Italian Recipes Menu

Anisette Cookies Recipe

These are an Italian Family Christmas Classic! Possibly the best Italian cookie ever! It is not officially Christmas time until our family makes these amazing cookies! The anise flavor really makes these cookies special!

Antipasto Recipe

Antipasto can be many things. Really it’s just an Italian appetizer. It means”before the meal”. It usually Italian cured meats, peperoncini, olives, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as mozzarella or provolone). This recipe is just my own twist on Antipasto.

Bow Tie Cookie Recipe

This is a wonderful Italian cookie that would always used show up during Christmas, weddings and funerals when I was a kid. These were a magical cookies because they only showed up once or twice a year at best! This was also called Fried Italian Bow Tie Cookies, Italian Knot Cookies, Fried Pasta Bow Tie Cookies, and last but not least, Angel Wings! The Italian name is “Cenci alla Fiorentina”.

Chicken Cutlet Recipe

This is a simple recipe but one of my absolute favorites! I use Ritz crackers for the breading because that is how my grandmother and mom made the cutlets. Really does make a wonderful breading in regards to crunchiness and flavor! One of my favorite meals is these chicken cutlet with fettuccine alfredo.

Chicken Soup with Semolina Pasta Recipe

This is a special chicken soup made with homemade semolina pasta that we call Melonbon Soup. Not many know this soup by that name. Seems to have originated close to the town where my grandmother is from: Santeramo in Colle: Apulia Region (Puglia). I actually go into a little bit of history about this recipe that is quite interesting. This is my favorite soup ever! I eat this and I am back home at my grandma Salerno’s house back in the 70’s. The best thing in the world is to have this with fresh Italian Bread!

Eggplant Parmesan

This is a dish that gets a bad rap because it is often not made right. The worst thing I can think of for an Italian meal gone wrong is mushy/soggy eggplant! This recipe is actually from my wife’s side of the family who are Sicilian. There are several important steps I go through in the recipe that help the eggplant not come out mushy or soggy. One of them is the special eggplant press… Well, you will just have to click the link to find out more.

Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

This is a simple dish that is just wonderful! I love Fettuccine! To make this right, you ahve to use real butter and heavy cream. It’s not the healthiest dish in the world, but is a special treat! One of my favorites to have with Chicken Cutlets.

Frittata with Asparagus Recipe

My grandmother and mom made this all the time! This is fantastic with toasted Italian bread! Good hot or cold. We also make this with spinach from time to time.

Garlic Bread Recipe

This is another simple recipe but is an integral part of a good Italian meal. It’s necessary so you can get all of the sauce off the plate! This is one recipe you have to pay attention to. When you are broiling the garlic bread it can go to perfect to burnt in seconds. Don’t ge distracted!

Garlic Carrot Recipe

A wonderful treat that goes great with an Antipasto! Sliced carrots marinated in olive oil, garlic and parsley. Simple goodness.

Italian Bread Recipe

This is a very special recipe for me because it took me years to be able to make a nice Italian loaf of bread from scratch with all the kneading like my grandma Salerno did. This is honestly the best bread I’ve ever had! I have spent a lot of special care trying to spell out all the details for this special bread! Yeah, you could just go to the store and pay a couple of dollar for a fresh loaf, but there is something magical and therapeutic working with the dough and the yeast. Quite wonderful really!

Lasagna Recipe

This is also a special recipe that took a long time to perfect. The key to good lasagna is a good sauce to go with it! This dish never gets old!

Pasta Sauce, Meatballs, Sausage and Braciole Recipe

This recipe is very special indeed. It’s what started me along the path of making this website and it required the most detail of any of the recipes on this site! Just to end any arguments…. yes, my grandparents did call this Sunday Gravy. It seems to be a New England thing. If you grew up in that part of the United States, it was called gravy. I grew up in Massachusetts, so it was gravy. This recipe covers all the details of making this all-day recipe. It required lots of patience and love. I have spent decades getting all the details just right. It takes a long time to get all those grandma secrets worked out. My Italian grandmother had some written recipes but they are vague to say the least, with special directions like, cook until done, and add “some” sugar, etc… The Italian way is you put, you taste, you put some more and you just know!

* I have created this special page that covers a very special Meatball grandma tip!
How To Use The Salt Pork with the Meatballs

Peseta Bars Italian Cookies Recipe

A Christmas Italian cookie favorite from childhood. This is my grandmothers version of Biscotti. A Biscotti variation. My very favorite Christmas cookie! A special combination of almonds, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, lemon and orange rinds.

Ravioli Recipe

This is a special recipe because it required making homemade pasta which is always amazing! Fresh pasta is something quite wonderful. But fresh pasta with Ricotta Cheese Filling is even better!

Ricotta Cheese Pie Recipe

This is really Italian cheese cake. This is yet another special Italian dish that only comes out during Christmas time! The ricotta cheese is what makes this special! There are two recipes that mean Christmas to me. Anisette Cookies and this Riccotta cheese pie! Well, wait a minute. There are three recipes that mean Christmas, I forgot to mention the Lasagna!