Mia sorella prepara la zucca al forno con il cavolfiore, e dopo cena mangia anche un’albicocca.

In standard Italian, with a singular close family member, you usually omit the article before the possessive:

• mia sorella
• mio fratello
• nostro padre

So mia sorella is the normal form.

By contrast, with most other nouns, Italian normally uses the article:

• la mia macchina
• il mio libro

So this is a special pattern for close family nouns.

Both are present indicative, third person singular.

• prepara = she prepares
• mangia = she eats

The subject is mia sorella, so both verbs refer to she.

This is about articles.

• la zucca = the pumpkin/squash
• il cavolfiore = the cauliflower
• un’albicocca = an apricot

Italian often uses the definite article with foods and ingredients where English may sound more general. Here, la zucca and il cavolfiore are the foods being prepared in the dish.

Un’albicocca is indefinite because it means one apricot / an apricot.

Al forno means baked, oven-baked, or roasted in the oven.

It comes from:

• a + il = al
• forno = oven

So literally it is something like in the oven or to the oven, but in natural English you usually translate it as baked or oven-roasted.

Examples:

• pasta al forno = baked pasta
• patate al forno = roast potatoes

Yes. Con il cavolfiore means with the cauliflower.

Italian also has the contraction:

• con il → col

So col cavolfiore is possible.

However, in modern standard Italian, con il is often more common and neutral, especially in writing. So the sentence as given sounds perfectly natural.

Dopo cena is a very common fixed expression meaning after dinner.

Italian often leaves out the article in time expressions like this:

• dopo cena = after dinner
• dopo pranzo = after lunch
• dopo scuola = after school

You would use an article if you meant a specific meal or event:

• dopo la cena di Natale = after the Christmas dinner

Because albicocca is a feminine singular noun beginning with a vowel.

The feminine indefinite article una becomes un’ before a vowel:

• una albicocca → un’albicocca
• una amica → un’amica

The apostrophe shows elision.

Important contrast:

• feminine: un’amica
• masculine: un amico (no apostrophe)

Because the subject is still understood to be mia sorella.

Italian very often does not repeat subject pronouns or nouns when the subject is already clear from context and from the verb ending.

So:

• Mia sorella prepara..., e dopo cena mangia...

naturally means:

• My sister prepares..., and after dinner she eats...

You could repeat the subject for emphasis, but it is not necessary.

Anche means also, too, or as well.

Here it adds the idea that, besides the other food mentioned, she also eats an apricot.

Its position is important. In this sentence, anche comes before un’albicocca, so it naturally highlights that item:

• mangia anche un’albicocca = she also eats an apricot

Not really. It is optional here.

In Italian, a comma before e is often not used when simply joining two parts of a sentence. But writers may include it to mark a slight pause or to separate a longer phrase more clearly.

So both of these are acceptable:

• Mia sorella prepara la zucca al forno con il cavolfiore e dopo cena mangia anche un’albicocca.
• Mia sorella prepara la zucca al forno con il cavolfiore, e dopo cena mangia anche un’albicocca.

The version with the comma just feels a bit more separated rhythmically.

This is a useful spelling pattern.

Nouns ending in -ca usually form the plural in -che to keep the hard k sound:

• zucca → zucche
• albicocca → albicocche

So the h is there to preserve pronunciation.

Without the h, the sound would change before e.

Here they are:

• sorella — feminine
• zucca — feminine
• forno — masculine
• cavolfiore — masculine
• cena — feminine
• albicocca — feminine

Knowing gender helps you choose the right article:

• la zucca
• il cavolfiore
• un’albicocca