Giuliano Hazan is the people’s chef. Using simple, fresh ingredients and a straightforward, do-it-yourself teaching technique, Hazan—a Sarasota resident—has managed to cultivate a culinary empire that has earned him international recognition and acclaim. Below you’ll find some signature recipes from Hazan’s How To Cook Italian, the 2005 follow-up to his highly successful Every Night Italian and The Classic Pasta Cookbook. With just a little time and effort, you can bring a bit of Hazan into your home.

Crostini di bottarga (bottarga and mozzarella canapés)

Makes 12 canapés

6 slices white bread
6 ounces buffalo-milk mozzarella
1 ounce bottarga or 6 anchovy filets
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Trim the crusts from the bread and cut the slices diagonally in half. Place on a baking sheet. Cut the mozzarella into 12 slices, about ¼-inch thick, and place a slice on each piece of bread, taking care not to let it overhang. Grate the bottarga (the easiest way is with a drum-type grater) and sprinkle over the mozzarella. If using anchovies, cut the filets in half and place on half on each piece of bread. Dot each canapé with butter. Bake until the bread begins to brown and the mozzarella begins to melt, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Pasta e fagioli

½ medium yellow onion
1 small carrot
1 small celery
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup canned, whole-peeled tomatoes with their juice
3 cups drained canned cranberry or cannellini beans
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups homemade meat broth, or ½ each beef and chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 5 cups water
6 ounces tubetti or another small pasta suitable for soup
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the carrot and celery and cut into ¼-inch dice (you should get about ¼ cup of each). Put the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and place over medium heat. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables turn a rich golden color, about 10 minutes. Discard the garlic cloves. Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, with their juices, and the beans to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so that the soup simmers, cover the pot and cook for 45 minutes. Scoop up about one-quarter of the beans and puree them using a food mill or a food processor. Return the pureed beans to the pot. Check to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the pasta. If necessary, add a little more broth or water. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until done. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano. Serve at once.

Sliced steak with arugula and pecorino

4 ounces arugula
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Salt
2 boneless rib-eye steaks, about 1 ½ pounds each, at least 1 ¼ inches thick
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup freshly grated, medium-aged pecorino cheese
Balsamic vinegar for drizzling

Preheat a charcoal or gas grill. Cut off the arugula stems and wash the leaves. Put the olive oil in a medium skillet and place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the arugula leaves and sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the arugula is wilted and any liquid is evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Generously sprinkle coarse sea salt and black pepper on both sides of the steaks. Grill for about 6 minutes on each side for rare steak. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and cut on a bias into ¼-inch-thick slices. Put the skillet with the arugula back over high heat just long enough to heat it through. Arrange the sliced steak on a serving platter and distribute the wilted arugula over it. Sprinkle the grated pecorino on top and drizzle sparingly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve at once.

Torta al Cioccolato (flourless chocolate cake)

1 pound premium semisweet chocolate
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
5 large eggs
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon rum

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees on the regular bake setting. Place a saucepan half filled with water over medium heat. Put the chocolate and the butter in a metal bowl and put it over the saucepan. When the chocolate and butter are melted, mix together well with a rubber spatula. In an electric mixer, whip the eggs and the sugar together on high speed until the mixture is smooth and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rum and chocolate mixture. Pour the batter into a nine-inch springform pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool. Refrigerate the cake overnight. When ready to serve, run a paring knife around he sides, then remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Serve chilled. Note: This cake will keep refrigerated for two to three days.