Recipe adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi & Borgo Pianello

​One of the prettiest plates.
(Fun fact: "ravioli" is the plural form and "raviolo" is the singular)

Recipe from Bon Appetit

Nothing better than garlicky, lemony chicken topped with capers.

For the last few years, beets have been a staple of my diet. My daily beet salads at work are a constant source of in-jest ridicule. My love for beets and pasta therefore seemed like a natural pairing. I got the idea of taking my recipe for vodka sauce and replacing the tomato paste with a beet puree. 

Admittedly, this dish is a work-in-progress in terms of nailing down its flavor. I eventually want to incorporate more natural beet-paired flavors (goat cheese, etc.); but, aesthetically, this plate's beauty is unmatched.

​It is fitting that the final plating resembled a pink rose--my mother's favorite flower. 

Recipe adapted from Il Cucchiaio d'Argento

Pesto is another recipe from the traditional Italian kitchen that requires no tampering. If you are inclined, however, expand this recipe by mixing fresh herbs, adding colorful vegetables, or swapping in diverse legumes and nuts,