Also called zabaglione (zah-bah-L'YOH-neh), this delicious dessert, thought to have its roots in Piedmont, is made by whisking egg yolks with sugar and dry Marsala in a double boiler until a thick, luscious cream forms. Some recipes call for other sweet wines: Moscato, Vin Santo, Prosecco, Port, Madeira, Malaga, or Champagne are all common choices, each resulting in different flavors and colors; rum, cognac, kirsch, and other liqueurs are also used but should be diluted with dry white wine to mitigate their potent kick.

Zabaione can be eaten as is, topped with whipped cream and accompanied by ladyfingers, or it can be incorporated into numerous other desserts: it is often used as a filling for cakes or as a base for ice cream, mousses, and puddings. Homey versions of zabaione, served more as soothing tonics than as sumptuous desserts, call for beating the egg yolks with sugar and whisking in milk instead of wine or liqueur.

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Outside the Veneto, these cookies are known as Gialletti (meaning 'little yellow ones'). The pastry, known for its characteristic flattened shape, is typical of Emilia-Romagna and northern regions like the Veneto and Trentino-AltoAdige. Zaleti are made with white flour as well as cornmeal (hence their golden color), butter, eggs, and sugar; dried fruit, especially raisins, are sometimes added.

Another classic dish from Southern Italy, zeppole are sweet fritters - made with a simple batter of flour, sugar, and whatever local ingredients the cook prefers to give flavor and personality to the final dish. According to tradition, zeppole are prepared during Carnevale throughout the South of Italy, particularly in Campania, Apulia, and Sardinia (where they are sometimes called zippulas or cattas). In Salerno, zeppole are made out of puff pastry and stuffed with chestnut purée, chocolate, and sugar. On the island of Ischia (off the coast of Naples), the batter is enriched with egg yolks and butter and the fritters are stuffed with sweet pastry cream or jam.

As the name suggests, zuppa inglese ("English soup") is of English origin, and is derived from the trifle, a popular British dessert. To make zuppa inglese, wedges of sponge cake or delicate cookies such as ladyfingers are dipped in sweet wine or light liqueur, then layered with whipped cream, diced candied fruit, and chopped bittersweet chocolate.

This is a traditional Spring recipe from Sardinia, similar to Scottish haggis. It is made with the blood of a freshly-butchered lamb, cooked and combined with lardo, bread and cheese, then used to stuff the lamb's stomach. It is then boiled for almost two hours and served hot, cut into slices.