Italian-Inspired Buffet

Our groaning board is assembled from delicacies found in the prepared-food section of Italian markets, bread sticks and garlic knots made from pizza dough, and vegetable frittatas that are easily prepared before the party. Paola likens her tomato and zucchini frittatas to oversize omelettes.

"We are all on diets all the time," she explains, "and the frittatas have not so much oil, so we can eat plenty." Freshness and quality are what matter, which may suggest allowing enough lead time to order a beautiful prosciutto.

Credits: Paola designed the Gervasoni Blu glassware ($397 to $405 for a set of six, imoderni) and decorated the Driade salad and dinner plates, bowl, and platters, which hold bread knots ($114 to $289, all M at Mercer). Tomatoes overflow a wooden bowl ($185, Aero Ltd.); Photo by Gentl & Hyers, styling by Sabine Tucker, food styling by Anne Disrude