Trofie con Zucchine e Funghi (Trofie with Zucchini and Mushrooms)

Trofie are traditional Ligurian pasta, 2-inch (5 cm) long thick twisted solid strands that are decidedly chewy, and which will work very well with chunky sauces such as this. The Italian recipe calls for a fresh porcino and chiodini, which may be difficult to find where you are.

Calamari ripieni con gamberi e pancetta (Baby Calamari Stuffed with Shrimp and Pancetta)

Here is an impressive dish suitable as an antipasto or appetizer that is a common offering in Italian homes on the Feast of the Seven Fishes during Christmas. Makes about 24 bite-sized pieces. Ingredients: 1-1/2 pounds baby calamari - cleaned

Frittata with herb and cheese filling

The frittata is a peasant food very much like the American omelet with ingredients cooked into the eggs. This variation rolls the frittata around a mixture of cheeses and herbs like a crepe and serves well as an accompaniment at dinner or as a standalone for lunch.

Mushrooms

We like our mushrooms; maybe because our roots are in rural Italy and mushrooms were a wonderful way to enhance a meal, or maybe just because we like them. Mushrooms impart a unique taste and texture that is truly a gift from nature.

Olive Oil

Before there was vegetable oil or the terms poly-unsaturated, there was olive oil. Predated only by the use of animal fats, olive oil has long been the preferred oil for cooking and as a flavoring in all but the orient.