Cooking Techniques How To 10 Recipes to Know if You Want to Become a Next-Level Italian Cook By Maria Yagoda Maria Yagoda Instagram Twitter Maria Yagoda is a senior editor at Food & Wine, where she has worked for five years, specializing in restaurant and travel coverage. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 25, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Missie Neville Crawford So you have the basics down — maybe you've developed a reputation for your cacio e pepe or your white bean crostini. But now it's time to take your Italian-cooking skills to the next level and practice some of the more intricate dishes in the canon. Once you perfect these 10 recipes, you'll serve dinner party gold for the rest of your life. 01 of 10 Ossola-Style Gnocchi with Sage-Butter Sauce Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Missie Neville Crawford These hearty cold-weather dumplings are from the Ossola Valley in northern Piedmont, only a few miles from the Swiss border. In addition to potatoes, they're made with winter squash, chestnut flour, and nutmeg. The chestnut flour is optional, but it's worth seeking out for the singular nuttiness it adds. Get the Recipe 02 of 10 Osso Buco Chloe Crespi Photography Chef Ludo Lefevbre uses classic braising technique in his version of this dish: first, browning the veal shank to develop flavor, then sautéing the aromatics, deglazing with wine, and pouring in plenty of deeply flavored veal stock before finishing in the oven. Use your favorite stock here, and feel free to swap in beef stock for veal. Get the Recipe 03 of 10 Smoked Mozzarella Mezzelune with Braised Onion Sauce Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Missie Neville Crawford Mezzelune (which means "half-moons" in Italian) is a crescent-shaped stuffed pasta similar to ravioli. It's relatively simple to shape and requires little equipment to make at home. The accompanying thick, rich, slow-cooked tomato and onion sauce is loosely inspired by a Bolognese classic called il friggione. Get the Recipe 04 of 10 Pasta Carbonara © Madeleine Hill Chewy rigatoni stands up perfectly to this supremely rich and flavorful classic carbonara from chef Andrew Zimmern. Get the Recipe 05 of 10 Tomato, Basil, and Cucumber Panzanella with Grated Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette Victor Protasio This summer blockbuster panzanella from Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, pairs oven-roasted sourdough croutons with juicy ripe tomatoes, raw red onion, and crisp cucumbers. Get the Recipe 06 of 10 Perfect Pizza Margherita © James Baigrie Letting the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight results in a chewy crust with a slight tang. It can sit for up to three days, which adds even more texture and flavor complexity. Get the Recipe 07 of 10 Sardinian Stuffed Eggplant © Quentin Bacon Chef Efisio Farris says that his mother used only eggplants from the first pick of the season (le primizie) for this dish because of their supple texture and earthy-sweet flavor without a hint of bitterness. But if you don't have the primizie option, you should seek out firm, heavy eggplants with smooth, evenly colored skin. Check for ripeness by pressing them lightly; if this leaves an imprint, the eggplant is ready to use. Get the Recipe 08 of 10 Marinated Fish with Salmoriglio Sauce © Yunhee Kim This tangy, buttery salmoriglio sauce — a Sicilian classic — is spectacularly delicious with many kinds of fish, not just those specified here; it's always best to simply trust your eyes and nose and buy what's freshest at the fish market. Get the Recipe 09 of 10 Dried Porcini Mushroom Risotto with Goat Cheese © Ashley Colbourne Using the mushroom-soaking liquid to cook the rice gives this risotto intense flavor. There's just enough goat cheese to balance the earthiness of the porcini with a touch of tartness without overwhelming the dish. Get the Recipe 10 of 10 Ligurian Seafood Stew © Tina Rupp After blanching peas, snap peas, and fingerling potatoes, chef Andrew Carmellini adds them to a homemade mussel broth along with sea bass, clams, an herb pesto, and little seafood meatballs made with shrimp, chorizo, and scallops. Here, we've narrowed the ingredient list to the delicious basics — shrimp, sea bass, and clams. Use bottled clam broth as a stand-in for mussel broth and flavor it with spicy chorizo. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit