Italian

Not to be confused with wafer-thin waffled pizzelles, this rich brownie-like cookie packed with warm spices is exactly the opposite.

With the help of the large holes on a box grater, zucchini transforms into a pile of soft shreds. Cook it down with olive oil, onion, and garlic and it becomes a creamy, caramelized mush that’s great spread on toast (like in the recipe this one was inspired by, Jennie Cook’s Zucchini Butter), stirred into scrambled eggs, or turned into pasta sauce with the assistance of cream and lemon juice. You’ll be amazed by how many zucchini cook down into this one dish—a very good thing when you’re staring down a pile of this prolific summer star.

In this pizza, which is reminiscent of a Sicilian pie, the dough is enriched with whole-wheat or rye flour, then topped with a thin layer of anchovy-spiked tomato sauce (skip the fish, if you wish), and once it comes out of the oven, grated Parmesan and a mountain of greens. You have several pan options: For the thinnest crust with the crispiest bottom and edges, use a 13x9" rimmed baking sheet. If you don’t have one, you can also use a 10" or 12" cast-iron skillet: Your dough will be a bit thicker, more pillowy, and not as crisp. Or you can also easily double the recipe and use an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet. Just make sure to plan ahead: This dough needs to rise in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

Swapping traditional ingredients like guanciale and pancetta for vegetable-based umami bombs (hello, garlic and smoked paprika) isn’t the only thing to consider when making a vegetarian carbonara. Many hard cheeses (including Parmigiano-Reggiano) use animal rennet, so if you want to seek an alternative, ask your cheesemonger.

If you’ve ever been intimidated by the thought of making fresh pasta at home, look no further. Ricotta gnocchi is simple to make, and it’s faster and more foolproof than its potato counterparts. The only tricky part is adding enough flour so that your dough is easy to work with, but not so much that it becomes stodgy or tough. If you don't want to make the buttery herb and pea sauce, use whatever you'd prefer, be it marinara, pesto, or sage and brown butter. 

The classic reconsidered: less pasta, more crispy-chewy strips of guanciale, and more silky creamy egg to hold it all together.

Battuto is 1) A chopped herb sauce that tastes like spring 2) Fun to say. Make it!

It’s okay to use frozen peas! We’ll never tell. We love ‘em.

Think of this as carbonara minus the eggs but still with massive amounts of flavor from guanciale, black pepper, and Pecorino.

Something truly magical happens when fennel, garlic, and anchovies get caramelized together.

A weeknight pasta that utilizes simple pantry ingredients in a luxurious way. 

This winter salad with peak season bitter greens, salami, and crispy chickpeas is hearty enough on its own, but not so over-the-top that you can’t also pair it with pasta for dinner.

So you just ate a a delicious slice of panettone. Congratulations! Now you need to figure out what to do with the rest of it. 

It’s a showstopper. Two bottles of red wine get cooked down to a glossy butter sauce that stains and flavors the spaghetti.

Polenta alfredo, polenta mac ‘n’ cheese, whatever it is, this polenta is very creamy and cheesy. We like that.

This delicate, brothy grain soup manages to be comforting and fortifying—but without requiring a nap afterward.

Shallow-braised short ribs provide a relatively hands-off path to an incredibly rich and robust ragù. Make sure to cook the soffritto until the vegetables are completely tender, which is key to releasing all of their flavor.

This focaccia gets twice the tomato goodness through the combination of fresh cherry tomatoes and slowly sautéed and simmered sauce in the topping.

If we were to round up an all-star team of summer's greatest produce, it'd look a little something like ratatouille: Eggplant and zucchini. Peppers and tomatoes. The gang's all here!

Think of this weeknight-friendly pasta recipe as a lighter take on the classic Italian ragù that features cherry tomatoes, a red chile for some heat, and tons of fresh basil.