Prosciutto

A savory breakfast that doesn’t scrimp on flavor! Enjoy these as a lazy weekend brunch to really impress!

The beauty of oven omelets and frittatas is that they need no crust (unlike a quiche). Fortunately, the slow cooker does this job well—the eggs stay moist and tender thanks to the steady, low temperature. Be ready to serve and eat the frittata as soon as it is done cooking; for the best texture and flavor, do not let it stand on keep warm. The frittata needs maximum surface area to cook, so it works best in a large oval slow cooker. Serve with fried potatoes, or fruit salad and ciabatta toast.

Getting the consistency of the creamy mushroom sauce right is key for this pasta recipe—you want to reduce it just until it clings to the pasta.

There is no better beach or picnic sandwich: It feeds a crowd, gets better as it sits, and is a hearty meal built inside a loaf of bread. About that bread: Unless you live in New Orleans and can get the real thing, opt for a ciabatta or other loaf with a sturdy but not too crusty exterior.

This is a simple recipe that tends to impress. These elegant roulades are surprisingly easy to make and will get you a standing ovation at the dinner table. Take a bow, as you're giving everyone a nice dose of brain protection thanks to the vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, and phytonutrients found in the watercress and collards. If you can’'t locate fresh figs, swap in two thinly sliced ripe pears, and feel free to swap out the collards for kale.

Luscious, cheesy eggs baked inside prosciutto "baskets" make a craveable finger-friendly brunch main.

The slight bitterness of kale practically cries for sweetness to balance it out—persimmons are perfect and play well with the lime juice, prosciutto, and feta. Crisping the prosciutto adds a textural contrast.

Fair warning: spicy honey is about to become your all-time favorite pizza topping.

This entire Italian-inspired dinner is cooked on two baking sheets, making clean-up a breeze.

These make-ahead packs are perfect for camping trips as well as quick and easy breakfasts on the go.

In 2006, I packed up my gear and traveled to the Mall of America for the Food Network Pizza Champions Challenge. Over the course of a very grueling day, we competed for three Guinness World Records in front of a big audience and a panel of famous judges. I won two of the world-record rounds: Biggest Pizza Continuously Spinning for Two Minutes, and Most Consecutive Rolls Across the Shoulders in 30 Seconds. By comparison, round three, the cooking challenge, felt as easy as pie. Four of us gathered at our stations to get our marching orders: create a gourmet pizza in ten minutes using none of the top ten toppings—no pepperoni, no sausage, you get the idea. So, my instinct was to combine two of my favorite pizza worlds, California and Italy. I grabbed five totally traditional Italian ingredients: prosciutto, fig jam, Gorgonzola, Asiago, and balsamic vinegar. They're classic, but the thing is, you'd never find them on a pizza in Italy, at least not all together. But to us "why not?" Californians, the combination makes perfect sense as a pizza topping, and it made sense to the judges, too.

Mmm. Fried dough. On a trip to Rimini, a resort town on Italy's Adriatic coast, I had a memorable fried pizza topped with cheese and ham. To re-create it, I came up with this shallow-fry method in which you fry the dough, then flip it, top it with mozzarella, and cover it with a lid to melt the cheese. In honor of Rimini, I've topped this one with the region's famous squacquerone cheese, which is as deliciously soft and runny as it is difficult to pronounce. If you can't find it, you can use crescenza (also known as stracchino). It goes on after frying and quickly melts on the hot crust. I also add thin slices of the cooked ham sold in Italian delis as prosciutto cotto. Not to be confused with prosciutto, which is cured but not cooked, this is what we know as ham, but it's a bit paler, less smoky, and more delicate than typical American deli ham. For this method, it's really helpful to roll your dough out as close to the stove top as possible and to have everything set up before you start cooking: your skillet on the stove top, a lid within easy reach, your cheeses and toppings measured out, and a plate lined with paper towels right next to the stove. Keep a close eye on the heat as you fry and adjust it as needed so the dough cooks all the way through without burning on the outside.

Choose portobello caps with dry, firm gills—damp and soft ones mean the mushrooms are old.

The tomato jam makes this sandwich: Its honey and vinegar give it sweetness and bite! —Elliot

Kids and grown-ups alike will be charmed by the Seussian whimsy of these delicious deviled eggs; Sam-I-Am won't have to ask you twice whether you'd like these! If you have a favorite pesto recipe, by all means, use it in the filling.

Even your dude will love this skinny pie. (He can bring the beer.)

Easy to prepare, but oh so elegant...these tempting appetizers feature asparagus spears individually wrapped with prosciutto, garlic & herb cheese and flaky puff pastry.

Plump Medjool dates stuffed with creamy herbed goat cheese and wrapped in fresh basil and crispy prosciutto make for seriously addictive eating. Plus, these salty-sweet bundles are quite possibly the easiest hors d’oeuvre you’ll ever make. Stuff and wrap the dates a couple of hours ahead, then arrange on a baking sheet, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until party time. When your guests arrive, pop the dates under the broiler and serve immediately.

The Italian influences of Asiago, prosciutto, and basil dress up this childhood favorite. Take it further by adding thinly sliced red onion or avocado. If you want to omit the prosciutto, add a little salt to the sandwich to really bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.

Methods of mashed potato preparation are constantly reimagined, and this incarnation of the beloved dish stands with the best of them. The recipe, a perfect side for pork chops, draws on traditional Italian ingredients: aged Parmesan for pungency, thinly sliced and chopped prosciutto for texture, and fresh rosemary as the finishing touch.

This elegant, delicious appetizer has long been a favorite among Epicurious members. It’s important to let the blanched asparagus cool completely before assembling these spears. They can be prepared up to a day in advance.

{for a small crowd} I grew up thinking strata was my mom's signature dish, until I realized every mother has her own version. You should know how to make it too, but {just between us}, yours can be much more elegant than your mother's, especially when you make it in a small dish to serve two and pair it with a large salad.