Jessica S.Levy

One morning I awoke to a fruity, musky scent that hung heavy in the air, floating out from the kitchen to all corners of the house. Approaching the stove, I saw a crimson liquid bubbling, sticky bursts popping and clinging …

Open up a box of Barilla spaghetti, add a few handfuls of the long strands to a frying pan full of olive oil, a little garlic, some crushed red chili peppers, pour tomato sauce and water over it all and …

Food-wise, Northeastern Italy’s Veneto region might conjure up images of mouth-watering delicacies like sarde in saor (sweet and sour sardines), bigoli in salsa (a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a sauce of onions and sardines), or baccalà mantecato, (creamed, dried cod …

When planning a trip to Liguria, the five villages of Cinque Terre most famously spring to mind. But with nearly 2.4 million people wandering through these towns every year, it can make the scenery a little less enjoyable. Liguria’s long …

My first stop when entering Apulia was at the Wojtyla airport in Bari Baggage claim. While waiting for the conveyor belt to start delivering my bags, I looked up and noticed the room’s only advertisement: a banner pasted across the …

Named for the ancient Siculi King Hyblon, the Hyblaean Mountains (i Monti Iblei), in southeastern Sicily, are characterized by limestone rock formations, sloping mountains, and some of the most picturesque towns on the island. The Baroque villages of Ragusa, Modica, Noto, and Scicli are built into the hillsides, …

The cornetto: a soft crescent of a pastry, sometimes filled with jam, Nutella, even pistachio cream these days, and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. It’s a sweet reminder of breakfast in Italy—usually eaten in a bar while hovering over the countertop, waiting …

When I think about hazelnuts and Italy together, that gooey confection—often found in a collectible jar—immediately comes to mind. Yes, I’m talking about Nutella, a clever and cloying friend that begs to be slathered on toast, or eaten by the spoonful. But …

“Are you going to eat at that place with the life-changing zucchini pasta?” a friend joked after I spoke of plans to visit the Amalfi Coast. Of course, she was referencing the Campania episode of Searching for Tucci where the …

There’s a breeze rising up from the sea, fluttering through the Piazza della Repubblica in Pizzo on a Saturday night. Surrounded by couples, families, and groups of friends laughing over late-night drinks, you wait, then watch as the waiter places …