Backroads Italy

Sicilian Caponata

Caponata, a sweet-and-sour eggplant dish from Sicily, gets its distinctive flavor from a blending of the island's Mediterranean and North African influences. We batch-cook the eggplant, zucchini and onion plus bell pepper to better preserve each veget

By Julia RackowJune 3, 2019

Fried Onion Strings with Rosemary Salt

These quick, feather-light fried onion strings, which we learned from a chef in Italy’s Campania region, are the answer to thick, greasy onion rings.

By Diane UngerOctober 3, 2023

Marinated Zucchini with Garlic and Herbs (Concia di Zucchine)

Marinated zucchini, or concia di zucchine (sometimes shortened to concia), is a classic dish in cucina ebraica romana, or Jewish-Roman cuisine. Concia translates as "tanning" (as in the tanning of leather) but in her book "Portico," Leah Koenig explai

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 4, 2025

Bagna Cauda with Steamed Broccoli

Bagna cauda, a Piedmontese sauce-like dip, is a heady mixture of butter, olive oil, lightly toasted garlic and umami-rich anchovies. (Bagna cauda translates to warm bath.) We gave ours a layer of herbal flavor with the addition of bay and rosemary and

By Courtney HillFebruary 26, 2025

Shaved Zucchini and Chicken Salad with Lemon and Almonds

This light, bright chicken salad—inspired by one from Milan, Italy—is packed with zucchini ribbons and almonds, and a simple, clean dressing.

By Rose HattabaughDecember 14, 2020

Orange, Fennel and Caper Salad with Ricotta Salata (Insalata di Arance, Finnochi e Capperi Siciliane)

Contrasting and complementary flavors are the highlight of this Sicilian salad. The savoriness of the olives, capers and anchovies temper the sweetness of the oranges and fennel, while the onion adds pungency and the salty, yet mild cheese rounds ever

By Julia RackowOctober 8, 2018

Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Herbs and Ricotta

At Masseria Potenti, in Puglia, Italy, we tasted a memorable starter comprised of long, thin slices of fresh zucchini rolled around a lemony ricotta filling and dipped, cannoli-like, into sesame and poppy seeds. This summery salad is our deconstructed

By Courtney HillJune 8, 2020

Kale Salad with Crispy Parmesan-Cauliflower Croutons

Italian frico takes a couple different cheese-centric forms. One resembles a thick pancake that typically consists of potatoes and onions bound with an enormous amount of Montasio, a semi-firm cheese from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions o

By Rose HattabaughAugust 16, 2024

No-Fry Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan (Parmigiana di Melanzane)

Skip the breading for a lighter, silkier eggplant Parmesan. OR Naples's hands-off eggplant Parm is lighter, silkier, and golden-browned. OR In Naples, we learned a hands-off, no-fry eggplant Parm that's lighter and silkier—opposite of the familiar gut

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 1, 2023

Parmesan-Garlic Crisped Bread with Spicy Greens

Pancotto, also known as pane cotto, translates as “cooked bread,” a reference to the stale bread that is torn into pieces and cooked similar to pappa al pomodoro, the much-loved Tuscan tomato-bread soup. In Italy, we learned there is no one way to mak

By Diane UngerOctober 17, 2023

Tuscan Braised Potatoes (Patate in Umido)

This hearty vegetable stew is based on a recipe in “Autentico” by Rolando Beramendi. The potatoes are cooked using a technique that's often employed with risotto: the liquid is incorporated in multiple additions. This concentrates flavors while using

By Rose HattabaughApril 8, 2019

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Simple and satisfying, the classic dish of broccoli e salsiccia—well-browned Italian sausage and tender broccoli rabe—was one of our favorite meals during a recent trip to Naples. The earthy, pleasantly bitter brassica pairs perfectly with spice-rich

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 1, 2023

Arborio-Stuffed Tomatoes with Potato Wedges

At Panificio Bonci, a renowned bakery in Rome, we encountered pomodori ripieni di riso, a regional classic of rice-stuffed tomatoes baked with potato wedges tucked between the fruits. The duo of carbs makes the dish hearty and satisfying, but the toma

By Courtney HillFebruary 26, 2025

Agrodolce Red Onions

Italian sweet and sour onions—called cipolline agrodolce—typically are small whole onions simmered with sugar and vinegar. But Ristorante Barbieri in Calabria uses sliced tropea onions, a variety that is a specialty of the region. We apply their techn

By Kevin ClarkAugust 16, 2024

Italian Wedding Soup (Minestra Maritata)

This brothy bowl rich with greens is faithful to the wedding soup we learned in Naples—in place of meatballs, shredded beef and pork, added at the end.

By Diane UngerDecember 6, 2022

Pasta and Potatoes (Pasta e Patate)

Pasta e patate is classic Italian comfort food, a stewy combo of tender potatoes that have been simmered until they begin to break down, creating a velvety sauce for the pasta that cooks right in the mix. We learned several versions on a recent visit

By Rose HattabaughOctober 19, 2023

Italian Summer Vegetable Stew

The southern Italian vegetable stew known as ciambotta or cianfotta often is likened to Provençal ratatouille, but it sometimes contains potatoes, which give the dish a little more heft. We use a 12-inch skillet to make the stew; its wide surface area

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 11, 2022

Sardinian Herb Soup with Fregola and White Beans (S’erbuzzu)

Traditionally, the Sardinian soup called s’erbuzzu is jammed with wild herbs and greens—sometimes more than 17 varieties. And with both fregola (a pea-shaped Sardinian pasta) and white beans in the mix, the soup—which we learned from Chef Luigi Crispo

By Courtney HillFebruary 10, 2020

Italian Bean Soup with Fresh Pasta

“Everyone should eat this,” a reader writes of one of our all-time most popular soups: rustic Italian bean soup, the perfect vehicle for fresh pasta.

Umbrian Lentil Soup (Zuppa de Lenticchie)

In her kitchen in Perugia, Italy, home cook Silvia Buitoni taught us how to make brothy but hearty Umbrian lentil soup, or zuppa di lenticchie, a regional classic and a fine example of rustic Italian cooking. Of utmost importance, of course, are the l

By Diane UngerAugust 9, 2021

Umbrian Flatbreads with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Torta al testo is a simple Umbrian flatbread that can be an accompaniment to soups or stews, or, as Perugia home cook Silvia Buitoni showed us, the bread can be split and filled to make fantastic sandwiches. Though some versions of torta al testo are

By Diane UngerAugust 9, 2021

Bread and Tomato Soup with Poached Eggs (Acquacotta)

In Colle di Val D’Elsa, cookbook author Giulia Scarpaleggia prepared this classic Tuscan soup for us. It is called acquacotta, or “cooked water,” because the thrifty dish originally was made with little more than day-old bread, vegetables and hot wate

By Hisham Ali HassanJanuary 13, 2025

Ribollita (Tuscan White Bean and Vegetable Soup)

This Tuscan veggie soup ribollita makes smart use of beans and bread to create a creamy soup with clear flavors.

By Rose HattabaughAugust 13, 2018

Canederli in Brodo (Bread Dumplings in Broth)

Stale country-style bread is the base for canederli, the rustic, generously sized dumplings that originate in the Alpine regions of northern Italy. Our version is based on the recipes we learned in the city of Trento from Mauro Pisoni and Pietro Gambo

By Courtney HillOctober 24, 2024

Risotto alla Milanese

Risotto alla milanese gets its warm golden color and opulent flavor from saffron. The dish, a specialty of Milan, is the classic accompaniment to osso buco, or braised veal shanks, which also is a signature dish from the Lombardy region of northern It

By Julia Rackow & Courtney HillFebruary 26, 2025

Easy Vegetable Broth

This simple vegetable broth can be made in about 30 minutes. Use immediately after straining or cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for up to five days.

By Julia RackowAugust 7, 2018

Three-Herb Risotto

We learned the principles of cooking risotto in Milan, Italy. At Trattoria Masuelli San Marco, Max Masuelli and his son, Andrea, use neither chicken broth nor onion, and at Trattoria Trippa, Diego Rossi showed us that skipping the traditional wine and

By Julia RackowFebruary 26, 2025

Soft Polenta

Polenta, a savory cornmeal porridge, can be a disappointment in the U.S., tasting mostly of the cheese and fat that weigh it down. Not to mention it requires near-constant whisking to get a lump-free consistency. But in Cossano Belbo, Italy, we learne

By Diane UngerAugust 6, 2018

Spicy Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Anchovies (Bagna d'Inferno)

We developed this sauce as a topping for polenta, but it also would be delicious tossed with pasta.

By Diane UngerAugust 9, 2018

Fried Polenta

Soft polenta loses its creamy, pourable consistency with chilling. But Italians transforms those firm leftovers by cutting the polenta into squares and frying until crisp outside and tender inside. If you plan to serve soft polenta one night and fried

By Diane UngerAugust 6, 2018

White Beans with Sage, Garlic and Fennel

We find these Tuscan beans elegant by construct, mainly because the recipe uses three different techniques to derive the full flavor of sage.

By Catherine SmartFebruary 5, 2018

Crispy Pasta with Chickpeas, Lemon and Parsley

This unusual dish from the Puglia region of Italy combines pieces of crisp fried pasta, al dente boiled pasta and tender chickpeas. We use a 9-ounce package of fresh fettuccini and cut the noodles into 2-inch lengths; half is toasted in olive oil and

By Courtney HillOctober 16, 2019

Lemon and Shrimp Risotto with Fresh Basil

In Amalfi, we learned to make an intensely-flavored lemon and shrimp risotto with an egg yolk and cream for velvety richness.

Pasta con Fagioli

We thought this rustic pasta and bean dish from Sicily would feel heavy, but the starches are lightened by tomatoes, rosemary and lemon. We were taught how to make it by Piera Ferruzza, winery cook at Cantina della Val di Suro, and Maria Enza Arena, s

By Diane UngerOctober 8, 2018

Venetian Rice and Peas (Risi e Bisi)

This Saint Mark’s holiday dish, Venetian rice and peas, have risotto-like creaminess, but bathed in a beautiful green broth.

By Diane UngerMarch 19, 2021

Sausage Risotto with Herbed Breadcrumbs

The unusual signature dish at Osteria Pane e Salame in Cremona, Italy, pays homage to the restaurant’s name. Risotto pane e salame, or risotto with bread and sausage, is a delicious carb-on-carb creation that pairs the velvety creaminess of risotto wi

By Hisham Ali HassanOctober 24, 2024

Tuscan Chickpea and Pasta Soup (Striscia coi Ceci)

Gabriele Borgianni, chef/owner at Trattoria Bel Mi’ Colle in Colle Val d'Elsa, Italy, showed us how to cook the Tuscan chickpea and pasta soup called striscia coi ceci, which translates as “strips with chickpeas.” He prefers the taste and texture crea

By Hisham Ali HassanFebruary 26, 2025

Radicchio-Red Wine Risotto with Pancetta

This classic Venetian risotto features radicchio, a purple-hued member of the chicory family. It contains anthocyanins, or red pigments, that give the dish its characteristic mauve hue. In Treviso, Italy, we tried versions made by home cook Alessandra

By Courtney HillFebruary 11, 2025

White Beans and Tomatoes with Anchovies and Vinegar

This simple and remarkably flavorful bean dish was inspired by a classic from Italy’s Veneto region, fagioli in salsa (or fasoi in salsa), which usually is made with borlotti beans, extra-virgin olive oil, anchovies and garlic. We use canned cannellin

By Rose HattabaughNovember 8, 2022

Chickpeas and Pasta with Herbs and Anchovies (Ceci e Acciughe con Pasta)

In Tuscany, at Osteria Su Santa Trinita, chef and owner Vladimiro Gori taught us to make ceci e acciugati, or chickpeas with anchovies. Traditionally, it is a side dish of chickpeas cooked in olive oil infused with sage, rosemary and anchovies, with a

By Courtney HillFebruary 26, 2025

Lemon-Garlic Fettuccine

In Amalfi, Italy, we were taught a delicious, bracing pasta dish of handmade lemon fettuccine tossed with a simple, quick sauté of garlic, olive oil and fresh lemon segments. To mimic the sweet, mild flavor of Amalfi lemons using the standard lemons a

By Diane UngerDecember 14, 2020

Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto

This zesty, lightly perfumed lemon pesto is inspired by the world-famous lemons of Amalfi, Italy.

By Courtney HillDecember 14, 2020

Pasta with Zucchini, Pancetta and Saffron

This is our version of a fantastic pasta offering from Trattoria Bertozzi in Bologna, Italy. In lieu of guanciale (cured pork jowl), we opted for easier-to-find but equally meaty pancetta, and we lightened up the dish’s richness by swapping half-and-h

By Courtney HillApril 13, 2020

Spaghetti with Parsley Pesto (Spaghetti al Pesto di Prezzemolo)

“Nothing like the classic pesto Genovese from 1,000 kilometers north,” editorial director J.M. Hirsch writes of this gelato-like emerald pesto.

By Courtney HillAugust 12, 2022

Zucchini Carbonara

Is it possible to get a vegetarian carbonara that’s still meaty and rich? Yes—with the added benefit of garden freshness. OR Zucchini carbonara delivers on the vegetable's ability to straddle a “wonderful line between meaty and rich, yet still light a

By Rose HattabaughJune 22, 2023

Spaghetti with Eggplant, Tomatoes and Gorgonzola

This is our rendition of a pasta dish that we tasted at Antica Osteria Pisano in Naples, Italy. Chunks of eggplant are lightly browned in olive oil, then simmered with cherry (or grape) tomatoes along with some of the starchy pasta-cooking water, form

By Diane UngerDecember 3, 2021

Rigatoni with Artichokes, Basil and Pecorino

We love a light, lemony, herbal rigatoni. Our weeknight adaptation of Bari, Italy’s artichoke pasta is just that. OR This light and fresh pasta is inspired by Bari, Italy’s artichoke pasta. Prep is a breeze—chopping basil is as hard as it gets.

By Diane UngerApril 13, 2020

Pasta with Ricotta, Tomatoes and Herbs

The best summer pasta is all about tossing, and garden-fresh tomatoes; the sauce requires no cooking at all. OR Rome’s best no-cook pasta sauce is the simple pleasure of fresh ingredients: just piping-hot pasta, tossed with crushed tomatoes, a heap of

By Diane UngerApril 4, 2022

Orecchiette with Tomatoes, Peas and Pancetta

Slightly brothy yet chunky, pasta e piselli lands somewhere between soup and generously sauced pasta. Home cook and Pompei resident Antonella Scala taught us her recipe, which we adapted, for an ultra-easy one-pot affair. To form the flavor base, we u

By Hisham Ali HassanApril 5, 2024

Pasta with Radicchio, Walnuts and Black Pepper

Meaty walnuts and pleasantly bitter radicchio balance out the rich Parmesan sauce in this weeknight friendly pasta dish featured on this week’s episode.

By Courtney HillOctober 1, 2021

Two-Cheese Pasta with Cauliflower

We learned this recipe from home cook Antonella Scala in Naples. We loved how it uses the same water to both parcook the cauliflower and to cook the pasta. Parcooking means the cauliflower browns quickly when it is later added to the skillet. It also

By Julia RackowApril 8, 2019

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Tomatoes and Eggplant

This pasta dish, loosely based on a sausage and eggplant ragù we tasted on a recent visit to Sicily, is ideal for summer: it uses in-season tomatoes and eggplant, and because the pasta is cooked directly in the sauce, there’s no need to heat up the ki

By Courtney HillJune 8, 2020

Orecchiette with Coriander and Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe, inspired by an unusual pasta dish we tasted in Puglia, Italy, uses few ingredients but is packed with flavor. We layer in the warm, slightly citrusy flavor of coriander by blooming the spice in oil; most of it is simmered into the sauce a

By Phoebe MaglathlinOctober 16, 2019

Whole-Wheat Pasta with Pecorino and White Wine-Onion Sauce

In Italy, J.M. Hirsch discovered the sweet and savory deliciousness of forgotten “onion pasta.”

By Rose HattabaughDecember 11, 2023

Pasta with Parmesan Cream

This silky Pasta With Parmesan Cream is barely a recipe—Parm, lemon, and cream—yet solves the often gooey mishaps of Alfredo and carbonara.

By Diane UngerAugust 10, 2020

Fregola with Herbs and Pecorino

This recipe cooks fregola, the small, round pasta of Sardinia, similar to risotto, adding liquid in multiple additions. This gives the grain-like pasta a thick, creamy consistency. Fregola likely requires a trip to the Italian grocery or specialty sto

By Diane UngerAugust 5, 2019

Fregola with Shrimp and Tomatoes

This is our simplified version of the fregola with seafood and tomato sauce taught to us by chef Francesco Pinna at Trattoria Lillicu in Sardinia. Cooking the pasta in chicken broth and bottled clam juice that were first simmered with shrimp shells ad

By Diane UngerAugust 5, 2019

Spaghetti with Prosciutto, Parmesan and Peas

In Rome, we learned to make pasta alla papalina—a lighter, brighter riff on classic carbonara. The dish has been popular since the 1920s, when, as the story goes, Cardinal Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII, asked chef Cesertto Simmi to create a

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 14, 2024

Pasta with Pistachios, Tomatoes and Mint

Sicily is known for its pistachios, so it’s no surprise that the colorful, subtly sweet nuts feature heavily in the region's cuisine. This recipe is our take on a pistachio- and tomato-dressed pasta taught to us by Doriana Gesualdi, owner of Sicilia i

By Courtney HillDecember 10, 2018

Gemelli with Fresh Tomato-Almond Pesto and Croutons (Sicilian Trapanese Pesto)

Sicily's fresh, Sunday dinner tomato sauce makes the perfect summery weeknight meal.

By Courtney HillDecember 10, 2018

Spaghetti with Anchovies, Pine Nuts and Raisins

This pasta dish features the classic Sicilian flavor combination of savory, sweet and sour. Our version was inspired by a recipe from Vecchia Trattoria da Totò run by Guiseppe and Piera di Noto in Palermo. Toasted breadcrumbs, sprinkled on just before

By Courtney HillDecember 10, 2018

Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes and Anchovies

At Osteria ai Promessi Sposi in Venice, Italy, chef Claudio Furlanis taught us how to make a dish of his own creation—pasta tossed with cherry tomatoes, sautéed onion and anchovies. Furlanis briefly roasted the tomatoes to render them soft and juicy a

By Diane UngerJanuary 26, 2022

Rigatoni with Roman Broccoli Sauce

Romans use the leaves that grow around heads of broccoli to make a flavorful sauce for pasta. In the U.S., most of the leaves are stripped off before broccoli is sold. Our recipe instead uses the stems, which are equally flavorful and produce a silky

Shepherd’s Style Pasta (Pasta alla Pecorara)

Known as “shepherd’s style pasta,” pasta alla pecorara gets its name from its use of sheep’s milk cheese and local vegetables. We were inspired by Abruzzese home cook Luisa Carinci, who enhanced her version with pancetta. Carinci seasoned her sauce wi

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 25, 2025

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Pancetta

In Mompeo, Italy, home cook Alfonsina Cortegiani showed us how she makes pasta con asparagi e pancetta, an elegant dish featuring wispy wild asparagus and fresh egg noodles. For our adaptation, look for slender asparagus—about the size of a pencil—and

By Courtney HillFebruary 26, 2025

Creamy Potato and Artichoke Pasta

In Veneto, chef Matteo Albani prepared us a contradiction of a pasta dish. It was lush and creamy, yet entirely free of dairy. His secret, we learned, was the humble potato. He boiled it, then pureed it and its starchy cooking water before using it to

By Hisham Ali HassanFebruary 26, 2025

Pasta with Spicy Tomato and Pancetta Sauce

The thick, spicy base for this pasta sauce is based on an old-school Neapolitan soffritto which makes for intensely flavorful pasta.

By Courtney HillNovember 1, 2022

Red Pesto (Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Red Pepper Pesto)

The sauce here is our version of the oil-based pestosino calabrese, also known as salsa piccante, we learned in Italy from “Papa” Mario Conforti. It is not classic Calabrian pesto, which is creamy and typically includes ricotta and fresh produce. We f

By Courtney HillFebruary 26, 2025

Spaghetti with Garlic and Walnut Breadcrumbs

This pasta dish was one of the best things we ate during our trip to Southern Italy. It was prepared for us by Giancarlo Suriano, whose condiment company specializes in preserving regional ingredients, such as Calabrian chilies and Tropea onions. He a

By Courtney HillFebruary 26, 2025

Pasta with Lemon-Marjoram Sauce (Maccheroni con Aglio e Maggiorana)

In Mompeo, a village about 30 miles northeast of Rome, home cook Alfonsina Cortegiani taught us how she makes maccheroni con aglio e maggiorana, a simple, delicious pairing of pasta with fresh marjoram, garlic and olive oil, finished with cheese. The

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 10, 2025

Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e pepe is the simplest of dishes, but achieving creamy, silky perfection took us years of attempts. We did it. And you will too.

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 12, 2024

Skillet Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Despite its short ingredient list and reputation as dead-easy to make, pasta alla carbonara rarely is great. The eggs go from raw to scrambled in an instant; the window for achieving the perfect luxurious consistency is woefully narrow. Our skillet-on

By Hisham Ali HassanSeptember 4, 2024

Spaghetti with Guanciale and Pecorino (Pasta alla Gricia)

To make this minimalist pasta dish, we employ the same unconventional technique we use to make cacio e pepe, another Roman classic. Our pasta alla gricia is a one-pan affair that utilizes the starch released by the pasta as it cooks to create a lightl

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 26, 2025

Pesto alla Genovese

We learned to make pesto alla Genovese in its birthplace—Genoa, Italy. It traditionally is made in a mortar and pestle of nothing more than basil, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, salt and olive oil, emphasis on the basil. We use a food processor for conven

By Courtney HillAugust 6, 2018

Spaghetti Puttanesca

We think of puttanesca as a saucy dish built on anchovies. But in Naples, where it originates, two varieties of briny olives and pungent capers, not anchovies, give the dish bold savoriness that balances the sweetness of the tomatoes. We got a lesson

By Diane UngerFebruary 4, 2019

Homemade Orecchiette

Small and cup-shaped, orecchiette, meaning “little ears,” come from southern Italy. The pasta traditionally is made using only semolina: a strong flour milled from durum wheat with a high gluten content. Our version calls for equal parts semolina and

By Malcolm JacksonApril 25, 2023

Fresh Egg Pasta

To make these luxurious, golden-hued noodles, we use a fairly large number of egg yolks plus a whole egg, along with all-purpose flour and just a small amount of water. Determining the right amount of eggs is a balancing act—too many and the dough bec

By Courtney HillApril 25, 2023

Fettuccine Alfredo

In Rome, fettuccine alfredo is totally unlike gloopy American versions—silky-smooth, buttery, and light.

By Diane UngerJune 11, 2021

Orecchiette with Broccolini

Orecchiette with broccoli rabe (orecchiette con cime di rapa) is a signature pasta dish from the Puglia region of southern Italy. We were taught how to make it by Nunzia da Scalo, a cook in Bari, Italy. The bitterness of rabe is challenging for some p

Charred Red Sauce Spaghetti (Spaghetti all’Assassina)

In Bari, Italy, spaghetti is crisped til partly blackened—creating intensely concentrated tomato flavor and lasagna-like texture. OR Charring spaghetti adds rich, concentrated flavor and crunchy-chewy bits akin to the edges of a lasagna.

By Rose HattabaughApril 4, 2023

Pasta alla Norma

Sicilian eggplant pasta draws loads of concentrated flavor from simple ingredients.

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

Amatriciana is a minimalist equation of pasta, tomatoes, guanciale and pecorino Romano cheese. In Rome, it’s served with barely any sauce, as we learned from Mario Ive, retired artillery colonel in the Italian army and cookbook author. We prefer the r

By Hisham Ali HassanFebruary 26, 2025

Lasagna Bolognese

The perfect lasagna marries the silky, meaty richness of Bologna’s ragù with creamy besciamella.

By Diane UngerFebruary 10, 2020

Ragù Bolognese

This recipe makes enough ragù for lasagna Bolognese with enough leftovers for another night's pasta dinner. We were taught how to make it at chef Alberto Bettini’s Michelin-starred Amerigo restaurant outside Bologna. Try to purchase pancetta in a larg

By Diane Unger & Courtney HillFebruary 10, 2020

Parmesan Besciamella

The finished besciamella can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days. -Editorial Note, 2/24/25: This recipe is an update of the Parmesan Besciamella that appeared in the March-April 2020 issue of Milk Street Magazine and in season

By Diane Unger & Courtney HillFebruary 10, 2020

Pasta Rotolo with Spinach and Ricotta

Thick pasta rolls, stuffed with ricotta and spinach, come together easily with a food processor and lasagna noodles.

By Rose HattabaughOctober 3, 2023

Gnocchi di Farina with Pancetta and Garlic

Flour, water, and salt are all you need for gnocchi di farina; inspired by Amalfi-based chef Antonio Cioffi, we top with savory, soul-satisfying pancetta, garlic and Parmesan cheese.

By Diane UngerNovember 1, 2022

Gnocchi alla Romana

Despite their name, these dumplings are quite different from the more widely known potato-based gnocchi. Instead, they’re made from a stovetop semolina dough that’s spread into a thinnish layer on a baking sheet and chilled until firm. The slab then i

By Rose HattabaughApril 7, 2023

Baked Pasta with Eggplant, Sausage and Fontina

This decadent Sicilian baked pasta is the epitome celebratory Sunday lunch; here’s our streamlined version with a throw-it-together ragù.

By Rose HattabaughApril 25, 2023

Passatelli in Brodo

In the village of Monteveglio, about 12 miles west of Bologna, Italy, we tasted delicious homemade passatelli in brodo. Paolo Parmeggiani, owner of the small restaurant/hotel Trattoria del Borgo, demonstrated the dish—made with stale bread, cheese, eg

By Diane Unger & Hisham Ali HassanOctober 12, 2020

Homemade Chicken Broth

For broth-centric soups, store-bought pales in comparison to slow-simmered homemade broth that is full-bodied with gelatin and rich poultry flavor. This recipe is minimalist—we’ve even left out the usual aromatics (onion, carrot, celery) and herbs (pa

By Hisham Ali HassanFebruary 26, 2025

Pecorino “Meatballs” in Tomato Sauce

At Checchino dal 1887, a restaurant in Rome’s Testaccio neighborhood, we were introduced to pallotte cacio e ova, or cheese and egg balls. The dish exemplifies the cooking of cucina povera, which takes simple, local ingredients and transforms them int

By Courtney HillMarch 2, 2025

Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings in Tomato Sauce (Palline al Verde)

At Trattoria Antico Falcone in Rome, palline al verde—which translates as “green balls”—were small dumpling-like orbs of ricotta, Parmesan and an abundance of spinach. Since the only binder was egg, their texture was delicate and creamy, and their fla

By Rose HattabaughApril 5, 2024

Baked Stuffed Shells with Radicchio and Sausage

Radicchio, a red and white member of the chicory family, is a favorite vegetable in the Veneto region of Italy. In her kitchen in Treviso, home cook Alessandra Bianchi showed us how to make conchiglie ripiene con radicchio al forno. She stuffed parcoo

By Rose HattabaughMarch 2, 2025

Neapolitan Salami-Provolone Buns

These breakfast buns, panini napoletani, are “so intensely craveable,” J.M. Hirsch writes, that they trigger “a whole-bag-of-potato-chips moment.”

By Diane UngerOctober 3, 2023

Honey-Roasted Fig and Prosciutto Bruschetta

At Silene Piccolo Ristorante in the central Italian town of Foligno, we tried a savory-sweet take on bruschetta. Chef Nicoletta Franceschini roasts plump green figs with local honey, fragrant herbs and garlic, then spoons the fruit and its juices over

By Hisham Ali HassanJune 27, 2024

Bruschette with Wilted Greens and Pecorino (Bruschetta con Verdure Saltate e Pecorino)

At Silene Piccolo Ristorante in Italy’s Umbria region, chef Nicoletta Franceschini prepared a unique take on bruschetta. She dipped the bread slices in beaten egg, allowing the crumb to moisten, then fried them in olive oil. To finish, she topped the

By Rose HattabaughMarch 3, 2025

Roman Cloud Bread with Mixed Greens and Fennel Salad

This is Roman Cloud Bread, crunchy, hollow poofs created in a happy accident at a 100-year-old Roman bakery. OR These crunchy bread balloons make for a tasty light lunch when filled with a fresh salad and punchy lemon-anchovy dressing.

By Rose HattabaughJune 16, 2023

Tomato-Olive Focaccia

The world’s best focaccia comes from Bari, Italy, where oozing buckets of dough bake up into an impossibly airy, tender crumb. OR A recreation of a light, open-crumbed focaccia from Bari, Italy, with tomatoes and olives melded in the crust.

By Diane UngerJanuary 21, 2024

Pizza Dough

Though any variety of bread flour will work, we liked King Arthur Flour best. It has a higher protein content, producing crusts with good flavor, nicely crisped surfaces, and a satisfying chew. Making the dough with cool or cold water helps prolong th

By Diane UngerAugust 7, 2017