For foodies and Catholics alike, a visit to OurCatholicKitchen.com begins with a welcoming message from husband-and-wife team Stephen and Emilie Sepcich: “This is where faith meets food. We love sharing simple recipes, feast-day traditions, and the joy of gathering around the table, all with Christ at the center of our home.”

Both were raised in devout homes. As Stephen explained, “We both grew up in Catholic families and attended Catholic schools growing up. I deepened my faith in undergrad and developed a deep love for the Church, tradition and the saints.

“The intercession of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and St. Francis de Sales have been instrumental in my life and continue to be so in our marriage,” he said. “Emilie also truly deepened her faith in college, finding joy in Our Lord through adoration and by attending the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. She continually relies on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the intercession of Our Blessed Mother and St. Padre Pio.”

Stephen said the popular Catholic food website “started right after our engagement in late 2023. Most of our dates revolved around our cooking together and as we got closer to marriage, we realized we were getting good at this.”

He went on to explain that neither he nor Emilie has had any professional culinary training. But he said he has always been fascinated by all things culinary.

He added that Emilie cooks for their baby boy, making foods such as baby pancakes and shrimp cakes. “He is a very smiley baby around mealtime,” Stephen said.

Emilie grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, enjoying Creole and Cajun dishes. “I grew up with a lot of spices, and my dad taught me how to cook,” she said.

Stephen recalled that his mother cooked many family meals, but he has a vivid memory of his father making red beans and rice, a traditional Cajun dish. “I had to stir the mixture every hour. Even if I missed it, I would feel guilty.”

Now the couple makes red beans and rice often. And, Stephen added, “We make from-scratch pizza, sometimes twice a week. We compress the dough midday, let it rise, and then make the pizza sauce. We continue to let it rise, but we finish making it after putting the baby to bed. … In the winter, in cold weather, we make many soups and stews.”

“We are trying to grow our website,” Stephen said. “Emilie’s brother and many of our other family members read our blog and have made a few of the recipes. Our most popular post is our tiramisu.”

The recipe Stephen and Emilie have decided to share is their take on a pistachio pesto pasta. This dish, like many of their other recipes, was inspired by a restaurant meal — in this case, a pasta dish served at Sofia’s restaurant in New Orleans.

“Most of our recipes are our takes on other dishes that we have tried at restaurants, although we have also gotten many recipes from some great chefs,” he said.

Pistachio Pesto Pasta

“In many ways, this dish is an embodiment of the mission of Our Catholic Kitchen,” said Stephen. “It’s a recipe that we have tweaked and tampered with numerous times and one that can be changed by whoever is making it to his or her liking. It leans on tradition while still varying from it when needed because, at the end of the day, what matters is making something delicious to bring people together and lead them closer to Christ.”

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pistachios
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional, but we like the flavor combination)
• 2-4 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh basil leaves 
• 8 to 10 ounces Trofie or Vesuvio pasta, or preferably curly pasta
• 1/2 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Salt, to taste

Directions

1. Toast pistachios (and pine nuts, if using) in a dry skillet until fragrant. Peel garlic and wash and dry basil leaves.
2. Get a pot of heavily salted boiling water going and throw in your pasta until cooked. 
3. In a food processor, pulse garlic with a little olive oil. Add nuts and pulse until coarse. (If you would like to be traditional, everything is ground in a mortar and pestle, but the food processor makes things 10 times quicker.)
4. Add basil and Parmigiano Reggiano; pulse until combined. With processor running, slowly drizzle in remaining olive oil, scraping sides as needed. Season with salt to taste. 
5. Saving the pasta water, remove your cooked pasta and put it into a pan with the heat off. Add your pesto, as well as a tablespoon or so of your pasta water. Mix to incorporate. Enjoy.