Italian

(Brutti-boni) Brutti ma buoni (which means "ugly but pretty") are cookies found in many regions of Italy, usually made from finely ground almonds in a meringue base. But the Mattei bakery, in Prato, makes them in typical Tuscan style, which is quite different. The egg whites are only beaten lightly, and the nuts are coarsely ground. They are known in the Tuscan dialect as brutti-boni.

This can also be prepared with duck breasts, which is how it is often made in Tuscany. Either way, the dish is good with rosemary-flavored mashed potatoes and sautéed artichoke hearts.

Broccoli is called sparaceddi in Sicilian. In this side dish, it is "drowned" in a heady mixture of olive oil, onions, anchovies, olives, red wine and cheese. While there are variations of the basic preparation throughout Italy, food historians generally think it to be of Sicilian origin.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

October is the beginning of white truffle season, but if you have trouble finding white truffles, don't despair — these soufflés are delicious without them. Much of the deep flavor of this dish comes from Bra Tenero cheese. We tried lots of alternatives, and American Münster was the closest, though it won't turn the same golden brown color.

In this rendition of a classic antipasto, fresh herbs infuse the olive oil marinades, which double as dressings.

(Pastiera Napoletana) "My mother, who is a native of Calabria, Italy, but now resides in Brooklyn, learned to make the Neapolitan specialty, pastiera napoletana, from her sister-in-law when my parents were married, in 1941," writes Marie Pacella of Howard Beach, New York. "Since then, our family and close friends look forward to having this pie every Easter. My mother and my daughter and I still get together to make them—it has become a family tradition.

Panna cotta means "cooked cream" in Italian, and, indeed, that is just about all these elegant little desserts consist of. A touch of hazelnut liqueur and a rustic sauce of crushed berries make this version just right for romantic company.

A fruity, spicy Sauvignon Blanc would be perfect with this elegant dish.

Maison Novelli offers this great entrée. You can find polenta and tapenade at Italian markets and some supermarkets.

Arabs brought the eggplant to Sicily in the late tenth century and, in fact, the Italians once called eggplant radice arabica, or Arab root. It is an integral ingredient in Sicilian cuisine, and the variety of recipes featuring it — the most famous being caponata — is astounding. Sicilians often serve room-temperature vegetable preparations as appetizers. In this one, a caper-flavored tomato sauce "blankets" the eggplant.

This frittata is a marriage of ideas gleaned from two similar dishes tasted in the Piedmont: a delicious zucchini and herb "frittela" at the restaurant Guido in Costiglioli d'Asti and a spinach "frittatini" (both were miniature frittate) at the humble but superb Osteria dell'Unione in Treiso.

Forget the usual chopped liver. This rustic appetizer is an Italian treat. Spiedini are skewers of any combination of foods — bread, cheeses, meatballs, fish — that can be grilled or roasted.