Pecorino

Culinary archaeologists Susan Lord and Danilo Baroncini named their cookbook Pani Caliatu (available from Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York), for the traditional Aeolian twice-dried bread. For this recipe, the people of the Aeolian Islands use totani (flying squid). The recipe works just as well with squid found in the U.S. Since squid is often sold cleaned and in parts, be sure to get one set of tentacles per squid body to ensure that there will be enough stuffing. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

To make this recipe even easier to prepare, substitute three tablespoons diced canned green chilies for the fresh Anaheim chili.

This dish is said to have first been prepared in the imperial kitchens for Sultan Murad IV in the early 1600s.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Fried Clams .

Linguine with Walnut Sauce The texture of mixed nuts and bread crumbs makes this an ethereal pasta. When the noodles are cooked and then dressed just right, they taste great even at room temperature.

Healthy bonus: Vitamin C and beta-carotene from the squash

This innovative take on the classic features an intensely flavored olive and raisin tapenade that is also great teamed with breadsticks or spread onto bruschetta. Crispy egg-bread croutons are also a nice addition

Cracker-like pancakes are a nice snack.

These deep-fried dessert pastries, which are sweetened with honey, are known as sebadas.

"A friend of mine insisted I try the red bell pepper bisque at Ristorante Grano in Williamsville, a suburb of Buffalo," says Lucy Mitchell of Grand Island, New York. "I did, and now I'm hoping to prepare it at home."

These crepe-like pancakes also make a great brunch dish. What to drink: The saltiness of the ham and cheese calls for a fruity white wine with thirst-quenching acidity, like Tuscany's Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

A take on Utica greens, a classic Italian American dish from central New York, made with bunches of broccoli rabe, Pecorino, and pickled chiles.

Toss bouncy udon in a speedy creamy sauce reminiscent of an Italian favorite.

Tangy vodka sauce and grilled chicken make a savory base for this pizza, which gets topped with a bright arugula salad and pickled red onions after it’s baked.

Zucchini is one of summer’s most abundant offerings; here it stars on a pesto pizza alongside ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms and a showering of mint.

It takes only a handful of ingredients to make this fancy-yet-weeknight pasta.

The classic reconsidered: less pasta, more crispy-chewy strips of guanciale, and more silky creamy egg to hold it all together.

Think of this as carbonara minus the eggs but still with massive amounts of flavor from guanciale, black pepper, and Pecorino.

This minimalist cacio e pepe recipe is like a stripped-down mac and cheese.