I recently finished ready Stanley Tucci’s incredible book, “Taste: My Life Through Food”.
Stanley Tucci is a prolific award-winning actor and self-confessed “food obsessive”. In the book he writes lovingly about formulative times and foods throughout his life.
Sprinkled throughout the book are many delicious recipes – recipes that Tucci has a special connection to or preference for. READER BEWARE: Reading this book will make you hungry.
Stanley Tucci has Italian heritage and a deep connection to Italy, so many of the recipes included in the book are Italian. And he of course has a deep appreciation for GOOD extra virgin olive oil. I’d like to think that if he walked into our store, he’d approve.
Reading his recipes reminded me that Italian food is much more diverse than most Americans realize. Italy is a varied place, with many different climates, peoples and history. It’s not all pasta and red sauce (although there’s NOTHING wrong with that).
So, with Stanley Tucci’s words echoing in my head, I decided to put together some meal ideas of my favorite Italian dishes. Featuring our ultra-premium extra virgin olive oils, Italian flavored condimentos this menu is perfect for your next Italian feast.
Antipasti (Appetizers):
Focaccia Bread dipped in Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and Herb Delight Oil Dip: Start your Italian feast with fresh bread, flavorful herbs and fresh olive oil!
Stanley Tucci’s Tomato Salad: We adapted this recipe directly from Stanely Tucci’s book. Incredibly simple and refreshing, this dish makes an excellent side or appetizer.
Italian Tomato Basil Soup: Transport yourself to the heart of Italy with this comforting tomato soup, made with garlic, onions, Basil Infused Olive Oil and Italian spices.
Il secondo (Mains):
Italian Beef Crock Pot Ragu: A true Italian classic! Succulent cubes of beef chuck roast are slow-cooked to perfection in a rich tomato sauce, enhanced with the earthy notes of basil and oregano.
RMOO Pasta con Aglio e Olio: Nothing beats simple pasta dressed with ultra-premium extra virgin olive oil. Whip this up for a quick family meal or date night dish and you'll be sure to impress.
Vegetarian Carbonara: Can you have creamy, savory, comforting carbonara without the meat? Yes! This is a go to for us on cold, rainy evenings.
Il Dolce (Desserts):
Italian Orange Polenta Cookies: Finish the evening with something sweet. These light cookies have a bright citrus flavor with a hint of vanilla.
Lemon Olive Oil & Polenta Cake: Super simple, extremely delicious and relatively healthy – this moist crumb cake has a citrus lemon flavor and gentle tang from yogurt. Serve as is, or turn into a trifle or strawberry short cake.
Caio!
Andi
