In The Kitchen with Carly Shea

Carly Shea brings an unmatched level of creativity, passion, and versatility to everything she does. After a stint in the nonprofit world, she joined Yolo Journal in its early days, where she took on a multitude of roles—everything from managing social media to running out to the post office to send off magazine copies. Carly’s ability to adapt and handle every detail helped shape the publication into what it is today.

Now, as Associate Editor at Yolo Journal, Carly oversees the newsletter and website, but she hasn’t let go of her passion for travel. She’s constantly on the move, journeying from Cuba to Japan, always securing that coveted window seat to watch the world unfold below her. Carly has an unrelenting passion for discovering small, soulful hotels, savoring unfamiliar dishes (many of which she can’t pronounce!), and finding places that seem untouched by time—each trip adding to her ever-growing list of travel treasures.

When Carly isn’t on the road, she calls Brooklyn home, where she thrives in the simple joys of life—whether it's relaxing in a hotel bathrobe or cooking for friends, often preparing a dish inspired by her travels. Her ability to transform simple ingredients into extraordinary dishes mirrors the thoughtful, meaningful approach she takes in all aspects of her life. Carly has a way of weaving together stories, food, and places into something timeless and connected, and it’s that spirit of exploration that makes her stand out.

At our recent pasta potluck hosted by Francesca, Carly delighted us with her Roasted Red Pepper Pesto—a recipe she’s cherished since her university days. This vibrant, nutty, and versatile pesto is vegan, gluten-free, and pairs wonderfully with pasta, toast, or even straight from the spoon. One taste, and it effortlessly becomes a staple in your kitchen.

Q&A with Carly

1. Can you speak a little to the pasta sauce that you brought to the potluck and are you open to sharing the recipe?

I brought my favorite roasted red pepper pesto—back in university, my flatmate Sophie and I threw dinner parties all the time, and this was our go-to. The recipe is more of a suggestion, I tweak it often—sometimes skipping the roasted pepper, swapping pine nuts for walnuts, or adjusting the spice, tang, or sweetness depending on what I’m serving it with. It comes together in less than five minutes, and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand, so it’s the perfect thing to whip up if you’re short on time but still want to impress. Bonus: it’s vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free—but thankfully, it doesn’t taste like it. 

2. What do you think it is about pasta that makes it so universally loved?

Versatility, comfort, and nostalgia all come to mind. For me, there’s often been a ritual attached to it—whether it was a box of Annie’s Mac & cheese after soccer practice or the final step in preparing a Sunday dinner, when the scent of a slowly simmering sauce had been filling the house for hours (the sauce always waits for the pasta!). It’s so simple yet personal—like a lot of the best things in life.

3. What is the best pasta you have ever had?

Orecchiette in Puglia—anywhere, everywhere, but especially at Palazzo Daniele. Way back, my family is from Puglia, and many of the family recipes I grew up with are broken-telephone versions of traditional Puglian dishes. One of our favorites is conchiglie with broccoli, which, when my mom and I visited Puglia a few summers ago, we realized was actually my grandmother’s Massachusetts-in-the-’70s adaptation of orecchiette con cime di rapa. Tasting it in its original form was incredible, and sharing that moment with my mom made it even more special. At the end of our trip, we spent a few days at Palazzo Daniele and fell in love with Sonia, the chef. She didn’t speak much English, but she didn’t have to. She gave us an impromptu cooking lesson, filling in the gaps of our family recipes with a little Google Translate—and a surprising amount of breadcrumbs. If you go, you must ask for her meatball recipe—I’ve never seen my mom admit anyone’s are better than her own.

At our recent pasta potluck hosted by Francesca, Carly delighted us with her Roasted Red Pepper Pesto—a recipe she’s cherished since her university days. This vibrant, nutty, and versatile pesto is vegan, gluten-free, and pairs wonderfully with pasta, toast, or even straight from the spoon. One taste, and it effortlessly becomes a staple in your kitchen.

PORTA offers a uniquely honed edit of homewares from Europe bringing unique character and thoughtful design to your table and home in a way that simultaneously celebrates tradition while embracing contemporary style. Through our travels, interests and obsessions we bring storied traditions and histories to light so they can be engaged with in new ways. Many chefs explore and play with similar interests and ideas through food, and in our seriesIn The Kitchen With…we hope to highlight the joy and creativity that happens from stove to table by inviting chefs to whip up something wonderful on (or accessorized by) PORTA products. Each chef is generously sharing their recipe with us so that we can all recreate the magic at home, and answering a few questions about their love of food and approach to bringing people together around the table.