Menu: A Dinner Menu for Warm Spring Nights

You can substitute any fresh spinach pasta for the cappellacci and lamb for the goat if either are hard to find.

If it's still a bit early for corn season, use thawed frozen corn for the soup and add just a pinch of sugar.

A cheese plate is a wonderful way to end a meal—serve a selection of several different kinds, ranging from hard to soft, pungent to mild. Need ideas? Here are a few of our favorite Wisconsin cheeses and a few great ones from Texas.

You don't need an expensive espresso machine to get a decent cup—stovetop espresso pots work just fine, as does this AeroPress Espresso Maker we're particularly fond of.

Every good dinner party needs a soundtrack, so as a bonus Ana created a special playlist to go along with this menu. Get the playlist on Spotify »