Mostly New York Style Italian Food & Drink Recipes

Orange Fennel Salad

April 14, 2021 - By Jim - Leave a Comment

This orange fennel salad is comprised of the simplest ingredients yielding a bright and flavorful dish that is beautiful to look at and delights the taste buds. Our recipe uses the cara cara, navel, and blood orange varietals and are gently tossed with sliced fennel bulbs, razor-thin onion, lemon juice and olive oil, and sprinkled with toasted pine nuts, fennel fronds, and flaky sea salt.

This Sicilian-style orange salad has become a favorite in our home. My wife makes this at least once a week and it never disappoints. It’s especially good in the winter months when we all need some vitamin c, but is so perfect in the summer!

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Spicy Sausage Potato and Kale Soup

April 3, 2021 - By Jim - Leave a Comment

This spicy sausage, potato, and kale soup is perfect for those cool nights where you want something to warm your belly and your soul. The spicy sausage warms you from within, and the potatoes, beans, and kale add additional dimensions of flavor and texture. Serve with some crusty bread, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a sprinkle of cheese, and you’ve got yourself a hearty and satisfying meal.

Some would argue that soup is not a meal, but I can’t think of a more complete meal than this nourishing sausage potato and kale soup.

Which is why this is such a hit in our home, especially on weeknights!

That, and it is so simple to make. Almost too simple.

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Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

March 14, 2021 - By Jim - 4 Comments

Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe is a quintessential Italian-American all-in-one meal. Sweet fennel sausage, garlicky broccoli rabe, and spicy cherry peppers mingle together, nesting inside the little orecchiette, making each bite flavorful and satisfying to the core.

There are some things that are just better together: peanut butter and jelly; strawberries and rhubarb; and then broccoli rabe, sausage, and pasta.

Yes, this is one of my favorite (and easy) meals of all time. I grew up eating this, and if you grew up in an Italian-American household, you likely did too.

This Americanized version takes its cue from the Apulian dish orecchiette con cime di rapa. This Italian-American dish adds sausage and cherry peppers, making it heavier and a full meal by itself.

This dish or a variation of it can be found on nearly every Italian restaurant’s menu in the NY metro area. And the combination is so popular, many pizzerias also use it on pizzas.

Sausage with broccoli rabe and pasta is the perfect dish to whip up when you want to make something easy, but is equally fitting to serve to a large group or family gathering.

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