Summer is just around the corner. The days are lasting longer, the beaches are open-and kitchens are being deserted. Yes, it's the time of year to give the ovens and pot roasts a break in favor of barbecuing outdoor specialties. It may come as a surprise, but Italian culinary flavors are made for the season of sun.

Whether you are in the mood for meat, seafood, or vegetables, there is an Italian dish that will suit your outdoor grilling tastes. Like any good dining experience, the key is to start with the perfect appetizers.

A great choice to begin with is the simple, but delicious, Grilled Bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Bruschetta Grigliata). The flavored olive oil and bread, grilled to golden, are a great way to make mouths water and a simple but elegant appetizer.

Bruscehtta Grigliata

Olive oil flavored with garlic, fresh basil, or rosemary.

1 loaf of crusty Italian bread cut into 1-inch thick slices

1/4 cup extra -virgin olive oil

Prepare barbecue (medium-high-heat). Brush both sides of bread generously With oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden, about 1 minute per side. 6 servings.

Keep the tastes buds firing with Grilled Shrimp (Scampi Grigliati). The seasoned shrimp is grilled on bamboo skewers, a fabulous accent for any summer appetizer.

Scampi Grigliati

1/4 cup finely chopped garlic, mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon coarse salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves plus sprigs for garnish

3 tablespoons olive oil plus oil for brushing shrimp

16 jumbo shrimp (about 10 per pound)

four 12-inch bamboo skewers

lemon wedges as an accompaniment

In a large bowl stir together garlic, chopped fresh rosemary, and 3 tablespoons oil and add shrimp. Marinate shrimp, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.

In a shallow dish soak skewers in water to cover 60 minutes and prepare grill.

To grill, thread 4 shrimp on each skewer and brush with additional oil. Grill shrimp on an oiled rack, set about 5 inches over glowing coals, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.

Alternatively, brush shrimp with additional oil and grill in a hot well-season ridged grill pan, covered, over moderately high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Garnish shrimp with rosemary sprigs and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

Moving onto main courses, Penne with Grilled Eggplant (Penne con Melanzane Grigliata) is a lip-smacking selection. It can be served with the grilled eggplant and tomato slices fresh from the coals, or it can be prepared two hours ahead of time to be served at room temperature. This burst of pasta, vegetables, freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and garlic seasoning is a surefire delight.

Penne con Melanzane Grigliata

1 pound eggplant, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

1 pound tomatoes, halved lengthwise

olive oil spray

8 ounces penne pasta

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large garlic clove, pressed

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese (about 1 ounce)

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Spray both sides of eggplant slices and tomato halves with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant slices until brown and tender and tomato halves until charred, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes for eggplant slices and about 7 minutes for tomato halves. Cool.

Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Cut tomatoes into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta. Return pasta to same pot.

Add eggplant, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil and garlic to pasta and toss to blend. Stir in grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead.)

Makes about 4 servings.

Of course, a popular dining choice for many Italian enthusiasts is pizza! Grilled Pizza with Yellow Squash, Mozzarella, and Lemon Thyme (Pizza alla Griglia con Zucchine Gialle, Mozzarella e Timo al Limone) is definitely not the same dish you have delivered to the front door.

Pizza Grigliata al fresco

1 garlic clove, chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium zucchini

2 balls pizza dough, rolled out and chilled

3/4 cup cut fresh mozzarella (about 3 ounces)

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 2 1/4 ounces)

4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (preferably lemon thyme)

fresh thyme sprigs (preferably lemon thyme) for garnish

In a small bowl stir together garlic and oil and let stand 15 minutes. Slice squash crosswise into 1/16-inch thick rounds, transferring to plate. Prepare grill: Open vents in lid and bottom of kettle grill and put 25 briquettes on 2 opposite sides of bottom, leaving middle clear. Oil rack and position with wider openings over briquettes. Light briquettes. (They will be ready for cooking as soon as they turn grayish-white, 20 to 30 minutes.) Remove plastic wrap from 2 pieces of rolled-out-pizza dough (if grill is not large, work with 1 piece at a time, keeping remaining piece chilled) and lightly brush dough with some garlic oil. Trying not to stretch dough, carefully transfer it, oiled side down, with your hands to rack of grill. (If it's a very hot day, the dough may get too soft to transfer easily; if so, pop it into the freezer until firm again, about 15 minutes.) Lightly brush top with some garlic oil. When grilling pizzas, rotate them if 1 side of grill is hotter than the other. Grill crusts, covered, until undersides are golden brown on bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip crusts over with 2 metal spatulas and top each crust with half of cheeses, zucchini, and thyme. Lightly brush pizzas with some garlic oil and grill, covered, about 5 minutes, or until undersides are golden brown and cheeses are melted. Garnish pizzas with thyme sprigs and cut into wedges. Serves 2.

When it comes to the centerpiece of an outdoor Italian grilling experience, there is something for everyone. A classic dish is Grilled Italian Sausage (Salsicce Italiane alla Griglia). Not only are Italian sausages savory, but they are also easy to prepare.

Salsicce alla Italiane

Sweet and hot Italian sausages are delicious grilled over charcoal. Poach them in white wine for 5-8 min. before grilling, to cook out excess fat. They then grill quickly and to a delicious browness. Have both sweet and hot sausages. Serve with crisp Italian bread.

If it is fish that you are craving, Grilled Tuna ('Origanata' Tonno 'Riganatu') is an ideal selection.

'Tonno Origanato'

This is a delicious Sicilian Recipe Do not overcook tuna, because it becomes unpleasantly dry.

1 pound fresh tuna steak, sliced

1/4 inch thick

1/4 cup olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons of fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Place the tuna slices in a 9x12-inch ceramic or glass baking pan, add the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and oregano. Leave to marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the fish from the refrigerator 15 minutes before grilling. Reserve the marinade. Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes on high.

Remove the tuna from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place the tuna slices on the grill and cook, basting with the marinade, until deep black grid marks appear, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve with the marinade. Grill longer if the fish is thicker.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

No meal is complete without vegetable side dishes, as they truly round-out the flavor of the feast. Mixed Grilled Vegetables (Verdura Mista) is a tasty compliment to any meat or seafood entrè(c)e.

Verdura Mista

3 small yellow squash (about 3/4 pound)

6 Vidalia onions or large shallots, peeled and cleaned and sliced

4 yellow and/or red bell peppers, seeded and each cut into 6 pieces

2 medium red onions, peeled and each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges with root ends intact

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl toss vegetables with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Grill vegetables in batches on a rack set about 4 inches over glowing coals turning them, 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, transferring them to a platter as they are done.

Serves 6.

And last, but never least, what about dessert? Grilled Peaches with Raspberry Sauce (Pesche alla Griglia) is an utterly delectable treat.

Pesche Dolci

5 oz raspberries,- preferably fresh (frozen will do if fresh not available)

1-1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 medium fresh peaches, peel, halved

5 tsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp butter

In a blender or food processor, process raspberries and lemon juice until pureed. Strain and discard seeds. Cover and chill. Place the peach halves, cut side up, on a large piece of heavy-duty foil (about 18 x 12"). Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle into peach centers. Sprinkle with vanilla; dot with butter. Fold foil over peaches and seal. Grill over medium-hot coals for 15 minutes or until heated through. You can also place in a broiler for 8-12 minutes for a similar result. To serve, spoon the raspberry sauce over peaches.

There you have it - a supreme Italian grilling adventure. All of these scrumptious recipes are courtesy of www.marialiberati.com and more selections await all visitors to the website.

Summer cuisine can be so much more than hot dogs and hamburgers. Italian cuisine can be so much more than spaghetti and gravy. Why not add some flavor to your summer palate, and give these recipes a try? Your taste buds will thank you.