Month: March 2022

With summer quickly approaching, we know that means that parties and gatherings are going to pick up too. Maybe you’re hosting a graduation, a birthday, or just a get together with your family. Party planning can be stressful, but picking food for the party doesn’t have to be!

Our La Bella Romana catering department can help you with all your needs!

You’ll be getting an authentic, home cooked meal without having to spend hours in the kitchen making the food! 

The inspiration for our catering department comes from my grandmother and our matriarch, Romana Caputo. 

Romana was Angelo’s guiding force and his pillar of strength. In 1984, Angelo began his quest to start a private label. He used this new private label as an opportunity to honor his wife and named it, La Bella Romana, which translates to “The Beautiful Romana.” La Bella Romana products are sold exclusively at Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets and the La Bella Romana brand includes our Cucina and Catering department.

Romana was known for her passion for cooking. Nobody could prepare a feast or host a party quite like her. Every person left her house feeling full and like a member of the family! Her love and incredible talent for cooking inspired many of our featured recipes. In upholding Romana’s legacy, we take pride in creating delicious meals with the best ingredients. Family is who we are, and we want you to make the most of all the time you can spend with your family.

Choosing La Bella Romana Catering is an easy way to make any event or gathering a success!

Remember, our La Bella Romana Cucina is just as prepared to serve a simple, grab-and-go meal as feed a family of eight or cater a party of 1,800. Every day of the week we offer a wide selection of entrees, sides, soups, and salads. When planning a larger event, simply call your local store — or get in touch with our catering department at (630) 620-4444 ext 1040.

We have items for every meal– trays, buffets, meal combos, full meals, and more! We’d love to work with you to make your next event a success!

We also have plenty of options for desserts! From the classic pastries and cookies to cake pops, chocolate covered pretzels and strawberries, macaroon trees, and more!

Check out the catering menu and dessert options here

From Our Family To Yours

St. Joseph’s Day is March 19th and it’s a big celebration in Italian culture! 

This day calls for a feast! Some people attend parties where friends and family come together to honor St. Joseph or San Giuseppe. You might even notice many St. Joseph’s Day tables in your communities around this time as a tribute to him. The traditions vary, but most celebrations include a lot of food and the St. Joseph’s Day staple– Zeppole!

Italians usually celebrate St. Joseph’s Day with a big feast. The tradition of the feast dates back to the middle ages. Sicily was in the middle of a big drought. This drought was causing crops to dry up and left Sicilians on the brink of famine. They prayed to St. Joseph to relieve them with rain and in return they would honor him with a big feast or a banquet. When the rain came a few days later, they honored him as they said he would.

This tradition is still intact and many people come together to feast in St. Joseph’s honor! There are a few traditional meal items for you to enjoy on March 19th!

Fava Beans

It is believed that fava beans are what saved the people suffering from the drought from starvation. Enjoy some pasta with fava beans or find fava beans as decoration on the table!

Pasta con Sarde

Pasta con sarde is a long cut of pasta with breadcrumbs and anchovies or sardines Traditionally, Mafaldine pasta is used. This long, wavy pasta cut is great for gathering all the breadcrumbs on the pasta. The breadcrumbs are meant to resemble sawdust, an ode to St. Joseph’s carpentry background! 

Zeppole

Dessert is a must and on St. Joseph’s Day, you’re sure to find zeppole on the table! Zeppole are traditional donut-like fritters that are coiled on top. They are stuffed with different fillings and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. This is fitting because St. Joseph also happens to be the patron saint of pastry chefs! There are many different types of zeppole. Traditional zeppole are filled with cannoli or custard. We make both of these versions from scratch in our bakery! Stop by and pick up your zeppole and try out our new flavors to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day!

What are your go-to meals or traditions on St. Joseph’s day? Share them down below!

St. Joseph’s Day is also celebrated as Father’s Day in Italy, so be sure to wish all the father-like figures in your life a Happy Father’s Day this Saturday!

From Our Family To Yours

March 2nd marks the beginning of the Lenten season, an important time for the Christian community! This is the 40 days leading up to Easter and is a period of reflection and sacrifice. There are many traditions during this time and one important rule to follow is the fasting from meat on certain days.

Every Friday in Lent, you are supposed to refrain from eating meat. Lent is a time of simplicity and when observances were being created, meat and land animals were considered a symbol of celebration and prosperity. Because of this, Christians abstain from eating meat to honor the fact that it is a solemn period of time. The day of the week was chosen because Jesus suffered and died on a Friday. For these reasons, the practicing religions cut out meat on Fridays.

Although it seems simple, when it comes to making multiple meals that don’t include meat and that everyone will like can become difficult week after week. 

Here are 4 meatless meal suggestions to help you out when you’re not sure what to make!

Stir Fry

Grab your favorite veggies, rice or noodles, and your favorite sauce for a meatless dinner that will leave you wanting more! A stir fry is great because it is totally customizable– you get to pick every aspect of it and can choose the ingredients that work best for your meal. You can add or remove as many veggies as you like, just like you can pick the sauce that will completely change the flavor! 

Stir Fry Recipe: https://shopcaputos.com/recipe-rack?dishId=9a62d670-55cf-4753-aac3-a7e9df18d630

Pizza Night

Get the whole family involved and make your own pizza! We offer all the ingredients you need for a homemade pizza night. You can stop by our prepared foods section for homemade dough, sauce, veggies, toppings, and more! It’s great bonding and just a fun night, especially if you make a Nutella pizza for dessert!

Want pizza, but don’t have time to make it yourself? Grab one of our 16” take and bake pizzas for dinner. With multiple different options as far as toppings, it’s an easy dinner that everyone will love.

Making your own pizza and want some inspiration? Check out these gourmet pizza ideas here

Pasta

Versatile, easy,and delicious– three words we love to hear when it comes to meal time! While pasta seems like a basic dish, you can get creative with it! Our aisles are full of different pasta options- short or long, fresh or frozen, imported or domestic. Once you choose what pasta cut, then you move on to the sauce- our homemade supreme sauce, classic tomato sauce, arrabiata, and so many more. Plus, don’t forget about the mix ins and spices! With so many different combinations to try, pasta dishes will never get boring! 

Seafood

Not only is seafood a good meatless option, there are plenty of health benefits! Fish is filled with omega 3s and different nutrients that your body craves. Our extensive fish department will help you find just what you’re looking for. Fish can be eaten as meals or can be added to different dishes for great flavors– seafood risotto, pasta with clams, or just a simply grilled salmon are all great dishes with lots of flavor!

Fish can be intimidating to cook, but we can make it easy! We offer a variety of pre-marinated seafood options. They are full of flavor and all you have to do is put it in the oven and pick your sides! Pro tip: try one of our pre-marinated salmon choices in the air fryer!

Not in the mood to cook after a long week? Stop into one of our stores and check out the prepared foods section! There are tons of meatless options for yourself or for the whole family!

From Our Family To Yours