Mangia

We not only roast garlic at Mangia , but we also braise it, which brings out its sweetness and softens its texture in different ways. One of the residual effects, of course, is all the lovely garlic-flavored olive oil you have on hand after braising it. Use it in salad dressings, as a cooking oil, or for drizzling over focaccia or other chewy breads. Along with the barley, you will find familiar A...

Wonderful on its own with a warm tortilla or two, with meat or fish, or a selection of vegetable salads, this looks especially appealing on a plain white platter-which is just how we serve it at Mangia. If you cook the beans ahead of time, the rest of the preparation is simple.

Ricotta salata cheese is made from sheep's milk and is similar to feta but with a creamier consistency. It is slightly sweet in flavor and makes a nice complement to the vegetables and beans in this colorful salad.  When assembling this for serving, toss it gently. You want to maintain the shape of the individual components because together they are interesting and appealing. 

Roasted prosciutto adds a lovely saltiness and crunch to the yielding, tender texture of the beans in this salad. A lot of fresh sage adds singular color and aroma. 

Look for sweet white runner beans in specialty markets. These are large beans, almost one inch in length. They have a sweet taste and wonderful, creamy texture when cooked. Because of their size, they require a longer cooking time than other dried beans, at least 1 hour, or more if they have been stored for a while. They are the right bean, though, totally compatible with the roasted peppers and f...

Creamy chickpeas, bitter broccoli rabe, sweet shallots, and a snappy red pepper puree the combination looks great and tastes good, too. In case you are thinking you might like to use canned chickpeas as a way of saving time, we don't recommend it. The texture of soaked, slowly simmered chickpeas is what you want here. 

Flageolets are actually immature pod beans that are picked and removed from their pods when still green. Originally cultivated in the Americas, they were adopted by the French in the nineteenth century. Their taste, like their color, is delicate. They go beautifully with the assertive flavors of peperonata, which, as the word suggests, includes bell peppers, lots of tomatoes, garlic, and several s...

Lentils and sausage is a classic combination. We especially like to use French green lentils here, which have, in fact,only a slight green tint to them. They are smaller than their cousins, brown lentils, and their taste is somewhat grassy, the reason to try them. Look for them in specialty markets. From a purely practical point of view, lentils, unlike beans, do not need to be soaked in advance o...

Tangy goat cheese and sautéed sweet peppers make a winning combination with lentils. This is simple to put together and quick to assemble, and has a subtle French feel to it. Serve with a platter of charcuterie, cold cuts, and a baguette.

A simple poaching liquid, the French court bouillon, imparts flavor to cod fillets that are then topped with a Mediterranean-style fresh tomato sauce. You can make the sauce a day in advance if you like. It is also very appealing on roasted pork loin or grilled shrimp.

The pure white of the ricotta cheese nesting among the red and green in this pasta make this presentation very festive. Be sure to reserve a few basil leaves so that you can scatter them over the dish, here and there, for a look of casual perfection. 

This makes a fantastic centerpiece on a buffet table, and while the recipe is admittedly elaborate, it can be deconstructed so that even the busiest of cooks can do it with ease. Prepare the recipe in stages: Roast the vegetables the day before. Toast the almonds, a garnish, ahead of time, too. Cooking the couscous does have to be done at the last minute, but it is not difficult, and by that time...

This is a recipe that uses the magnificent leaves, the greens, of the beet. For  ways to prepare the roots. 

Pesto makes this salad a lovely shade of green. The leeks and oyster mushrooms give it pastel variation. Serve it on a white platter for maximum effect. Remember that pesto turns black if left to stand at room temperature, which makes this combination a mandatory  dress-and-serve. 

When provolone is young, the cheese is fine and soft, best used as a table cheese. After about a year, it becomes drier and pungent, acquiring a strong, concentrated flavor that is reminiscent of Parmigiano but much sharper. The sautéed greens bring a slightly bitter but mellow flavor that tempers the provolone. Gemelli, which means "twins" in Italian, are intertwined twists of pasta. Th...

This pasta is very tasty. It's an ideal dish for a lunch gathering or informal dinner. It will require your attention, though. So plan to cook the pasta up to 3 hours ahead and the cream sauce and vegetables 1 hour in advance of serving. Orecchiette, meaning "little ears" in Italian, are wonderfully suited for "holding" the sauce. If you aren't able to find this speci...

The pasta salad is particularly nice for company because fresh porcini mushrooms, available only in the fall, are special. The wait for them is worth it. Use cremini, shiitake, or a combination of the two at other times. If you are serving this for a special occasion, roast tenderloin, with or without a peppercorn crust, is the ideal accompaniment. Because of the cream in the mushroom glaze, this...

Cream, in this case, half-and-half, adds an ineffable, luxurious quality to any pasta sauce. It works its magic here in a simple, summery combination that is as pretty as it is comforting. A big bowl of this on a buffet table alongside a platter of roasted chicken or a selection of vegetable salads, a wonderful bread or two, a cut of cheese, and you have the makings of a feast. Another advantage:...

There is a splendid marriage singular flavor of caramel (from two different roasted vegetables) and fresh herbs in this colorful salad. Make this very easy for yourself and prepare both the roasted peppers and onions in advance. In fact, the pesto is a make-ahead, too. For the best flavor and most vibrant colors, and there are a lot of lovely ones here, assemble it before serving. 

If the bold flavors of Provençal or Mediterranean cooking appeal to you, you must make this salad. And if you are given to eating anchovies, you have a treat in store. If you are wondering why we cut the tomatoes in the sauce here in three different ways, the answer is simple: It has everything to do with texture-wonderful texture.

Extra-virgin olive oil plays a large part in the success of the sauce here. Use a good one. Aside from that, all the remaining ingredients in this pleasing, colorful combination are easy to find. In fact, you can prepare each of the separate components the sauce, broccoli rabe, and pasta-in advance, which makes putting this together, even on the busiest of days, eminently doable.

This is a superb pasta for a hot summer's day because two of the main ingredients the cucumbers and tomatoes-are used raw, helping to make the salad especially crisp and refreshing. Good olive oil is key here; it is a major component in the dressing.  Don't make this in advance. In fact, don't even think about it. The point of using raw vegetables and lots of mint is that they be fr...

If you are looking for a pasta recipe with something other than tomato sauce, here it is. Roasted eggplant, spinach, black olives, a pinch of hot pepper, and fresh lemon make an unusual combination- and a very good sauce.

Bacon, lettuce, and tomato is a renowned combination and works every bit as well with pasta as it does between two slices of bread. The lettuce of choice here is definitely arugula. It adds just the right pepperiness and bite.  This dish is perfect for a large gathering, and it is easy to make.