TikTok Recipes: Italian

By Sophie Wells

I don’t know about you, but almost every time I go on TikTok I come across the most incredible-looking recipes from all over the world.

One of the pages I visit most frequently these days is @the_pastaqueen. Her videos have reached thousands of likes, inspiring viewers all over the world to give her Italian dishes a try. Not only is she popular on TikTok, but her YouTube page currently has 47.5 thousand subscribers. After vigorously scrolling through her content, as well as others, I’ve discovered seven dishes that seriously have me craving Italian food day and night.

First up, we have a simple Italian iced coffee recipe called Granita Al Caffé.

Granita Al Caffé Ingredients

By @the_pastaqueen

• Brown sugar

• Ground coffee

• Whipped Cream

All you have to do is boil water and brown sugar together, add your previously ground coffee, mix and cool it down by adding a few ice cubes. In your coffee cup, first add a layer of whipped cream, put your coffee mixture on top of that and finish it off with another layer of whipped cream. This easy mixture is also freezeable so you can use it whenever!

Next up, we have a rich and zesty Italian cake.

Lemon Ricotta Cake Ingredients

By @the_pastaqueen

• 400 grams all-purpose flour

• 400 grams brown sugar

• 3 tsp baking soda

• As much vanilla powder as desired

• 400 grams fresh ricotta cheese (no need to drain)

• 1 large egg

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Juice of 2 small lemons OR 1 large lemon

• Orange blossom essence (optional)

• Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

To begin, preheat your oven to 350. In a bowl, combine the 400 grams of all-purpose flour, 400 grams of brown sugar, 3 tsp of baking soda, your vanilla powder and mix it all together. Then, add 400 grams of fresh ricotta cheese and mix well. Add in one large egg, the zest of 1 lemon and juice of 2 small lemons (or 1 large lemon) and mix once again. If desired, the Pasta Queen recommends you add in a couple drops of orange blossom essence to enhance the zesty flavors. Grab a nine-inch cake pan (if possible) and butter the bottom and sides well. After pouring your batter in, spread around evenly, put it in your preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes and voilà! Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and enjoy.

Alright, now it’s time for the main attraction: PASTA.

From fettuccine to linguine, these dishes literally have my mouth watering. One of the Pasta Queen’s most popular TikTok recipes (for good reason) is Penne Alla Vodka.

Penne Alla Vodka Ingredients

By @the_pastaqueen

Measurements are up to you - add as much or as little of each ingredient as you feel necessary

• Pancetta

• Extra virgin olive oil

• White onion

• A quality vodka

• Previously chopped tomatoes

• A glass of heavy cream

• Penne pasta

• Parsley to top

• Salt to taste

Start by cutting your pancetta into slices, then cubes. But, keep in mind while using this meat in your dish that it is known for being fairly salty. The saltier you want it, the more you should add. After dribbling some extra virgin olive oil into a pan on low heat, add your pancetta and however much chopped white onion you desire, fry for a couple of minutes while stirring and then turn it up to medium heat. Add a generous amount of vodka and cook until the alcohol evaporates. When the onion becomes transparent and there’s no more alcohol visible, add your chopped tomatoes. At this point, you should begin boiling a pot of water for your penne pasta. (Salt the water too, of course). After letting your sauce cook with the tomatoes for a while longer, add a glass of heavy cream and lightly salt your sauce. Add your penne pasta to the boiling water, cook until al dente (around 10 minutes) and save a little extra pasta water. Combine your pasta with the sauce, add a tiny bit of pasta water to thin it out (if you feel necessary) and mix well. Top with some fresh parsley and there you have it!

FUN FACT - This recipe was originally called “The Furious Pasta” and made its first appearance in a cookbook written by an Italian actor named Ugo Tognazzi in 1974.

Another pasta that must be mentioned, is the Pasta Queen’s creamy Pasta Carbonara.

“Wars have been started over this recipe,” she says. “Let’s make it right.”

Pasta Carbonara Ingredients

By @the_pastaqueen

• 50 gr of Guanciale per person (Pancetta if you can’t find it)

• 2-3 egg yolks (1 per person and ALWAYS 1 extra if your sauce thins out)

• 40 gr of Pecorino Romano cheese per person

• Pepper

• 200 gr spaghetti

First, the Pasta Queen recommends: “Be gorgeous while cooking. It makes it taste better.” Next, fry your cubed guanciale meat in a pan without oil. While it’s sizzling, boil and salt your pasta water while saving about 1 cup of it to the side. In a separate bowl, add your egg yolk (saving one egg yolk later for when you may need it), grate your cheese on top of it and mix together until it is a smooth cream. Add fresh pepper on top, a bit of fried guanciale and it’s fat, as well. To finish, toss your cooked pasta with your creamy sauce mixture. If the sauce is too thick, add some pasta water. If it is too thin, add another egg yolk.

FUN FACT - Some believe the name of this pasta comes from the name of an old and secret Italian society named Carbonari.

An extremely simple and well-known snack in Italy is called Bruschetta, which is basically toasted bread topped with tomato, basil and olive oil. Many other ingredients can and have been used to enhance it, as well.

However, the Pasta Queen has yet again blessed us with the most simple (yet delicious) way to create this famous snack.

Bruschetta Ingredients

By @the_pastaqueen

• Tomatoes

• Fresh basil

• Salt

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Bread slices (french or sourdough)

• A clove of garlic

To start, chop your tomatoes and fresh basil and mix with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl. According to the Pasta Queen, if you cover this bowl with seran wrap and let sit for 20 minutes, the juices will marinate. Next, grab some slices of bread (preferably french or sourdough) that are a few days old and give them a good toast on the stove. Rub the tops of your toast with raw garlic to “get your blood flowing.” Top with the tomato mixture and a couple basil leaves to finish off this beautiful, Italian snack.

Another version of this snack that caught my eye was a Peach & Goat Cheese Bruschetta by @juliannavezza. It may not have been created by the Pasta Queen, but that’s no problem. It looks truly incredible.

Peach & Goat Cheese Bruschetta Ingredients

By @juliannavezza

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Bread slices (french or sourdough)

• Goat cheese

• Chopped fresh basil

• 1 ripe peach

• Honey to top

This recipe begins with brushing olive oil over your bread slices and placing them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. While the bread is toasting, combine your softened goat cheese and chopped basil in a bowl to make a mixture. Then, cut your peach into small pieces. When the bread is toasted, top each slice with your goat cheese/basil mixture, a few pieces of peach and drizzle with honey. As you can see below, the result is absolutely beautiful.

One last Italian recipe that I just have to include is @danyellkneecoal’s “Creamy Italian Chicken.” And, let me tell you, it is absolutely to die for.

Creamy Italian Chicken Ingredients

By @danyellkneecoal

• Two chicken breasts

• Oregano, salt and pepper to season

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 ½ cups whole cherry tomatoes

• 2 cups spinach

• ½ cup heavy cream

• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

• Fresh parsley and lemon juice to top

To start, season two chicken breasts with oregano, salt and pepper and cook each side in a pan on the stove for about seven minutes. Next, add three tablespoons of unsalted butter, three garlic cloves and cook for two minutes. Come back and add one and a half cups of whole cherry tomatoes and let their juices cookout. Add two cups of spinach, half a cup of heavy cream and one fourth cup of grated parmesan cheese to the pan. Once this delicious sauce thickens, add the chicken breast back in the pan and let it all simmer and marinate together. To finish, top with parsley and lemon juice.

Make sure to keep an eye out for new Italian recipes from these talented TikTok chefs! You definitely won’t want to miss them.

Sophie Wells is an editorial intern who is knowledgeable in all things fashion, cooking and entertainment.