Don't worry, you can still get fresh basil here in the US and whirl together your favorite herb sauce.

However, if you're looking for authentic pesto, the kind made from basil grown under the Genoa sun, then you're facing increased prices or even shortages of the stuff. The area of northern Italy was destroyed by unseasonable hailstorms, leaving 35 producers affected and about $6.5 million of damages in its wake. I guess you'd expect that from hailstones "the size of tennis balls."

Pasta e fagioli, or sometimes just "pasta fagioli," is a simple Italian bean and pasta soup. It's a great way to use a glut of dried beans in your pantry, but I don't usually make it just to use up things I have stored. When I feel like eating it, I just go to the store and buy everything (even the pasta because I never seem to keep stuff too long in the pantry any way). Some people use a smoked ham or bacon to "flavor" pasta e fagioli, as is the case for many bean-based soups, but I keep mine pretty simple.

Cook 1/2 c. finely chopped onion and 2-3 finely minced garlic cloves in 2-3 T. olive oil over medium-low heat. Add 1 15 oz. can plum tomatoes that have been chopped or crushed (I do it by hand), about 2 T chopped parsley and about 1 tsp dried oregano. Stir and cook until combined, about 2 minutes. Add 1 15 oz. can of chicken broth and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add 1 15. oz can of cannelini beans that have been drained of their "bean juice" and 8 oz. elbow macaroni that has been cooked.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Last summer, I had a love affair with ricotta gnocchi after being introduced to it for the first time at an Italian food and wine event.

Obviously, I had heard of gnocchi, but had always thought of them as the soft, pillowy pieces of pasta dough made from a potato and flour dough. Ricotta gnocchi is made from almost all ricotta cheese, and just a touch of flour to keep the gnocchi together. They are so good by themselves that they need nothing more than a drizzle of melted butter and a sprinkle of fresh chopped herbs to eat. 

When I made them, I basically had three or four recipes in front of me, then winged it, combining them all, adding, subtracting, and changing ingredients as I went along, based on a feeling. Keep that in mind when you make them at home. Adjust everything to the temperature that day, the humidity, your personal preferences, etc.

Tanino Ristorante Bar in Westwood, California had horribly condescending service from the maitre d' who spoke not a single word to us to the server who was as cold as ice. However, I had to give them credit for putting two incredibly delicious things together - creamy dreamy risotto and sensuous, soft meatballs drowning in a sweet and spicy sauce. It made me want to sing, "On top of ri-soooooo-tto, all covered with cheese..." then rush right home and try making it myself.