What are pizza beans? They’re hearty white beans that taste like pizza, of course, simmered in a marinara-like sauce and topped with bubbling mozzarella cheese. Deb came up with the concept, and I’m a huge fan.

Today, I’m sharing my spin with canned beans, optional spinach, and a rich tomato paste-based sauce that tastes like it’s been simmering on the stove for hours. It’s cheesy and satisfying like baked ziti, but more wholesome and easier to make.

These pizza beans are so good and simple that this dish kinda feels like cheating. It’s an easy weeknight meal for cooler days. I bet you already have the ingredients in your pantry!

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These tiny homemade bread crumbs can make a big impact on your meal! They’re the perfect crisp finishing touch on casseroles, salads and more. Follow this recipe to make regular golden bread crumbs, or add the optional seasonings and your kitchen will smell like the best Italian restaurant.

This simple recipe is far more flavorful than store-bought options, and keeps well for months. Use your bread of choice, whether it’s your favorite crusty sourdough or whole wheat sandwich bread. If you have leftover bread that’s turning stale, turn it into breadcrumbs to save it for later (or croutons or French toast)!

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Who knew that cabbage soup could be this good?! This bright and light recipe is a lovely spin on classic vegetable soup. If you’re trying to get back to healthy eating after the holidays, this warming cabbage soup is an inexpensive wintertime alternative to leafy green salads.

Cabbage soup may have originated in Eastern Europe, but this recipe offers simple Italian flavors. It starts with carrots, onion and celery cooked in a generous drizzle of olive oil. Once those are tender, we’ll add fresh garlic and dried oregano, followed by chopped green cabbage.

You can use an entire small head of cabbage in this soup; it shrinks as it sweats excess moisture and becomes silky soft as it simmers. Crushed tomatoes and lemon juice add welcome acidity, bringing this simple soup to life!

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It’s hard to beat a bowl of pesto pasta. Today, I’m sharing a classic basil pesto pasta recipe from start to finish! You’ll learn how to make basil pesto from scratch and toss it with freshly cooked noodles in perfect proportions.

I like my pesto pasta saucy, so I used a generous amount of pesto here, which is more affordable when you’re making your own pesto. It takes ten minutes or less to make pesto in a food processor, but you could certainly use store-bought pesto if you have a favorite brand.

This vibrant pesto pasta is quick and easy to make for dinner on a weeknight. It’s also a lovely side dish to serve at a dinner party or casual summer cookout. Get ready for the best pasta pasta you’ve ever had.

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Let’s hear it for burrata cheese! I always order burrata when I find it on restaurant menus, and we’ve had some stellar combinations this summer. I can’t resist burrata’s contrasting textures—it’s like fresh mozzarella on the outside, but lusciously soft and creamy on the inside.

For this recipe, I designed a quintessential summertime burrata salad with fresh tomatoes. Serve it with crostini or a loaf of crusty bread to make it an appetizer. This burrata dish comes together in 15 minutes, believe it or not, and it’s a real showstopper.

I wanted to keep it simple but make it taste special, so I drew reference from my Easy Tomato Salad and Tomato Basil Bruschetta. I landed on a combination of cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes for depth, plus freshly toasted pine nuts for a savory note. It’s not complete without a drizzle of rich olive oil, tangy balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of fresh basil. I hope it becomes one of your go-to recipes!

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Craving a hearty, rich, yet redeeming soup? This creamy tomato soup laden with chickpeas is the answer. I cannot get enough of it!

There’s nothing better than hot tomato soup on a chilly day, and this one is substantial enough to feel like a meal. If you’re a fan of my classic tomato soup, you’re going to love this chickpea variation.

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Negroni sbagliato means “mistaken Negroni” in Italian, but can I tell you something? I think it’s an improvement on the original.

Classic Negronis are comprised of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. The Negroni sbagliato uses prosecco instead of gin, which makes the Negroni sbagliato lighter, bubbly, and less severe. It’s bitter but balanced, like the Negroni’s fun cousin!

The Negroni sbagliato has been TikTok-famous since 2022, but my friend Reese introduced me to the Negroni sbagliato at last year’s Christmas party. I’m sharing it with you in time for this year’s festivities. It’s a sparkling, red aperitivo to sip before your holiday meals.

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This spinach lasagna is gloriously cheesy, perfectly saucy, and fully loaded with fresh sautéed spinach. It’s worthy of special occasions and holidays, and such a treat on a chilly weekend.

If you’re craving a meatless main dish with familiar flavors, this spinach lasagna is the answer. The sauce is made from scratch and sets this lasagna apart from your average recipe. It’s comfort food at its finest.

This spinach lasagna recipe requires some effort, as all lasagnas do. That said, it comes together beautifully and is 100 percent worth your while. No-boil noodles save time and effort—have you ever tried working with floppy, sticky, freshly-boiled lasagna noodles? No need to struggle for this recipe.

If you’re new to making lasagnas, this is a great recipe to start with. It’s a bit easier than my veggie lasagna, which is my other go-to recipe! This one is essentially my spinach artichoke lasagna without the artichoke. It’s so delicious that it deserves the spotlight.

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If you love a spicy red sauce, this arrabbiata sauce recipe is for you! A hot bowl of pasta with arrabbiata sauce, or sugo all’arrabbiata in Italian, will warm you up on a chilly day. Arrabbiata literally means angry in Italian. The Romans call any recipe “arrabbiatto” when it’s cooked with enough garlic and chili to make you thirsty. I love it!

Like its cousin marinara, homemade arrabbiata sauce is very easy to make. You’ll need just four basic ingredients: one large can of whole peeled tomatoes, fresh garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes or small red chili peppers.

I fell in love with arrabbiata sauce during a college semester in Bordeaux, France. I was actually a picker eater, and I was learning how to cook by playing around in our dorm’s lackluster kitchen. We lived on cheap pasta during those months, and I livened up my noodles with various sautéed vegetables.

The spiciness of the arrabbiata sauce offered so much bold flavor that it made my simple meals taste exciting and helped me learn to love veggies like zucchini and bell pepper. I’ve come a long way since then, and it all started with arrabbiata sauce!

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The Americano cocktail is a fizzy, bittersweet drink with Italian origins. It’s the perfect aperitivo before dinner or a refreshing weekend afternoon sipper. The Americano is a unique spritz that strikes the elusive balance between bitter and sweet. This cold, bubbly drink is lovely on a hot day, yet the complex, warming flavors are equally welcome before Thanksgiving supper.

Americano cocktails are made with Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda. If you love a Negroni, this drink is right up your alley. The Americano is served in a taller glass with club soda instead of gin, and the Negroni is actually a derivative of the Americano. Don’t write off this cocktail if you don’t like Negronis, though (I don’t!). It’s like a Negroni light, and you can adjust it to suit your preferences.

Americano cocktails have nothing in common with Americano coffee, except that they were both popularized by Americans visiting Italy. Apparently, the Americano is based on another drink, the Milano-Torino, which is made with just Campari and Vermouth di Torino. There are several origin stories, and I’m not sure which one is true. All I know is that this is a nice cocktail! I hope you enjoy it.

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