Alcohol

"My friend Lily Shapiro and I developed this recipe together," says Amy Lesen of Oakland, California. "It has been tested on many friends with great success; the blend of ingredients is just delicious." If you'd like to make your own pasta, our technique video will show you how.

Pancetta, the salty Italian bacon, forms a crust around the chicken. Offer a bottle of Pinot Grigio, a crisp Italian white wine, with this entrée. For dessert, try spumoni and sugar cookies.

It's hard to believe that something so delectable can be made so quickly. For a showy presentation, add the Cognac to the sauce and heat gently without stirring it in. Ignite with a match and spoon the flaming sauce over the ice cream.

I often serve grilled meats at my parties, and with them I like to serve this unusual relish. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

One of the best-loved pastas in the Italian city of Trieste is the whole wheat spaghetti known as bigoli, which is often topped with anitra in sugo, an intensely flavored sauce made with duck. This recipe, from the excellent restaurant Hosteria Bellavista, also includes chicken livers, porcini mushrooms and pancetta (Italian bacon). Porcini mushrooms and bigoli are available at Italian markets and specialty foods stores.

Vanilla bean and brandy accent the cake, and a few raspberries tint the peach topping a delicate pink.

The parfaits can be made a day ahead.

Honey, cinnamon, vanilla and orange slices spice up the wine marinade in this low-fat fruit dessert. Transport it in an airtight plastic container, and serve it in bowls.

Italian fruitcakes with Frangelico chocolate sauce If you don't have the mini Bundt molds called for, oversize muffin cups (about one-cup capacity) can be used instead. Begin preparing this at least a week ahead.