Italian

These crisp biscotti are made without butter. Instead, the natural fat in hazelnuts is put to good use when the nuts are ground with the sugar for the dough. This way, every bite is imbued with their flavor.

Sweet sun-dried tomatoes and earthy black olives enliven thin veal slices with the vibrant flavors of a sunny coast.

Corkscrew pasta gets a wake-up call with the unexpected übercrunch of toasted panko and a salty jolt from anchovies.

Inspired by an antipasto that's popular at New York City's Lupa, this substantial salad takes a hearty, rich green that's usually cooked and proves how delicious it can be when served raw.

Rustic, tangy salmoriglio is the Italian equivalent of chimichurri, the popular Argentinean herb sauce.

Cauliflower, enhanced with toasty almonds and a briny parsley-olive mixture, holds its own as the star in this simple and slightly spicy vegetarian supper.

Versatile store-bought polenta, turned cheesy with mascarpone and Parmigiano, is the simplest way we know to make cornmeal mush sexy.

Elena slow–cooks her polenta the traditional way, which can be a soul–satisfying experience if you set aside the time. When polenta is cooked properly, each grain of cornmeal slowly absorbs the liquid until it swells, becoming perfectly tender and seeming to disappear within the whole.

This rich take on an Italian classic comes from Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Nancy Silverton's restaurant, Mozza, in Los Angeles. Use the best-quality aged balsamic for drizzling over the dish just before serving.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jamie Oliver's book, Jamie's Italy. This dish features a classic Italian combination — lentils and sausage — and is a traditional part of New Year's because the main ingredients are thought to be lucky. Salsicce con lenticchie verdi e salsa di pomodoro The equivalent of bangers and mash in Italy is definitely a good roasted sausage with a pile of lenticchie di Castelluccio and a spicy salsa rossa tomato sauce — a genius combo.

Amaretti According to legend, in the early 1700s, a Milanese bishop made a surprise visit to the town of Saronno in Lombardy. A young couple paid tribute to the bishop by welcoming him with their unique homemade cookies, made from crushed apricot kernels and almonds, egg whites, and sugar. The bishop so loved the cookies that he blessed the couple, and the recipe became a local favorite. Today, bakeries throughout the region, and in Italian communities around the world, carry amaretti di Saronno, but it's worth the (small) effort to make them yourself. The recipe is simple, and fresh from the oven, they have a crisp-yet-tender texture that's beyond compare.

I developed this light and tasty Italian-style tuna salad for Parma, an Italian fresh-made fast-food company that had quite a successful run in Philadelphia, including Air Parma at the airport. The salad is light because the tuna is dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice instead of the usual mayonnaise. The fresh herbs give it brightness, and the red bell peppers and purple olives make for a colorful and appetizing preparation. The important thing here is to use the tasty tuna packed in olive oil enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean region, rather than the drier, rather mealy white tuna packed in water.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Italian Two Easy: Simple Recipes from the London River Cafe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, go to The Best Cookbooks of 2006. Vegetables trifolati is a method of slicing and cooking with garlic, olive oil, and parsley. Other ingredients, such as mint, wine, or chiles, are sometimes added. In this recipe we add fresh, ripe tomatoes.

This is an all-day project, but it's worth the work. The repeated risings give the yeast time to add extra flavor and moisture, a difference you'll definitely taste in the finished product. The recipe will make two large loaves, perfect for holiday entertaining, or eight small ones, great for gift-giving. Well wrapped, they'll keep for days, and slightly stale leftovers can be turned into delicious into French toast.

There's something abundantly festive about the puffed dome of panettone bread. In this traditional Italian holiday favorite, a sweet yeast dough is studded with golden raisins and jewel-toned glacéed citron.