Manu’s Menu

Authentic Italian Home Cooking & More

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One-Pot Mediterranean Eggplant Rice served in a cast-iron skillet.

Eggplant Rice

Soft eggplant melts into tomato-soaked rice for a warm, reliable bowl of Eggplant Rice that fits busy weeknights and keeps well for easy leftovers.

Pasta with Baby Eggplants

Pasta with Baby Eggplants

Finally I am back with another pasta recipe! This Pasta with Baby Eggplants is a dish my grandmother used to make in Sicily. I have always loved it… it’s very easy to make and whenever I find baby eggplants at the grocer, I always buy them to make this pasta. What sets this sauce aside…

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Finished Sicilian eggplant bake in a red baking dish.

Sicilian Eggplant Bake

Layers of roasted eggplant, sweet tomatoes, and gooey cheese make this Sicilian Eggplant Bake taste like home-cooked perfection.

Turkey Eggplant Caviar Lettuce Wrap

Turkey Eggplant Caviar Lettuce Wrap

If you follow my blog, you will know that I have recently been operated to remove my gallbladder, as I had gallstones. In the weeks leading to the surgery, I had to follow a strictly low-fat diet. As such, I had to come up with alternatives for my meals that included no more than 2…

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Eggplant Caviar

Eggplant Caviar

Eggplant is one of my favourite ingredients when it comes to make anything with vegetables. It is a very common ingredient in Italian cooking, especially in the south where it is present at almost every meals during the summer months, when eggplant is at its best. Today I will share with you a recipe for…

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Italian Grilled Vegetables

Italian Grilled Vegetables

Grilled vegetables are a staple at our place especially in spring and summer. In fact, this recipe is dedicated to all my friends in the Northern hemisphere (though my readers who are going into winter should definitely bookmark it for later!). When I met my husband, he barely ate any vegetable. True story. But these…

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Eggplant and Smoked Scamorza Risotto

Eggplant and Smoked Scamorza Risotto

The first time I made this risotto, I did it to use up some of the eggplant filling that had remained after making Eggplant Sofficini. The result was so good that I started making extra filling in order to make risotto with it! I decided to also had smoked scamorza to it because the smoky…

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Freshly baked pizza ortolana with grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, artichokes, and fresh basil on top.

Pizza Ortolana

Want a healthy pizza that’s still delicious? Try Pizza Ortolana with roasted vegetables and mozzarella, bringing together fresh flavours in each slice.

Eggplant Sofficini

Eggplant Sofficini

If you follow this blog, you will be already familiar with sofficini, as I have already published a Ham and Cheese Sofficini recipe and a Mushroom Sofficini recipe a while ago.  For all the others who still do not know them, sofficini are delicious pockets of crunchy (yet soft) dough filled with all sorts of scrumptious cheesey…

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Easy Eggplant Parmigiana

EASY EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Today I want to share with you my family’s recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana.  It is a simplified and lighter version of the classic Parmigiana that has mozzarella inside and needs baking.  This is a much faster recipe and I love to make it in summer, when I do not feel like turning on the oven…

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Sausage and Smoked Scamorza Stuffed Eggplant

SAUSAGE AND SMOKED SCAMORZA STUFFED EGGPLANT

Today’s recipe is pure comfort food.  As days get shorter and the weather gets cooler down here, I do feel the like cooking some hearty and comforting food.  I love vegetables, but my husband is a carnivore and he’s never fully satisfied with a vegetarian dinner.  This recipe satisfies the whole family as it has…

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Spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce

SPAGHETTI WITH HOME-MADE TOMATO SAUCE

I cannot believe it!  I have blogged for over 2 years and I haven’t posted this recipe yet!  Spaghetti with home-made tomato sauce form the BASE of Italian cuisine.  So much so that Italians refer to this dish as pasta “al sugo”, which means “with sauce”, taking for granted that the sauce is tomato sauce. …

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Busiati with eggplant and garlic & thyme breadcrumbs

BUSIATI WITH EGGPLANT AND GARLIC & THYME BREADCRUMBS

Today’s dish is a recipe I came up with a little while ago.  Do you ever have a day when you want to use up ingredients that are taking too much place in your pantry or fridge?  It happens quite often to me and when it does, I take them all out, put them on…

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Eggplant Involtini

EGGPLANT INVOLTINI

I think I have already said this but eggplant is one of my favourite veggie.  You can make so many things with it and it always tastes so good!  Today I am going to share with you the recipe for what has to be my all time favourite side dish (that can easily double up…

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Eggplant & Tri-colour Goat Cheese Mille-feuille on Couscous

EGGPLANT & TRI-COLOUR GOAT CHEESE MILLE-FEUILLE ON COUSCOUS

Our April 2012 Daring Cooks hosts were David & Karen from Twenty-Fingered Cooking. They presented us with a very daring and unique challenge of forming our own recipes by using a set list of ingredients! Sounds easy, uh?  Well… sort of… at least until I read the lists!  Here they go: List 1: Parsnips, Eggplant…

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Baked anelletti pasta cake on a glass plate.

Baked Anelletti (Anelletti Ca Carne Capuliata)

Layers of tiny pasta rings, slow-cooked meat sauce, peas, and melted cheese make Baked Anelletti everything you want in a Sicilian pasta bake.

Sedanini with swordfish and eggplant

SEDANINI WITH SWORDFISH AND EGGPLANT

This is another typical Sicilian dish. Sicily is very famous for its fresh fish. This pasta can be made with different fresh herbs. I personally like it with continental parsley and mint, but basil goes well with it too. It is usually served with busiati and you can have a go at making some by…

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A thick slice of Greek moussaka served with parsley beside a fork and white wine.

Moussaka

A warm tray of Moussaka is all you need after a long day. Soft veggies, rich meat sauce, and creamy topping come together in one satisfying bake.

EGGPLANT PATTIES – POLPETTE DI MELANZANE

What I love about eggplant is that they are so versatile and they are sweet inside with a slightly bitter skin.  I use them in many dishes, probably because of my Sicilian origin (yes, Sicilians do eat lots of eggplant!).  This is my mom’s recipe for what we call “polpette di melanzane” (eggplant patties).  They…

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Eggplant

BUSIATI WITH PESTO TRAPANESE AND FRIED EGGPLANT – BUSIATI CULL’AGGHIA

This is probably the most traditional pasta you can eat in the area of Trapani, in western Sicily.  Both the pasta and the sauce are, together with fish couscous, the most well known dishes of the area.  The sauce is very easy to make and it is the Trapanese version of pesto.  It is similar…

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Welcome to Manu’s Menu!

Hi! I am Manu, the author of Manu's Menu. I was born and brought up in Italy and my blog can show you how to create authentic Italian food in your own home! Read More…

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Video Recipe: Orecchiette with Crudaiola Sauce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqSyzFElbRY
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manusmenu

Food blogger, cookbook author, food photographer & stylist.

A batch of homemade flaxseed crackers is always ha A batch of homemade flaxseed crackers is always handy to have in the kitchen.

They're crisp, easy to store, and pair well with dips, soft cheeses, fresh vegetables, or your favourite toppings whenever you need a quick snack.

#flaxseedcrackers #mealprep #healthysnacks #homemade #manu #manusmenu
Creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and a driz Creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and a drizzle of honey 🍯

The combination of creamy, sweet, and crunchy textures makes this such an easy appetiser to put together when you want something simple but a little different.

Serve with crusty bread or your favourite crackers and enjoy. 

#pistachios #HoneyDrizzle #sharingplatter #manusmenu
After sharing the scrambled eggs and tomato toast After sharing the scrambled eggs and tomato toast recently, I thought it would be a good time to highlight one of my favourite herb blends 🌿

Herbes de Provence is a traditional French herb blend usually made with herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, and savoury.

It's a simple way to add extra flavour to everyday ingredients and works especially well with eggs, tomatoes, roasted vegetables, potatoes, chicken, and soups.

Have you used Herbes de Provence before?

#herbesdeprovence #frenchcooking #mediterraneanfood #herbblends #manu #manusmenu
Scrambled eggs with tomato on toast is one of thos Scrambled eggs with tomato on toast is one of those simple meals that always works 🍅

Warm, savoury, filling, and made with ingredients most people already have at home.

#scrambledeggs #QuickMeals #breakfastideas #homemademeals #manu #manusmenu
This calamari risotto turned out creamy, rich, and This calamari risotto turned out creamy, rich, and so satisfying 🍚

Made as a low FODMAP recipe, it’s a homemade seafood dinner option that feels filling and easier to enjoy for those with sensitive stomachs or lower FODMAP dietary needs.

 #lowfodmap #calamaririsotto #seafoodrecipes #homemademeals #manu #manusmenu
Pumpkin has a naturally gentle sweetness, which is Pumpkin has a naturally gentle sweetness, which is why ingredients like ginger, coconut cream, herbs, curry paste, or lime work so well with it.

Those subtle layers of flavour help create soups that feel comforting, warming, and more rounded 💛

 #pumpkinsoup #thaifood #homemademeals #homemade #manusmenu
Smooth, creamy, and filled with delicious Thai-ins Smooth, creamy, and filled with delicious Thai-inspired flavours 🍲 This pumpkin soup makes such a lovely homemade dinner idea ✨

#PumpkinSoupRecipe #homemadefood #thaifood #manu #manusmenu
A sweet homemade treat for the person who made lif A sweet homemade treat for the person who made life sweeter first 💖
These chocolate date hearts are filled with soft dates, rich chocolate, and a little homemade love for Mother’s Day 🌷

 #mothersday #mothersdaygiftideas #datehearts #manusmenu
more stories beyond the menu ✈️ #MatchaMoments #t more stories beyond the menu ✈️

#MatchaMoments #travelreels #travelwithmanuela
A simple treat for Mother’s Day 🌸 These chocolate A simple treat for Mother’s Day 🌸

These chocolate covered dates pair perfectly with a warm cup of tea and make a lovely homemade gift or afternoon treat.

Simple, sweet, and easy to make at home.

#mothersday #chocolatecovereddates #HomemadeTreats #dessertideas #teatime #manusmenu
This iced chai is simple to make and perfect when This iced chai is simple to make and perfect when you want something calm and comforting.

Made with a few ingredients and warm spices, it’s a drink you can easily prepare at home without much effort.

Sometimes it’s the simple drinks that you keep coming back to. 💓

#icedchai #homedrinks #teatime #homemade #manu #manusmenu
Ever wondered why your iced matcha tastes differen Ever wondered why your iced matcha tastes different every time?

It’s not just about the ingredients. Small details like the quality of the matcha, how you sift it, and how you whisk it can completely change the result.

Even the texture and colour can tell you a lot before you even take a sip.

Once you start paying attention to these steps, it becomes much easier to get a smoother, more balanced matcha at home 🍵

 #matcha #icedmatcha #Matchalatte #JapaneseTea #manusmenu
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