Italian-American recipes, & more.
Welcome to A Simple Palate!
Here you’ll find some of my favorite Italian and Italian-American recipes, plus a little bit of everything else I love to cook. My hope is that these meals bring your family together the way they’ve always done for mine.
About Bethany
Hey, I’m Bethany 😊 I’m so glad you’re here.
A little bit about me personally…I am the youngest of four kids, born in Bergen County, New Jersey, before my family later moved to Pennsylvania. While most of my years were spent putting down new roots in PA, I was always drawn back to our original roots in Jersey and New York, especially through the food we cooked.
Food played a huge role in my life growing up. My mom and many of my aunts were incredible cooks, and they always brought our family together through the food they made. At a young age I often found myself sitting with the women in my family, watching cooking shows such as Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, and Giada (to name a few).
I started helping my mom in the kitchen around eight years old, reading her recipes written on envelopes or pieces of old mail, while Frank Sinatra played in the background. Even though I was the baby of the family, I was my mom’s helper, whether that meant helping her in the kitchen or preparing meals for my family when she couldn’t. That’s really where it all began for me.
Italian food was the first cuisine I learned to cook, and you’ll see plenty of that influence here on my blog, along with other favorites I’ve picked up along the way.
I realized early on that food isn’t just about eating-it’s about bringing people together. Some of my favorite memories are from being gathered around the table with my family, sharing these very recipes that were at the center of our time together.
My hope is that these recipes help spark those same kinds of moments with your own family and friends.
From my family, to yours. xo
About the Youtube Channel
After 10 years of blogging and sharing recipes, I finally stepped out from behind the camera and started our YouTube channel in April of 2024. What started as a leap of faith has turned into one of the greatest joys for Drew and me. We’ve been able to connect with so many wonderful people from all over the world through it.
Even though Drew works full-time, he still gives up his days off to help me film. It’s just the two of us, so we wear a lot of hats to make this all come together, but we truly love doing it.
From the beginning, it was important to me that our cooking videos felt approachable. Like something you could actually cook along with. Growing up, I loved watching the classic cooking shows with my mom and aunts, and the heart of that has been a big inspiration for how I wanted our videos to feel. In a fast-paced world, my hope is that these recipes give you a chance to slow down, enjoy the process, and share a meal with the people you love.
We’re always learning and trying to get better, but above all, I genuinely love making these videos. I look forward to each one, and I’m so thankful for your support along the way. 🙂
Fun Facts
I run A Simple Palate with my husband Drew. When he's not working as a full time Web Designer, he is A Simple Palate's official taste tester, web developer/designer, film crew for our youtube channel, and tech support. He wears many hats and I couldn't do any of this without him!
Drew and I have an English Springer Spaniel, Hudson (also known as "Huddy") whom we completely adore. If he’s not chasing birds outside, you can find his little snoot sniffing behind each recipe or YouTube video hoping a delicious ingredient falls to the floor (preferably cheese).
I've been cooking for as long as I can remember. From being my mom's helper in the kitchen, to cooking full meals for my family by the time I was 12.
I am a former competitive figure skater so cold ice rinks were where I spent most of my childhood. My dad played ice hockey when he was younger, so he was the one who first taught me how to skate. I skated competitively for most of my childhood then continued skating lessons in my 20's. You can still find me lacing up my skates and hitting the ice a few times a week to skate for fun or coach at my local ice rink. :)
My Most Popular Italian Recipes
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are you Italian?
No 🙂 A lot of people may assume I am, but I’m not. My mom was taught by Italian relatives how to cook, and she taught me those recipes while I was growing up. We also love Italian-American food because it’s a common cuisine in the NY/NJ area, where we are initially from. I never knew any different. Italian-American dishes were what I grew up knowing and loving.
Where can I find you on social media?
Who does your photography and videos for YouTube?
I handle all the photography and food styling for A Simple Palate, while Drew handles the filming for our YouTube videos. 🙂 Although the editing of our videos is my job!
Can I share your recipes on my own website or social media?
I am always happy when anyone wants to spread the word! However, I kindly request that you refrain from sharing my recipes on websites or other platforms. You are welcome to share my photography with a link credited to the original post! Please do not copy or paste my recipes to your blog, site, or any other platform.
Who designed your website?
My husband, Drew! To find more details, head to our Resources for Food Bloggers page.
hey jess! I would either cook it longer or add 1-2 additional Tablespoons of tomato paste (or as much as you need). Whenever I need to speed up a sauce and cut the acidy, I add more tomato paste. Some tomatoes are just more acidic, so if that doesn’t help 1-2 teaspoons of sugar should help.
I am interested in trying your Moroccan chickpea stew. My wife and I are on low sodium diets. Your table showing nutritional values does not list sodium. Could you please let me know what the sodium is?
Thank you
Hi Bethany, I would love to make the chicken Parmesan for guests and was wondering if I could refrigerate the chicken after sautéing it and then add the mozzarella and gravy later. Can’t wait to make your San Marzano marinara.
Hi Erin! Yes, you can do that no problem. 🙂 Hope you and your guests enjoy it!
Thank you for the Mahi, Mahi recipe. Hands down a really super.delicious fish taco.
All you heard at the table was “mmmmm, now these are a wow, good.”
Thank you so much, Becky! Super glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
Was surfing for a Parm recipe to determine if the mozzarella goes under or over the sauce. Looks like under. (I think I’ve actually done both in the past, but I want to do it correctly) In the process I found those nice deep dish pans. I’m tired of my lasagna overflowing my typical “cake” pan. Ordered a set to check them out and they are MUCH more reasonably priced than almost all the alternatives I’ve looked at. My preference was definitely toward stainless steel as opposed to other materials. Nice dog BTW. Mine is a Labrador Retriever and she loves anything Italian.
We are putting together college cookbook for our grandsons , we would like to use some of your recipes and photos for their cookbook if permitted
Thanks
Fred
of course you can! Thanks for asking 🙂
Hi Bethany! Cant wait to try your San Marzano Tomato Sauce but the recipe calls for 5 28 oz cans of the tomatoes. Is this correct? Seems like a lot. Thank you!
Hi Doreen! I always cut the recipe in half when I don’t need all the servings (3 cans). Or you can make the full serving and freeze half for a later time! 🙂
Oh, and did I say U are soo pretty(just saying):)
you’re so sweet! Thank you!!
You are amazingggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am trying your egg plant rollatina.
Hope you enjoy it!
Me too
I made the eggplant rollatini last night, it was great! Thank you! You should add the word “lengthwise” so people know to cut the eggplant lengthwise instead and they make sure they buy large eggplants.
Just changed it! Thanks you, Liz 🙂 so glad you enjoyed it!
Gm can i use a smaller cast iron pot for the cinnamon raisin bread recipe? Or it must be 6 qt? Ty!
You should have success using a 4 QT cast iron pot!
Bethany congratulations you are the first cook I have come across to use the simplest ingredients that my family has always used except we never never put oregano in a tomato sauce we’re going to use for pasta lasagna excetera because it’ll make it taste like pizza I also cannot eat onions I was glad to see that you used carrots instead, that’s what I do. I also use only cento tomato passata(strained)because it removes the skin and the seeds, which is something else I can’t eat. We stopped using the paste because the meat makes the sauce thick. I eliminate the four hours by using a pressure cooker and in a half an hour or so, it’s done meat and all.
You Aced it!. Congratulations
Yep, I can tell you’re from back East, yup; I can tell YOU’RE part Italiana, yes? Cuz, NJ+NY+Italiana = GORGEOUS! Bellissima! Anyway, WE are mostly Eye-talian (Me = Sicilian mostly) and I am trying YOUR chicken Parma, Bethany, because: 1) The 92 year old madre ORDERED it (LOL!) (SHE is 42% Italiana) 2) I loooooooooooooooove to cook, esp. Italian, it’s how *I* relax and 3) Mom does NOT cook, I am her DAILY chef! And, since I’m retired, I can cook all the dishes and learn alllll the Italian words I can – I got the time! Well, gotta go. Gonna give YOUR CP a whirl, and THANK YOU for this site and all you do. Ya know, some cooks are just BORN, and you obviously were/are…Salut to you and Drew! Ciao!
You’re too kind. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the chicken parmesan. I just had it the other night while visiting my family back east and it’s truly one of my favorites!