Melanzane al Pomodoro

George Hirsch September 18, 2025

Cooking Melanzane al Pomodoro is perfect this time of year when farms are abundant with eggplant and tomatoes. My Eggplant Sauce recipe does not include meat/protein in the ingredients, but feel free to add grilled sausage, chicken, or shrimp if desired. This is it if you are looking for an under-thirty-minute cook-to-table dish without compromising flavor for time. You can create variations on this recipe, which is very easy to do.

This pasta sauce is served warm or chilled, added to a tube-shaped pasta.

George's Eggplant Sauce

Makes 4 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | from George Hirsch Living it UP! Cookbook

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups eggplant, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic, chopped

6 plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup pitted calamata olives, chopped

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano, thyme, and hot pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons pine nuts

2 Tablespoons fresh basil

parmesan cheese to taste and fresh black pepper

Preheat a large nonstick saucepan

Add half the olive oil, then eggplant, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Cook until light brown. Add the wine, chicken broth, olives, dried basil, oregano, thyme, and hot sauce. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes.

Top with remaining olive oil, fresh basil, and pine nuts.

Excellent with a rigatoni or tube-shaped pasta.

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My Favorite Risotto

George Hirsch April 18, 2025

Risotto is a traditional rice dish from Northern Italy, specifically Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto. It was introduced by Arabian people who dominated Sicily and parts of the Southern mainland in the late Middle Ages.

A mainstay of Milanese cuisine, Risotto is prepared using beef stock and saffron and served with Osso Bucco. When using rice to make a risotto, choose short-grained round or semi-round rice; the best rice for making risotto are Arborio, Vialone Nano, and Carnaroli.

I enjoyed many excellent risotto dishes. One of the most memorable was my cousin Mauro’s wife, Anna, in Rome. Anna’s risotto is made with pesto and is meant for basil lovers like myself. Her combination is culinary kismet, the perfume-rich tasty herb that coats every grain of rice. The other risotto master is my friend Chef Antonio Cereda, with his Porcini Risotto. Antonio, my friend from Northern Italy, is the Executive Chef on Princess Cruises. His Porcini Risotto marries the mellow earthiness of fungi with creamy velvety rice.

Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus

Makes 4 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons dried basil

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Fresh ground black pepper

1 small onion, chopped

4 slices Pancetta, roughly chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

2- 2 1/2 cups chicken, vegetable or shrimp broth, hot

3 Tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, and chopped

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 cup half & half

1 cup fresh asparagus tips or fresh baby spinach

Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Preheat a large saucepan to medium heat.

Season shrimp with basil, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add shrimp to pan, sear on each side for one minute, and set aside. Do not fully cook.

Add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil, onion, and pancetta in the same saucepan. Cook onion and pancetta for 4-5 minutes but do not brown. Add Arborio rice and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Slowly add 1/2 cup broth, stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Lower the temperature to a low, gentle simmer. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently every 4-5 minutes or as the rice absorbs all of the broth until rice becomes tender.

Return the seared shrimp to the pan with the risotto and cook for two to three minutes, until fully cooked or until they turn pink.

The cooking time and amount of broth will vary from 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the pan's exact temperature.

Add half and half, and fresh Parmesan cheese to taste. Optional: Serve topped with steamed asparagus tips or fresh baby spinach.

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Spaghetti alle Vongole

George Hirsch March 20, 2025

It is quick, easy, and one of the most delicious pasta dishes outside a good pesto. Afterward, sit back and enjoy a crisp Pinto Grigio or Rose like you're sitting seaside on the Almafi coast.

The clams are the star of this dish, but co-starring is the garlic. You may also call this dish 'Aglio con Spaghetti alle Vongole.' I've cooked this recipe for years using the sweetness of caramelized garlic, which adds a nice component to this dish. Yes, my family in Italy is shaking their heads right now as they cook with a very small amount of garlic. Go figure? But here in the US, we've become accustomed to big flavors in our dishes. So get out my old recipe for caramelized garlic and make a half dozen heads; I guarantee you won't have any left.

Spaghetti alle Vongole recipe by George Hirsch

makes 4-6 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com |

George Hirsch Lifestyle from Know Your Fire Cookbook

1 pound dry spaghetti or linguine

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 heads caramelized garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 pounds Manila or littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed well

1 cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

4 Tablespoons sweet butter

Freshly ground black pepper

4 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped

Optional: 1/4 cup lightly toasted bread crumbs

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.

Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to toss the spaghetti directly into the sauce. RECIPE BELOW

Preheat a deep-side saute pan or Dutch oven; add olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes; saute for 1 minute. Add the clams, wine, half the parsley, and lemon juice. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the clams are opened, about 5 - 8 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

Increase heat to medium temperature. Add the hot, drained linguine to the pan; add the butter and season with pepper. Toss the pasta with the clams to coat pasta with clam sauce. Top with chopped parsley, basil, and toasted bread crumbs. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Serve immediately.

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Click for more on *Feast of the Seven Fishes*

Winter Pesto

George Hirsch January 9, 2025

There is a chill outside, and I’m still six-plus months away from fresh basil from my garden. But I'm not waiting until then to make one of my favorite dishes made with pesto. Solution? My Winter version of pesto. A robustly flavored style pesto made with arugula + spinach mix. The peppery flavor makes a nice and welcoming flavor and a bold way to serve an ingredient commonly available year-round.

Winter Pesto

Makes one cup

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 cup packed arugula, washed and dried

1 cup fresh spinach, washed and dried

4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled

2 Tablespoons pine nuts, chopped

1 ice cube

3 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

6 Tablespoon olive oil, See Instructions Below

Place garlic and pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Pulse gently. Add ice cube, arugula, and spinach, and slightly pulse. Do not over-grind for too long, or you will be cooking the tender leaves. Add the olive oil and cheese and process until it makes a paste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Keeps for about a week in the refrigerator.

Use for more than pasta. Pesto is an excellent addition to salad dressing, poultry, seafood, and vegetables.

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The Feast of Seven Fishes

George Hirsch December 19, 2024

The Feast of Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a popular Southern Italian tradition celebrated worldwide. In Italy, it is called “la Cena Della vigilia,” or Christmas Eve Dinner, December 24th, observed by abstaining from eating meat on Christmas Eve and enjoying the holiday meal with family, filled with a seafood spread.

WHY SEVEN? Some say the number seven represents the seven sacraments, seven days of creation, or simply the fact that seven signifies perfection in the Bible. This may be speculation; however, what is known is that this celebration is much appreciated and shared by most Italians and fish lovers.

Fish: You will find virtually any Mediterranean fish prepared from this region—everything from anchovies to eel. Popular fishes in the feast include calamari, smelts, clams, and shrimp.

One of my favorites is baccalá, a dried, salted cod.

Baccala How To: To reconstitute the baccalá, you soak it for two days, changing the water three or four times.

I prepare the baccalá in several ways, including sauteed and with tomatoes. Still, it's also quite popular to prepare it in the oven with potatoes or even in a salad with potatoes and black olives.

The Seven Fishes is a feast that brings family and friends together to celebrate a significant evening. The seafood is only the centerpiece of what really takes place..keeping a tradition alive with family and friends. Isn’t that what holidays are really about? Buone Feste!