Have you ever heard of soffritto?  The word means slow fried, or under fried and indicates the cooking method for the first ingredients of a delicious red sauce.  Ingredients to this can vary a bit, but typically in Italy the soffritto consists of three vegetables: onion, carrot, and celery.

We have all seen the charming bags of artisanal pasta arranged in pretty little nests, and probably too many of us have passed them by, unsure of what to do with them in our own kitchens.

Mia Emilia invites you to try these products yourselves! We offer Mutti’s Polpa Crushed Tomatoes, Whole Tomatoes, Whole San Marzano Tomatoes, Double and Triple Concentrated Tomato Pastes, and 3 delicious Pizza Sauces!

Today we are sharing with you a Venetian tradition, as easy to create for your guests at home as it is to enjoy in La Serenissima herself. Cicchetti. Pronounced, chee-ket-tee. They are local snacks, traditionally served with an “ombra”, a small glass of local wine.

With a proud smile on her face, Sabrina went to speak with the man behind the counter.  She came back saying, “OK, he is preparing for us some specialties from the area.”  We had no idea what was in store.  The waiter arrived with a plate of baked Radicchio di Treviso, the most gorgeous looking food I’ve ever seen, with polenta, a cheese from the mountains, and a local meat.  Every bite was special.

Among the most famous traditions in Italy is the Venetian Carnevale.  Celebrated this year between February 8th and 25th, Carnevale in Venice is a sight to behold. Boats dance and parade along the twinkling canals at nighttime.  While balls are held in palazzos, and the notes of Vivaldi drift through the streets, inside kitchens families and chefs prepare special meals for the occasion.   Among the most popular dishes enjoyed during the days of Carnevale is Italy’s famous lasagne.  Mia Emilia’s box of delicious Sfoglia Lasagne pasta noodles from the makers at La Pasta di Aldo are the perfect base...

As kids and kids at heart here in America choose costumes, jack-o-lanterns, and look forward to Halloween, we find pumpkins all over our grocery stores and decorating our homes.  This time of year is a perfect opportunity to have some fun in the kitchen while the pumpkins are in season and create some delicious meals to share with family and friends!  While Halloween as we know it is only starting to catch on in Italy, they have some fabulous pumpkin dishes that will make any Fall lover’s mouth water!   Read on to discover recipes for pasta, risotto, soup, and...

With the weather cooling, Fall is a great time to get outside and grill out with family and friends.  Whatever your main meal of choice, vegetables can be a perfect side dish to add some color and flavor to your meal.  In Italy, a grilled vegetable “contorno”, or side dish, is a delicious, not to mention healthy, complement to any meal.  It is among the most common side dishes you will find in homes and restaurants.   To make it yourself, choose the vegetables you’d like to use. I love the yellow squash, zucchini, and eggplant combination, but you can also...

The comparatively large noodles and quality of ingredients (durum semolina and mountain spring water) of Mia Emilia’s Strozzapreti pasta offer a unique texture that allows the sauce to not only coat but be absorbed into the noodle.  As you bite down, the fullness of the flavor in the wheat and the sauce combine into an experience you have to savor.  The pasta makers at Spighe Molisane adhere to tradition, making this special pasta out of durum wheat semolina and water, without eggs.  The water comes from the Matese mountains between the regions of Molise and Campania in Southern Italy.  A...

Salads in Italy are different from many of ours here, as they do not use salad dressings like we have in so many varieties.  Instead, they are delicately drizzled in extra virgin olive oil and maybe some lemon juice or a good vinegar.  With such fresh, seasonal ingredients, it works nicely.  The sweetness of the almost licorice tasting fennel combined beautifully with citrusy oranges and slightly salty olives.  Spicy olive oil was the perfect finish.