• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Flavor of Italy

  • HOME
  • PODCAST
    • Food Episodes
    • Wine Episodes
    • Food & Wine Episodes
    • Travel Episodes
    • Lifestyle & Culture Episodes
    • Artists & Artisans Episodes
    • All Episodes
  • TRIPS & TRAVEL
    • My Top Travel Picks
    • When in Rome
    • Day Trips in Italy
    • Weekend Trips in Italy
    • Week-long Trips in Italy
    • Discover the Italian Regions
  • RECIPES
    • Trending Recipes
    • Antipasti (Appetizers)
    • Primi (First Course)
    • Pasta (First Course)
    • Secondi (Main Course)
    • Contorni (Side Dishes)
    • Breads
    • Desserts
  • ABOUT
  • EBOOKS
  • Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
  • HOME
  • PODCAST
    • Food Episodes
    • Wine Episodes
    • Food & Wine Episodes
    • Travel Episodes
    • Lifestyle & Culture Episodes
    • Artists & Artisans Episodes
    • All Episodes
  • TRIPS & TRAVEL
    • My Top Travel Picks
    • When in Rome
    • Day Trips in Italy
    • Weekend Trips in Italy
    • Week-long Trips in Italy
    • Discover the Italian Regions
  • RECIPES
    • Trending Recipes
    • Antipasti (Appetizers)
    • Primi (First Course)
    • Pasta (First Course)
    • Secondi (Main Course)
    • Contorni (Side Dishes)
    • Breads
    • Desserts
  • ABOUT
  • EBOOKS
  • Connect

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • ×

    August 25, 2020

    A Roundup of Favorite Easy Summer Recipes - Podcast Episode 24

    We're just about ready to head into September so it’s time to share a roundup of Favorite Easy Summer Recipes that you can use once summer rolls around again! Michele Di Pietro and I talked about all our favorite easy summer recipes in this week's podcast episode 24. What we look for in a summer recipe is something quick, with minimal time in the kitchen and recipes that use all of summer's fabulous produce.

    Pesto is always a star of summer and it can range from the classic pesto Genovese that uses basil and toasted pine-nuts, or one of Michele‘s favorites, a pesto trapanese: tomatoes, almonds and basil. But really the sky is the limit where pesto is concerned so almost any combination of nuts and greens will yield a fabulous dressing for pasta or a topping for bruschetta.
    Zucchini is a classic garden vegetable and abundant at markets. This summer one of my favorite new dishes was Zucchini Parmesan, with a white sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and sliced prosciutto.

    Zucchini Parmesan & Prosciutto is it delicious and cheesy way to use summer zucchini from your garden

    And of course don’t forget about zucchini flowers that you can stuff and deep fry for a wonderful appetizer.
    Michele likes to grate zucchini, salt and drain it, and then squeeze dry. Then you can mix it with some wonderful olive oil and anything else you like and use it as a bruschetta topping, or for pasta.
    Michele‘s favorite green beans are Romano, or pole, beans and the classic recipe her family has always used is giambotto.
    I use sliced zucchini in this delicious 'Nduja Pasta dish.
    Changes in the culinary landscape mean that some vegetables and fruits that were uncommon, or just not used, in Italy or the United States have now become part of the local cuisine.

    Blood Orange and Grapefruit with Avocado, Fennel & Chervil
    Blood Orange and Grapefruit with Avocado, Fennel & Chervil

    Avocados are becoming a favorite in Italy and are now grown in Sicily, a great climate for them to thrive and prosper.
    I like to slice an avocado in half, drizzle it with a balsamic vinaigrette and then top with caviar for a delicious appetizer. And who doesn’t love a simple avocado toast, or a tomato and avocado toast?
    Michele developed an avocado carbonara pasta dish for a client some years back and the silky creamy texture of the avocado lends itself perfectly to this classic Italian dish.
    Pasta carbonara is a classic and historical Italian dish and should stay that way! But why not invent a completely new dish, as Michele did, that combines the two?

    Pasta alla Carbonara is a delicious and classic pasta dish


    Corn has always been grown in Italy but up until not too many years ago it was mostly used as feed for livestock. That’s changed now and it’s quite common to find delicious ears of corn at Italian markets and supermarkets. It’s great to make a corn soup or just to eat as corn on the cob.
    Summer has some amazing fruit that is great eaten on its own, like fresh berries and figs. Lots you can do with figs other than plucking them off the tree and plopping them in your mouth!
    Try slicing figs in half, topping with a dollop of Gorgonzola cheese and a walnut half and grilling. Figs are also great as a topping for a Pavlova.

    Bruschetta with plump oven roasted fresh figs, Gorgonzola and walnuts


    You’ll find lemon trees all over Italy and the classic use for them is limoncello. Use lemons to drizzle on fish, meats and veggies, and to make preserved lemons, lemon pasta or lemon ravioli.

    Easy lemon pasta is a delicious blend of tangy, zesty lemon flavor and wonderful creaminess. And it whips up in 20 minutes!

    They are also wonderful in this summer lemon pie: whisk zest and juice from two lemons with 200 g fresh cream. Once the lemons begin to curdle the cream and it thickens stir in 200 g of sweetened condensed milk. Pour the filling into a cookie or gram-cracker crust and chill: easy and scrumptious!

    One of my favorites is Lemon Lavender Cake.

    Lemon Lavender Cake is a luscious summer dessert that's great any time of day!


    Tune in to the podcast episode "Roundup of Favorite Easy Summer Recipes - episode 24" for more recipes and ideas!

    PIN THIS ON PINTEREST:

    Lemon Lavender Cake is a wonderful cake that combines two delicious flavors together!

    PIN THIS ON PINTEREST:

    Find this delicious Lemon Lavender Cake - one of my favorite summer recipes - in the Summer Recipe Roundup Episode 24!
    Creamy Lemon Spaghetti, for a splash of fresh citrus flavor to your pasta dish!

    PIN THIS ON PINTEREST:

    Pasta alla Carbonara: the 3 tricks to make it perfect!

    PIN THIS ON PINTEREST:

    Pasta Carbonara is wonderful with spaghetti or a short pasta like rigatoni!

    PIN THIS ON PINTEREST:

    How to rate and review a podcast in a few easy steps!

    I make a small commission on purchases made through links on my website. Prices are identical for you, but purchasing through my links helps support my work to bring you great recipes, culinary and travel information.

    You may also be interested in:

    Share On:

    More Recipes

    • soft shell crabs
      Blue Crab Italy
    • How Cookbooks Travel Across Cultures
    • Making Italian mozzarella cheese
      Tano, the Italian Cheese Sommelier
    • Anchovies in a can, and on toast with tomatoes
      Anchovies: The Tiny Fish Making Big Waves

    Reader Interactions

    Please leave your comment here. Your feedback is important!Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    About

    Wendy at Roscioli
    I’m American and I’ve lived in Italy for nearly four decades with my Italian family. My passion and strength lies in sharing Italian stories, recipes and unique travel insights on my blog, my Flavor of Italy trips and tours, newsletter and podcast. Continue Reading...

    Follow Flavor of Italy

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Latest Additions

    • Pope Leo and the People's Conclave: A New Era Begins
    • Bomarzo Monster Park
    • Discovering the Biblioteca Angelica
    • Blue Crab Italy
    • The Glassmaker
    • How Cookbooks Travel Across Cultures
    • Exploring the Valtènesi Lake Garda Wine Region
    Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors

    Footer

    Flavor of Italy

    Email: wendy@flavorofitaly.com

    • Home
    • Trips & Travel
    • When in Rome
    • Italian Cooking Classes
    • Privacy Policy

    Enter your email to receive our latest posts direct to your inbox. You can also subscribe to our newsletter for more insights, news and promotions by clicking here.

    © 2005–2025 Flavor of Italy

     

    Loading Comments...