I was first introduced to this dish at Ristorante Lucca in Mill Valley where it was prepared perfectly with pancetta and fresh peas – lovely! You can also substitute Guanciale (pork jowl or cheeks) for the pancetta.

This pasta is not exactly a sweet dish and I have no idea why we named it “Dolce Vita” except we thought it sounded fun like the Italian way of life.

This is a year round mainstay on the menu. Any mushrooms can be used in this recipe.

This is a lovely fall and winter dish inspired by the holiday season. The toasted walnuts are wonderful and pureed in the filling.

This is my idea of a bolognese on steroids! It is leaner than your average Bolognese because of the veal and the prosciutto gives it a nice saltiness. The tarragon and brandy give it a wonderful aromatic quality and interesting flavor.

This dish was inspired with the excess trimmings of the duck breast Carpaccio. The sauce ingredients were a thought I had on the way to restaurant one day. Ha! That’s how these things work sometimes. The sauce is on the sweeter side to balance out the smokiness of the breast filling, this is a really nice appetizer and pares up with a light red wine