I find cooking at home to be very therapeutic. After a busy day I love getting lost in a recipe and being creative in the kitchen. The best thing about cooking is that you don’t really have to be good at it, you just need to be able to read a recipe. After some practice you’ll start to feel more confident in the kitchen to make your own dishes! Aside from being a good outlet, I love how cooking can instantly transform your mood and outlook. When I’m not traveling I’ll try making recipes from different cultures. It stretches my kitchen skills and also transports me on a mini vacation.

One of my favorite places to travel is Italy. I’ve been going about once a year for the past few years and have been to Rome, The Amalfi Coast, Puglia, Lake Como and Milan, among other spots. Italy is a beautiful country, but the food is what makes it my favorite destination.  The good thing is that Italian food is pretty easy to make at home!

I’m going to share my favorite Italian meal to cook at home. It’s a delicious, crowd-pleasing menu, that’s super easy to make! None of the ingredients are expensive, and you’ll probably have many in your pantry already! Even if you need help boiling water, trust me you can do this! Here’s my favorite easy at-home Italian meal to cook when you want to instantly transport to Italy.

Simple Fennel and Arugula Salad

This is the easiest salad that really packs a flavor punch. You pretty much just have to chop and mix stuff together!

You’ll need:

Arugula Salad Mix

Fennel

Lemon

Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper

Wash and chop the fennel into slices and mix with the arugula salad. Top with dressing of lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper.

Crostini

This crostini recipe is so easy, and really packs in the flavor!

You’ll need:

Loaf of Italian Bread (I like semolina with seeds)

Softened Butter

Minced Garlic

Finely Chopped Chives

Grated Parmesan

Salt, Papper, Red Pepper Flakes

Optional toppings: Sliced Tomato, Anchovy Filet, Avocado

Slice bread and put under the broiler until toasted. Mix butter, garlic, chives, parmesan, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Spread on bread and put under the broiler until brown. Option to top with chopped tomato, anchovy filets  or avocado slices.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

This is one of my most favorite recipes. It’s pretty much in my weekly dinner rotation! It’s too easy for how delicious it is!

You’ll need:

28 oz Can Whole Tomatoes

1/2 Stick Butter, Cut Up

8 Garlic Cloves

2 Anchovy Filets

Spaghetti (Bucatini, Spaghetti, Penne)

Combine tomatoes, butter, garlic and anchovy in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through. Boil water and cook pasta per package instructions. Pour the pasta into the sauce and mix well. Save a bit of the starchy pasta water to add to the sauce if you’d like it more wet.

Affogato

This super simple dessert is a classic in Italy!

You’ll need:

Gelato (Vanilla is the classic flavor)

Espresso

Optional Toppings: Crushed Hazelnuts, Shaved Chocolate, Whipped Cream

Scoop gelato into a cup. Pour shot of espresso over the gelato and finish it off with optional toppings.