Most of us recognize Rosanna Scotto as the smart and vivacious cohost on “Good Day New York,” which airs weekday mornings on FOX5 from 7 am to 9 am. But when she’s not headlining the news, Scotto is busy balancing her off-air roles as mother and restaurateur.
What’s your role like as co-owner of your family’s restaurant, Fresco by Scotto?
I am there several times a week, and almost always for Saturday night dinner. My role there is to schmooze! I bring people to the table; I talk to them, take pictures. It’s good to get feedback on what we’re doing with the show.
What do you love most about anchoring “Good Day New York?”
I love the fact that you are basically flying on a trapeze, because there are days when everything goes so smoothly and you’re just high from all the interviews, cooking segments, and news segments that you did. And then there are days when you say, “Why did I say that?” and you’re kicking yourself.
The beauty is that every day I have the chance to do it all over again.
How are you able to balance your work with your life as a mom?
Very delicately. I have two teenagers—Jenna, 19, and Louis Jr., 14—and you would think the older they get, the less parenting you do. But I’m finding that with teenagers you worry even more because it’s a different set of problems!
Does food play a big role in your family life?
My kids all love cooking. In the summer, my son works in the kitchen at Fresco. He is very happy because this summer he has worked himself up to busboy. My daughter is a second-year student in college, and she is going to be working at the restaurant this summer, but her aspiration is to be in the music business.
Do you have any tips for quick meals that parents can make at home?
Pasta dishes are always really fast, and I always take the shortcut. If I make pasta with broccoli, I don’t boil the broccoli first. I’ll just throw it in the pot with the garlic and the oil. We do this great chicken cutlet in the pan: sauté it for 3 or 4 minutes on each side in olive oil, throw on a little parmesan cheese, sauté it on each side for another minute, and that’s it!
As the mother of two teenagers, do you have any words of wisdom to pass down to parents who are just starting out?
It is a work in progress! No children are alike, and parents need to give themselves a break. I know that I am not perfect; I have made some mistakes along the way. As long as you love your children, that’s really all that counts at the end of the day.
For a delicious Mother’s Day dish, Rosanna Scotto recommends this recipe from her family’s restaurant.
SAUSAGE, PEPPER, AND PROVOLONE WRAPS
(Fresco by Scotto)
1 pound Italian sausage links, cooked and sliced
4 large bell peppers, sliced thin
1 large onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
1/2 pound sliced provolone cheese Salt and pepper to taste Your favorite store-bought wraps
In a 10-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium to high heat. Sauté sausage until golden brown and cooked through. Add the peppers and sauté for 15 minutes, then add the onions, garlic, and chili pepper, and cook until soft and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. To assemble wraps, slice 2 sausage links per wrap. On each wrap, add the sausage and 3 tablespoons of peppers and onions. Top with sliced provolone cheese. Wrap and enjoy.
