Traditional Italian recipes tested (or developed) by a Southern Italian Nonna. Although Nonna Baldino is Southern Italian, she also cooks traditional dishes of Central and Northern Italy.
This category also includes Italian gardening tips, from designing an Italian kitchen garden to selecting the fruit and vegetable varieties specific to good Italian cooking.
Quick Summary: Fresh asparagus coated in a light batter of Parmigiano, garlic, breadcrumbs, and parsley, then baked or fried until golden. A Southern Italian-Sicilian recipe perfect for Easter or any spring celebration. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Prep: 45 min | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 6 Jump to: RECIPE | Brief History …
Quick Summary: A moist, aromatic olive oil cake from Southern Italy with fresh orange zest, Grand Marnier, and warm cardamom. Not too sweet, easy to make in one bowl with a whisk, and perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or dessert. Prep: 30 min | Cook: 50 min | Serves: 9 Jump To: RECIPE | Why …
Quick Summary: Italian sweet peppers like Jimmy Nardello, Marconi, and Corno di Toro are sweeter and thinner-walled than standard bells. Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before last frost, transplant when soil reaches 60°F. Most Italian peppers grow well in containers. Harvest green or wait for full color for maximum sweetness. Read time: 7 min | …
Quick Summary: Dried beans have superior flavor and texture but require more time. Use dried for dishes where beans are the star (fagioli, hummus, bean salads). Use canned for soups, stews, and casseroles where beans share the spotlight. Soak older beans overnight; fresh beans from quality sources don’t need soaking. Read time: 15 min | …
Chicory is one of the most underrated vegetables for home gardeners. It’s cold-hardy, easy to grow, and includes varieties most people have never tried, like radicchio, catalogna, puntarelle, and sugarloaf. I grow several chicory varieties at HeathGlen Organic Farm in Minnesota for both fall salads and winter cooking. The bitter, complex flavor pairs well with …
Quick Summary: Traditional Italian winter squash varieties like Marina di Chioggia, Piena di Napoli, and Violina Rugosa offer superior flavor but aren’t available in stores. They’re easy to grow, store for months, and work beautifully in pasta, risotto, and roasted dishes. Read time: 10 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate Jump to: Italian Squash …
Quick Summary: Design a kitchen garden by starting with what you want to cook, then selecting 5-12 vegetables that match your space. Plan paths and structures before placing plants. Use succession planting for continuous harvests. This guide covers plant selection, design styles, blueprints, spacing, and equipment. Read time: 15 min | Experience level: Beginner to …
Quick Summary: An Italian kitchen garden needs tomatoes (paste, slicer, and cherry types), squash, beans, chicory, peppers, eggplant, kale, broccoli, onions, lettuce, and herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley. Grow in the ground or containers. Most Italian varieties thrive in US gardens with warm summers. Read time: 12 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate …
Quick Summary: Romano beans (Italian flat beans) are easy to grow, disease-resistant, and highly productive. Pole varieties need trellising and reach up to 10 feet; bush varieties stay compact. Sow directly in garden after soil reaches 60°F. Harvest at 6 inches for tender pods. Read time: 10 min | Experience level: Beginner Jump to: What …
Quick Summary: Thin beef slices stuffed with prosciutto, pine nuts, Pecorino Romano, garlic, and parsley, then simmered for hours in robust tomato sauce. A Sicilian/Neapolitan celebration dish featured in “The Bear.” The braciole flavors the sauce; the sauce tenderizes the braciole. Serve with rigatoni. Developed with Italian friend Gloria Baldino. Prep: 30 min | Cook: …
Freezing tomatoes is a great way to preserve both the nutrition and the flavor of fresh heirloom tomatoes to use in Winter dishes
Quick Summary: Peperonata is slow-cooked sweet peppers with onions and garlic, simmered until velvety soft. Use it to braise pork chops for a tender, flavorful one-pan dinner. The sauce also works on burgers, grilled chicken, or crusty bread. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 45 min | Serves: 4 Jump to: RECIPE | What is Peperonata? …
Quick Summary: Pork chops braised in puttanesca sauce with tomatoes, olives, capers, and anchovies. Brown the chops, add the sauce, simmer 10 minutes. A bold, low carb Italian dinner in 30 minutes. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 4 Jump to: RECIPE | What is Puttanesca | Ingredients | Step by Step …
Peperonata (peh-peh-roh-NAH-tah) is a Southern Italian vegetable dish of slow-cooked, or stewed bell peppers with onion and garlic. I make peperonata every fall when my pepper harvest at HeathGlen Organic Farm peaks, and I use it on everything: pork chops, bunless burgers, ground beef, white fish, even as a bruschetta topping. This version pairs …
Quick Summary: Pan-seared scallops with a fennel crust served over creamy lemon orzo with capers. Impressive enough for date night, quick enough for a weeknight. Orzo gives you the texture of a classic risotto without the fuss. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 20 min | Serves: 4 Jump to: RECIPE | Orzo vs Risotto | …