Everything in the Italian way of life is intended to foster and appreciate connection - connection between people, and connection between people and the land and the traditions that bring the food to our tables and celebrations. Let this guide help you to embrace every shared moment together and celebrate the holidays like an Italian.

From food writer and cookbook author extraordinaire, we're proud to present Katie Workman's holiday favorite. Using rigatoni instead of flat noodles and dollops of fresh ricotta, this gorgeous holiday pasta recipe is like an unstructured lasagna, only better.

Whether you're preparing an elaborate multi-course feast, plan to have 7 seafood dishes adorning your dinner table, or are going to keep it simple with one seafood inclusion, we think this stuffed calamari should make an appearance at your Christmas dinner.

Abundant with rich meat, warming marinara sauce, and savory melted cheese, pasta al forno is often served on Christmas to satisfy many appetites. Finished with crispy toasted breadcrumbs, this baked rigatoni is a favorite across all generations.

Foraging for mushrooms is ritualistic and requires immense patience. After hours spent tromping through mushroom territory, you may come home bearing pounds, ounces, or none of the marvelous treasure. Filled with the earthy nuances of wild fungi, this mushroom risotto balances rich textures with umami flavors with a bright pop of lemon, fresh herbs, and aromatic fennel pollen. A wonderful dish to serve throughout the year, it is particularly nice during the holiday season.

For those who celebrate, Easter is a time to relish the arrival of springtime and rejoice in the cycle of life. For all of us, the arrival of spring delivers the perfect excuse to get together and revel in the rebirth of the growing season and the promise of warm weather. The vibrant colors, fresh smells and bountiful flavors of spring beckon us to the kitchen.

Revered by many as the patron saint of Sicily, San Giuseppe, or Saint Joseph, is celebrated throughout Italy on March 19th with elaborate feasts. Husband to the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ's legal father, many Italians also use the holiday to celebrate Father's Day.

The New Year, no matter when or where you celebrate it, is a signal of hope and rejuvenation. It is a time to reflect and think through both the good and bad that touched our lives throughout the past year. As we step into the start of our next cycle, it is also a time that we look forward, often beckoning a desire for change and betterment, however that may look. In Italy, this inevitable progression of time is celebrated with various customary practices and tradtitional food to both bid farewell to the past, and welcome the forthcoming future.