Mozzarella

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This peperonata would also be delicious tossed with pasta and the small balls of mozzarella called bocconcini—and as a condiment on sandwiches.

This simple soup, known as zuppa Sarda, is eaten year-round all over Sardinia.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Honey flavors both the syrup and the filling in these delicate pastries. In the Middle East they are usually stuffed with nuts or cheese. Mozzarella is included in this version, which may seem unusual in a sweet filling, but it prevents the ricotta from becoming runny. The pine nuts are like little eggs resting in their nests.

Here's a summer salad with robust flavors.

A classic duo adds an Italian accent to an American favorite.

Braised pork shoulder, spicy Italian sausage, and pancetta enrich the tomato sauce. Dried crushed red pepper kicks up the heat.

At La Porteña, an Argentine restaurant in Jackson Heights, New York, spicy chorizo sausage is used to give this frittata-style omelet its heat. If you can't find chorizo, hot Italian sausage makes a nice substitute.

At the restaurant, this pizza is made with smoked chicken, but turkey is easier to get and works just as well.

You remember s'mores — flame-roasted marshmallows and pieces of chocolate bar sandwiched between graham crackers. The marshmallows melted the chocolate, creating a gooey mess that was so irresistible, you just had to eat some more. My hors d'oeuvre version features flame-roasted mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil squeezed between grilled bread slices or crackers. Everyone still winds up with an irresistibly gooey mess — great party fare.