Earlier this month it was my turn to host dinner club – and coincidentally, it marked the fourth anniversary of our inaugural gathering which was also at my house! Time flies when you’re having fun 🙂
Usually our dinner club is just the five of us, but recently we’ve made an exception for parents – last time, Casey’s parents made us a delicious Jamaican feast (since they are from there), and this time, I invited my parents to join us for Italian night.
One of the things I love about dinner club is the planning…does that sound weird? I can’t help it – I love going through my cookbooks, reading recipes online and thoughtfully crafting the perfect menu. Picking a theme and then the right combination of dishes and drinks is like a fun challenge!
Here’s what I settled on for Italian Night.
Antipasti
Since we had a whole night of eating ahead of us – and some richer dishes later – I went for fresh, light, salty, acidic snacks in this cold spread paired with slightly bitter Aperol Spritz cocktails.
- Giardinera aka Italian pickled vegetables
- Marinated artichoke hearts
- Lupini beans (if you haven’t tried these, I recommend seeking them out at the grocery store in the Italian aisle or ordering some online – they’re high protein, low calorie and make a delicious, healthy snack!)
- Prosciutto
- Olive tapenade
- Caesar dip
- Whole Wheat Rosemary Crackers (recipe coming soon!)
Primi
I figured it wouldn’t be an authentic Italian meal without some sort of pasta; the light, delicate texture of the homemade fettucine, tossed with Nonni’s sauce and topped with freshly grated pecorino, was the perfect appetizer.
- Homemade fettucine with Nonni’s sauce (my Italian grandmother’s quintessential pasta sauce)
Secondi
A carb-focused appetizer meant I could do a meat-centric main course paired simply with a vegetable.
- Milk-Braised Pork Shoulder Roast (I used multiple sources for reference like this and this, but am not going to post my version yet…need a few more times to practice and make tweaks!)
- Garlicky Sautéed Kale
Dolci
I went for a classic cake I’ve made many times along with an out-there (but very Italian!) flavor combo.
- Chocolate Amaretti Cake (Giada’s recipe)
- Pear-Pecorino Ice Cream (recipe coming soon!)
- Pizzelles aka Italian waffle cookies made by my lovely mom
Everything turned out great, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the best part of any dinner club event – the company and conversation. I love my dinner club pals Michelle, Steve, Ed and Casey and I look forward to each meal we share together! And of course, our special guests made the night even better.
Michael Pecoraro says
What a great post. Italian night was great. Thanks for inviting us to join in on the fun. The food was fantastic and the banter with your friends even better. Thanks again.