A refreshing crunchy fennel salad and homemade gnocchetti sardo swimming in tomato sauce.

Plus, a bit of This & That.

A Refreshing Salad

As the thick, humid summer heat settles over Rome, all I’m craving are cooling, refreshing foods like this crunchy, bright, and hydrating fennel salad. The mild licorice flavor of fennel pairs beautifully with fresh herbs and the tanginess of citrus. It’s perfect on its own, alongside grilled chicken or tuna, or even after a bowl of summer pasta.

CRUNCHY FENNEL SALAD WITH LEMON AND HERBS

Serves 4

• 4 cups fennel, thinly sliced on a mandolin

• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon minced chives

• Zest and juice of 1 small lemon

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Flaky sea salt

Place the fennel, mint, parsley, and chives in a medium mixing bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice, a few generous glugs of a good extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and flaky sea salt. Using your hands, gently massage the dressing into the fennel until everything is evenly coated and slightly softened. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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The Joy of Homemade Pasta

Our recent cooking class with Alice Adams Carosi at Latteria Studio reminded me how much I enjoy making fresh pasta and how easy it truly is once you get the hang of it. It's so satisfying to watch flour and water transform into the most delicious bites, ready to be coated in the sauce of your choice and devoured the moment they hit the bowl. This weekend, with Costa home again with strep throat and the other boys teetering on the edge of getting sick, I spent Sunday in the kitchen making focaccia from scratch for the first time, another recipe from the cooking class, along with these delicious gnocchetti sardi using Alice's pasta recipe. Instead of pairing them with zucchini and clams as we did in class, I tossed them with Tomato Butter Sauce generously finished with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, a bowl of irresistible comfort. While shaping the dough into pasta does take time, it's a wonderfully meditative process, and of course, it's all worth it once you take that first bite of perfectly cooked fresh pasta.

HOMEMADE GNOCCHETTI SARDI WITH TOMATO BUTTER SAUCE AND PARMIGIANO REGGIANO