Italian Sunday Supper

Serves 8 to 10

Piping decorations or a greeting on the top of this cake will be easy to do after it is completely frozen. Before removing the cake from the springform pan, run your paring knife under hot tap water for 10 seconds or so. The hot knife will slide easily between the cake and the pan, allowing the sides of the pan to come off cleanly.

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Process the Oreos in a food processor until finely and evenly ground, about 30 seconds. With the machine running, pour the butter through the feed tube and continue to process until the mixture resembles wet sand (you should have about 2 cups).

2. Transfer 2/3 cup of the crumbs to a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs into an even layer. Bake until the crust is fragrant and set, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

3. Scoop the cherry ice cream into a large bowl and work to soften. Spread the ice cream evenly over the cooled crust. Sprinkle another 2/3 cup Oreo crumbs over the ice cream and pack them down lightly. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until the ice cream is just firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the pistachio ice cream and the remaining 2/3 cup of Oreo crumbs, wrap tightly, and freeze for another 30 minutes. Soften the chocolate ice cream, spread evenly in the pan, and smooth the top following the photo. Rewrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 8 hours.

4. To serve, run a hot paring knife between the springform pan and the cake, then remove the sides of the pan. Slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and the pan bottom to loosen, then slide the cake onto a serving platter. Press the amaretti cookies onto the sides of the cake and decorate with cherries.

To Make Ahead

The ice cream cake can be assembled and frozen in the springform pan, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 1 week before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

The serrated edges on a bread knife can pull off the cheesy crust. To prevent this, place the finished garlic bread cheese side down on a cutting board. Slicing through the crust (rather than the cheese) first will keep the cheese in place.

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, and water in small nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until straw colored, 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Mix hot garlic, remaining butter, salt, and pepper in bowl and spread on cut sides of bread. Sandwich bread back together and wrap loaf in foil. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

3. Carefully unwrap bread and place halves, buttered sides up, on baking sheet. Bake until just beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set oven to broil.

4. Sprinkle bread with cheese. Broil until cheese has melted and bread is crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bread to cutting board with cheese side facing down. Cut into pieces. Serve.

Serves 8 to 10

Most sausage has enough seasoning to make extra salt unnecessary. The hearty sauce makes a meal when paired with 2 pounds of rigatoni, ziti, or penne.

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add sweet sausage and cook until well browned and fat begins to render, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel-lined plate to drain, then place in slow-cooker insert. Repeat with hot sausage.

2. Cook onions in sausage fat over medium heat until well browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook until paste begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine and simmer, scraping browned bits from pan bottom with wooden spoon, until wine is reduced, about 3 minutes. Transfer to slow-cooker insert and stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

3. Submerge spareribs and flank steak in sauce in slow-cooker insert. Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook until meat is tender, 8 to 10 hours. (Alternatively, cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.)

4. About 30 minutes before serving, transfer sausages, ribs, and flank steak to baking sheet and set aside until cool enough to handle. Shred ribs and flank steak into small pieces, discarding excess fat and bones; slice sausages in half crosswise. Use wide spoon to skim fat off surface, then stir sausages and shredded meat back into sauce. Stir in basil and season with pepper. Serve. (Leftover gravy can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Make Ahead: The recipe can be prepared through step 2 up to 2 days in advance. After reducing the wine in step 2, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and browned sausages to the Dutch oven and simmer over medium-low heat until the sausages are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Refrigerate the sausage and sauce mixture in an airtight container until ready to use. When ready to cook the gravy, warm the sauce and the sausages together over medium heat until heated through and transfer to slow-cooker insert. Proceed with step 3.