Italian Christmas Recipes

In this savory tomato galette recipe the red onions are a little sweet from caramelization and a little sour from red-wine vinegar, but they complement the slow-roasted plum tomatoes perfectly. The result is rich and deeply satisfying. Serve this rustic tart with a green salad for a light lunch or a roast chicken for a hearty dinner.

The entire beet plant--roots, stems and greens--can be used in this stunning appetizer. The beets are roasted then pureed with goat cheese for a creamy ruby-red spread. The greens and stems are sautéed with olive oil and garlic for the topping.

This recipe for jumbo shrimp wrapped in thin strips of prosciutto and served on a lemony bed of arugula is a practically effortless dish that's sure to impress your guests. Wrap your shrimp and make the dressing ahead of time, and you'll have dinner on the table even faster. Serve with toasted whole-wheat baguette sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

This crunchy Italian cookie recipe isn't traditionally very sweet, so just a touch of honey adds flavor along with mild sweetness. Dipping them in chocolate makes them extra special.

Skewering mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes makes them easy to nosh at a party.

Winter squash contributes a rich, full flavor to a simple barley pilaf. Gremolata, an Italian mixture of parsley, lemon zest and garlic, gives the dish a lively finish. The pilaf is an excellent accompaniment to chicken and pork, but would stand on its own with the addition of Parmesan.

A zesty vinaigrette makes these roasted Brussels sprouts, fennel, carrots and beets pop. If you can't find small carrots, halve larger ones crosswise then quarter lengthwise. Serve this vegetable antipasto as a side dish or appetizer.

Tangy and aromatic, celeriac (or celery root) has long been a staple in French cooking. Here, it's combined with parsnips and russet potatoes for a side dish worthy of your favorite bistro--or trattoria, because we've relocated the dish south, from Paris to Tuscany, using olive oil and Parmesan cheese. The potato is kept separate from the celeriac and parsnip because it gets gluey when pureed in a food processor.

This Marsala chicken stew recipe gets its richness from plenty of mushrooms and onions. Make it a meal: Soak up all the saucy goodness with whole-wheat egg noodles and serve with a green salad.

The Italian name of these almond cookies, Brutti-Buoni, roughly translates to “ugly but good.” These delicious cookies are traditionally dropped directly on a cookie sheet, but shaping them as directed here gives a more elegant look. Enjoy them for dessert with an espresso.

Flecks of red potato skin and deep green from the winter greens add festive color to the plate.

Puffy, chewy-crisp and fragrant with fresh herbs, this Parmesan focaccia goes well with soups, stews and, of course, Italian-style fare. Be sure to use only fresh herbs and avoid the temptation to stir them into the dough (sprinkle them over it); many herbs, including the ones called for here, inhibit yeast growth when they're combined in the dough. The dough bakes on the lowest rack in a very hot oven to simulate the hearth baking that is traditional for focaccia. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

These amazing olive oil biscotti are studded with rich, buttery-tasting pine nuts. Try them alongside fruit sorbet, cheese or summer peaches.

Here we stir fresh parsley and crunchy pistachios into farro for a simple side dish. Serve this simple grain right in the same dish with a rich stew. The nutty flavors of farro and pistachios are the perfect complement to the rich broth of the stew.

Cioppino is a fish stew traditionally made by Italian fishermen who settled in the North Beach/Fisherman's Wharf section of San Francisco. It was originally made on fishing boats with whatever fish were at hand. This cioppino comes to us from California chef and cooking teacher John Ash, who has been an advocate for sustainable-food issues for years and has served on the board of advisors of Seafood Watch--the advocacy arm of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Ash chose a variety of shellfish for this recipe, all of which are Seafood Watch Best Choices or Good Alternatives.

Dunk these fruitcake-inspired whole-grain biscotti in a cup of hot tea or coffee.

The cheesy polenta filling in this healthy stuffed squash recipe makes a great alternative to mashed potatoes, as well as a hearty vegetarian entree. If you can't find kobocha squash, try using a buttercup squash or pie pumpkin--or skip serving it in the hollowed-out vegetable altogether and use 2 cups of your favorite pureed winter squash in Step 5.

According to legend, this seafood soup originated in San Francisco, the creation of Italian-immigrant fishermen who were as skilled with a soup kettle as they were with a net.

Here we add a little cooked spinach to traditional potato gnocchi for a zip of color. They're delicious tossed with a pesto or your favorite marinara sauce.

Polenta, a cornmeal mush commonly eaten in Northern Italy, is a hearty alternative to noodles in this vegetarian lasagna casserole recipe.

Layers of ground beef, tomatoes, pasta, and creamy ricotta cheese make up this popular casserole that's as good to serve at home as it is to tote to a potluck. This one is low in fat!

This healthy spaghetti with clam sauce recipe incorporates a few twists that make it extra-delicious. The clams are steamed ahead of time to release their natural juices and create a flavorful clam broth for the base of the garlicky clam sauce. Plus, we use tarragon to add a fabulous hint of anise.

This crispy-on-the-bottom-and-chewy-on-the-inside gluten-free cookie recipe is a twist on a traditional Italian holiday treat, pignoli, or pine nut cookies. Look for almond paste--a mixture of ground almonds and sugar (available in tubes or sometimes tubs)--near other baking supplies in well-stocked supermarkets or specialty stores. Sweeter marzipan doesn't work well in these cookies.

Dried herbs and crushed garlic dress up your favorite olives.