Pasta

Walnut pesto is very popular in Piedmont, where I first tasted this dish. It’s really great on its own, simply tossed with a long-cut pasta, but I think the peppers give it a bit more body and also make the dish more beautiful on the plate.

Alla pirata usually refers to a dish containing seafood, and because pirates were known to be hot-tempered men, the dish is usually spicy as well. You could substitute other seafood you like, such as mussels, squid, or scallops, for either the shrimp or the clams.

Next time you feel like pasta and a salad for lunch, why not combine the two? I love the way the heat of the pasta warms the greens. I often make this when I’m cooking for one; just adjust all the ingredient quantities accordingly, and start with 6 ounces (about 1 cup) of dried pasta.

Somewhat reminiscent of a puttanesca sauce, but with the addition of olives and lots of vegetables, this is a homey dish that you would find in many Roman kitchens. Long, slow simmering is what makes the sauce so delicious, so if you like, make a double batch and freeze some to use next time you bake fish or chicken, or make a baked pasta dish.

Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons and, unfortunately, are in season for only a short time each year. Since they are hard to find, I’ve fallen in love with Meyer lemon olive oil, which captures their flavor very well and adds both citrus tang and a hint of sweetness to all kinds of recipes. Because this is such a simple dish—the sauce is just onions, the oil, and fresh marjoram—do try to get your hands on some Meyer lemon olive oil; I use the one made by DaVero. If you can’t find it, though, you can use the citrus oil on page 226.

Ravioli are a slam dunk with most people, and making them in the half-moon, or mezzaluna, shape makes a classic preparation a little more elegant. Between the oregano, the fontina cheese, and the meaty eggplant, the filling is quite hearty so I dress these simply with a little extra-virgin olive oil and fresh herbs.

Many Sicilian dishes feature swordfish, since it is very plentiful in the waters surrounding the island. Eggplant is also found in many dishes from this area, but I prefer the texture and taste of Japanese eggplants over the larger ones because their seeds are so tiny; there is also no need to salt the cubed eggplant because they aren’t as bitter as the fully mature ones can be.

What began as a simple side dish with a citrusy dressing became a light but appealing entrée with the addition of quickly sautéed shrimp. This can be served warm, but it’s also nice at room temperature, making it a good option for picnics or buffet spreads.

Simple, simple, simple, but so good—this is truly one of the fastest dishes you can make, and one of the best.

I’ve made this with lots of different pasta shapes—little stars, tiny elbows, ditalini, tiny wagon wheels—so use whichever you like or have on hand. In a pinch, you can even break a handful of spaghetti into small pieces if you don’t have any short-cut pasta on the shelf. It’s a perfect portable dish, a nice choice if you want to make something to take to a party or a new neighbor.

Although this dish takes almost three hours to make, I promise you it’s so worth it. The short ribs become incredibly tender and moist, they fall off the bone. It’s the kind of meal you will dream about on a snowy night. The twist here is the shaved bittersweet chocolate, which gives the dish a sweet and savory yet extremely subtle component. You can leave it out, but trust me when I tell you that it’s the element everyone will be talking about when they taste this.

Gnudi translates literally as “nude,” a reference to the fact that these little dumplings are basically “naked” raviolis—the fillings without their pasta wrappers. Served in a savory broth, this is a comforting winter meal.

Todd and I both love stuffed shells, so I’m always thinking of fun new fillings to try. This one is a real home run. The first time I made it I used leftover dark meat from our Thanksgiving turkey and chopped it fine, but we liked it so much that I’ve adapted the recipe for ground raw turkey. Now we can have it any night of the year! We like it with the slightly spicy arrabbiata sauce, because turkey can be a bit on the bland side (especially if you can only get ground white-meat turkey), but if you want to use your favorite jarred marinara sauce instead, it’s still a great dish.

This is a variation on the ricotta and spinach ravioli recipe from my first book, Everyday Italian. The original is one of my very favorite dishes, but my husband, Todd, never feels completely satisfied with a meatless meal so I came up with this version for him. The prosciutto adds body and a kick of flavor to the ravioli, making it a more substantial, manly dish.

Using cinnamon to flavor a beef dish may sound strange to anyone who is not familiar with the cuisine of southern Italy, where the Moorish influence is apparent in the seasonings of many dishes. I promise, though, the spice is a fantastic addition. The cinnamon gives the sauce a little sweetness and a little heat all in one without being spicy, per se. Try it.

The assertive flavor of Gorgonzola cheese gives the sauce for this dish a nice, sharp bite. This combination of flavors is very typical of northern Italian food, and it makes for a particularly earthy, satisfying dish. You can have fun with this recipe, varying the kinds of mushrooms you use; try to incorporate a few varieties. The frozen peas add a welcome pop of color.

I really prefer the texture of fresh pappardelle with the savory lamb stew; it just seems to absorb the flavors better. If you can’t find fresh pappardelle, though, the dried kind is perfectly acceptable, and it’s good to have on hand to toss with any leftover braised meats and their braising liquid for a quick, warming meal.

This is a typically Italian way of preparing chicken, but Italians rarely combine chicken with pasta; by serving chicken over wide ribbons of fettuccine I’ve created a hybrid Italian-American one-dish meal.

Stroll through any Italian-American street fair and you’ll smell this classic combo. But while sausage and peppers are great in a sandwich, I think they’re even better tossed with rigatoni. Using turkey sausages instead of the more traditional pork also makes it a little lighter.

Although it’s not a true-blue, all-American macaroni and cheese because it’s made with wide egg noodles rather than the more traditional elbow macaroni or small shell pasta, this is probably the version I make most often. It’s a dish I fell in love with when I first had it years ago at Harry’s Bar in Venice. Later I re-created it at home as the ultimate comfort food and also to bring back memories of Venice.