Italian Food

When sun-ripened tomatoes are at their peak, I make this fresh tasting tomato basil soup. Not only is it quick to make, it holds and freezes well. 

Panini sandwiches are a relatively new and very popular menu item at many American restaurants. Italian in origin, these grilled sandwiches are usually filled with meats and / or vegetables and cheeses, which are pressed tightly together, causing the ingredients to interact, which produces an intensely flavorful sandwich.

This recipe for bruschetta uses eggplant to add texture and flavor. Be sure that, when you're cooking the eggplant, it is fully cooled before combining it with the remaining ingredients.

Panini are sandwiches in Italy, served cold or hot. A good panino is made from the freshest ingredients and top-quality meats and cheeses with sweet or savory fillings.

Although home delivery is easy, making homemade pizza isn't as difficult or time-consuming as you think. In the time it takes you to place and receive your order you could be well on your way to more wholesome (and healthy) homemade pizza recipes.

Making lasagna has always been a family favorite. The delicious aroma of bubbling cheeses and tomatoes mixing with noodles is a quick reminder of dinners past.

If you want to create the best bruschetta recipe, be sure to buy quality Italian bread, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh and juicy garlic cloves and appetizing toppings.

Knowing how to make pizza dough is similar to making bread: start with quality ingredients, trusted pizza dough recipes and a good understanding of how they work together to produce a final product that will taste as it good as it looks coming out of the oven.

Garden-ripe tomatoes. Fresh garlic. Aromatic onions. A hint of newly-picked basil and oregano. These ingredients combine to create a delicious,homemade spaghetti sauce that will tempt taste buds.

Classic lasagna is easy to make, freezes well and flavors grow richer upon reheating. Whether you use traditional ingredients or create your own recipe, pay attention to layering techniques and cover tightly with aluminum foil while baking for even heating.

Balsamic vinegar can dress up a traditional and easy bruschetta recipe to serve at your next party. Because the balsamic gives it a little kick, you'll want to refrigerate the tomato mixture for two hours or so before serving to allow all of the flavors to blend together.

The art of cooking pasta is one that will be worth the effort to perfect. Pasta is a delicious basic building block of many dishes that can ruin even the best recipe when cooked incorrectly .

Traditional pesto sauce starts with one very important ingredient: basil. Fresh basil is abundant around farmers markets and can also be found in any local grocery store. If you do purchase fresh basil to kick off your pesto sauce, you can stick the remaining basil leaves in a cup of water to keep them from drying out.

For vegetarian friends who love the taste of Italian food, but tend to shy away from the meat filling, why not try whipping up an eggplant lasagna recipe. It's perfect for dinner parties and even the voracious carnivores of the bunch will be pleased with this veggie dish.

Traditional ravioli filling recipes include beef, pork or cheese. All three are equally delicious options. While meat ravioli might appear more filling, cheese ravioli is every bit as satisfying and, ounce for ounce, has equal portions of protein.

A great vegetable lasagna recipe combines alfredo sauce, veggies and a delicious cheese. Try experimenting with the veggies, like zucchini, asparagus, eggplant, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Italian classics like lasagna are traditionally made with meat. Fortunately, there are many variations such as a seafood lasagna recipe that combines Italian flavors and sauce with fresh seafood. Seafood lasagna is a bit difficult to make and assemble but will be well worth it once you can serve it to eager guests.

The key to any classic beef lasagna recipe is the cheese. Don't be afraid to be generous and even throw in an extra handful here and there to have the lasagna bubbling with cheese when it's ready to be served to your guests.

Bolognese sauce is one of the most recognized Italian sauces throughout the world. The sauce originated in the small town of Bologna, Italy. Natives traditionally serve the sauce with tagliatelle pasta, but others have grown to eat their bolognese sauce atop penne, rigatoni or spaghetti.

The beauty of homemade ravioli is that you can fill them with whatever vegetables you choose and then freeze the ravioli for later use.