Food Processor

Pesto is, of course, a great sauce for pasta, and this topping is also good on steamed vegetables and grilled meats. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sardinia, Italy Diamond-shaped papassinas are especially good with a cup of coffee. The flavor of these cookies gets even better after a few days.

Coffee beans soften the heat of the chile and bring out the other flavors in this paste-like marinade. You can also use the paste on chicken, as they do at Maroons, where this dish is served. Begin marinating the meat the day before.

This is based on a classic Italian dish, vitello tonnato, in which chilled slices of veal are topped with a puree of tuna, anchovies, capers, and lemon. Here, the veal is replaced by sliced turkey, and the sauce can be made up to a day ahead. (Buy good-quality turkey breast from the deli section of the market.)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

This elegant dish would make a lovely entrée for a special-occasion dinner.

A quick almond crust gets filled with ice cream and topped with cardamom-scented whipped cream and berries.

Baby pineapples that have been hollowed out make beautiful serving shells for this granita. These pineapples are available at specialty produce markets.

Originally this dish consisted of topfenpalatschinken (Hungarian cheese crêpes) baked in a rich custard. This variation skips the time-consuming process of making blintzes. Double the recipe and bake in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Fast-rising yeast makes this bread a snap to prepare. A dry red wine, like Chianti, is ideal with this Italian-accented menu.

Orange juice and pomegranate juice enhance the light sorbet. The compote would also be good over store-bought strawberry sorbet or ice cream.