Starter

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This "red sauce meets Guido in Little Italy" classic has much more to do with the clams than what you may be used to eating. Note that the bread crumbs here are fresh—that is to say, made only from today's bread, not from day-old bread (and definitely not the kind that comes in a can).

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

One bite of this exemplary antipasto entirely changed the way I thought about Italian cooking—and cooking in general. So Zen-like in their elegance and simplicity, so little and yet so much said, these delicious little dreamboats truly capture the dreamlike state of the Amalfi coast and the cooking that defines it. The cured anchovies will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

This recipe was created to accompany Chunky Clam and Bacon Dip Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Straciatella are little rags or strings, which is what the eggs look like when they are cooked. It is these gentle shreds that make this soup so comforting. The essentials of this soup are the stock, or brodo, the eggs, and the cheese. The spinach or other greens are variants. Cooked peas can be used instead of the greens and Garlic Broth can be substituted for the brodo. The technique in this recipe is stolen, with gratitude, from Pellegrino Artusi, a brilliant cook and gastronome who wrote The Art of Eating Well. Use a pot that is large enough to hold the colander over the stock without actually touching it, so that the egg can flow freely into the soup to form the strings.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Just a bit of intensely flavored oriental sesame oil goes a long way in the dressing of this refreshing salad. To retain the crispness of the watercress, toss it with the remaining ingredients right before serving.