It's always tempting to eat pesto by the spoonful. It's so very fresh and so very green. And those flavors of basil, pine nut, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil just play so very nicely together. Spread it on sandwiches, toss it with pasta, or yes, treat yourself a single happy spoonful, but definitely absolutely positively make pesto any chance you get. More

If you're lucky enough to find baby artichokes at the farmers' market, why not serve them the Italian way: raw. Lightly toss with lemon juice and combine them with salty olives, tender purslane (or baby spinach), and feta cheese. What results is a European-style light and positively un-boring summer salad! More

Sometimes the simplest ingredients, combined in the simplest of ways, have the power to stop time, erase your woes, and transport you to a place of nirvana-like bliss. Such is the power of the margherita pizza. Fresh tomato sauce, chewy mozzarella cheese, a sprinkling of basil on a crispy crust? I wouldn't be surprised if you started levitating. More

After years of world travel and dining out in everything from hole-in-the-wall joints in Laos to the finest finery of Paris's restaurants, the real food luxury for me when I travel now is to cook in, using the most simple ingredients, listening to local radio, and serving on the most grandmotherly plates.

Recently while on the road, I made a version of a salad that I love at the height of summer: shaved zucchini with Parmesan and olive oil. When it's too hot to cook and all you have is a vegetable and a hunk of cheese, this is your new go-to dish. More

Q: Is there a type of frosting that will go well with a rainbow cookie cake without chocolate?

Sent by Mailody More

Lately it's been hot as all get-out in New York and this week the pilot light went out on my range, so I feel like I'm completely ensconced in no-cook cooking.

One of my favorite ways to feel like I'm getting a good dose of vitamins and protein without turning on the stove is a simple dish with slabs of tomato and anchovies marinated in vinegar, known as boquerones. Sometimes it's enough for lunch, sometimes even dinner with a hunk of bread and a good cheese. Here's a version that gets dressed up with bread crumbs, basil and red onion. More

Seasonal, vegetarian, farmer's market–driven cooking lessons taught by a personal chef in Riomaggore, one of the picturesque towns of Cinque Terre, Italy, overlooking a never–ending clear blue ocean? Si, grazie! Tim McDiarmid led myself and a few other eager "mangionas" (Italian for "eaters") in an unbelievable culinary class last week. The finished meal and the landscape came together in what can only be described as la dolce vita. Salute to the good life! Read on for a peek at this delicious class, and some tips from Tim on putting together a marvelous meal. More

Truffles! What else on this earth is hunted morning, noon and night in lush forests by men, women, children and dogs with the tenacity of Holy Grail seekers? I'd venture to say not a thing. Join me and the father-son team, Luciano and Christiano Savini, as we romp through the forests of Tuscany in search of this rare, precious, and mysterious fungus. (Oh, did I mention these two were the ones who received the Guinness Book of Records award for largest truffle ever found?) More

For a summertime treat that's a snap – or a shake – to create, consider the shakerato. This gelato-infused version makes a quick yet elegant after-dinner coffee and dessert rolled into one. More

Spaghetti alla Carbonara: when it's good, it can make your eyes roll back in your head with pleasure. It lurks there, beckoning, batting its eyelashes on Italian menus. When you don't order it, you usually end up wishing you had.

Do you ever make it at home? Seems easy enough, right? It's basically just bacon, eggs, and pasta. But like most things with few ingredients, there is a technique that binds all the magic together and if you don't have really great ingredients and a grasp of a few key pieces of technique, you'll be let down — possibly with scrambled eggs on your pasta.

To help you avoid this bummer and give you the opportunity to experience a classic in its greatest form, I spoke to several ace chefs and got the scoop on how to make really authentic spaghetti alla carbonara. More