and to your stomach, where they’re well deserved. Delicious—and a little like a vacation, even if you’re at home.
Hearty, Stuffed Agnolotti in Sage Butter from Piedmont
Serving homemade agnolotti is truly something special—a treat for the eyes, the palate, everyone at the table, and yourself.
You can fill the agnolotti with whatever comes to mind, allowing you to create new variations time and time again. In this recipe, these little pasta pockets from Piedmont are filled with ground beef, spinach, and tomatoes and served with a fragrant sage butter sauce. For extra flavor, grate a little Parmesan on top and buon appetito! Or try a fresh vegetarian version: for example, with a ricotta and herb filling.
Stuffed Squid Tubes
Squid, or rather “seppia” in Italian (and “seppie” in the plural), is a popular ingredient in many delicious dishes in Italy.
This pasta dish from Salina, a small island off the coast of Sicily, is a real treat: Spaghetti with fresh basil and salty capers is the perfect accompaniment to the hearty stuffed cuttlefish tubes.
Involtini al Pomodoro – the Italian roulade
Tender braised veal rolls—involtini—are, of course, also found in bella Italia. Involtini are a specialty of Sicilian cuisine, and instead of bacon and onions, they wrap homemade parsley pesto and prosciutto in the meat—and let it braise in a fruity tomato sauce. A delightful feast, not just for a cozy Sunday, but also just because.
Rice Arancini
"Arancini di riso" are rice balls stuffed with ragù and cheese, which are then fried until golden brown. Wow! No question about it—they’ll make your mouth water. These “little oranges,” as their name translates, originally come from Sicily, and there are numerous variations of the dish. In our recipe, we present a very classic version with saffron risotto, beef ragù, and mozzarella. Molto gustoso! Especially when the hearty filling of the risotto balls is revealed as you cut into them.
Cooking is deeply relaxing. When you cook, you can unwind and forget about everyday life for a little while. After all, preparing a meal doesn’t have to mean whipping something up in a flash and then wolfing it down. You can make so much more of it. Cooking can be meditative—almost philosophical. Combine new flavors and rediscover Italian cuisine time and time again.
With the right ingredients, fresh spices and herbs, and your favorite music playing in the background, time in the kitchen will just fly by. Do it like Italian grandmothers do and cook with lots of love and leisure. We’ll show you five authentic Italian dishes that are well worth the effort. Have fun cooking, and buon appetito!
