Marisa's Italian Kitchen

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Italian Food

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

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Sardine Spaghetti with Chives, a quick and tasty dish utilizing a few pantry staples such as canned sardines and dried pasta. Fresh bread crumbs are toasted til golden brown and then tossed with some snipped chives lending a delicate and subtle onion taste which doesn’t overpower but rather enhances this simple pasta dish.

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Pasta con le sardine or rather Pasta with sardines is a classic Sicilian pasta dish. Most notably made with wild fennel, raisins and also anchovies. Sometimes pine nuts are also thrown in the mix.

My version here is a little spin-off from the more traditional one and inspired from Food Bloggers of Canada recipe round-up featuring chives.

I put this rather delicate herb to work by snipping off a few strands and tossing it with my homemade toasted breadcrumbs which I then used in my Sardine Spaghetti with Chives recipe.

It imparted such freshness and flavour to this simple pasta dish and was devoured in no time at all!

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Being a convenient source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and vitamin D are really great reasons to include canned sardines in our diet. And, also not to mention how fairly inexpensive the canned variety really is and so versatile!

Although they aren’t extremely bony, you may want to remove the fish bones if you’re squeamish about them. Parting the underside of the sardines to open them up and gently removing the fish bones with a small fork or knife will quickly do the trick.

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Under 30 Minute Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Coupled with the fact that sardines are so nutritious, they’re readily available year round making mealtime a breeze.

Start with a large stock pot filled with cold water. While the water comes to a roaring boil prep your ingredients both for the bread crumbs and quick sauce with sardines.

With this in mind you should basically have your meal ready in the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta.

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Then simply plate and serve with a light drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil, topped with the reserved bread crumbs and garnished with fresh chives.

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives is an exceptionally easy dish with minimum preparation!

If you love this recipe you may also enjoy my Penne Rigate With Tomato Tuna Sauce  featuring canned tuna.

Buon Appetito!

 

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives
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Sardine Spaghetti with Chives

Sardine Spaghetti with Chives, a quick and tasty dish utilizing a few pantry staples such as canned sardines and dried pasta.
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Sardine Spaghetti with Chives
Servings: 4 to 6
Author: Marisa

Ingredients

  • FRESH BREAD CRUMBS
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
  • PASTA
  • 454 grams spaghetti
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 generous pinches of red chili flakes
  • 3 cans of sardines packed in oil 120 grams each I cut the under side to open them and removed the fish bones
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil,
  • Salt the water and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions.
  • Meanwhile prepare the bread crumbs by heating 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet, over medium heat.
  • Add in the bread crumbs, salt and pepper and toast the crumbs, while stirring often, til they have browned.
  • Once browned, remove from heat and stir in the chopped fresh chives.
  • Transfer the toasted bread crumbs to a plate and set aside.
  • Using the same skillet (wiped clean), heat the 1/3 cup of oil over medium low heat.
  • Add in the minced garlic with the chili flakes, salt and pepper and heat till fragrant for 1 minute.
  • Stir in the sardines and sautè for 2 minutes, taking care not to break up the sardines over much.
  • Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
  • Add the cooked pasta to the sardine mixture with a little of the pasta water and toss well.
  • If pasta seems a little dry, go ahead and add a little more pasta water.
  • Toss with 1 cup of the toasted bread crumb and chive mixture.
  • Plate the pasta and garnish with remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumb and chive mixture.

 

 

Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce

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These Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce are truly remarkable! If you are a seafood lover then you will certainly adore this recipe!

Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce

For one, it’s really rather simple to put together and can easily be made on any week night. Yet, so impressive and elegant enough to serve on weekends for that special person in your life. They do say that mussels are an aphrodisiac after all!

My hubby is not a finicky eater except when it comes to mussels and linguine with this spicy tomato fennel sauce. Then he can get quite specific as he prefers the sauce thick and chunky allowing the mussels to cradle all that delicious goodness in its’ shell.

Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce

Tomatoes and fennel pair wonderfully together in this dish. Also, the crushed pepper flakes lends a lovely contrast to the sweet fennel and might I add, a splash of white wine makes the whole dish livelier.

Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce

Being more affordable then other shellfish, mussels are very rich in protein and contain a lot of mineral nutrients. They also have far less fat and a 1/4 of the calories of beef making them a healthier choice.

Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce

Mussels prepared this way are really quite tasty on their own, especially when served with fresh crusty bread to mop up all the juices. I love to compliment them by serving them up with Linguine. They are so delicious and I know you will love them too!

Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce

Buon Appetito Amici!

*Tips on Buying and Cleaning Mussels:

When buying mussels, look for bright undamaged and closed shells. Stay clear of mussels that have dry shells as that is an indication of a dying mussel.

Mussels are fairly easy to clean. Simply place mussels in a bowl and fill with cold water.
Let them soak for 20 minutes. Soaking them helps the mussels to release the nitty gritty sand stuck inside the shell.
Clean the outer shell by scrubbing with a firm brush.
Pull out the beards by holding the mussel in one hand while using the other (with a small cloth) to pull the beard down towards the hinge part of the shell. Alternately, you may also use scissors to cut off the beards.

When cleaning mussels discard any that have broken or cracked shells or any mussels that do not close when tapped on a hard surface.

Also as a general rule, if any mussels do not open once cooked, I discard those as well.

Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce
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Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce

Mussels Linguine with Tomato Fennel Sauce.The mussels are smothered in a spicy, chunky tomato fennel sauce. Easy and delicious for any day of the week.
Course: Pasta, Seafood
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: fennel sauce, linguine, mussels, tomatoe sauce
Servings: 4
Author: Marisa

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds mussels scrubbed clean *(see tips)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup diced fennel 1/2 half medium sized fennel bulb
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots 1 medium sized carrot
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili pepper
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 24 ounce jar Passata strained, crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large sprigs of fresh basil or a handful of chopped basil
  • 454 grams Linguine

Instructions

  • Tomato Fennel Sauce
  • In a sauce pot, heat the olive oil over medium low heat.
  • Add in the fennel, onions, carrots, minced garlic and crushed chili pepper.
  • Sauté for about 6 minutes or just until the fennel and onions are translucent and soft.
  • Stir often taking care not to burn the garlic.
  • Add the white wine and passata (strained, crushed tomato) with 2 cups of cold water to the vegetable mixture. Stir well.
  • Add in the salt, pepper and basil. stirring well.
  • Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let the sauce simmer till thickened for about 40 to 45 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil.
  • When the water has reached a roaring boil, salt the water and toss in the linguine, stirring well.
  • Cook according to package instructions.
  • While the pasta is cooking, add the cleaned mussels to the tomato fennel sauce. Cover and let simmer for about 7 minutes. By this time your pasta should be ready. (Time it so that the linguine and sauce are ready at the same time.)
  • When the pasta is cooked, drain well and transfer to a serving bowl.
  • Top the linguine with the mussel, tomato fennel sauce.
  • Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
  • Serve while still warm.

 

 

Spaghettoni with Shrimp & Peppers

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Spaghettoni with Shrimp & Peppers is an easy and elegant pasta dish suitable for any day of the week.

spaghettoni-shrimp-peppers

A couple of months ago I posted my Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp recipe and I must say it turned out to be quite popular.

Might it have been because of the jumbo shrimp? Maybe it is the ease with which the recipe comes together! Or is it the pretty spaghetti twirl? Whatever the reason may be, it turned out to be my most pinned recipe and shared on Pinterest over 1K+ times!! So thanks for spreading the love!

Which now brings me to this dish…Spagattoni with Shrimp & Peppers. This pasta dish is adapted from my very first cookbook, La Cucina di Pasquale, featuring Italian gourmet meals.

Pasquale was one of the first celebrity chefs in Canada and an operatic singer known as the singing chef. He would often engage his audience when cooking, with his tenor arias.

Red and white wines are staple ingredients in his recipes, as are brandy and vodka. This spaghettoni with shrimp & peppers, features both white wine and brandy but not to worry as alcohol evaporates while cooking. What remains is a wonderful concentration of flavor as the wine and brandy simmer along in the sauce while keeping the shrimp moist.

My hubby loves this dish! The very first time I made it for him, he inquired as to what I had added to the sauce. Sitting up straight in my chair I innocently replied, “your Remy Martin cognac.”

Well…his head shot up, eyebrows rose up to his forehead and he stammered out, “which Remy Martin”?

Tongue in cheek I answered back, “well, you know the one that says V.S.O.P on the bottle and stands for very special other person!”

With a smile on his face, he led me by the hand and showed me a less expensive bottle of brandy to cook with. Guess which bottle I still use today…!

Seriously though, you can use any type of brandy you like!

spaghettoni-shrimp-peppers

A favorite quote of Pasquale’s which really resonates with me is “The pasta should not wait for the sauce, the sauce can wait for the pasta.” This makes all the difference in cooking pasta al dente, which is firm to the bite or having mushy overcooked pasta.

spaghettoni-shrimp-peppers

Spaghettoni are wider and thicker in diameter then spaghetti. They hold up wonderfully and are perfect for this more robust, shrimp and pepper sauce. However any type of spaghetti is just fine as well.

spaghettoni-shrimp-peppers

Over the years I have made some slight adjustments to the recipe but only to compensate for the extra pasta noodles. I have also made this recipe many times over the years without the shrimp and it turned out just as delicious! Something to keep in mind for those who are not fans of shrimp.

Which ever way you make it, enjoy!!

 

spaghettoni with shrimp & peppers
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Spaghettoni with Shrimp & Peppers

Spaghettoni with Shrimp & Peppers is an easy and elegant pasta dish suitable for any day of the week.
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 -6
Author: Marisa

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 cup sliced red onion
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • 2 cups cooked shrimp
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • pinch of chili pepper
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 454 grams spaghettoni or spaghetti
  • grated Parmesan cheese to taste
  • chopped parsley to taste

Instructions

  • Bring a large sauce pot filled with cold water, to boil.
  • Meanwhile:
  • Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté together the garlic, red onion, green and red peppers for about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the shrimp, tomatoes, basil, chili pepper, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes.
  • Add in the white wine, brandy and the butter. Stir the sauce and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • At this point your water should be at a roaring boil. Add in salt to the water and pasta. Stir well and cook according to package instructions.
  • Drain the spaghettoni and place the pasta on a serving platter.
  • Pour the shrimp sauce over the pasta.
  • Sprinkle with the grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

 

Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp

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This bright and bold Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp is always a winner at my house!

This dish features succulent jumbo shrimps which have been marinated in a few simple ingredients. Aside from the shrimp and spaghetti, all you’ll need are extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, minced garlic and lots of parsley. 

Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp

You’ll love this dish for it’s simplicity and for how quickly it can be put together on a busy weeknight! Or, for those very special weekend suppers.

How impressive is it with the spaghetti twirled high on a serving dish and mounted with the lemon garlic shrimp! I do believe it merits an orgasmic sigh!

Spaghetti and shrimp in a skillet

Easy Peel Black Tiger Shrimp

Raw easy peel shrimp are an ideal choice for busy weeknights!

The shells are pre-cut and the shrimp are deveined for you. All you need to do is peel back the shell while leaving the tail intact.

You can do this ahead of time and keep the shrimp in the fridge until you are ready to marinate them.

Once marinated, set them aside for 15-20 minutes. This allows the time to bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil.

The amount of time to cook the shrimp will depend on their size. Mine were the 16/20 count per pound and required about a minute or so on each side.

Once the pasta is placed in the salted water, heat a large skillet to cook the shrimp. If your skillet is small, you can cook them in batches.

By the time the pasta is ready so are the shrimp. Just proceed with the rest of the recipe and you can have supper ready in less than 30 minutes.

Spaghetti tossed with shrimp

When a recipe requires just a few simple ingredients, I believe the best and freshest are essential!

Twirling the spaghetti as in the photo will easily yield 6 portions. I find this more than enough especially when serving a multiple coarse meal. However, when serving as a main dish with a salad on the side, you will have 4 generous portions.

Plated spaghetti and shrimp

Make it tonight and impress friends and family with this relatively easy to make, Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp recipe.

Buon Appetito!

Plated spaghetti and shrimp
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Lemon Spaghetti with shrimp

A bright and bold lemon spaghetti dish with jumbo garlic, lemon shrimps.
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 -6
Author: Marisa

Ingredients

  • Shrimp Marinade
  • 1 1/4 lb large shrimp shelled and deveined
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • lemon zest from 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Pasta Lemon Sauce
  • 454 grams spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • lemon zest from one lemon
  • salt to taste I used fine sea salt
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a bowl toss together the shrimp, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, chopped parsley and minced garlic.
  • Set aside to marinate at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • When water reaches a rapid boil, toss in the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions.
  • While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
  • Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook in a single layer, for about 2 minutes turning them over once.
  • Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to cook the shrimps in 2 batches.
  • Once shrimps are cooked transfer to a plate.
  • Whisk together the 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/3 cup lemon juice and Parmesan cheese.
  • Drain the spaghetti reserving about 1 cup of pasta water.
  • Add the spaghetti to your skillet with the lemon sauce and a little bit of the pasta water. Toss well.
  • Add in the parsley and lemon zest and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add in a little more pasta water to moisten if needed.
  • Once plated, sprinkle more Parmesan cheese and add a small drizzle of EVOO if desired.

Castagnole Fritte

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Castagnole Fritte are deep fried sweet pastry balls and today I’ve filled mine with some luscious cherry jam.

Although immensely popular during Carnival season in Italy, my mom would typically make them during the Easter holiday. They were always served piled high on a large serving platter and would disappear in no time at all. To Italians they’re the equivalent of Timbits to Canadians.

Castagnole Fritte filled with cherry jam

There are many variations to these two bite sweet morsels.

Lemon was the choice of flavour for both my parents and the only way dad would eat them. Simply because, they evoked memories of his own mamma whipping up batches of these castagnole with their very familiar lemon scent.

Unlike the Zeppole which are a ricotta based doughnut, these castagnole fritte are leavened with yeast.

They require a bit more work and of course there’s also the rising time to factor in but they are so worth it in my opinion.

To enhance the lemon flavour I added Limoncello liquor to the dough. However, if you are not a fan of lemon, vanilla extract with Brandy or Rum liquor would make a wonderful substitution.

Fresh fried castagnole.

Like any deep fried doughnut, they’re at their best eaten the same day while still warm and soft because they get slightly drier after a day or two. However, a few seconds in the microwave will quickly soften them up again.

Castagnole rolled in sugar.

How To Fill Castagnole Fritte

Castagnole can be filled with any jam of your choice.

Start by poking a hole in the doughnut.

Place the jam in a piping bag that is fitted with a round tip. Pipe in up to 1 teaspoon of jam into each doughnut.

Doughnuts rolled in sugar

Alternately, you can also fill the doughnuts with custard or even some lemon curd.

Whichever way you fill them, they are sure to disappear quite quickly!

Deep fried doughnuts on gold platter.

And if you love doughnuts as much as I do, you may also like these easy to make Italian Orange Frittelle (Italian fried dough balls)

Happy Baking!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Print Recipe

Castagnole Fritte

Deep fried sweet pastry balls scented with lemon, filled with cherry jam and rolled in sugar.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Castagnole Fritte, doughnuts, fritter
Servings: 50 doughtnuts
Author: Marisa

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 8 g active dry yeast 1 envelope
  • generous pinch of salt I used fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten (room temperature)
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel from 2 medium lemons
  • 1 Tablespoon Limoncello Liquor
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
  • vegetable or canola oil for deep frying
  • more granulated sugar for rolling
  • 1 cup cherry jam approximately

Instructions

  • Sprinkle the yeast in a bowl containing 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and let this sit for a few minutes (till creamy) then stir to dissolve.
  • Add in 1 cup of the flour, a pinch of salt and stir till you get a soft batter. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let this sit for about 30 minutes.
  • Next, stir in the remaining flour, sugar, the lightly beaten eggs, lemon peel, Limoncello and butter. Mix well.
  • Start kneading the dough by hand for about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft, smooth and just a little bit sticky.
  • Lightly flour a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl, cover with saran wrap and let the dough rise in a warm draft free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The dough will double in volume.
  • Transfer the dough to a work surface, lightly press it down with your hands and knead it for about 1 minute.
  • Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
  • With floured hands, roll each piece of dough out into approximately a 24 inch long rope.
  • Cut each roll into one inch pieces and place them onto a lightly floured baking sheet.
  • Pour 2 inches of oil in a medium sized sauce pan or dutch oven and heat to 375* degrees. (use a thermometer)
  • When the oil has reached 375*, carefully drop in about 6 pieces of dough at a time. (This will also depend on the size of your sauce pan). Don't over crowd them.
  • When the fritters are golden on one side, flip over to the other side.
  • Once golden brown on both sides, use a slotted spoon and drain the castagnole on paper towels.
  • Roll the castagnole in granulated sugar turning to coat all over.
  • Poke a small hole in the castagnole and use a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cherry jam into each doughnut.
  • Serve while still warm, piled high on a serving platter.