Italian

This tiny handmade pasta is a labor of love, but you'll be glad you devoted an afternoon to fresh pasta-making once you've tasted it. The tender orecchiette is irresistible once tossed in the rich, buttery sauce studded with savory mortadella and bright peas.

Braising pork shoulder produces a fall-apart tender roast. And when milk is the braising liquid, what results is a sauce that is reminiscent of flavorfully infused ricotta.

Juicy chicken cutlets with all the bright, briny flavors of classic piccata are possible without a stove—all you need is a microwave.

This classic pasta has only a few ingredients, but they transform into a surprisingly velvety, flavorful dish.

This is spectacularly easy, quite mouthwatering, and works as both a first course before an entrée or as a side dish. Escarole is part of the chicory family and has a pleasant bitterness to it. Note that while the outer leaves of the escarole are not used in this preparation, they should not be discarded.

All your favorite classic Italian flavors plus a hit of fresh mint make these braised artichokes an absolutely irresistible spring side.

If there is a lot of liquid in the pan when the spinach is done, drain it before adding the beans.

The texture of this airy semifreddo is somewhere between frozen chocolate mousse and gelato. In other words: You’re going to love it.

A few days a year, Boccione "Il Forno del Ghetto," the generations-old kosher bakery on Via Portico d'Ottavia, sells pizzarelle. The bakers make them only during Passover, and due to restrictions on working, the baker is closed during most of the holiday. If you time it right, this highly seasonal specialty can be yours. Otherwise, drop by Boccione for their year-round non-Passover classics like thick ricotta cakes and Biscotti con Mandorle e Cannella. And don't be turned off by the slightly cha.…

Rolling out and shaping this handmade pasta together is the fun part. Make the dough a day ahead, wrap in plastic, and keep chilled.

Puntarelle is a crisp, spiky Italian green related to chicory. If you can get it, you’re in luck. If not, escarole is a great substitute.

We like the combo of spicy and sweet Italian sausage, but use any uncooked sausage you like—merguez or chorizo would work.

It's hard not to love this classic Italian pasta—it's just the right mix of spicy and sweet.