Italian

This recipe is from Willinger's cookbook Red, White & Greens. She was inspired by chef Fabio Picchi of the Florentine restaurant Cibréo, where creamy-yet-creamless soup is his signature first course. Picchi likes to use meat stock as the base for the soup, but Willinger thinks the flavor is nearly as rich using only water. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

(Crostini di Fegatini) Crostini means "little crusts," and in Tuscany, almost every meal begins with a platter of toasted bread slices topped with chopped tomatoes, olive paste or this all-time favorite spread made with chicken livers. Use thin slices of an Italian or French country-style loaf, and serve these crostini with the chicken liver spread on top, or just present the pâté in a pretty bowl surrounded by the toasted baguette slices. Salami and prosciutto would be delicious accompaniments.

This recipe was created to prepare <epi:recipeLink ="14262">Chocolate Walnut Biscotti with Chocolate Custard Swirls</epi:recipeLink>.

Fresh mint adds a summery accent to an elegant egg dish. Round out this delicious meal with a platter of fresh fruit.

The fragrant roasted birds are served with a pan sauce containing whole garlic cloves. Accompany the hens with a crusty garlic bread to mop up the sauce, and pour a light Chianti throughout the meal.

An entrée from Bar Italia, St. Louis, Missouri. Herbed breadcrumbs top it off nicely.

The garlic is added in two lots here to get two different flavors. The first amount is sautéed with other vegetables at the beginning of the recipe in good Italian or Spanish fashion. The second goes in near the end to provide a bite. The tomatoes provide most of the liquid.

Companion recipe to Spaghetti with Lobster and Mussels .

These versatile roasted tomatoes are not only delicious in the stew but would also be great tossed with pasta or spooned over bread.

Our recipe makes plenty of sauce for two meals, so enjoy some with this menu and freeze the remainder for another time. The sauce is also great over tortellini, penne or fusilli. You can find the convenient prepared ravioli in the refrigerator section of most supermarkets.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This dressing is great for turning mixed greens, steamed broccoli or asparagus spears into a delicious salad.

The tomato topping for these crostini is based on that of a "fettunta pomodoro" (a variation of bruschetta made with whole-wheat peasant bread) sampled at Florence's Cantinetta Antinori, owned by the well-know winemaking family. To create visual variety for our presentation, we have made half of the crostini with the black olive paste on top and the rest with the red tomato mixture on top. Those who prefer a simpler recipe can sprinkle all of the bread slices with Parmesan before toasting (doubling the amount of cheese) and top all of the crostini with the tomato mixture and then the olive paste.

The classic combination of tomatoes, basil and cheese is unbeatable, especially with the addition of prosciutto. Pair the pizza with a salad of radicchio and romaine in an oil and vinegar dressing. Follow up with cannoli and espresso.

A sophisticated finale that's easier than pie. If you have a little extra time, you might make your own pastry shell.

Toasted baguette slices topped with purchased pesto or caponata make a quick starter; a salad of mixed greens and sliced red onions is perfect alongside the pasta. Offer lemon mousse for a refreshing finale. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.