Coastal Italian Recipes

Hey I'm Coley!

Hey! I'm Nicole Gaffney, but my friends all call me Coley and you should too. I grew up at the Jersey shore in a big family of Sicilian fishermen and I'm passionate about all things Italian and seafood. As a professionally trained chef, it's my mission to share my best tips and tricks to help you cook incredible food for the people you love.

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Italian Recipes

Browse my collection of traditional Italian recipes and modern twists on the classics

Seafood Recipes

Browse my collection of seafood recipes

Featured Recipe

Homemade Arancini

A traditional recipe that produces a crunchy exterior with creamy risotto, savory meat sauce and melty mozzarella inside!

Authentic Sicilian
arancini recipe

Extreme close-up of a halved arancini revealing its savory filling of ground meat, green peas, carrots and melted cheese inside the crispy breaded exterior.

Italian Favorites

A pot of homemade marinara sauce with a wooden spoon and sprig of basil.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Overhead shot of a white plate with meatballs, a scoop of ricotta, fresh basil and a glass of red wine.

Authentic Italian Meatballs

overhead shot of a bowl of pasta with clam sauce

Linguine Vongole (Linguine with Clam Sauce)

A plate of carpaccio of beef on a wooden table.

Beef Carpaccio (Carpaccio di Manzo)

A plate of pasta with pistachio pesto.

Pistachio Pesto

A freshly baked Neapolitan style pizza.

Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe

Side view of stacked focaccia bread pieces showing the airy texture and golden crust.

Easy Focaccia

Finished eggs in purgatory in gray skillet with sliced rustic bread on wooden board, chopped basil and crumbled goat cheese in small bowls.

Eggs in Purgatory Recipe (Eggs with Tomato Sauce)

Seafood Classics

A bowl of New England clam chowder with a hand dipping bread.

The Best New England Clam Chowder Recipe

overhead shot of a platter with crab cakes and lemon wedges on top

Maryland Crab Cakes

A white bowl with bright orange lobster soup with a lobster tail and chives on top.

Classic Creamy Lobster Bisque

A large pot of San Francisco cioppino with a large serving spoon.

San Francisco Cioppino: Easy Authentic Seafood Stew

A white plate with pan seared scallops with fresh thyme and a lemon in the background.

Perfect Pan Seared Scallops

A plate of baked stuffed clams with lemons and a cocktail fork.

Italian Baked Stuffed Clams Oreganata

Rare seared tuna sliced on a plate with an herb sauce.

Seared Tuna Steaks

Close up of a pile of steamed crabs and corn on the cob.

Steamed Maryland Blue Crabs

Trending Recipes

Close up of fresh raw ahi tuna tartare with capers, tomatoes, red onion and breadcrumbs on top.

Tuna Tartare with Capers and Tomatoes

Italian Ricotta Cheesecake

A pot of assorted meats cooking in red sauce.

The Best Authentic Italian Sunday Gravy (Sugo)

A dramatic close-up of two stacked filet mignon steaks with one cut open to display its perfectly medium-rare center. The photo captures the contrast between the seared exterior and red interior.

Filet Mignon in Cast Iron Skillet

A bowl of freshly made Sicilian lemon garlic herb sauce.

Salmoriglio

A plate of brown butter sage potato gnocchi.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Scooping ricotta pesto pasta out of a pan.

Ricotta Pesto Pasta

A blue plate with a slice of peach pie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a fork.

Homemade Peach Pie

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Sign up for my newsletter and receive my Essential Guide to Italian Pantry Staples with a printable checklist!