Arugula

A lovely side dish with big flavors‑and only a single teaspoon of oil.

Prosciutto slices are usually paper-thin-but for this dish be sure they are not too thin or they will tear when you spread the cheese on them. Serve these with the Black Pepper Almonds, and pour Champagne.

In this easy salad, salty prosciutto contrasts with peppery arugula and cooling mango. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Start with grilled country bread spread with olive paste, or olivada, available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets. Or puree pitted, black, brine-cured olive oil in a processor.

The smoked paprika in this recipe adds depth. Unlike Hungarian paprika powder, which is prepared by drying the chiles in the sun, the Spanish smoked version (like La Chinata brand) is prepared by roasting the peppers over smoldering oak fires before being ground to a velvety powder. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

These delicious sandwiches are from the Corner Bakery Cafe in Chicago.

This salad was inspired by a couple of dishes our food editors encountered at restaurants in Rome.

Use a sharp vegetable peeler to shave the Parmesan cheese into long strips.

It's best to divide this salad between two bowls; put one on the buffet table, and keep the other refrigerated until you need it later in the party. Make the pickled onions at least one day ahead.

The contrast of textures and flavors—crunchy pine nuts, creamy goat cheese, acidic tomatoes, and spicy arugula—adds complexity to this simple salad. It makes a great side dish to steak or chicken or a light lunch for two.

Some of the ingredients need to marinate overnight in the Dijon-red wine vinaigrette, so plan accordingly.