Country-Style Gnocchi

Tanca Farra, a 50/50 blend of estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Cannonau grapes (produced by Sella & Mosca wineries), is the perfect match for this hearty, appetizing dish from Sardinia.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb sausage meat
1/2 teaspoon powdered saffron
2 tablespoons oiling water
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 lbs fresh or frozen gnocchi
8 oz grated pecorino cheese

*Serves 4

Put extra virgin olive oil and chopped onion in a large skillet and cook over a medium heat until onion turns a pale gold. Add sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and turning from time to time until browned all over.

In a small cup, add 2 tablespoons of boiling water to powdered saffron; stir and pour over sausage meat. Add crushed tomatoes, adjust heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

In a large pot of boiling water, pour in the gnocchi. As the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water, scoop out of pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Toss gently with the sausage meat/tomato sauce and the grated pecorino cheese and serve.

Alghero-style Spaghetti

Summer or winter, this hearty, typically Sardinian dish is never out of season. A good Vermentino provides a perfect counterpoint for its robust, assertive flavor.

2 dozen littleneck clams
1/2 cup Vermentino white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons garlic , coarsely chopped
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 oz green olives, pitted and chopped
Black pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 lb spaghetti

Soak clams for 5 minutes in a bowl of cold water. Drain and refill bowl with fresh cold water. Scrub clams thoroughly with a stiff brush. Repeat operation 2 or 3 more times until you see no more sand at the bottom of bowl. Discard any clams that stay open when handled.

Put clams in a large skillet, turn on heat to high and cover. Turn clams over frequently and remove from pan as soon as they open up their shells. Remove each clam from its shell, chop into 2 or 3 pieces and set as

Put clams in a large skillet, turn on heat to high and cover. Turn clams over frequently and remove from pan as soon as they open up their shells. Remove each clam from its shell, chop into 2 or 3 pieces and set aside.

Put the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan and turn on heat to medium. When the garlic becomes a pale gold, add the chopped green olives and capers, stir and add chopped parsley. Pour in the white wine, stir and add the chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle with oregano and grindings of black pepper. Adjust heat to a gentle simmer and cook for a couple of minutes longer.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti. Once cooked al dente, drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Add clam sauce, toss thoroughly to combine ingredients, and serve.

Gardener's Lobster

As delicious as it is easy to prepare, this cool, refreshing seafood salad will have your guests returning for more. Any use of herbs and seasonings is effectively made redundant by the presence of freshly cooked lobster meat, which supplies a subtly compelling backdrop for the other ingredients. Lobster is a special delicacy of Sardinia's northern coast. Serve with thick slabs of crusty bread and a well chilled bottle of Vermentino.

3 lbs frozen lobster tails, thawed**
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 lb vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 oz Bermuda red onion, thinly sliced
Sea salt to taste

** or 5 lbs live lobster

*Serves 6

Place lobster tails in a steamer and cook over boiling water for about 3 minutes, or until the shells turn pink. Remove from steamer, peel off shells and dice the lobster meat into small cubes.

Chop tomatoes into small cubes. Transfer to a salad bowl. Add the thinly sliced Bermuda red onion, diced lobster meat, vinegar and olive oil. Toss ingredients thoroughly and add salt to taste.