Italian recipe collection

Classic Italian bechamel sauce (Salsa di Balsamella) made with butter, flour, and warm milk, seasoned with nutmeg and cayenne. A smooth, creamy base for lasagna, pasta bakes, and gratins.

Italian saltimbocca: thin veal scallops layered with sage and prosciutto, rolled, browned in butter, and braised in a quick Marsala pan sauce. The name means jumps in the mouth, and it earns it.

A slow-simmered meat sauce with ground beef, red wine, mushrooms, and Italian herbs ladled over spaghetti and showered with Parmesan. Two hours of simmering builds layers of deep, rich flavor.

"Easy, fast and delicious! I created this recipe so I could feed a crowd on a moments notice and still expect raves. Make the sauce a day ahead and the flavor even improves. This way you can spend time with your guests, not slaving in the kitchen."

Tangy Italian antipasto spread packed with artichoke hearts, two kinds of olives, mushrooms, and a zesty vinegar-olive oil dressing. Make it ahead - it's better the next day.

Carciofi alla Giudia - whole artichokes deep-fried twice in olive oil until they bloom open like golden roses. A Roman Jewish specialty with crisp outer leaves and a tender center.

If you never know how to cook artichokes,I suggest you try this way,after cooking,you will say:Oh,my god,is there really so nice artichokes exsiting in this world?hehe,after I first did it( my good friend told me), I screamed like this!Really thanks this nice recipe:)

Artichokes truffle style - paper-thin artichoke slivers fried in olive oil until golden and crisp, using the same technique applied to truffles. A simple Italian Roman preparation.

Aunt Catherine's Italian Cookies: a heirloom cookie with almond extract, cinnamon, and chopped nuts, finished in pastel-colored powdered sugar icing. Stores for months in tins.

Authentic Italian focaccia with two long three-hour rises, kneaded with olive oil and salt, then pressed thin, drizzled, and baked golden for crisp-bottomed, chewy bread.

Authentic Italian linguine carbonara uses butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, beaten eggs, and parsley tossed with hot pasta off the heat to form a silky sauce without cream.

Saffron risotto in the simple Milanese tradition: rice toasted in butter and onion, simmered in saffron-laced broth, finished with parmesan. Golden, fragrant, and unfussy.

Baby lima beans simmered with Italian sausage, cumin seeds, and hot chili pepper in a simple brothy stew. A hearty one-pot meal with just a handful of bold ingredients.

Bagna Cauda pasta sauce with 15 garlic cloves, anchovies, roasted garlic, and cream, reduced and tossed with ziti and carrot matchsticks. A rich Piedmontese-inspired pasta in 40 minutes.

Italian baked artichokes stuffed with fresh rosemary, sage, and dried red chile, roasted in an olive oil and water bath until tender. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold.

Baked halibut limone with garlic, parsley, seasoned breadcrumbs, and lemon slices, finished under the broiler for a golden crust. An Italian-style baked fish dinner ready in 30 minutes.