PASTA NIGHT

Comfort food, Italian-style, means dishing up platters of tender pasta topped with a choice of familiar sauces: rich, meaty, long-simmered Bolognese or bright, pungent pesto Genovese. Start with a few classic cocktails and a fresher take on antipasti (more vegetables, fewer meats), and end with the winning combination of biscotti, pignoli cookies, and affogato. SERVES 8