ROASTED PEPPERS WITH TUNA (Peperoni Al Tonno) This dish was sitting on the table in the Maneras family dining room table in Piedmont, the prelude to one of the finer meals Ive ever eaten, and the first of many since Ive taken in their company. I make these peperoni often in summer, when red bell peppers are plentiful. Its very easy and fast, and perfect for a large group. You can easily cut the recipe in half to suit a smaller group. Serve this, as Luciano Maneras did, with a dry but fruity red, such as Dolcetto. 6 whole roasted medium red bell peppers* 2 cans (6 ounces each) tuna packed in olive oil, drained 6 tablespoons capers, preferably preserved in salt 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish *Susan suggests this method for roasting peppers yourself: Place peppers over the flame of a gas burner on medium-high, turning with tongs until they are charred all over (the skins crackled and flaking). Watch carefully to prevent the peppers from burning. Remove from the burners and wrap in a kitchen towel, aluminum foil, or a brown paper bag for 15 minutes.

The steam from the peppers will loosen the skin, and when cool enough to handle, the skins will rub right off. Over the sink, remove the seeds and pith from the peppers and proceed with the recipe. 1. Cut the peppers lengthwise into quarters. Arrange, insides up, on a serving platter and set aside. 2. Combine the tuna and capers in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream through the feed tube and continue processing until the mixture has turned an ivory color and is quite smooth (8 to 10 minutes).

3. Fill the pepper quarters with the tuna puree, using about 1 generous tablespoon per pepper. 4. Mince the parsley leaves, if using, and garnish. Serve immediately. Makes 8 to 10 servings. LEMON AND PINE NUT TAGLIATELLE Tagliatelle Con Limone E Pinoli Lisa Bonacossi, her husband, Ugo Contini Bonacossi, and most of their seven children run the Cappezzana winery near Pistoia, in Tuscany. Though Lisa is from a noble family, she is the kind of person who cant stay out of the kitchen (any more than she can stay away from the winery), and she often prepares simple country dishes herself.

This is one of my favorite pastas,O Lisa Bonacossi said, citing its simplicity, It is made with the lemons, pine nuts, and oil that everyone has at hand.O The flavors are simple and brilliant. The sauce is best served with fresh tagliatelle. I serve it with lemon wedges too for those who like to squeeze a bit of fresh juice over the pasta. Serve with a well-chilled Pinot Grigio for a nice, bright combination. 1 cup (gently packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Zest of 2 lemons, cut into fine (julienne) strips 1/2 cup pine nuts Fine sea salt 1 3/4 pounds fresh tagliatelle Freshly ground black pepper 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges (optional) 1. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a 350 degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes checking them often as they can burn in an instant! 2. Mince the parsley and place it in a large shallow bowl.

Add the oil, lemon zest, and pine nuts and mix well until combined. Season with salt, cover, and let sit for at least 2 hours at room temperature. 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the tagliatelle, stir, and cook until it is al dente, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. 4. Add the hot pasta along with the cooking water immediately to the prepared sauce and toss until the sauce is thoroughly distributed.

Season with salt and pepper and toss again. 5. To serve, use two spoons and carefully scoop up the pasta, making sure to get pine nuts with each serving. (The pine nuts tend to fall to the bottom of the bowl no matter how well you toss the pasta. Once the pasta is served, simply return to the bowl and evenly distribute the remaining pine nuts over each serving.).