Good Italian Food

Italian cooking is simple cooking; it depends on the cook to find the best ingredients possible. The success of an Italian meal relies on top quality Italian pantry staples and the freshest available seasonal ingredients.

Although many people are familiar with immigrant Italian food, marinara sauce covered with lots of mozzarella cheese I would rather have good Italian food including: Fresh Mozzarella with basil and olive oil, simple seasonal soups and good breads.

Minestrone Soup
8 servings

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup zucchini cut into half moons
1/2 cup yellow squash cut into half moons
1 15 ounce can green beans
4 cloves minced garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3-6 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup small pasta--try orzo, tubetti, ditalini, elbow, shell one or a mixture
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Sauté onion, celery and carrot until the onions are translucent.
3. Add garlic, green beans, zucchini and yellow squash to the oil and cook until vegetables are slightly wilted.
4. Add broth, spices, and water to the pot.
5. Bring soup to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are cooked.
6. Add spinach leaves, canned beans and your choice of pasta and cook until pasta is tender but still firm to the bite.
7. Garnish each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

One of the first chefs I ever worked with took out a fresh nutmeg and grated it into Fettucini Alfredo before serving. His secret ingredient in marinara, cream sauces, ravioli, cannoli and more. Fresh nutmeg!

For antipasti, soup or panini the sweet roasted flavor of roasted peppers adds a smoky depth to any Italian recipe. While you can make them yourself, it's nice to have a tin of roasted peppers in your Italian Pantry to add to pasta dishes, salads, panini or soups!