Italian

For a richer yet more delicate flavor, nothing beats freshly made pasta. It takes a bit of time—and a pasta-rolling machine—but the results are worth the effort. It is certainly possible to buy good-quality fresh pasta, either in sheets or cut into noodles. But like making your own bread, making fresh pasta is a very satisfying way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I especially enjoy preparing fresh pasta at the holidays or when I have family over and everyone can get involved.

My grandfather would occasionally make this for us as a special breakfast treat when I was young; now I serve it as an unusual first course for a fancy dinner or even, occasionally, for dessert. It’s very unexpected—and very delicious. Serve it in small portions, as it is quite rich.

Every cook should have a good marinara sauce in his or her repertoire, and I think this one is just about perfect. Though not as quick to throw together as some of the other tomato sauces I depend on (see page 164 for a really quick, basic sugo), the time you invest in making it will be repaid with a full-flavored, robust sauce that can be used in dozens of different ways. The sauce freezes very well, so why not make a double batch to freeze (after cooling completely) in 2-cup portions? Frozen sauce may be stored for up to 3 months.

Creamed corn has never been so sophisticated! This delicate, creamy filling deserves the equally subtle flavor of good, fresh pasta, so make this sometime when you are inspired to make your own pasta, or if you find a source for really fresh, homemade pasta sheets.

This is a decadent dish that is very popular with my family at Christmas-time, when pasta with seafood is a holiday tradition for Italians. For others, though, it’s a reminder of summers on the Cape or in the Hamptons. Whatever memories it may conjure for you, we can all probably agree that it is a rich, sophisticated dish that puts a smile on the face of anyone who tastes it.

If you’re cooking for someone special, you won’t find many dishes more romantic than this one. It looks sophisticated, tastes rich, and makes a real statement. It’s one of my standbys when I want to make a cozy dinner for me and my husband.

This might be the Italian answer to Seafood Newberg: chunks of crab and clams in a rich cream sauce tossed with wide noodles. If you really like clams, it’s worth checking to see if you can buy fresh chopped cooked clams at your fish market; the pieces tend to be a little bigger and meatier, with a more subtle, briny flavor than those in cans. The cream sauce is tinted a pretty pink from the tomatoes.

If you love seafood stew, this is the dish for you. It’s bright and colorful from the greens and the tomatoes, with lots of great sauce to dip your bread in.

When orzo, rice-shaped pasta, is cooked like risotto, it becomes soft and creamy. It’s a wonderful foil for pork, as well as chicken or seafood, and you can change the seasonings to match the protein. A drizzle of herby vinaigrette over the pork and orzo gives an extra zing of flavor.

On my last trip to Venice I fell in love with a shrimp lasagna I tried. This recipe is my twist on that Venetian dish. If you keep frozen shrimp in the freezer, this is a very good way to use them. Be sure not to overcook the lasagna noodles when you are boiling them, as they will finish cooking when you bake the assembled dish. You will only need twelve noodles in all, but cook a few extras in case some break or tear as you are boiling them.

When I have time and want a full-flavored pasta dish that reminds me of Sunday dinners at my grandfather’s house, this is the recipe I turn to. It will definitely impress your friends and family.

The colors in this pasta—the orange of the squash and shrimp against the black eggplant skins—always remind me of Halloween, which is why I often serve it for that holiday. Actually, it’s a perfect dish for any celebratory fall meal.

When I have friends over to watch sports or an awards show, this is often on the menu. It’s comfort food with lots of colorful vegetables and a spicy kick. Make it the day before and reheat it; the flavor improves the longer it sits, which is what you want in a dish for entertaining.

Fifteen minutes is all it takes to get this dish on the table and you’ll find everything you need in the pantry or in the freezer—no need to shop! It has a very concentrated tomatoey flavor that I find appealing.

Kale is what makes this pasta a standout. This leafy green is similar to chard and has an assertive flavor that really stands up to the spicy sausages. This was the only way I would eat kale when I was young.

The literal translation of ditalini is “small fingers,” and I’m partial to this small, short shape because I like the ingredients in a pasta dish to be all roughly the same size—including the pasta. You can substitute any other small short-cut pasta you have on the shelf.

Another recipe that kids (and adults!) will wolf down, this is a combination of two dishes everyone loves: chicken cutlets Milanese and warm pasta salad.

These meatballs are inspired by a turkey meatloaf that I wrap in pancetta before baking. Everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs, though, so I decided to put the pancetta directly into the meatball mixture and bake rather than fry them. The salty pancetta and the sweet sun-dried tomatoes make these meatballs that people will rave about for a long time.

Anytime you add sausage to a pasta dish, you exponentially increase the number of people who are going to love it; by adding vegetables, you turn it into a complete meal, a win-win situation all around.

Fettuccine carbonara is a typical weeknight meal for many Italians, and I love it, too. I couldn’t resist adding an extra layer of flavor to this classic dish to improve on something that is already great. I know the sweet-salty combination of bacon with cinnamon sounds odd, but the flavors are extraordinary together. Try it; you’ll see.