How do you challenge an incomparable food director who has created some of the most incredible menus, cover recipes and accessible dishes for the TASTE audience? You ask her to create a dinner party in just an hour! Abigail Donnelly's new one-hour dinner party series on the TASTE YouTube channel kicks off with an Italian theme. Abi unknowingly chose Veneto and Lombardy as the theme, and date night as the occasion. Watch how she pulled it off in the video below:

ALSO READ: These 8 irresistible Italian desserts will satisfy that sweet tooth

Abi's Italian dinner party menu

1. Taleggio-and-green olive bruschetta

There's something deeply satisfying about the moment Taleggio cheese begins to bubble and ooze under the grill, its earthy, mushroomy depth mellowing into something almost dessert-like as it melts. Paired with the briny pop of crushed green olives and a slick of garlic-infused olive oil on crisp, toasted sourdough, this is the kind of uncomplicated bar snack that steals the show.

Taleggio-and-green olive bruschetta recipe

2. Parma ham-and-crisp antipasto

There's a reason the simplest pairings are often the most memorable – Parma ham with hand-cooked truffle-and-Parmesan potato crisps is proof. The ham is silky and salty-sweet, melting on the tongue, while the crisps bring a golden crunch that makes everything better. Topped with sundried tomato pesto and it’s the easiest antipasto you’ll ever make.

Parma ham-and-crisp antipasto recipe

ALSO READ: 6 ingredients you need to host a budget-friendly Italian dinner party

3. Calabrian chilli-and-cannellini bean salad

This is the kind of salad that quietly steals the show on every table. Creamy cannellini beans meet punchy Calabrian chilli and a sharp, garlic-kissed dressing. It's bold without trying too hard, and comes together in the time it takes to open a can.

Calabrian chilli-and-cannellini bean salad recipe

4. Grapefruit Nozeco spritz

There’s something deeply satisfying about a spritz that walks the line between bitter and bright. Alcohol-free Nozeco's fine, gently sparkling bubbles carry the smokiness of charred grapefruit, while the ruby grapefruit soda adds a burst of citrus sunshine. Serve it over plenty of ice in wine glasses and you have a drink that looks as good as it tastes: sophisticated, zingy and utterly moreish.

Grapefruit Nozeco spritz recipe

5. Trippa alla Abi

Truffle-and-Parmesan potato crisps (from the antipasto with Parma ham) and baby Italian artichokes (used in the cacio e pepe gnocchi recipe below) were two surprise ingredients we sprang on Abi while she was cooking. The third was Woolies' slow-cooked ox tripe (or trippa in Italian). Abi simply added a 375 ml bottle of Woolies' boerewors ragu pasta sauce to the tripe and cooked it according to package instructions. Simple!

Find more of Abi's recipes here

6.  Cacio e pepe gnocchi

This is the dish that proves weeknight dinners and dinner-party wow factor can share the same recipe. Pillowy Woolworths Italian potato gnocchi gets a legendary cacio e pepe treatment: a silky, glossy sauce that clings to every dumpling in the most irresistible way without a drop of cream. Simple, quick and spectacular.

Cacio e pepe gnocchi recipe

ALSO READ: 7 Italian dinner ideas that aren’t pasta

7. Tiramisu-pistachio affogato

These affogato-style treats are pure theatre at the table. A shot of hot, dark espresso poured over cold, silken tiramisu or vivid pistachio ice cream – classic and unmistakable. Allow your guests to choose tiramisu or ice cream and make their own.

Tiramisu-pistachio affogato recipe