Such is the case at the new location of Frankies Spuntino at 570 Hudson Street in Manhattan. Chef/owners Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo have let classic Italian dishes shine by focusing on essential ingredients like amazing extra-virgin olive oil and heaps of fresh garlic in their grandma's dining room-style restaurant. When the duo appeared on Food(ography), they shared their paramount pork dish, Pork Braciola Marinara, and explained how a dish can have the maximum amount of flavor with a minimum amount of ingredients. In this case, parsley, Parmesan, provolone and homemade tomato sauce are key.

All of the items on the menu at Frankies have just a few rustic ingredients, like the arugula salad with Pecorino Romano; Frankies' olio nuovo and lemon; and the house-made linguine with littleneck

clams, garlic, olive oil & parsley that had me sopping up the garlic and olive oil at the bottom of my bowl with bread. The menu speaks for itself, with little to no additional ingredients other than what is listed.

Stick to just a few ingredients at home and you can make simple but delicious recipes like Giada's Spaghetti With Clams which relies heavily on fresh parsley and heaping cloves of garlic for flavor. And skip a complex salad by using a homemade vinaigrette over arugula, like Tyler's Arugula Salad and Ultimate Vinaigrette.

In this rustic dining room (and your own), you can keep costs down and ingredients minimal while still making great-tasting Italian dishes.

• Italian-Style Pasta Dishes
• Simple Italian Dinners
• Indulgent Italian Desserts
• Kelsey's Homemade Pasta How-To