Here is a simple, delicious pasta dish from Puglia, Italy. The noodles, Bucatini, are tossed with a sauce full of Southern Italian flavors: olive oil, garlic, chile pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, black olives, orange zest, and basil. There are so many great flavor combinations at work here. It may seem like a lot of ingredients [...]

This is the second version of a pasta dish I made from a pork ragu. I had bought a half pork shoulder, braised it in white wine and chicken stock with fennel, red onion, carrots, and celery, shredded the meat, and continued to braise for a total of about four hours. I only paid about [...]

Peperonata is one of the classic Italian pasta sauces, with many different variations. This ziti dish adds an interesting combination, green olives and toasted almonds, to the basic peperonata recipe. The result is a sweet, zesty sauce with a wonderful crunch that is not usually expected in a pasta sauce. Other than its use as [...]

I worked at a Mediterranean restaurant that served a lot of small plates, similar to tapas, and I used to love making this dish. The flavors are a mix of deep earthiness and sweet licorice, and the textures a mix of tender and crunchy. Use wild mushrooms such as oyster and shiitake, or a mix [...]

Marinated olives & toasted almonds is a classic pairing for an appetizer or meze at a Mediterranean table. There are various recipes for olive marinades; some are very aromatic, others on the spicy side, with minced hot peppers or chili flakes. This one has a distinct citrus kick, from a Moroccan ingredient, preserved lemons.  The [...]