Fall Urban Italian Dinner

MENU: Fall Urban Italian Dinner

Starter

Autumn Fritto Misto

Antonio Ciminelli prepares this starter year-round with whatever produce is in season. In the fall, that means apples, mushrooms and late-harvest zucchini, fried in a batter made extra-light and crisp by adding sparkling wine and whipped egg white. The fritto misto is best eaten hot from the pan, perhaps served in a paper cone.

Main Dish & Sides

Roman-Style Braised Chicken with Roasted Peppers

This lush, homey Roman favorite is a simple braise of chicken with white wine, tomatoes, garlic and a colorful mix of roasted red, green and yellow bell peppers. As a shortcut, substitute roasted peppers from a jar.

Trofie Pasta with Cockles, Chiles and Black Bean Sauce

Ken Vedrinski discovered the hand-coiled pasta called trofie and the super-minerally white-wine Vermentino while traveling in Liguria.

Lemony Zucchini with Basil

This speedy side dish features last-of-the-season summer squash and herbs and comes together in just 10 minutes.

Dessert

Hazelnut-and-Chocolate Meringue Cake

This extraordinary dessert, made with crisp chocolate-hazelnut meringue and whipped cream, is simple to make. But pastry chef Daniel Jasso of Portland, Oregon's Genoa restaurant has nicknamed it "the beast," because slicing it can be tricky—the meringue tends to crumble. The solution: Freeze the cake, cut it with a serrated knife and let it return to room temperature before serving.

More Fantastic Recipes:

Healthy Italian Dishes

Fresh Pastas

Romantic Risotto Supper