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 serving bowl of caponata with raisins and pine nuts.

The Best Sicilian Eggplant Caponata

A freshly baked Neapolitan style pizza.

Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe

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)

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

Easy Focaccia

A pot of assorted meats cooking in red sauce.

The Best Authentic Italian Sunday Gravy (Sugo)

Seafood Classics

A close up of opened clams in a bowl of clam chowder.

The Best Clam Chowder

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

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

Homemade Peach Pie

Close-up of a single shrimp po’boy sandwich on a plate with chips. The sandwich is drizzled with creamy sauce and packed with crispy shrimp, fresh tomato, lettuce, and red onion.

Cajun Shrimp Po Boy Sandwiches

Close-up shot of a dark ceramic bowl filled with roasted red pepper strips marinated with olive oil, garlic, and herbs, with a fork resting inside the bowl.

Marinated Roasted Red Peppers

Finished salad in white speckled bowl garnished with shaved parmesan, chopped hazelnuts, and fresh basil. Surrounding ingredients include a block of parmesan, small bowl of hazelnuts, and fresh basil sprigs on white parchment background.

Fresh Zucchini Salad

An overhead view of golden-brown, triangular panko-crusted fish fillets on parchment paper. The crispy coating has a rich amber color with darker spots where it's most deeply fried. Lemon wedges are placed around the fish, with sweet potato fries visible at the bottom of the frame and a small portion of coleslaw with purple cabbage visible in the upper left corner.

Panko Crusted Fried Fish

Finished Tuscan kale and beans dish served in a large skillet, with toasted bread slices and garlic cloves on a wooden board alongside. A metal spoon rests in the skillet, showing the moist, saucy consistency of the greens and beans.

Italian Beans and Greens Recipe

A plate of pasta with pistachio pesto.

Pistachio Pesto

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