Mezzelune (which means "half-moons" in Italian) are a crescent-shaped stuffed pasta similar to ravioli. They‘re a relatively simple shape to try that requires little equipment to make at home. The accompanying thick, rich slow-cooked tomato-onion sauce is loosely inspired by a Bolognese classic called il friggione.

Preparing something Milanese (or Milanesa) style means dredging thin slices of meat in flour, eggs, and seasoned breadcrumbs and frying them. In this recipe, a rib-cut pork chop is the meat used, but it can be made with beef, veal, or even chicken.

Pasta e ceci (“pasta with chickpeas” in Italian) is a classic and comforting one-pot dish that makes the most out of simple ingredients — in just 30 minutes. The garlicky thyme- and rosemary-scented broth gets a subtle umami boost from tomato paste and bright acidity from white wine.