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Carabaccia {Tuscan Onion Soup} & a COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY !

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I was so excited when my friend Judy (Mrs. Divina Cucina herself) sent me a complimentary copy of her cookbook, “Secrets from my Tuscan Kitchen by Judy Witts Francini” to review.

I met Judy on Twitter last year and she’s amazing. She began her culinary career as a pastry chef in California & continued her studies of Tuscan cooking at the source, learning from locals and at the markets. She has lived in Florence, Italy, with her Italian husband for over 25 years. It is in Florence where she previously ran a cooking school & now hosts culinary tours (of which one day I hope to tag along on). Her cook book is a collection of almost 100 of her favorite Tuscan recipes, which have all been lovingly approved by her Italian husband, Andrea, so you know they’re deliziosi!

The book is lovely! I especially like how Judy has incorporated a blank notebook style page opposite from every recipe so you have room for your own notes! Just brilliant! Every recipe is easy to follow with clear instructions. I even love the laid back style font the book is printed in (yes, I’m a details girl).

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There are so many fantastic authentic Tuscan recipes throughout, I had a very hard time deciding which recipe I was going to try first… Ultimately I decided on a soup because well it’s freezing here so…. I picked Judy’s Carabaccia {Tuscan Onion Soup} to give a try & I’m ever so happy I did. It was so flavorful & tasty! Even the bambini devoured it.

I know you’ll want to try it for yourselves…

From: Secrets from my Tuscan Kitchen by Judy Witts Francini
What you’ll need:
2 lbs onions, red or yellow
4 slices bread – toasted
5 cups broth
Parmesan – grated
8 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

What to do:
Slice the onions thinly (I used a mandolin & it worked beautifully) and saute in 8 tbsp of olive oil. Cook slowly in a covered pot over low heat for 30 minutes. If necessary, add a little water to avoid burning. Add broth and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toast bread and place slices in soup bowls. Top with Carabaccia, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Buon Appetito!

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So do you want a copy? I thought you might say that…

Well I won’t keep you in suspense, I’m going to let you know how you can get your  hands on a copy of this book right now!  You can order a copy of Judy’s cookbook and you can check out Judy’s website. It’s chock full of beautiful recipes and information about her tours.

OR YOU COULD WIN A COPY…(I see you smiling) Judy has graciously agreed to give a copy of her cookbook to ONE LUCKY READER! *the virtual crowd goes wild* Evviva!

I know you want to enter…It’s even autographed! Yep, Judy herself has signed the copy! As if that wasn’t enough the giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE (no matter where you live) I’m so grateful for this!! So come one, come all…

Here’s what you need to do to enter:

Simply leave a comment here with your favorite all time Italian dish. Yep, that’s it!

At 12pm est (you all know by now that’s because I live in this time zone & well I make the rules LOL) on FRIDAY JAN 8th. We’ll choose ONE random winner by random number generator. Only ONE comment per person please. Don’t be stingy, duplicate entries will be disqualified so play nice.

So what are you waiting for, put that comment in NOW ; ) In bocca al lupo (good luck)

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Comments

  1. Homemade gelato—chocolate hazelnut is my vice of choice. If I knew that I only had a certain amount of time left to live, I think I’d go on a diet of chocolate hazelnut gelato, expensive dark chocolate, and sushi. That would be a great way to go. 🙂

    Reply

  2. Im a fan of onion soup and Im definetly going to try the carabaccia.
    My all time favorite italian recipe is Pasta all’ammatriciana. It’s simply delicious.

    Reply

  3. favorite recipe:

    penne with roasted tomatoes and basil sauce topped with goat cheese

    my own concoction of a dish i had in venice this past summer.

    Reply

  8. I love all Italian food, but my all time favorite…good ole spaghetti and meatballs. The kind that simmers all day. Yum!

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  9. My favorite alternates between spaghetti carbonara and a potato and leek soup – super rich dishes but both always please everyone who ventures a taste!
    The cookbook is obviously a must have for my collection!
    Bonnie (valentinoswife)

    Reply

  11. This soup looks great – like French onion soup, but not. I’m going to have to try it.

    When it comes to Italian food, I’ll eat anything, My favorite recipe, though, has to be for carbonara:

    1 lb bacon or pancetta
    1 lg. onion
    garlic to taste (I use Quite A Lot)
    4 eggs
    1/2 c. parmesean cheese
    1 c. chicken broth
    1 c. white wine
    1 bunch spinach
    1 lb. pasta
    fresh basil
    1/2 stick unsalted butter
    lots of freshly ground black pepper

    Fry pork in a heavy skillet over med/med-low heat until browned. Remove bacon from pan, add onions. Fry onions until they are almost translucent, then toss in the garlic for a minute or two.

    While you’re doing all this, you’ll want to combine the spinach, basil, eggs, and cheese in a bowl. Beat those eggs like they’ve been naughty. Start the water for your pasta and then:

    Strain the grease from your vegetables and deglaze your pan with the wine. Put the veggies, bacon, and chicken stock in the pan and reduce. Sometime during this part your water will start boiling. Toss in your pasta.

    When the pasta is done, drain the water from it and toss it IMMEDIATELY into the eggs with everything else. The key here is to make sure your ingredients are still hot enough to cook the eggs. Stir the hell out of it and add black pepper to taste. Serve with fresh bread and wine.

    (I love this blog, by the way)

    Reply

  13. Only one Italian favorite I think that is impossible, I’ll go with pizza margherita, but there are a million others that come to mind. I think Pizza Margherita represents how a few high quality ingredients can taste so fantastic.

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  14. (…you can add other vegetables to that carbonara, of course. Asparagus, mushrooms, and various squashes all work well).

    Reply

  15. I made french onion soup last week. Ive never seen italian onion soup. it sounds so good!

    I think one of my all time favorite italian foods is chicken picatta or maybe its parmesan chicken….or maybe fetticini alfredo…oh heck I cant make up my mind.

    Reply

  17. Mmmm, my mouth is watering thinking about Rotola Primavera! (Prosciutto, spinach, ricotta rolled up inside 2 types of pasta covered in red AND cream sauce. Delicioso!)

    Reply

  19. My favorite has to be rapini with cannellini beans, a little pancetta, a little broth, and some parmigiano-reggiano sprinkled on top. Delicious, quick, and economical.

    Reply

  22. Judy’s recipe is the perfect winter warmer and this winter much needed.

    One of my favourite recipes is Pasta made with melanzani:

    Cut 1 medium melanzani into small cubes and grill them in olive oil

    While doing this cut up an onlion, saute it and add a tin of tomatoes

    When the grilled cubes are done add 1/2 of them to the sauce, the remainig 1/2 can be sprinkled over the sauce when served, don’t forget the parmisan shaved or grated over the top It’s easy and delicious !

    Enjoy

    Reply

  23. I make a Italian Mixed Veggie dish that is my favorite. It has carrots, onions, green beans, a tomato, olive oil and basil. It is fantastic.
    rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com

    Reply

  24. I have too many favorites, but I do love fettucini alfredo. I really like the idea of a blank page across from a recipe~so clever!

    Reply

  25. My favourite Italian recipe, may well not have been a recipe at all. I am of the firm opinion that it may well have been a heaven sent miracle as I have never tasted anything so good.
    I am not even sorry for mentioning this to you twice in 12 hours as quite simply I cannot describe the divine decadence that was my first mouthful of this incredible dish. I think there is nothing more wonderful, more heart poundingly gorgeous (other than Him kissing me) more devastating to the taste buds in the best possible way, sure to make you an addict for life than ….. TIRAMISU…. In fact I may have to go in search of some now, yes I know it is 8am, can you have it for breakfast? x

    Reply

  26. My favorite Italian recipe would have to be roasted red peppers with a special bread stuffing made by my Mother -in- law Adelina, delizioso!

    Reply

  28. That’s what I chose first to make from Judy’s book too! Just haven’t gotten around to posting it yet…anyway, don’t enter me in the contest, but I will say that my favorite Italian recipe has got to be for my grandmother’s ragu and meatballs…YUM 🙂

    Reply

  30. Love home made sauce, meatballs, braciole sausage over Gnocchi….
    Could not eat onions Allergic but your picture looks great!

    Reply

  34. My six year old daughter’s favorite meal is my chicken picatta! One of my favorites is tiramisu.

    Reply

  38. I love my selfmade canelloni filled with spinach and cream cheese with an excellent tomato-sauce… :-)…

    Reply

  39. La mia ricetta preferita: gnocchi al pesto… I really love them since I was a child and my grandma cooked them for me… grazie nonna 🙂

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  40. It’s so hard to choose. Hmmm…I’ll go with something my mom made all the time when I was a kid–pasta piselli.

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  43. Growing up with all four Italian Grandparents living within a 1/4 mile, I have so many different memorable and favorite dishes, and have difficulty stating a favorite. Sot I will just pick one, potato gnocci, or would it be ravioli, futtinato or tiramisu. Oh I can not just pick one!

    Reply

  45. I, like many others here, have a super hard time picking my hands down favorite Italian dish. However, rules are rules so if I may impart a little story I promise to name my dish immediately after. Growing up Italian American my oldest brother was a bit alternative from us especially when he elected to be a vegetarian. Our mom was health conscience so one day over veggie lasagna she asked me and our other brother if the whole family should be vegetarian. Looking at my mother’s big beautiful brown eyes, I answered as honestly as possible. “Ma,” I said, “I just don’t think I could ever give up sausage.” Therefore, my favorite Italian dish is sausage with red peppers and onions tossed with rigatoni and generously covered in Locatelli cheese. Sorry Grandma, your pastina is a close second!

    Reply

  46. I love the idea of using the mandolin for the onions! Nice thinking there. Anywho my favorite dish is definitely gnocchi with Gorgonzola. Yum!

    Reply

  48. That soup looks amazing. I will definitely be trying that tonight!
    I guess my all time fave italian is my homemade basil pesto with chicken, pasta and LOTS of parm! yum! ( I still have pesto left in the freezer from this summer’s garden….jealous? ;-p )

    Reply

  50. The best Italian food we ever had was a pizza in Naples with arugula and ham. So simple and so ridiculously good!

    Reply

  52. I would love to win this cookbook. Tiramisu is an italian dish? If yes, it’s one of my favorite. I made the one from Giada of Food Network and it’s yummy. I love onion soup. And this one look so simple. I’ll try it soon. Thanks for posting the recipe and for the giveaway 🙂

    Reply

  53. This is a tall order to pick a favorite recipe, however I am going to go with a one from Judy’s blog in November. Given my current penchant for anchovies and my love of interesting takes on salads, her Puntarelle salad with anchovies and a simple olive oil and lemon vinegrette, is fantastic!

    Though the twice grilled chard with raisins and pinenuts would be a close second

    A.

    Reply

  54. How does one answer that? Whats my favorite Italian recipe??? Ahhhh torture!!

    I would have to stay risotto. Followed by tiramisu. Ok, maybe tiramisu is my first favorite.

    Reply

  56. Onion soup could be a favorite, as could your bolognese (sp) but my new favorite would be braised short ribs from, talk about winter comfort food.

    Reply

  57. a huge plate of alfredo (any pasta, i’ll eat it. i’m not choosy ;]) is definitely something i could never pass up. i just don’t have the willpower, it’s too delicious!

    Reply

  59. My all time favorite is spiedini. I think of it and think of home!
    Such simplicity equals such savor.
    I must make some soon…. After Christmas, I am quite full of fish and seafood : )

    Reply

  60. That onion soup looks delicious, my mouth is watering! I live in Indiana where the “local norm” for Italian food is Olive Garden or even worse yet, Fazolis. I don’t know if I can choose my favorite foods… so I am going to pick my favorite Italian moment with food!

    2 years ago, my best friend from collage sent me an invite to her wedding in the south of France, St John. My mom and I went and it was just incredible, we ate all night and danced till 4:30 am and walked back to the hotel barefoot. The next morning with our feet to swollen to put into shoes, we climbed in the car in search for an adventure… 20 minutes later we hit Monaco…65 minutes later we arrived in Italy. If course we stopped and walked around this town. We had a lunch and went window shopping and bought special Italian honey candy. Less than 2 hours after we had stumbled into this beautiful golden town, the streets just became alive with people, a parade or festival was starting.

    This parade if you can call it that had floats covered with people dressed in costume and men and women walking with the floats were handing out candy, flowers and treats. The most extraordinary thing was that these floats were covered top to bottom in flower petals. The floats were designed out of flowers, not like the rose bowl, but delicate and soft flowers became alive sharks and horses and even people. A man handing out treats gave me this cannoli type dessert with a chocolate and pistachio filling, covered with flower petals (I hope they were edible) It had a lightly crunchy outside and the inside was like eating clouds… even the flowers were delicious. To this day I don’t know what town we were in or what the parade or festival was. I don’t even know the name of what I ate, but it is my favorite moment from the trip and the only real Italian moment I have had to date.

    Reply

  61. It depends on the day because I love so many Italian dishes. Today since I’ve got a sweet tooth going on my favorite is tiramisu.

    Reply

  64. This is a great looking book. I’ve been meaning to buy a copy for the last year, but I would also be happy to win one!
    My favorite Italian dish has to be Bucatini all’Amatriciana. I make it all the time and can’t get enough of it!

    Reply

  65. Favorite Italian dish??? As in ‘one’?? You must be kidding!! But if I HAVE to pick one, I’ll say lasagna. No….maybe spaghetti carbonara. But, oh!, that Tuscan Onion Soup…..be still, my heart!! (See what I mean?)

    Reply

  70. I have onions, I have bread, I have fresh chicken stock, I have parmigiano-reggiano, therefore I am doing this for lunch. Nice recipe and giveaway! Favorite Italian recipe? Risotto. Any risotto.

    Reply

  74. So simple, yet so delicious, Caprese Salad! I used to HATE tomatoes, and now I can’t get enough of them thanks to this delicious salad.

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  76. It was difficult trying to come up with just one. My all time favorite is linguini and clams. Found it in an old Italian cookibook that someone gave me.

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  79. I love gnocchi. I’ve only made the kind with potato but recently found a recipe for ricotta gnocchi I will try soon. This fall I learned how to make my own ricotta.

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  83. ooooohhhhhhh Italian is my favorite and I like it all, but I tend to always crave a good bucatini amatriciana

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  84. There is a little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant in El Paso, Texas that has the best fettuccine alfredo that I have ever tasted!

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  85. My favorite Italian dish has to be fresh pasta with good ol’ marinara. The kind that’s been simmering all day and makes your house smell AMAZING!

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  87. Anything you cook… can I use that?
    Seriously I think ANY Italian — true Italian – food would make the list (except organs — blech!) but if forced to choose I’d go with tortellini with cream sauce or spaghetti carbonara.

    Reply

  88. Great looking soup!

    So many dishes to choose from. However, one thing I remember most from my backpacking trip through Florence was the pillowy-soft gnocchi that our host’s mother taught me to cook (no English from her, no Italian from me – all hand gestures).

    Reply

  89. Probably pizza. Possibly panzanella. Pasta. Pappa al pomodoro. OK, too hard to choose one favorite, but if I did, it would probably begin with a P!

    Reply

  90. My fave is Spaghetti alla Fiamma that you made that one time we came to visit last year

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  91. My favorite dish ever was handmade tortellini quattro formaggi I had in a small mom and pop restaurant outside Verona Italy.

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  92. I just found your blog and what do you know, you have an awesome giveaway! Very cool! You soup looks so simple and delicious. The book sounds great, I’m going to look for it at the book store!

    Oh and my favorite recipe…so hard to chose but I really, really love carbonara!

    Reply

  94. the recipe looks great. i’m italian, and my favorite family recipe is sausage and peppers–mmm.

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  95. I’d say anything with Italian sausage. Though my friend’s DH from Italy says the Italian sausage in America is terrible because it has fennel in it. And that’s what I like, so maybe the Italian sausage I’ve been eating is really Italian American sausage?

    Reply

  96. I can’t wait to make this recipe. My favorite recipe is any type of stuffed pasta-I love artichoke ravioli. By the way, love your website!!

    Reply

  98. Since only one favorite is allowed, I will have to say my late mother-in-law’s calamari pasta sauce. My late mother-in-law was an incredible cook, every meal that she made was a masterpiece. She is an inspiration for so many reasons.

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  99. My grandmother’s lasagna. Or maybe the Pasta Carbonara or Bolognese at Cafe Viva in San Francisco. I would next day air that stuff if I could.

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  102. My favourite would have to be a Caprese Salad .. simple ingredients but oh so tasty! Mouth is watering just thinking about it.

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  104. I’ve always been afraid of making french onion soup, but this looks similar, easy and delicious! My favorite italian food would have to be…hmm…fresh made pasta with homemade ragu!

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  105. My favorite is spagetti and meatballs. Of course it’s a family recipe from my Italian great grandmother. Fabulous!

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  106. My favorite? Carbonara. Especially when made by my favorite sister-in-law! (wink, wink)

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  107. I think it’s almost impossible to pick my one favorite Italian dish, but I’m going to go with homemade tomato sauce. It’s very simple, not very time consuming and the basis for so many more great Italian dishes. Of course, then there are the Italian dishes that don’t use tomato sauce!

    Reply

  108. Wonderful blog!
    Favorite dish for me would be Osso Bucco with a heady saffron rissotto…
    happy food that makes me smile while cooking it and then eating it!

    Reply

  109. Love your site…found it by way of Tasty Kitchen.
    My fave Italian recipe is – Spaghetti Carbonara! I love all things Pasta.
    Thanks for the entry. This cookbook looks awesome!
    Share His Love,
    Faithful…

    Reply

  110. There are just so many choices, but if I was stranded on a little Island in the Mediterranean and could fiix only one thing every day it would probably Pasta al Pesto, maybe toss in a little bit of chicken and some sun dried tomatoes for a little variety every now and then if I could.

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  111. Hello! Hmmm, this is a tough one! 🙂 I would have to say gelato, especially Nocciola (hazelnut) gelato, is my favorite Italian food. I also love meatballs of any sort in pasta. Thanks for the recipe and the opportunity!

    Reply

  113. My favorite homemade Italian recipe
    is Spaghetti and meatballs.

    A girl that I worked with came to my apartment and taught
    me her family recipe for sauce and then I learned how to make the
    meatballs from Rao’s restaurant.

    Denise

    Reply

  114. Melanzane alla Parmigiana, or Eggplant Parm– I still crave the one I had in a basement restaurant in Rome, but until I make it back, I’ll have to be satisfied with the home made stuff, Mollie Katzen’s recipe is fantastic!

    Reply

  115. Oh, I love Gnocchi Sorrentina. Had the best of my life in Positano – gorgeous views, gorgeous food, gorgeous husband. Would LOVE a copy of this book!

    Reply

  116. FETTUCCINE ALLA CARBONARA! It’s one of the first meals I had at an authentic, fancy italian restaurant in my hometown. This recipe looks great, I’m sure it’s a wonderful book.

    Reply

  118. My all time favourite must be a creamy tortellini al forno that I prepare for me and my husband with fresh ham and ricotta filled tortellini, tomatoe juice, cream, smoked ham and mozzarella.

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  121. My favorite is chicken parmesan. I like that you have a blank page next to each recipe. I am always making notes in my recipe books.

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  124. My favorite is chicken ragu with fettuccine, just creamy and comforting! Thanks for all of the work you do on your site for ALL of US out here!!! Hugs and Happy New Year!

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  128. My favorite Italian dish? How do I whittle it down? It is a toss up between good authentic lasagna and pasta e fagoli soup. Both make my taste buds tingle.

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  130. Goodness – I don’t think I could ever choose just one. However, the cold weather is making me crave Ribollita from Firenze. I would have to choose that delicious soup. 🙂

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  131. There are so many wonderful Italian dishes, but I would have to say the most memorable meal was Steak Florentine in Florence several years ago! That was quite a piece of beef!

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  135. Favorite Italian dish, I do not know the name of it, hence I will attempt a description. It was a chicken cutlet (thin) breaded and fried. It had a wonderful lemon butter sauce! From my research, it might be Chicken Milanese.

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  136. My favorite Italian dish is pasta bolognese. My fiance makes it in huge batches and we eat it for days.

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  139. Your soup looks so yummy especially today since it’s so cold here. Eggplant Parmesan is my favorite.
    Thanks

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  144. I have actually been doing a lot of Italian cooking lately. My New Year’s Eve Dinner Party had an Authentic Italian theme. My favorite recipe to come out of all the recipe trials was Little Parcels of Sweet Squash Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s book The Italian Country Table. So yummy! And I do love listening to The Splended Table on NPR. Want to see how my Itlian Dinner turned out? Here’s my blog post: http://foyupdate.blogspot.com/2010/01/italian-dinner-party-recap.html

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  145. It’s so common, but I just LOVE fettuccine Alfredo! Mm, just thinking about it makes my mouth water. And there’s nothing like soaking up the delicious creamy sauce with a piece of crusty garlic bread. Oh, my…

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  146. Angel hair with pesto … so so so delicious. What a fabulous giveaway. OMG my fingers are crossed.

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  147. Not being very skilled at Italian cooking,(my hubby is French) I leave to the pros. So when we visit our favorite little Italian Cafe I always love to order a dish called Linguini alla Lucca.
    It’s grilled chicken breast sautéed with baby spinach, pine nuts
    & mushrooms with a yummy lemon butter sauce and served with linguini.
    Absolute Bliss!

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  148. My fave is baked ziti. The soup is on my list of things to make this week. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  153. I would say any dish w/ orecchiette in it–for some reason, I can’t get enough of that pasta shape.

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  157. My favorite Italian recipe of the moment is for Ribolita (maybe spelled wrong here) which is a fantastic soup with panchetta, beans, tomatoes and… yummy-ness. Love love love soups in the winter.

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  158. I think I’ve gotta go with some sort of stuffed shells. Or really, any baked-type pasta dish. It’s so cold outside, sounds like comfort food to me!

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  161. First…I tried to taste this amazingly delicious soup and my spoon didn’t go through the computer. So not happy…. 🙂

    Being Italian, I always get this question about my favorite and I have the hardest time deciding! The first thing that pops in my head is Biscotti Regina….but that is a cookie. So…I think there may be a tie with meals…Braciole or Rice balls (in my mother’s sauce). 😉

    Buonanotte! (Think I said that correct?)

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  165. mmmmh too hard to decide….favorite italian recipe…..probably Gnochi….gorgonzola in particular.

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  166. Very diffcult to choose just one favorite, but if I had to it would have to be ravioli con burro e salvia (ravioli – cheese filled/not meat filled with sage and butter). YUM!! So simple yet so good.

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  170. how to pick a favorite Italian dish-ugh, there are so many. I absolutely love a simple pasta dish of good olive oil, chiles, garlic and a smattering of pasta. Muy Bono..

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  172. Um I love Italian food too much to have a fave. Although I could seriously eat spaghetti every day of my life. But I also love a good manicotti.

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  173. Wow. I can’t think of a favorite. I’ll just say Beef and Sausage stuffed shells with Marinara sauce. I love to try new dishes, though. This cookbook would be perfect for that. Thanks for the contest!

    Reply

  174. One of my very favorite Italian sandwiches is Caponata. It’s delicious in the summer when you have an abundance of vegetables and mouth watering mozzarella on top. yum!

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  176. I do love Italian food. I can’t think of one favorite, but since my last trip to Italy I have been consumed with all things lemon. We spent a week along the Amalfi Coast and the lemons there are divine, and the uses are superb! I love lemon pasta, limoncello and of course lemon gelato!
    When I was in Trapani I tried Pesto Trapanese which is to die for!

    Reply

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