It’s no secret I love Italian food. I’m pretty sure my love of Italian food is rubbing off on our children as well, which is good for me because that means I can make it more often! The problem is, though, I’ve kind of gotten stuck in a rut. I like all sorts of Italian food yet I seem to always use the same ingredients and recipes over and over again. I was in desperate need of expanding and trying new things! I was thrilled for the chance to try the Colavita Simply Italian Gift Basket!
Disclosure: I participated in this event on behalf of Wendy’s Bloggers for Colavita. I received Colavita products to facilitate my review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and those of my family.
Colavita is a family-owned olive oil and Italian food brand that offers a variety of great Italian foods and oils. When I received my Colavita Simply Italian Gift Basket, I couldn’t wait to open it up and check out everything! It’s not only chock full of goodies, but it comes nicely packaged as well! This automatically made me thing “What a perfect gift!”
The Colavita Simply Italian Gift Basket includes:
- Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Colavita Balsamic Vinegar
- Cirio Crushed Tomato with Basil
- Colavita Eggplant & Sweet Peppers
- Colavita Olive Bruschetta
- Colavita Marinara Sauce
- Colavita Tomato Basil Sauce
- Colavita Penne Rigate
- Dal Raccolto Capellini
- Dal Raccolto Orchiette
- Almond Cantuccini
All of this for just $75! What a great value, right? I was excited by the possibilities! The best part is they also offer a complete recipe library, so if you’re stuck in a rut like I have been, inspiration is at the click of the mouse! I got to try my hand at a new Italian Recipe from Colavita!
Eggplant and Sweet Pepper Veggie Pasta (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil OR 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 jar Colavita Eggplant and Sweet Peppers
- 1 pound Colavita Pasta
- ½ jar Colavita Marinara Sauce
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
The only substitution I made was using shredded cheese versus grated cheese because we moved recently, and I haven’t found all of my kitchen utensils yet!
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Heat 2 tbsp Colavita Olive Oil in large skillet over medium-low heat.
(These can be done simultaneously, which I always love to do! Being a busy mom, I’m all about being efficient!)
3. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the jar of Eggplant and Sweet Peppers and simmer for another 3 minutes to release the flavors.
4. Add the ½ jar of Colavita Marinara (or Tomato Basil) Sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to incorporate all the flavors.
5. When the water boils, add the pasta, stirring to prevent sticking. Cook according to package directions.
6. Drain pasta, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water and transfer the pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Using tongs, mix the pasta into the sauce well.
7. If the sauce seems dry, feel free to add a little of the pasta water.
8. Season with salt and pepper and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and basil.
Voila! A tasty dish the whole family loves! Even our picky 4 year old gobbled it up! This recipe takes pasta from drab to fab! It really has a lot of flavor, the texture of the pasta was wonderful, and I was truly impressed with the quality and taste of the Colavita products. We also complemented our meal with the Almond Cantuccini, which is a crunchy, tasty treat!
Of course, I still have more to use, and I can’t wait! Upon browsing on the Colavita website I also discovered they offer organic and gluten-free pastas as well!
I love the history of Colavita and love that they offer quality products the whole family can enjoy!
For More Information:
Visit the Colavita Website
Connect with Colavita on Facebook and Twitter
*Giveaway!!*
How would you like to win a Colavita Simply Italian Basket? This giveaway will run through December 13, 2014 at 10pm Central Time and is open to US residents ages 18+. Enter the giveaway now!!
I love their products, always have. They are our ‘go to’ for cooking Italian food.
You are right, who wouldn’t want to receive such a lovely,useful gift. Especially nice that access to their recipes. Getting an assortment of items in that basket would truly inspire you to create something new. Thanks for review.
Wow what a great review and recipe too.
I would be very anxious to try so many of their products.
This is a great giftbasket, my mom loves anything pasta so can make her some great meals with this.
I like that this is a family owned business.
I’ve always loved Colavite olive oil, but had no idea they offered such a selection of products! Eggplant & peppers, pasta, marinara sauce?!? Why am I just now finding this out? I can’t wait to try them.
I know! I had no idea they offered so much! I’m so glad I was introduced to their full line of products!
The recipe looks perfect. I use olive oil almost exclusively and have recently started trying it for baked goods.
Great review. We always try to eat healthy. We have been using olive oil for about 6 months now. Would love to try this one.
Thanks for the recipe. My daughter will love it.
You’re welcome! I definitely hope she does!
I would love to get this as a gift, or even give it as a gift.
Such a gorgeous gift box and everything looks delicious.
Very nice review. I love the collection of Artisanal Pasta this company caries as well. Look forward to trying their products.
I love that recipes are supplied online with their products. I love the eggplant recipe you made…it sounds and looks awesome!
That recipe sure looks delicious! I bet this company would have some really italian products
I have not tried their products but going to look for them when I go shopping. Love making Italian food!
These products sound great. The recipes sound absolutely delicious. I hope to get the opportunity to these.
What a wonderful review. I love eggplant and the recipe sounds like something I would so enjoy. I have used Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil before and loved it. I have not had a chance to use any of the other wonderful products, they offer. This would be an awesome gift. Thanks for sharing with us.
You’re very welcome! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This is a great giveaway… the products look so tasty. I like the combo of the eggplant and peppers… I have not had that combo before.
I actually wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but I really do!
I would love to try the Colavita Eggplant & Sweet Peppers because this would simplify a number of Italian meals.
Everything in this gift package looks delish.
This looks wonderful..tasty and healthy!
The gift basket coupled with great Italian recipes would be a blessing and a perfect gift.
These are great products. That dish looks amazingly good. Thanks for your review!
Wow, looks delicious. I would love to show my Italian side of the family I can cook too.
Wow, that looks delicious. I’d love to try their organic and gluten-free items!
The only time I’ve ever had eggplant was in Eggplant Parmesan. This is a great way to incorporate this healthy vegetable.
I have used Colavita for years.I love everything about their products. Thanks for this delicious recipe and the pictures. It looks delicious.
Carol L
Their Extra Virgin Olive Oil looks so good. This recipe looks amazingly delicious. I pinned it so I can make it sometime. I’ve never tried any of their products before. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
You are welcome! It is delicious!
I like their olive oil. I would like to try some other products though.
I love the recipe that you have above, I will definatly try it. I am the only one who will knowingly will eat eggplant, so this will be a attempt to get them to eat it.
I can definitely relate!
ilove teh new stuff and that looks good i try it
Looks great,I would love to try the Eggplant and Sweet Peppers.
Oh, I want this all! Seriously! This is my favorite giveaway ever! I am a foodie at heart and everything that I have seen on their website looks and sounds delicious! I have a lot of Italians in my home and they will love it all!
A great gift basket for the aspiring chef. They certainly have good products.
The products look so good and I’ll definitely be trying the recipe!
This recipe looks very tasty. Thanks for sharing!
It is delicious! You’re welcome!
I have never used Colavita products before. I’m sure I must have walked past it at the grocery store a million times by now, but I have never noticed it before. But, your pasta looks absolutely DELICIOUS, so I will have to check out some of these products.