Love Italian food? Want to know what the basics of Italian cuisine are? Find out why fresh, local and in season ingredients are what makes any Italian recipe so delicious.

Risotto is the ultimate Italian comfort food. This tasty, quick and simple rice dish can be made using anything you have in your refrigerator or pantry, like veggies, mushrooms, meat or any combination of ingredients.

Pasta and Meat Sauce is a classic Italian recipe. Also called Pasta al Ragù, this dish is always a success and a favorite even for picky eaters and kids. Find your perfect meat sauce recipe right here.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a classic, delicious pasta recipe from Rome, made with eggs, pancetta and cheese.

Beef and vegetables stew in Italian is called “stufato di manzo con verdure” and it is an easy way to prepare a great dinner with a single dish recipe that anyone in the family will enjoy. It is also a great way to get the kids to eat their vegetables.

Chicken Cacciatore or Chicken Hunter (in Italian Pollo alla Cacciatora) is a classic Tuscan recipe and perhaps one of the most famous Italian chicken entrees, and not without merit.

Pomodori ripieni, rice stuffed tomatoes, are another classic Italian summer recipe. Stuffed tomatoes are usually served cold, as an antipasto, but also warm as a tasty primo piatto or side dish.

Fagioli all’Uccelletto, white beans cooked with sage in a light tomato sauce, is a traditional Tuscan dish normally served with braised or stewed meats, like lamb, pork or sausages; it serves well also as single dish, for a light lunch, or as part of a rustic antipasto.

Want a great dessert idea? This Italian Mascarpone cheesecake is a scrumptious but lighter version of the classic American cheesecake.

Among the Italian desserts, Sicilian Cannoli are probably the most popular, especially amid people of Italian descent.