Pancetta

If you like cauliflower, you'll love this pasta, with its slightly spicy mix of crisp, savory toppings.

This pasta dish would be a great side with grilled trout.

It is important to cut the broccoli flowerets into pieces small enough to fit into the hollow of the orecchiette.

Verbiak, who learned how to make charcuterie at L&M's Kitchen and Salumeria, in Oxford, Mississippi, pairs this rich side dish with braised veal cheeks or rabbit. It would also be good with chicken or fish.

This quick-to-make cornbread is a delicious — and unusual — side for the Steamed Clams with Pasta. Improv: No pancetta? Regular bacon works, too.

We were surprised to learn that a lean meat could produce such a delicious ragù. The nice thing about this dish is that it cooks quickly and is substantial without being heavy, making it the perfect dinner as we head into spring. It's also delicious when prepared with veal.

This traditional recipe calls for pork confit, which you'll need to prepare at least two weeks before making the cassoulet. The confit adds undeniable richness and authenticity, but a simpler recipe (using country-style spareribs instead) appears in "Top Trends: The Hot Ten" in the January 2006 issue of Bon Appétit.

Gerald Colapinto of Corona, California, writes: "My grandparents were born in Italy and were wonderful cooks, so I'm partial to Italian food. I especially love the cooking of Southern Italy. Fortunately, I often travel to Rome on business. Back home, I like to re-create the dishes I discovered."

These make a lovely breakfast or side dish.

Sautéed mushrooms are a classic steakhouse side dish. Here they pair nicely with Stilton, the aristocratic English blue cheese. Improv: Try a less pricey combo of baby bellas and shiitakes. Instead of Stilton, go for Roquefort or Maytag blue. Mâche or arugula can stand in for the lettuce mix.

This beautiful pasta dish features a classic trio of Italian ingredients. Bottled roasted chestnuts make preparation surprisingly quick.

You'll need metal turkey-lacing pins (sold at supermarkets) to secure the roulade. Because they grow up to be portobellos, crimini are sometimes labled baby bellas. They are often sold in 6-to 8-ounce containers.

Toasted crushed coriander seeds add great flavor and fragrance to the dressing. Green Anjou or Comice pears would also work well here, but the red Anjou's rich maroon skin looks beautiful next to the lettuce.

A lovely first-course salad. Pears contribute sweetness to the dish; the Italian bacon called pancetta adds a nice salty crunch.

(SMACAFAM) The name of this dish means "hunger killer" in the dialect of the Trentino part of the northern region of Trentino-Alto Adige.