Italian

Don't let the simplicity of this pasta dish fool you — it's packed with irresistable springtime flavors.

Let guests mix their own Bellinis — it's a great ice-breaker, and allows everyone to custom-blend their drinks.

Although this turkey (or chicken) broth is time-consuming to make, it really does benefit from simmering on the stove for hours. The whole heads of garlic mellow into deep sweetness, giving the broth an authentic Italian flavor.

In this easy and hugely satisfying pasta dish, arugula is transformed from peppery leaf into powerhouse pesto.

Sfogliata Served with a glass of full-bodied red wine or a Martini, this anchovy- and oregano-flecked Italian bread makes for an appetizer extraordinaire.

Make this multicolored salad a day ahead and chill it overnight for best flavor.

Inexpensive and flavorful, blade steaks become even more enticing when topped with a slightly sweet-and-sour Italian-style vegetable sauce.

In Lynne Rossetto Kasper's opinion, fennel and Parmigiano-Reggiano ("the celestial eating cheese of all time") rank as one of the most underrated combinations in Italy. After tasting this quick hors d'oeuvre, we have to agree.

Prepare this a day ahead so all of the elements can meld and the ladyfingers to soften fully.

The pesto works well as a sauce for pasta, chicken, or fish, too.

This dish has a livelier, fresher taste than traditional risotto because the vegetables are cooked separately from the rice and then spooned over it in a rich ragout.

Ann Gillespie of Alexandria, Virginia, writes: "Because I'm balancing graduate school and a family, I try to cook things that don't take a lot of time. But I love experimenting with ingredients, so most of my recipes are easy to make and use interesting flavor combinations. This pasta dish is reminiscent of what my husband and I would cook when we were first married."

These little appetizer pizzas are perfect finger food.

Featuring flat little pieces of pasta filled with semisoft cheese, this soup is made by families in the countryside around the ancient spa town of Brisighella, in Romagna. If you don't have time to make the broth called for here, use your favorite homemade broth instead.

Improv: Try mussels instead of clams; substitute basil for the parsley.

Burricotti are superb whole-milk mozzarella rounds filled with ricotta (see box). Fresh ricotta also works well in this recipe, which would be a great cheese course, or a simple dessert.