Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce
Tender pasta pillows tossed in nutty brown butter with crispy sage leaves, creating a simple yet luxurious Italian classic. It pairs beautifully with fresh, store-bought ravioli—especially pumpkin, cheese, or spinach-ricotta varieties—or gnocchi, making it a quintessential choice for holiday meals.
Pasta with White Bolognese Sauce
The omission of tomatoes makes this a white Bolognese, but make no mistake, it’s still excellent with red wine. You can prepare the hearty, flavorful sauce a few days in advance and reheat it, but you will likely need to add additional chicken stock.
Spaghetti with Asparagus and Lemon Cream
This pasta is sunshine in a bowl—light, flirty, and just a little bougie. Tender asparagus, a whisper of lemon cream, and spaghetti twirling like she owns the place. It’s the weeknight dish that reminds you you’re allowed to feel radiant, even when dinner comes together in under 30.
Lasagna Roll Ups
Hearty, delicious, and very much comfort food, these can be prepared a day in advance and then popped into the oven. I recommend using no-boil, rectangular lasagna noodles for the best result. Then, yes, boil the noodles in salted water for 5 to 8 minutes to soften them for easy rolling.
Pici with Tomatoes and Prosciutto paired with wine
Recipe developed for the Molesini Wine Club
Baked Rigatoni
I have served this baked rigatoni to my Italian friends, who say it takes them back to their mothers’ and grandmothers’ cooking. It is comfort food at its best. You can substitute Italian sausage for the pork sausage for a spicier version, and cheddar cheese for a nontraditional, sharper flavor. If you opt for cheddar, the pasta will no longer remind an Italian of home cooking. This is an excellent dish for a party because it can be prepared up to the point of final assembly days in advance.
