New Recipes: Cibo Italiano

Jesse and I went to Italy for our honeymoon.

Up until our honeymoon I had never taken an international flight, the closest place to Italy I had visited was the Venetian in Las Vegas, and the only Italian I heard or had spoken was from what I learned in the bathroom of Buca di Beppo. Before our trip, I also considered the Olive Garden and Domino's Pizza fine Italian dining (ok, this might be a slight exaggeration, and I love both of these places for the record, but you get the point).

We spent two amazing weeks touring Rome, Florence, and Monterosso in the Italian Riviera.

Rome

Florence

Monterosso

I fell in love with Italy the minute we landed  in Rome - the language, the history, the people, and especially the food.

All of the food we ate was fresh and flavorful, and made with only a few simple ingredients that when combined tasted magical.

Since we got back from Italy (six months ago), I ask Jesse at least once a week when we can go back. Since his response seems to indicate that we probably won't be going back any time in the near future, the best I can do is try to incorporate Italy into our life here. The easiest way to do that is through cooking.

This past weekend, I made two simple and delicious Italian dishes - Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino and Spinach Lasagna Rolls. I found both recipes on Pinterest.

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino

You know those weeks when you keep meaning to get to the grocery store and you never seem to get there? Well this Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino recipe is the perfect recipe for that kind of week. Most of the ingredients are staple items you would probably have on hand anyhow and they come together perfectly in this dish. Check out the recipe for Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino on my What's Cookin' Page.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

For all of the lasagna lovers out there, the following Spinach Lasagna Rolls recipe is for you! It's a tasty combination of cheese, sauce (we used Rao's Tomato Basil sauce and trust me, it is worth the $9 for the jar), and spinach. It's also easy to portion out this lasagna because of how the dish is prepared.

We made this recipe, along with a Caesar salad and garlic bread (and of course the coconut chocolate pie) when our friends Amy and Cliff came over for dinner on Presidents' Day and it seemed to go over well. You can pick up the recipe for Spinach Lasagna Rolls on my What's Cookin' page.

Ciao Bellos e Bellas!

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