Archives: parmesan cheese

Wild Arugula Salad with Garlic Croutons, Shaved Parmesan, and Lemon

April 9, 2013 | By andrea | 1 Comment | Filed in: Italian, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Salad.

We’re definitely moving into salad weather so here’s a recipe featuring pungent and peppery arugula tossed with homemade croutons, shaved Parmesan cheese and lightly dressed with good olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Don’t even think about using store-bought croutons. Homemade croutons are super easy to make and so much tastier! This is a simply-flavored salad • Read More »

Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna

October 1, 2011 | By andrea | 3 Comments | Filed in: Casserole, Main Dish, Pasta, Recipes.

For the first day of October, I thought I’d post a pumpkin recipe…seeing as it’s officially pumpkin season now. I made this delicious Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna last night for dinner. While it may not be the prettiest dish (it is a casserole, after all), it definitely is flavorful and it makes a wonderful Autumn meal. • Read More »

Italian Wedding Soup

February 3, 2011 | By andrea | 6 Comments | Filed in: Chicken, Italian, Main Dish, Pasta, Recipes, Soup/Stew.

My first thought was, “Do Italian people really eat this at weddings?” I’m not Italian so it’s an honest question, don’t you think? After a little research, though, I learned that the “wedding” part refers to the fact that the vegetables and meat go well together in this Italian-American soup (hence the marriage). Whatever the history, it’s • Read More »

Summer Minestrone with Pesto

November 14, 2010 | By andrea | 2 Comments | Filed in: Italian, Main Dish, Recipes, Soup/Stew, Vegetable.

I got together with a group of girlfriends from my bible study on Friday to organize a friend’s garage. The friend we were helping is a mom of two young boys and her husband has been in the hospital for several months awaiting a heart transplant. Needless to say, it’s been a difficult season for this family, so a chilly, overcast November day was • Read More »

Really Good Lasagna

November 2, 2010 | By andrea | 1 Comment | Filed in: Beef, Comfort Food, Italian, Main Dish, Pasta, Recipes.

Really Good Lasagna may be a goofy name for a recipe but it’s true…it really is good! Instead of using ricotta cheese like many lasagna recipes, this one layers lasagna noodles with a meat sauce, a creamy Parmesan white sauce, and Fontina cheese.  The resulting lasagna is creamier than the version most of us have had. It’s • Read More »

Pan-roasted Chicken with Asparagus and Shiitakes

April 23, 2010 | By andrea | 13 Comments | Filed in: Chicken, Main Dish, Quick Cooking, Recipes.

This beautiful spring dish is not only delicious but incredibly easy. I love how simple and unfussy it is: earthy mushrooms, crisp-tender asparagus, pan-seared chicken. Yumm! Serve with crusty bread for a fantastic yet quick meal! For more recipe ideas, check out: Tuesday at the Table, Tuesday Tastes, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Finer • Read More »

Basil-Lemon Pesto

April 20, 2010 | By andrea | 4 Comments | Filed in: Condiment, Dip, Recipes, Sauce.

There’s nothing like freshly made pesto! This particular recipe fills your whole kitchen with the wonderful fragrance of basil, garlic, lemon and parsley…Yumm! The pesto only takes a few minutes to make and freezes well (always a bonus!). I’ve tried this pesto tossed with hot pasta and with grilled chicken…both are excellent! It would also be great in pasta • Read More »

Tortellini & Vegetable Soup

March 22, 2010 | By andrea | 2 Comments | Filed in: Italian, Main Dish, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Soup/Stew, Vegetable.

I’m always on the lookout for new soups, especially recipes like this one that feature vegetables. This quick and easy Italian-inspired soup calls for store-bought cheese tortellini (or your favorite flavor) and other ingredients that can be kept on hand. I followed the recipe except for sauteing some diced onion along with the carrots and celery. I also • Read More »

Spaghetti Squash with Brown Butter and Parmesan

February 15, 2010 | By andrea | 1 Comment | Filed in: Christmas, Holidays, Recipes, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetable, Vegetarian.

Here’s a fun way to eat your yellow veggies: cooked spaghetti squash drizzled with browned butter and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. It’s simple and makes a good side dish for chicken. Instead of boiling the whole squash, I microwaved it (saving 30 minutes of cooking time). To do this, carefully cut the top off the squash off an • Read More »

Pesto

January 12, 2010 | By andrea | Comments Off on Pesto | Filed in: Italian, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Sauce.

The first time I tasted pesto was in a small restaurant in San Francisco called Restaurante Parma. I was in my late teens-early twenties and on a vacation with my family. Always being the adventurous eater, I ordered the pesto pasta even though I didn’t really know what it was. I’d never tasted anything like it before; there was • Read More »