Andie’s Passport to ITALY!
Hi, there and thanks for joining me on my journey to Italy! It’s the one place my husband and I wanted to visit before we started a family – and it worked like a charm. Our daughter Victoria was born almost exactly 9 months after our trip.
On this virtual vacation we’re going to EAT!, DRINK!, SEE! some fun stuff on a virtual tour, and LEARN! one of Italy’s most beloved games. C’mon! Let’s have fun!
EAT!
You can’t go to Italy with out drooling over the food, so I’ve included a delicious recipe for marinara sauce from one of my favorite chefs, Lidia Bastianich.
Lidia’s Italy – Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- MAKES ABOUT 3½ CUPS, ENOUGH FOR 1 POUND OF PASTA
- ¼ CUP -EXTRA–VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
- 7 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED AND SLICED
- ONE -28–OUNCE CAN WHOLE SAN MARZANO TOMATOES, CRUSHED BY HAND
- PINCH CRUSHED -RED–PEPPER FLAKES
- 1 TEASPOON KOSHER SALT
- 1 FRESH BASIL SPRIG
In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Once the garlic is sizzling, add the tomatoes, slosh out the can with 1 cup water, and add that as well. Sprinkle in the -red–pepper flakes, and season with the salt. Submerge the basil sprig in the sauce.
Simmer the sauce until it is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Discard the basil.
DRINK!
You need a good drink to go with that amazing meal, so why not indulge yourself?! Italy has the most amazing wines, but let’s get creative … Have you ever tried a Bellini? My husband loves Prosecco so we often have it on-hand. Add a little Peach juice and you’ve got a fancy cocktail. Salute!
SEE!
Let’s go on a walking tour of the Colosseum. (You’ll need to work off the spaghetti you’re going to eat at the end of this) It’s amazing to think of how OLD this place is, not to mention what went on here. Hop on your treadmill and walk along!
And we just loved eating gelato while visiting Trevi Fountain.
LEARN!
One of the games folks of all ages play in Italy is Bocce Ball. Buy a set on HERE and get to it!
That was fun! My kiddos are going to help me choose some more fun destinations for our virtual trips, so don’t unpack just yet!!!
