Tag: PASTA

The Italian Nonna Cookbook by Daniel Bellino – with Pacino Pasta Recipe and More

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 

The ITALIAN NONNA COOKBOOK

“COOK LIKE a NONNA”

100 ITALIAN NONNA RECIPE

Including “PACINO PASTA”
AMAZON.com

The ITALIAN NONNA COOKBOOK

“COOK LIKE a NONNA”


Authentic Italian Recipes, Family Traditions & The Soul of Italian Home Cooking

What if you could bring the warmth, flavor, and timeless traditions of an Italian Nonna right into your own kitchen?

The Italian Nonna Cookbook takes you on a delicious journey into the heart of Italian home cooking—where recipes are made with love, generous portions, simple ingredients, and the kind of time-tested techniques that have been passed from one generation to the next.

Written by bestselling Italian cookbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke, an Italian-American New Yorker with more than 30 years of experience in New York City’s Italian restaurant and Italian wine businesses, this book is the result of a lifetime immersed in Italian food.

For more than 40 years, Daniel Bellino Zwicke has traveled throughout Italy, eating, cooking, tasting, and gathering recipes and food traditions from Italian Nonnas, restaurants, trattorias, salumerias, markets, and food artisans. From the bustling streets of Naples and Rome to the kitchens of Sicily, Calabria, Puglia, Tuscany, Liguria, Genoa, Florence, Venice, Capri, and Ischia, these experiences have helped capture what makes Italian food so beloved around the world.

A Taste of Italy in Every Chapter


PACINO PASTA RECIPE & MORE …

Inside The Italian Nonna Cookbook, you’ll discover an enticing collection of classic Italian dishes inspired by the food Italians actually love to eat at home.

From comforting bowls of pasta and soup to leisurely Sunday dinners, you’ll find recipes for:

  • Authentic Italian Pasta Dishes
  • Soups & Hearty Italian Comfort Foods
  • Antipasti & Italian Appetizers
  • Classic Chicken Dishes
  • Fresh Italian Seafood
  • Steaks, Italian-Style
  • Tender Lamb & Pork Dishes
  • Frittata & Rustic Egg Dishes
  • Classic Italian Meatballs
  • Traditional Braciole
  • Sunday Sauce & Italian Gravy
  • Italian Vegetables & Side Dishes
  • Irresistible Italian Nonna Desserts

And, of course, the book celebrates those legendary dishes that seem to taste even better when served around a crowded family table.

Discover the Secrets of Nonna’s Kitchen

Italian cooking isn’t about complicated techniques or expensive ingredients. It’s about knowing how to coax incredible flavor from simple, honest food.

It’s the aroma of garlic and onions slowly cooking in olive oil, a pot of Tomato Sauce simmering on the stove. A batch of Nonna’s fresh made Meatballs, Lasagna, Ricotta Cookies and so many good things. Tasty Italian Food – It Nourishes, it makes us Happy!

Whether you are an experienced Italian cook, an Italian-American who grew up eating Nonna’s food, someone with Italian roots who wants to reconnect with the cuisine of your family, or simply someone who loves great Italian food, this cookbook belongs in your kitchen.

Open the book. Tie on your apron. Put the pot on the stove.

Then cook like a Nonna.

Mangia!

RECIPES INDCLUDE :

LASAGNA
TOMATO SAUCE
PASTA PUTTANESCA
DOLLY’S MINESTRONE
PASTA FAZZOOL
RAGU NAPOLETANA
BRACIOLE
SUNDAY SAUCE
FRITTATA
PACINO PASTA


TASTY DESSERTS – Including SINATRA CHEESECAKE







The ITALIAN NONNA COOKBOOK

COOK LIKE a NONNA

100 NONNA RECIPES

Daniel Bellino Z


AMAZON.com
AL PACINO

“PACINO PASTA”

RECIPE in The ITALIAN NONNA COOKBOOK


AMAZON.com














Clams alla Sinatra Recipe

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

CLAMS POSILLIPO

“FRANK’S FAVORITE” 



FRANK SINATRA w/ AVA GARDNER

CLAMS POSILLIPO

CLAMS POSILLIPO “FRANK SINATRA’S FAVORITE



Clams Posillipo gets its name from a residential area that is part of the city of Naples. The Neapolitans love their seafood just as much as their pizza and famous Neapolitan meat ragu dishes. This dish was one of Frank Sinatra’s favorites, he just loved it. So if you want to eat like Sinatra, or simply relive memories of Naples or the Amalfi Coast, here’s the recipe. Every nonna in Naples knows how to make it very well. Make it and enjoy. 

Ingredients :


3 dozen Littleneck Clams, washed and scrubbed

5 tablespoons Olive Oil

6 cloves of Garlic, peeled and cut into 4 pieces each 

1 – 28 ounce can San Marzano Plum Tomatoes

¼ cup fresh Parsley, washed and chopped

1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Bay Leaf

¼ cup dry White Wine

9 slices of Italian Bread

5 cloves of Garlic, peeled and left whole


Toast all the bread on both sides under the broiler in your oven. Be careful not to burn. Remove the bread and set on a plate. Take one whole clove of peeled garlic and rub each side of the bread with the garlic.


Place the Olive Oil and the chopped Garlic in a large frying pan. Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.


Lower the flame to low, add the Red Pepper and cook on low heat for 1 minute, stirring with a spoon. 


Turn heat to high. Remove  the tomatoes two at a time with a fork and place into the pan. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the Sea Salt and Black Pepper, and mix with the spoon.


Add the juices from the tomato can into the pan. Fill the empty tomato can with water and pour into the pan. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 12 minutes. Make sure you stir from time to time with a wooden spoon.


Put a large pot that has a cover on the stove. Add the wine and 4 cloves of whole garlic to pot and turn heat on to high.


Add ½ cup of water and the Bay Leaf to the pot. Bring the water up to the boil. Add all the Clams to the pot and cook on high heat until all the Clam Shells open (about 4-5 minutes). Turn the heat off and remove all the clams to a large bowl.


Add the tomatoes and all the juice to the pot with the clam liquid. Cook on high heat for 4 minutes. Add half of the chopped parsley and mix.


Place 3 slices each of the toasted bread around 3 pasta bowls. Divide half of the tomatoes among the 3 plates.


Place 12 clams in each of the 3 bowls. Pour the remaining tomatoes over the 2 plates of clams. Sprinkle a little olive oil over each plate. Sprinkle the remaining parsley over all the calms. Serve immediately. “Enjoy, you’re eating like Frank. Sinatra that is.”

Note : You can make Mussels Posillipo, simply by substituting Mussels for the Calms. Or you can make the dish using half Clams and half Mussels.


Note II : If you like your dishes spicy hot, add more Red Pepper Flakes to the recipe.


SINATRA SAUCE

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVORITE ITALIAN DISHES

AMAZON.com




“POSILLIPO”

NAPLES, ITALY

Posillipo is an affluent neighbourhood of Naples, Italy. It’s on the coast, and is famous for its beauty, views of Vesuvius, restaurants. and seafood dishes, such as “Clams Posillipo” Frank Sinatra’s favorite.

Spaghetti Nerano – Recipe by Bellino

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 


SPAGHETTI NERANO

SPAGHETTI NERANO

“SPAGHETTI with ZUCCHINI”

SPAGHETTI NERANO – Recipe


Spaghetti is one of the most famous dishes of the Amalfi Coast. The dish comes from the town of Nerano on the coast of the Sorrento Peninsula just across from Capri. The dish was created by Maria Grazia at her trattoria in Nerano. The primary ingredient of the dish is Zucchini with Povola or Caciocavallo Cheese grated into the pasta. Many restaurants on the Amalfi Coast and Capri serve this dish, and most locals know how to make it, and cook it at home, especially if they happen to have a little garden growing Zucchini, Tomatoes, and other vegetables. It’s easy to make and soul satisfying. If you’ve been to the area you may have already eaten it, and so know you can make it back home. 

Enjoy.


SPAGHETTI NERANO

Ingredients :

3 medium sized Zucchini, washed


4 tablespoons Olive Oil


1 tablespoon Butter


3 cloves Garlic, peeled and cut in half


¼ cup fresh Basil, washed and leaves torn in half


¾  cup of grated Caciocavallo Cheese


1 pound imported Italian Spaghetti


Sea Salt and ground Black Pepper


Slice the Zucchini into ⅛” rounds.


Fill a large pot ¾ full of water, with 2 tablespoons salt and bring to the boil.

Place the Olive Oil  in  a large frying pan, and turn heat to a medium flame. Add the Zucchini and start to cool. Sprinkle the zucchini with about ½ teaspoon each of salt and Black Pepper. Add the butter and garlic and cook the zucchini for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

Add about a ¼ of the pasta cooking water to the pan with the zucchini, turn the heat to low and cook for about 6 minutes on low heat. Stir the zucchini with a wooden spoon as it is cooking.

Put the spaghetti into the rapidly boiling water and cook according to the directions on the package and the spaghetti is al dente (slightly firm toi the bite) usually about 10-11 minutes.

After the zucchini has cooked for a total of about 11 minutes. Turn the heat off. add the Basil and stir. Taste 1 piece of zucchini for seasoning to see if you want to add any more salt or pepper.

When the spaghetti is cooked, turn the heat off and drain the spaghetti into a colander, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water in case you need to add to the sauce.

Return the spaghetti to the put that it cooked in. Add all zucchini and all the juices from the pan in the pot with the spaghetti and stir.

Add half of the grated Caciocavallo cheese and stir. The consistency should be just slightly loose. If it is too tight, add a little pasta cooking water and stir. 

Plate the spaghetti on 4 plates, giving each person an even amount of zucchini. Drizzle a little olive oil over each plate and serve.

Note :  It’s best to make the dish with Caciocavallo Cheese, but if you can’t find, a combination of half grated Pecorino and half of Parmigiano Reggiano is a good substitute, or just Parmigano or Pecorino on their own.

Note II : Once you know how to make Spaghetti Nerano, you can make little variations, simply by adding one other ingredient that marries well with the dish. A great addition to this dish is to make Spaghetti Nerano just as above, and to add 4 or 5 pieces of sauteed shrimp on to each plate. Just have the shrimp ready and cook them in a little olive oil, seasoned with salt & pepper, and cooked for about 2 minutes on each side. Turn the heat off and add 4 or 5 pieces of shrimp to the plate with the Spaghetti Nerano and enjoy.

Excerpted from POSITANO The AMALFI COAST COOKBOOK / TRAVEL GUIDE by Daniel Bellino Zwicke … November 2020



POSITANO

The AMALFI COAST COOKBOOK / TRAVEL GUIDE

AMAZON.com

.

The Worlds Best Bolognese – Marcella Hazan Recipe Ragu Bolognese Pasta

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment


MARCELLA HAZAN

“The QUEEN of ITALIAN HOME COOKING”






PASTA BOLOGNESE

alla MARCELLA


“There is no more perfect union in Gastronomy than the marriage of Ragu Bolognese and Bolognese Tagliatelle past.”

… Marcell Hazan …


 

RAGU BOLOGNESE

Recipe – Marcella Hazan


Ingredients :
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ⅔ cup chopped celery
  • ⅔ cup chopped carrot
  • ¾ lb ground beef chuck (80/20 mix for essential fat)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 pinch whole nutmeg
  • 1 cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 1 ½ cups canned imported San Marzano whole tomatoes, cut up with their juice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
  1. Sauté the Aromatics: Put the oil, butter, and chopped onion in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Add the celery and carrot, and cook for about 2 more minutes. 
  2. Brown the Beef: Add the ground beef and a large pinch of salt. Break the meat up with a fork, cooking just until it loses its raw, red color. Do not let it form a hard crust. 
  3. Incorporate the Milk: Turn down the heat slightly and add the milk. Let it simmer, stirring frequently, until the milk has completely evaporated and only the clear fat remains. Stir in a tiny pinch of nutmeg.
  4. Add the Wine: Pour in the wine and let it simmer until it has fully evaporated. [1, 2, 3]
  5. Simmer Low and Slow: Add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. Turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting so the sauce bubbles at a lazy, infrequent murmur. Cook uncovered for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce dries out too much, add ½ cup of water as needed. 
  6. Finish: Taste, adjust for salt and pepper, and toss with fresh tagliatelle or fettuccine. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. 
Pro Tips for the Ultimate Ragù
  • Why White Wine? While many modern recipes call for red wine, traditional chefs prefer dry white wine because it yields a cleaner, sweeter profile that doesn’t overpower the delicate sweetness of the milk.
  • The Dairy Secret: Milk is vital because the lactic acid tenderizes the meat fibers during the long cook time, shielding the beef from the harsh acidity of the tomatoes.






The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK


The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOM

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

aka “DANNY BOLOGNESE”

After MARCELLA HAZAN – DANIEL’S is The 2nd
MOST POPULAR & RESPECTED RECIPE in AMERICA


AMAZON.com



New Venice Travel Guide Cookbook by Daniel Bellino Zwicke – Venetian Food Recipes

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 


EXPLORING VENICE

TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK

The LATEST From DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE
AMAZON.com

EXPLORING VENICE
Exploring Venice. Daniel Bellino has done it again. He just released has latest book – Exploring Venice – Travel Guide – Cookbook. Speaking of travel guide cookbooks, it seems as though Bellino owns this genre, having written three wonderful books that fall under this genre, which we even think that Bellino-Zwicke may have even invented.
His latest offering is all about one of the World’s most loved and cherished destinations – Venice, Italy. Venice, a city like no other in the world. Venice is totally unique, and the people of the World love it, and love going there. So Mr. Bellino Z has written a quite wonderful book that will help to guide these people –  on where to go in Venice – restaurants, wine bars, museums, and other local sights, it’s all there.

Bellino’s “Exploring Venice,” like all of his Italian Travel Books, gives you the authors very own unique perspective, as only Daniel Bellino can. You see, unlike many who write travel books, Bellino has some 40 years experience under his belt, when it comes to visiting and knowing Venice, the place, the people, the lifestyle, and of course the food, of which, no Venetian Travel Guide has ever had such a large battery of great Venetian food recipes such as this. And not many can match when it comes to Bellino & Venice, wine bars, and Venetian food, as Daniel Bellino Zwicke is a master of it all. He created the 1st ever Venetian Bacaro in America in 1998. What is a bacaro you ask? A bacaro is the Venetian dialect name for a wine bar. The word bacaro translates to “House of Bacchus”. – with Bacchus being The Roman Guide of Wine, the name for a wine bar in Venice “Bacaro” is quite appropriate. Daniel Bellino fell in love with the bacari of Venice and wanted to open one of his own, and so he did. 

Having wanted to open a Venetian Wine Bar (bacaro) in New York, Bellino needed to know about them, and as much as he could. Everything. And so in the Spring (Primavera) of 1995, after reading an article on the bacari of Venice, Bellino decided he had to go and check them out. He book a flight to Vencie, and stayed for 11 days, going to every wine bar (bacaro) in town. He ate, drank wine, chatted with the owners and clients alike, took pictures, and absorbed it all, find out all about the food (cichetti), the local wines, and how the food and wine was produced, presented, and consumed in these bacari of the enchanting city of Venice. 

Daniel Bellino went back to New York, and along with business partner Tom T, opened Bar Cichetti – “America’s 1st Ever Venetian Bacaro” (wine bar). Danie was the Chef, Wine Director, and managing partner of Bar Cichetti which the food-press and Italian wine professionals in New York and Italy absolutely loved. We could go on and on about Bar Cichetti, but sorry, though a great subject, we actually got off the main subject at hand – the book by Bellino, EXPPLORING VENICE. 

So, like any other travel guide, there’s a list of the best restaurants to go to, and bacari. A list of museums, best sights to see, some history, and the hotels of Venice. Then there’s a few stories, containing the authors own wonderful experiences and insights into the enchanting city of Venice. The author touches on the most famous Venetians of all : “Casanova,” Vivaldi, & one Giuseppe Cipriani, the creator of World Renowned Venetian Treasure “Harry’s Bar.” Not every guide book of Venice touches on these subjects, but Bellino does. And his insights are quite valuable. The author tells you of several of Casanova’s favorite haunts that remain open and active to this very day. And you can go to Caffè Florian and the wine bars of Venice , eat and drink, and enjoy these establishments just as Giacamo Casanova did, almost 300 years gone by. Now that’s quite something, wouldn’t you say?

Now the recipes, some of which are quite unique. Oh, we almost forgot to inform you, the author cooked professionally in New York City for some 14 years, before getting heavily involved in Italian Wine, as  the wine director of some New York’s most renowned Italian restaurants, and became one of the foremost authorities in America, on Italian wine. So Bellino’s experienced is quite significant. 

Yes, back tot he recipes in the book. The author / chef has included some 40 recipes on the most important dishes of Venetian Cusine, including, Risi Bisi, Baccala Montecato (whipped Salt Cod), Bigoli con Anatra (Venetian pasta with Duck Ragu), Calves Liver Veneziana, and more. Daniel has also touched on Cichetti and throwing your very own “Cichetti Party,” when you get back home. And he tells you how to do it. The author, in writing his Italian travel guide -cookbooks, has said that his does this in order to inspire people to cook the foods that they love from their travels. Daniel states that it’s a great way to relive cherished memories of certain trips, by cooking some dishes that you loved while on vacation. He has done this with other travel -cookbooks he has written, such as – Poistano The Amalfi Coast – Travel Guide – Cookbook & ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL.
We almost forget to inform you. Daniel Bellino cooked professionally in some New York’s most renowned Italian & French restaurants of 15 years, after which he became heavily involved in Italian Wine. He opened Bar Cichetti, and for this, every Italian Wine Estate Owner wanted to meet him, and have him sell and promote their wines. And so Daniel became one of America’s foremost authorise of Italian Wine. For his passion and great knowledge of Italian wine, Daniel Bellino Z is one of the most highly respected Italian Wine Guys of America – known and respected by most of Italy’s top Italian Wine producers (Italian Estate Owners), such as : Giovanni Manettiof Fontodi, Conti Sebastiano Capponi of Villa Calcinaia (Chianti in Greve), The Marches Piero Antinori (Antinori Wines of Florence, Tuscany), Francesca Planeta (Paneta Wines, Sicily), Cavelierie Luigi Cappellini of Castello Verrazzano, and many more. Too many to name.

And so, we highly recommend any of the fine books of Italy, by one of America’s foremost authorises on the subjects – the subjects of Italian Food, Italian Wine, Italy, & Travels in Italy – chef ‘ author Daniel Bellino Zwicke. He knows it all. 





WE ALSO RECOMMEND 

“ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS”


ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS

ROME VENICE PIZZA PASTA & ???

Daniel Bellino Zwicke
AMAZON.com


New York Italian Food and Wine Guy Daniel Bellino Zwicke

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 



“ITALIAN FOOD & WINE GUY”

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

With Some of His FAVORITE FRIENDS WINES

And a PUMPKIN PIE

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

 is a prominent New York-based Italian food and wine professional, best-selling author, and restaurateur with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Known in the culinary world as “Danny Bolognese,” he is recognized as an authority on Italian wine and culture.

Wine Industry Contributions
Bar Cichetti: In 1997, he founded Bar Cichetti in New York City, credited as America’s first Venetian wine bar (Bacaro), where he served as Chef, Wine Director, and Managing Partner.
  • Professional Roles: He has held prestigious positions as a wine director and chef at notable New York establishments, including Barbetta, as Wine Director – (home to one of the greatest Italian wine cellars in the U.S.), Del Posto, and Da Silvano.
  • Industry Connections: He is frequently associated with legendary figures in the wine world, such as Sebastiano Rosa (former winemaker of Sassicaia) and the Antinori family, Conte Sebastiano Capponi – proprietor of legendary Villa Calcinai Wine Estate in Greve, Cavelieri Luigi Cappellini (Castello Verrazzano), The Marchese Piero Antinori, Francesca Planeta of Planeta, Antonio Rallo of Donnafugata, and more.

  • Notable Books & Writing
  • Bellino Zwicke has authored numerous books that blend Italian-American recipes with wine pairing advice and travel stories:
  • Sunday Sauce: a #1 Amazon best-seller focusing on Italian-American “Gravy” and wine culture.
  • The Feast of the 7 Fish: A popular guide to the traditional Italian Christmas Eve seafood feast.
  • La Tavola: Stories and recipes reflecting the life of an Italian-American New Yorker.
  • Positano – The Amalfi Coast: A cookbook and travel guide that explores the regional dishes and wines of Southern Italy.
  • SINATRA SAUCE – The Cookbook
  • The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK
  • Current Projects: He is actively working on a dedicated book about Chianti and the wine of Chianti Classico, which he cites as one of his greatest passions.

BOOKS by Daniel Bellino Zwicke are Available on Amazon.com

  • Online Influence
  • He manages the highly successful Instagram page @NewYork.Italian, which has over 500,000 followers and covers topics ranging from regional Italian wine to classic cinema and recipes








Daniel Bellino Zwicke

With FRIEND – CAVELERI LUIGI CAPPELLINI

Of CASTELLO VERRAZZANO- GREVE, ITALY





DANIEL with PALE ITALO STUPINO

CASTELLO NIEVE

BARBARESCO






With The MARCHESE FERDINANDO FRESCOBALDI

FRESCOBALDI BRUNELLO – CHIANTI







SUNDAY SAUCE

“AMERICA’S FAVORITE ITALIAN COOKBOOK”

# 1 BEST SELLER ITALIAN COOKBOOKS for 2 YEARS
AMAZON.com



Al Pacino Favorite Pasta – Recipe by Bellino -Spaghetti Aglio Olio

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 

CLEMENZA MAKES SAUCE

RICHARD CASTELLAN & AL PACINO

The GODFATHER


AL PACINO’S Favorite PASTA !  SPAGHETTI AGLIO OLIO recipe by BELLINO

“Pacino & Bellino” refers to a culinary and cultural connection centred around Italian-American traditions, specifically involving author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke (often referred to as Bellino), and actor Al Pacino.

Here are the key aspects of this Connection:

Sunday Sauce Recipe: Daniel Bellino created a “Sunday Sauce” (Italian-American gravy with sausages, meatballs, and braciole) recipe inspired by the scene in The Godfather where Clemenza teaches Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) how to make it.
  • “Sunday Sauce” Sneakers: Bellino created limited-edition “Sunday Sauce” sneakers inspired by this theme and his Italian cookbook.
  • Al Pacino’s Favorite Dish: Bellino has highlighted and written about Al Pacino’s favorite dish, which is Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (garlic and oil), a dish often cooked by Pacino’s family in the Bronx.
  • Culinary Collaboration/Homage: Bellino-Zwicke has written extensively about Italian-American culture, often bridging the gap between iconic figures like Frank Sinatra and Al Pacino with authentic, traditional recipes in his books and articles.
  • “Sunday Sauce alla Pacino”: This is a specific recipe created by Bellino-Zwicke, described as a culinary tribute to Al Pacino.








SUNDAY SAUCE

alla BELLINO alla PACINO

RECIPES :

SUNDAY SAUCE

PACINO PASTA

LASAGNA – MEATBALLS

And MORE  ….
AMAZON.com

AL PACINO 

DID YOU KNOW ?

AL PACINO’S Family Comes From CORLEONE SICILY



DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE

BAR TIBERIO

CAPRI, ITALY





SPAGHETTI GARLIC OIL alla PACINO

aka “SPAGHETTI AGLIO OLIO”



PACINO PASTA Recipe by BELLINO

INGREDIENTS :

¼ cup best quality
Italian Olive Oil
6 cloves of Garlic,
peeled and minced
½ teaspoon
Red Pepper Flakes
1 pound
imported Italian Spaghetti
¼ cup
Italian Parsley

Put a large pot with 4 quarts of water on the stove. Add 2 tablespoons salt and bring to the boil.

Place Olive Oil and garlic in a large frying pan and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.

Add red pepper and continue cooking on low heat until the garlic begins to turn slightly brown. Turn heat off and let rest.

Add spaghetti to the boiling salted water. Cook spaghetti according to directions on package.  Two minutes before the cooking time on package start testing the doneness of the spaghetti by taking a strand out of the water and biting into it to see how far cooked it. By doing this you’ll be able to determine if it needs to cook a bit longer or if it’s ready.

Once the pasta is finished cooking, quickly remove it from the heat and drain into a colander, reserving about 1/3 of a cup of the pasta cooking water to add to pasta sauce.

Add spaghetti back to the pot it cooked in and add the garlic olive oil sauce and the a mix well. 

Add a little of the pasta cooking water if needed. Add the chopped parsley and mix.

Divide the spaghetti among four pasta plates or bowls. Sprinkle the top of each plate of Spaghetti with some chopped parsley and serve.









NONNA BELLINO’S COOKBOOK

“RECIPES FROM MY SICILIAN NONNA”

Daniel Bellino Zwicke
AMAZON.com

Italian Food in The Movies – Goodfellas The Godfather Big Night

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 


“Shove in your Saa – Seeg & Meatballs”



It all started with Pete Clemenza and The Godfather, a movie by Italian-American director Francis Ford Coppola. Yes, I guess we can say it started with Francis. It was Francis Ford Coppola who wrote the Screenplay along with the author of the Best Selling Novel – The Godfather, Mr. Mario Puzo, also an Italian-American. Coppola was the co author of The Godfather Screenplay along with Puzo. And it was Coppola who was the films director and decided what would be in the film and what wasn’t.

Coppola brilaintly sets the scene of Sonny Corleone meeting with his Capo’s and other Corleone Crime Family associates, discussing strtegies of their next moves after Virgil Sollozzo puts out a hit on Sonny’s father, Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brand). The attempted assasination of Vito Corleone fails, and Vito Corleone is still alive, as his son Santino (Sonny) becomes the acting Boss of the Corleone Crime Family. 

As Sonny and his cronies discuss what to do, sitting around eating Chinese Food, his Capo, Peter Clemenza is making a pot of Italian Sunday Sauce Gravy with Sausages & Meatballs. Sonny’s younger brother Michael (Al Pacino) is in the room as well. He gets a call from his girlfriend Dianne, who ask Michael if she loves him. Michael doesn’t say it, but Clemenza being the smart old guy that he is, knows what has been said, and says, “Why don’t you tell that nice girl you Love her. I Love you with all of my Heart. If I don’t again soon, I’ma gonna Die” Clemenza chuckles.

Clemenza continues cooking his Sauce, then says to Michael, “Come over here kid. Learn something. You never know when you’re gonna to cook for 20 guys someday?  You see? You start out with a little oil. Then you fry some Garlic. Then you throw in some Tomatoes, some Tomato Paste, you fry it up. You make sure it doesn’t stick. You get it to a boil. You shove in all your Sausage, and your Meatballs. Add a little bit of wine. And a little sugar, and that’s my trick.”

Yes, Clemenza making Sunday Sauce and Meatballs was a favorite scene which just about everyone recalls and talks about, and for good reasons. It’s a great scene. But let us not forget some other scenes that included Italian food. At Connie Corleone’s Wedding, we have a Corleone associate throwing a Gabagool Sandwich to Paulie (watch the video below).

Also, let’s not forget Sonny tearing off a piece of Italian Bread, dipping it into the Sauce that Sonny’s mother has simmering on the stove. Then Sonny eats it. There are a couple scenes when the the wole Corleone Family is eating at the table. There’s the scene when Connie has cooked a meal for herself and her husband Carlo. One of Carlo’s girlfriends (Goomada) calls up asking for Carlo. Connie picks up the phone, then her and Carlo start fighting.


Another memorable scene that involved Italian Food was the meeting between Michael, Virgil Sollozzo, and Captain McCluskey at Louie’s Italian Restaurant in the Bronx. The three of them are sitting around the table when McCluskey asked Sollozzo, “How the Italian Food in this Restaurant?”
Sollozzo replies, “Get the Veal. It’s the best in the City”

Michael Corleone goes into the bathroom, and gets the gun that is planted for him inside the bathroom, above the toilet. Michael comes back out into the dining room and shoots and kills both Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey. The calmly drops the gun, and walks out of the restaurant.





MAKING SAUCE

CLEMENZA Shows MICHAEL How to Make SUNDAY SAUCE

ITALIAN GRAVY

Recipe






BIG NIGHT


In the annals of Italian Food in movies, Stanley Tucci’s Big Night is way up near the top. Some would probably put it on the top of their list. Yes when it comes to Italian Food in movies, Big Night is a heavyweight. The movie centers around two brothers from Italy, in their Italian Restaurant on the Jersey Shore, Louis Prima, and a monumental dish of Southern Italy, known as a Timpano (aka Timballo). 

The brothers restaurant is not doing that well financially. The food is very good, but this is the 1950s, and the locals don’t get Chef Primo’s authentic Italian Food. When a fellow (rival) restaurant owner tells brothers Scondo (Stanley Tucci) and Primo that he knows the famous Sicilian-American singer Louis Prima, and that he is going to get him to come to the brothers restaurant, this get the ball rolling on a very special dinner hosted by the brothers, featuring Chef Primo’s wonderful food, and the centerpiece of the meal, The Timpano, a luxurious dish made of baked maccheroni, meats, sauce, and cheeses stuffed into a dough shell that’s baked in a pan called a “Timpano” by which the dish gets his name. 

The movie stars Stanley Tucci as Secondo, Tony Shaloub as Primo, Secondo’s brother, Isabella Rossellini as Gabriella, with Minnie Driver, and Marc Anthony as the busboy.

The wonderful music, fine cast, and the scenes preparing the Timapno and other dishes is superb, and it’s these scenes that captivated audiences, and inspired to make their very own Big Night Style Italian Dinner Parties. The rest is history, and people still talk about Big Night, the Timpano, and wonderful Italian Dinner.




The TIMPANO

Stanley Tucci, Marc Anthony, & Tony Shaloub
BIG NIGHT

recipe

Goodfellas

Johnny (Frank Pelligrino Sr,) & Vinny (Charlie Scorsese)

DINNER in PRISON


GOODFELLAS



There are several Italian Food scenes in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, a true life story of factions of the New York Mafia members and associates, based on Nick Pellegi’s book Wiseguy. Of course the most famous food scene is when Henry (Ray Liotta) is in Prison with Vinny (Charlie Scorsese), Johnny Dio, and “Big Paulie” (Paul Sorvino). Viiny is making the Sunday Sauce Italian Gravy with Meatballs and Pork Neck, as Johnny Dio cooks up some Steaks. The scene is quite memorable, and people talk about it all the time, especially the way Paul Sorvino shaves the Garlic “Ravor Thin” with a ravor, and Big Paulie telling Vinny, “Vinny don’t put too many Onions in the Sauce.” You gotta just Love it?

The scene with Henry making Veal Scallopine and his brother stirring “The Sauce” is memorable as well. 

So if you Love Movies, Italian Food, and Italian Food in movies, there’s a good chance you already know these films and the Food Scenes in them, and if you’re like me, you talk about them, and watch the movies over and over again. When you’ve got something good, you stick with it. And that’s The Godfather, Coppola and Pacino, Clemenza and his Sauce. Big Night Stanley Tucci and The Timpano, and Marty Scorsese’s Goodfellas, Robert DeNiro, The Prison Sauce, and the main character Henry Hill, and the late great Ray Liotta, who turned in such a great performance, he was even better than DeNiro. “Yes he was.”

Watch the movies, enjoy, make a Sunday Sauce, and listen to Sinatra. What’s better than that?
GOODFELLAS

PRISON DINNER




GOODFELLAS  “PRISON SAUCE” Recipe
JOHNNY DIO’S STEAK  –  Recipe


by Daniel Bellino Zwicke






SUNDAY SAUCE alla CLEMENZA

all PACINO

From The GODFATHER
AMAZON.com

“MAKE a BIG NIGHT TIMPANO”


NONNA BELLINO’S COOKBOOK

RECIPES FROM MY SICILIAN NONNA
AMAZON.com

Note :  Timpano is also known as TIMBALLO in most parts 
of Southern Italy, and there are numerous variations, and recipes,
like the one in Grandma Bellino’s Cookbook. 




iL TIMPANO

“BIG NIGHT”






The SINATRA COOKBOOK


SINATRA SAUCE

MUSIC MEATBALLS & MERRIEMENT

Daniel Bellino Z
AMAZON>com









CARLO & CONNIE FIGHT


Connie :  “Why don’t you bring your WHORE home for dinner” ?







Paulie’s Friend throws him a Gabagool Sandwich
“Hey Paulie! I got some Gabagool” !!!

At Connie Corleone’s Wedding

Paulie’s friend (Mobster) has a couple GABAGOOL (Capicola) Sandwiches

and throws one to Paulie, who says,  “Hey you Stupid Jerk” !

Watch this at Second 00.48 on the video clip.







“Don’t Overcook it.”

“You Overcook it, it Defeats its Own Purpose”

Robert DeNiro

RAGING BULL




PS  “And Let Us Not Forget RAGING BULL and the Steak Scene”




“It’s Like a Piece of CHARCOAL”

“BRING IT OVER” !!!





“YOU WANT YOUR STEAK” !!!!






Spaghetti Carbonara – The American Connection – American Soldiers in Rome during WW II – Original Recipe

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 

 

 
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
 
“WHAT DID GI’s HAVE to DO with IT” ???
 
FAVORITE ITALIAN COOKBOOKS
 

 

 

 

PASTA CARBONARA & AMERICAN “GI’s” ???
 
 
Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish from Rome, Italy. It is known for its creamy sauce made from eggs, Pecorino Romano Cheese, cured pork (Guanciale or Pancetta) Black Pepper. “No Cream” !!!  The sauce’s silky texture is achieved by tossing hot pasta with the egg mixture and starchy pasta water off the heat, which gently cooks the eggs without scrambling them. 
 
Pasta Carbonara’s origins are strongly linked to American soldiers in Rome during World War II, who introduced bacon and powdered eggs, prompting Italian cooks to create a pasta dish with these ingredients and local cheese and black pepper for a hearty meal, evolving from a “breakfast spaghetti” request into the iconic dish known today. Italian cook Renato Gualandi is sometimes credited with creating an early version using these rationed items for U.S. officers in 1944, although the dish’s exact inventor remains debated. 
The WWII Connection
American Rations: U.S. troops brought bacon, cheese, and powdered eggs, which were a novelty and comfort to them.
  • Italian Adaptation: Local Italian cooks combined these ingredients with pasta, creating a version of bacon and eggs on spaghetti, sometimes called “spaghetti breakfast”.
  • Key Ingredients: This fusion led to the creamy sauce of eggs, cheese (like Pecorino Romano), cured pork (substituted for bacon), and black pepper (resembling charcoal dust). 
  • Evolution to Modern Carbonara
  • After the war, as local ingredients became more available, the recipe was refined using fresh eggs and guanciale (cured pork jowl), becoming the beloved Roman dish we know today.
  • While some debate its American influence, most food historians agree the dish emerged in post-WWII Rome, a testament to an Italian-American culinary exchange
 
 
 
 
 
 
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
 
EGGS, GUANCIAL, PECORINO, SPAGHETTI
 
RECIPES

 

 
 
 
 
 
CARBONARA & ROMAN PASTA
 
RECIPES
 
In “ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL”
 
TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK
 
DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE
AMAZON.com
PASTA CARBONARA – RECIPE
How to Make Authentic Carbonara
INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces imported Italian Spaghetti, 4 Egg Yolks, 1 cup grated Pecorino Cheese, Black Pepper
The key to Carbonara is the emulsion—creating a creamy sauce using the heat of the pasta rather than direct stovetop heat, which would scramble the eggs. 
Prep the Meat: Sauté cubed guanciale or pancetta in a skillet until the fat renders and the meat is crispy.
Whisk the Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, grated cheese, and plenty of black pepper.
Cook Pasta: Boil spaghetti in salted water until just al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
Combine: Toss the hot pasta into the skillet with the pork and rendered fat.
Emulsify: Remove the pan from the heat. Quickly stir in the egg and cheese mixture, adding small splashes of reserved pasta water as needed. The residual heat will cook the eggs into a smooth, glossy sauce. 
 
 
 
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
Video Recipe
In ITALIAN
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
VIDEO RECIPE
by VINCENZO “In ENGLISH”
.

 

 

 

Best Selling Italian Travel Guide – Italian Food & Travel is the Number 1 Best Seller Italy Travel Guides Amazon by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

On By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

 The # 1 BEST SELLER – ITALIAN TRAVEL GUIDES

ITALY 

AMAZON.com

ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL is the # 1 BEST SELLER

ITALY TRAVEL GUDIES – Amazon .com
Amazon.com

Just to Clarify – “ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL’
is Not a BOOK solely on VENICE, but all of ITALY

It is an ITALIAN TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK on ITALY

There are 30 Pages dedicated to just VENICE, which is Quite Large and
Extensive as far as TRAVEL GUIDES of ITALY Go

Amazon Categorised it as VENICE, but it’s ALL of ITALY

From VENICE to PALERMO and Back “You Get It All” All ITALY !!

SPECIAL SECTION “BORUDAIN in ITALY”



ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL

TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK

All  ITALY

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Amazon.com  
ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL – Travel Guide – Cookbook

Italian Food & Travels “Rome Venice Pizza Pasta &? Travel and Eat throughout Italy, with Bestselling Italian Cookbook / Travel Writer – Daniel Bellino Zwicke. Take a journey with Daniel on his many journeys in Italy, from Rome, Venice, Verona, Florence, Naples, Capri, Positano, The Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Puglia and more. Daniel Bellino has 40 years experience, spending time in Italy, eating, drinking wonderful Italian Wine, living among the locals, gathering a brigade of stories and tasty Italian recipes from every region of Italy. Daniel has a great perspective of Italian Food knowledge, of Italy, and how to travel in this the most beloved travel destination in all the World, from the Ancient Roman ruins of Rome, to the singular uniqueness of Venice, to Sicily and it’s people, food, Roman & Greeks ruins, and some of the most beautiful churches in all the World. Daniel weaves wonderful stories of Italian adventures, with many tasty recipes to accompany the stories, Travel Info, and knowledge of Italy, its sights, peoples, landscape, and it’s food, the most beloved cuisine in all the World.


Included are Recipes for 40 of Italy’s most beloved dishes, and a few extra surprises. Italy’s most loved Pasta Dishes, Ragu Bolognese, Porchetta, Wild Boar Ragu, Amalfitana Lemon Cake, how to make Limoncello, Ragu Napoletana, Pesto Genovese, Caponata, Lasagna, Spaghetti Vongoles, Pasta Nerano, and much more. You’ll Love these amazing recipes.


Special Section : Anthony Bourdain’s Italy. Follow Tony’s footsteps, and relive his most memorable Italian meals – Rome, Venice, Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia, Venice, Tuscany and more.


TRAVEL INFO

40 of ITALY’S Most Loved RECIPES

ULTIMATE TRAVEL TIPS

Stories of ITALY – The Food, People, & Places


SPECIAL – BOURDAIN in ITALY



Daniel created and runs the Highly Successful Italian Instagram page @NewYork.Italian – which as of the publication of this book, has more than 500,000 loyal Followers. The page pertains to all things ITALIAN, both in New York – America, and ITALY – Italian Food & Wine, Recipes, music, movies, Italian Travel, Italian-American Culture, and of Italy, Pizza, Pasta, cooking, books, and anything related to Italy and Italian Americans. 
Amazon.com 

“ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL
Daniel Bellino Zwicke

“
Italian Food & Travel: Travel Guide – Cookbook

” by Daniel Bellino Zwicke is a combined cookbook and travel guide that focuses on specific Italian regions and cities, including Naples, Rome, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast. It integrates personal travel anecdotes, practical advice for travelers, and authentic recipes. 


Overview of the Book
This resource is designed for individuals planning a trip to Italy, as well as those who wish to experience Italian cuisine and culture at home. Daniel Bellino Zwicke, a best-selling Italian cookbook author who has traveled extensively in Italy since the 1980s, uses his deep knowledge to provide a cultural companion rather than a typical guidebook. 
Key features include:
Regional Focus: The book covers culinary and travel information for areas like Rome, Venice, Positano, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast.
  • Recipes: It features recipes for popular dishes from these regions, such as Insalata di Polpo, Arancini, Eggplant Parmigiano, Polpette (meatballs), and Spaghetti Vongole.
  • Personal Stories: The narrative is enriched with the author’s personal experiences, recommendations for local spots (like bacari in Venice), and insights into the local food culture.
  • Practical Information: It provides travel tips and information, helping readers navigate specific locations and find authentic experiences. 

  • Where to Find It
  • The book is available in both paperback and Kindle formats. You can purchase it or view snippets on the following platforms: 
Amazon.com






Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke
CAPRI, ITALY
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