To prevent their pasta from becoming too tough, chefs must knead the dough gently but quickly and keep it from hanging out with gangs of hardened calzones. Keep the culinary peace with today’s Groupon: for $19, you get $40 worth of authentic Italian cuisine and drinks and one slice of Nonna’s ricotta cheesecake (a $5 value) during dinner at Pasquale’s Ristorante Italiano in Edison (a $45 total value).

Pasquale’s Ristorante Italiano crafts house-made pastas, entrees, and decadent desserts for an elegant, old-world menu of Italian favorites. A clutch of pan-seared scallops and shrimp spill over an umami-laden porcini risotto ($20.95) like a gift from a mermaid secret admirer left on the shore, and boneless short ribs with a port-wine glaze recline on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes ($20.95). Light-as-air gnocchi hopscotch through bolognese sauce studded with mascarpone cheese squares ($13.95). A slice of Nonna’s cheesecake, finished with raspberry puree, puts a ricotta exclamation point at the end of savory meals. Homey floral arrangements and warm, golden walls meet sleek booths and a streamlined full bar in Pasquale's dining room, suiting moods ranging from casual to extravagant. Reservations are recommended.