Taste of Italy: Make squash gnocchi, olive oil cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C/gas 5. Put the squash, cut side up, into a baking pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake until soft, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the oven. When it is cool enough to handle, scrape out the flesh into a sieve and, with the back of a wooden spoon, press out as much liquid as possible. Put the squash into a large bowl, add the eggs and plenty of salt, and mash with a fork or a potato masher. Add the flour and work it into the mixture to form a thick, soft dough. (Add a bit more flour if the dough doesn't stick together.)

Generously dust a work surface with flour. Using a tablespoon, form the dough into oval gnocchi, putting them on the floured surface as they are formed. Let them sit while you proceed to the next step. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, pork, veal, and chicken livers, break up the ground meats with a wooden spoon, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are very soft and the meats are browned, about 20 minutes.

Drain the onion mixture in a colander or sieve, then return it to the frying pan and add the tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes more. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Working in batches, add the gnocchi to the pot and cook until they rise to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. As the gnocchi are done, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a warmed serving bowl. When all the gnocchi are cooked, spoon the sauce over them, but do not toss.

Put the broccoli rabe into a large pot of salted cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. When it is boiling, raise the heat to high and add the orecchiette. Cook until the pasta is al dente, 8 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat together the oil and anchovy fillets in a small pan over medium heat. When the pasta is ready, drain it and the greens and transfer them to a warmed serving bowl. Pour the anchovy oil over the top and season generously with pepper; if necessary, add a little salt. Pass the cheese at the table.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F/160 degrees C/gas 3. Lightly oil a 10- to 12- inch/ 25- to 30-centimeter bundt pan or angel-food cake pan, then dust with flour, shaking off the excess by turning the pan upside down and gently banging it several times on a countertop.

Combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until pale yellow, about 1 minute. Add the flour, orange and lemon zest, oil, milk, and cream and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the baking powder and mix in thoroughly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a wooden spoon. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a rack before unmolding and serving. 

If extracting your own juice, roll the pomegranates one at a time on the kitchen counter, pressing down firmly and rolling them to crush the interiors evenly. When all the pomegranates have been treated this way, hold a pomegranate over a medium bowl, puncture it with a sharp knife, and squeeze it firmly to extract all the juice. Repeat with the remaining pomegranates. Strain the juice and discard any seeds that have emerged, or save them for another use.

Combine 3 cups/720 milliliters pomegranate juice and 1 cup/240 milliliters cold water in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar, raise the heat to medium-low, and bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to chill thoroughly.

Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. The sorbet will keep in the freezer, in a tightly sealed container, for at least 1 month, but it is best made to order and eaten fresh.