Italian cooking is not really as difficult as it sounds, and once you understand the basics, mouth-watering dishes can be prepared in no time. If cooking is your passion, then trying out the recipes mentioned below, will be extremely interesting and exciting for you. This cuisine is exotic as well as romantic. Versatility is one factor, that probably makes it a favorite of many. Here are some assorted recipes which may seem tough to prepare, but in reality are extremely easy. Lemon Pasta Ingredients:

• Long Pasta, 1 lb. (dried spaghetti/fresh fettuccine)
• Garlic Cloves, 2 (minced)
• Olive Oil, ½ cup
• Juice and Zest of Lemons, 2
• Fresh Parsley, 1 cup (chopped)
• Pine Nuts, ¾ cup (toasted)
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preparation: First, you would need to mix garlic, oil, lemon zest, parsley, and the juice together. Then, season it with some salt and pepper. Now, add the toasted pine nuts to this mixture. Stir this well and let it set for a couple of hours, as it will help the flavors to blend. Then, you would need to cook the pasta in salted boiled water. Once you are through with this, you would need to drain it. Before you do so, place around 1 cup of the pasta water aside. Now, place the pasta in the pot with the lemon sauce. Cook this over high heat. Keep adding some of the pasta water to this mixture. This will prevent it from drying out completely. Once the preparation turns piping hot, remove it from the heat. Before you serve it, be sure to remove the pine nuts from the bottom of the pot and place it on top of the pasta. Serve hot with a wedge of lemon as garnish. This delicious recipe would taste heavenly with grilled shrimp. Purè di Patate Ingredients:

• Potatoes, 2.20 lbs.
• Milk, 34 oz.
• Salt, to taste
• Butter, 40 gm.

Preparation: Boil the potatoes till they get cooked well. Peel and mash them. You can even use a potato ricer. Warm the milk in a pan. The mashed potatoes should then be added to the milk. Cook slowly while stirring occasionally. Add some amount of salt to taste. Some more quantity of the milk can be added to this, so that it attains the right consistency-neither too thick nor too watery. Then, add some butter to this. Serve hot. The purée you have prepared can be reheated. Beat an egg. Then mix the potatoes along with some grated Parmesan cheese and an adequate amount of chopped bacon. Place this in a buttered and oven proof dish. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs. Cook this is an oven at 180° F for 15 minutes. Sage and Parsley-Fried Finger Foods Ingredients:

• Sage Leaves, 24
• Little Sprigs of Parsley, 20
• Olive Oil
• White Flour 100gm.
• Salt, to taste

Preparation: Wash the parsley gently in a bowl of cold water. Pat it dry with some absorbent paper. Use some paper to wipe the sage leaves, as you must avoid washing it. You would now need to prepare the batter. Put some flour in the bowl and add mineral water to it slowly. Beat this with the help of a whisk at a continuous pace so that you can avoid the formation of lumps. Then, heat some olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Dip the fresh herbs into the batter and fry them till they turn golden brown in color. Now, remove them with the help of a slotted spoon. Sprinkle some salt and serve it hot. It tastes best when served with sparkling white wine.