NEW YORK -- Mario Batali says the state of the nation with regard to Italian food and cooking is just great. He should know, having sampled it from coast to coast researching his latest Food Network series, "Ciao America With Mario Batali."

Batali, master chef and genial television-show host, talks with characteristic gusto and authority about Italian cooking, his forte, and its place in American life.

Does he have a definition for Italian-American cooking as it flourishes in exuberant variety in the United States? "Yes, absolutely. It's all those dishes our grandmothers knew how to make and that we've gone back to," he says promptly.

Two homestyle recipes cooked with family and friends on the show follow, reprinted courtesy Mario Batali.

Ragu alla Nonna

(Preparation 15 minutes, cooking time 4 hours)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 recipe Polpette Alla Napoletana (recipe follows)

12 pork spare ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces

6 chicken thighs, skin-on and bones intact

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

3/4 cup dry red wine

Two 28-ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes and juice, passed through a food mill

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage (about 6 links), still in its casing

Pinch of hot red pepper flakes

In a large pasta pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil until smoking. Season the meatballs, short ribs and chicken with salt and pepper to taste, and sear 5 or 6 pieces at a time over medium heat until dark golden brown. Remove the seared meat to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat chunks.

Add the onion to the pan and saute, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits. Cook until the onions are golden brown and very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, browned meat chunks, tomatoes, sausages, and pepper flakes and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming off the fat as necessary.

Remove from the heat and remove meat and sausages from the sauce. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and set the sauce aside to use with pasta as a second course.

For the first course, divide the meats, which should still be lightly coated in sauce, evenly among 6 plates (2 short ribs, 1 chicken thigh, 2 meatballs, 1 piece sausage, etc., for each plate). Serve with escarole and pine nuts.

Makes 8 servings.

Polpette Alla Napoletana

(Preparation time 20 minutes)

3 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/4 pounds ground chuck beef

3 eggs, beaten

3 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup pine nuts, baked for 8 minutes in a 400 F oven

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in water to cover for a minute or two. Drain the bread cubes and squeeze with your fingers to press out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, beef, eggs, garlic, Pecorino Romano, parsley, toasted pine nuts, salt, and pepper, and mix with your hands to incorporate. With wet hands, form 12 to 15 meatballs, each smaller than a tennis ball and larger than a golf ball. Brown as instructed in the recipe for Ragu alla Nonna.

Makes 12 to 15 meatballs.

Aunt Izzy's Gnocchi

3 pounds potatoes, russet

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 extra-large egg

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup canola oil

Boil the whole potatoes until they are soft (about 45 minutes). While still warm, peel and pass through vegetable mill onto clean pasta board.

Set 6 quarts of water to boil in a large spaghetti pot. Set up ice bath with 6 cups ice and 6 cups water, near boiling water.

Make well in center of potatoes and sprinkle all over with flour, using all the flour. Place egg and salt in center of well and using a fork, stir into flour and potatoes, just like making normal pasta. Once egg is mixed in, bring dough together, kneading gently until a ball is formed. Knead gently another 4 minutes until ball is dry to touch.

Roll baseball-sized ball of dough into 3/4-inch-diameter dowels, and cut dowels into 1-inch long pieces. Flick with fork tines or convex side of cheese grater to give pieces slight texture, until dowel is finished.

Drop these pieces into boiling water and cook until they float (about 1 minute). Meanwhile, continue with remaining dough, forming dowels, cutting into 1-inch pieces and flicking with fork.

As gnocchi float to top of boiling water, remove them to ice bath. Continue until all have been cooled off. Allow the gnocchi to sit several minutes in the ice bath before draining them from the ice-water. Toss the cooled gnocchi with 1/2 cup canola oil and store covered in refrigerator up to 48 hours until ready to serve (reheat in your favorite sauce).

Makes enough gnocchi for 12 servings of 6 pieces, as a first course.

(All recipes courtesy Mario Batali)

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"Ciao America With Mario Batali" airs Wednesdays, 10:30 p.m., ET-PT.

On the Web:

http://www.foodnetwork.com