Pasta con Olive e Capperi

There will always be days like this. There will always be days when a simple plate of truly Mediterranean pasta is all I need to make everything better. And it will work! (At least it did today ) How is your day going today? Need some of the same therapy? Give it a try!

Very complicate ingredients! Fresh tomato, kalamata olives, capers, garlic and fresh basil. And your favorite shape of pasta

Crema di Melanzane - Eggplant Spread

One of my favorite vegetables of the Summer is Eggplant! I love it in any possible imaginable way! Today I made a simple Crema di Melanzane, eggplant spread ,that is great as is on a toasted slice of ciabatta bread, or can be used for a quick pasta or to pair with grilled white meat! I love the combination of lemon juice and a hint of fresh mint in it: it tastes just like Summer!

Melanzana (Eggplant): one of my fav veggies!

Poke the eggplant with a fork and bale it at 400F for about 40 minutes, until it's easy to scoop it out of its skin

Salt and pepper, a little lemon juice and some fresh herbs (mint, parsley, basil in this version). A hint of garlic helps too!. Then my beloved hand blender does the rest!

Crostata di Frutta con Crema Pasticcera

Moms love Crostata di Frutta con Crema Pasticcera. Did you know that? This year, this was my Mother's Day dessert of choice! I made this crostata with a simple shortbread-like crust, homemade custard and fresh fruit. I then polished it with a clear glaze (water-sugar-cornstarch). Simplicity is the key. And a dash of love, as usual.

Pappardelle with Lamb, Artichoke, Lemon and Mint

What to do with a couple humble shoulder blade lamb chops that were on sale at my local grocery store? I thought about it and decided to debone them and make a condiment for some handcut homemade pappardelle. With fresh artichoke, lemon and mint.

Marinating my shoulder blade lamb chops in garlic, thyme, lemon and white wine. I will then debone them and cut them in bite size pieces, after trimming all the unnecessary fat and hard tissues

A couple artichokes. They will be cleaned and thinly sliced, then sautéed in olive oil, garlic and white wine, adding some fresh minced parsley at the end.

Fresh handcut egg pappardelle