Italian on Bruce loves to cook

Cherry tomato and garlic spaghetti

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, and garlic cooked together in a little oily water, so the sauce makes itself as the water boils off. It’s the [[Cherry tomato and garlic pasta]] build of one-pan pasta.

Chicken Milanese

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a lighter version of Milanese, with no egg or breadcrumbs. Crispy chicken and a pan sauce pairs nicely with fresh sides.

Mechanic

A quick flour dredge and fry leaves the pan full of fond, ready to become a pan sauce while the chicken rests.

Focaccia

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I started making focaccia when I needed to find a use for some leftover pizza dough. I enriched it with olive oil, topped it with kosher salt, and baked it in a pan. We ate it with olive oil and balsamic, and it was lovely.

Fresh egg pasta

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Making pasta by hand is easier than it looks. It takes about 20 minutes, plus a bit of cleanup.

Mechanic

250g flour to 2 whole eggs plus 4 yolks is the ratio. Extra yolks rather than whole eggs make the pasta richer, more golden, and silkier in texture. The 30-minute rest after kneading relaxes the gluten so the dough sheets smoothly without springing back.

Meatballs

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A scalable, by-weight meatball for spaghetti, braises, and the freezer.

Mechanic

A meatball is a protein base, binders, moisteners (panade), and flavourings. The panade, breadcrumbs soaked in liquid, keeps the meatball from drying out. Grated onion (not diced) disappears into the mix and adds moisture. The percentages below are by weight, relative to 1 kg of ground meat, so the recipe scales to any quantity.

Minestrone

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a classic, comforting soup, perfect for late summer or fall.

Mechanic

The vegetarian base replaces pancetta with deeply browned mushrooms, toasted bread, and smoked paprika. The bread is the surprising part: it toasts in the oil, adding a savoury nuttiness that disappears into the soup. Don’t skip it.

Vegetarian lasagna

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This was our kids’ first and favourite lasagna, and we used it as a vessel to hide vegetables in.

Mechanic

Eggs in the cheese filling bind the layers together so the lasagna cuts cleanly as a casserole. Draining the ricotta and cottage cheese if they’re watery prevents the lasagna from going soupy. The 20-minute rest after baking is non-negotiable: the layers need time to set before cutting.

Classic pizza sauce

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

There are a few ways to make pizza sauce, depending on how lazy you are. One of our favourites is cooked down from good tomatoes for a moderate amount of time; my fastest comes from a tin of crushed tomatoes or sauce, thickened with paste. Better tomatoes make a difference here, as cheaper ones are less sweet and flavourful.

Lazy pizza dough (2022)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Some days I just want an easy pizza dough. I don’t want it 3 days from now, I just know I have food in the fridge that needs to be used up, and a pizza is the most palatable way to do it. This recipe is based on a Serious Eats recipe, and I start it after coffee in the morning on the weekend. So, like 11:30AM.

Marinara sauce

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A basic marinara sauce can be used directly or as a base to other sauces. This recipe is based on Chef John’s and others I have seen. It’s thicker and richer than a [[Classic pizza sauce|pizza sauce]], and can be adapted as a base for savoury sauces (meat or mushroom), or into other recipes (like pastas, soups, and stews).

Mushroom Parmesan pasta filling

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a great filling for vegetarian pasta like ravioli, tortellini, or sauced pastas like lasagne or ragù.

Ingredients

1–2 tbsp butter (or oil)
150 g shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and finely diced
150 g cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and finely diced
1 tsp ground porcini powder (optional)
2 shallots, finely minced (~¼ cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (~1 tbsp)
1 tsp thyme leaves, minced (fresh or dried)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
125 ml (½ cup) dry red wine or dry sherry
25 g (~½ cup) Parmesan, grated, plus more for serving

Method

Fry the mushrooms in the butter with a pinch of salt. They’ll release their water, the water will evaporate, and then they’ll start to brown, 15–20 minutes. Keep frying and scraping the bottom as you go so the fond doesn’t burn.

No-knead pizza dough

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Pizza with less effort, what’s not to like? A long rise time results in a deeper flavour.

Mechanic

Adapted from my traditional and very knead-y pizza dough, which we discovered by accident that one time when we somehow left it in a cupboard for a few days. It turns out we weren’t the first ones to discover this, and it’s a fantastic way of making doughs in general.

Pizza dough 2021 edition

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is an improved dough tuned to work easily with a 6 L stand mixer. It’s high-hydration and can be sticky, but the extra water provides a better ferment and lift. It also works well for focaccia with more oil in the pan and whatever toppings you enjoy.

Pizza dough 2022 edition

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is another iteration of my pizza dough recipe, based on some experimentation in late 2021. This is a medium-high hydration dough, optionally reinforced with additional gluten for structure and chew. I skip the autolyse step now, which I’ve replaced with a longer cold rise time. This recipe is based on Flour Water Salt Yeast, with gluten ratios lifted from recipes at Serious Eats (aiming at ~13–14% protein).

Spinach pecan pasta filling

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a great filling for vegetarian pasta like ravioli, tortellini, or sauced pastas like lasagne or ragù.

Ingredients

butter or oil, for frying
40 g pecans, crushed
1 shallot, minced
15 g (2 cloves) garlic, smashed or minced
60 g thawed chopped spinach
20 g fresh herbs (thyme, basil, oregano, etc.), chopped, or about 1 tbsp dried
1–2 g freshly ground black pepper
3 g salt
250 ml ricotta cheese
25 g (~½ cup) Parmesan, grated, plus more for serving

Method

Toast the pecans in a little butter or oil until fragrant. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until soft and translucent.

Vodka cream sauce

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This was one of the first fancy recipes we made when the kids were young. It was the beginning of our shared journey into cooking new foods.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka (and 1 cup for the cook)
1 cup chicken or mushroom stock, fresh if you’ve got it
1 large can (796 ml, 28 oz) crushed tomatoes, the good ones if you can find them
salt and pepper
450 g (1 lb) pasta with texture, like penne rigate
½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup fresh basil (about 20 leaves), julienned or torn
½ cup Parmesan or similar (optional)

Optional proteins

2 handfuls medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1–2 cups uncooked sausage (something nice)
1–2 cups mushrooms, cleaned

Method

If using a protein, cook it in a little oil with salt and pepper until browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Yam and sage pasta filling

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a great filling for vegetarian pasta like ravioli, tortellini, or sauced pastas like lasagne or ragù. Makes enough filling for around 50 small stuffed pastas (10 g each).

Simple marinara

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A perfect sauce for flatbreads, pizza, and as a quick pasta sauce.

Mechanic

A short, hot cook: the tomato paste goes in first and caramelizes briefly in the fat, the wine lifts it off the pan, and the tin of tomatoes finishes it in 15 minutes. Cooking it in meat drippings instead of oil (see Variations) makes it much more savoury.

Quick pizza sauce

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A quick pizza sauce that requires only tomato paste. One batch makes enough for about one pizza.

Mechanic

Built on double-strength tomato paste rather than crushed tomatoes. The paste is already concentrated so the sauce is ready in under 15 minutes and has a deep tomato flavour without a long simmer. The splash of wine deglazes and adds acidity.

Pizza dough

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This is my original pizza dough recipe, based on my memory of doughs I made in restaurants.

Mechanic

The vital wheat gluten supplements bread flour to push gluten content higher, producing a chewier crumb and stronger structure than all-purpose flour alone. A cold ferment of 24–48 hours develops flavour. The autolyse (30-minute rest before adding salt) speeds gluten development.

Pizzeria pizza sauce

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Our pizza sauce continues to evolve. This version uses passata and is uncooked.

Mechanic

Built on strained tomatoes rather than crushed, so the sauce is smooth without blending. All quantities by weight: this scales cleanly. The balsamic adds body and a mild acidity that a straight tomato sauce lacks.