Italian recipe collection

Spicy cheese-stuffed shells with a three-cheese filling and tomatoes with green chilies sauce. A lighter stuffed pasta with low-fat cottage cheese and part-skim mozzarella.

Spicy Italian turkey patties seasoned with fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, garlic, and Italian herbs topped with warm tomato sauce. A lean, flavorful weeknight dinner.

Ligurian caviar is an Italian olive paste spread blended with capers and red pepper flakes. A briny, spicy vegetarian crostini topping that keeps in the fridge for two weeks.

Slow-simmered Italian tomato sauce with 4 pounds of fresh plum tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, and a full tablespoon of black pepper. Three hours on the stove.

Spinach lasagne with sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and fresh wilted spinach folded into a three-cheese filling. A vegetarian Italian lasagna with no jarred sauce needed.

Spinach Parmesan sauteed in butter with nutmeg and freshly grated Parmesan. A classic 5-ingredient Italian side dish ready in 20 minutes.

Spinach alla Romana with pine nuts, raisins, and lard in the traditional Roman style. A classic Italian side dish of wilted spinach with sweet-savory contrasts ready in 25 minutes.

Spinach ricotta stuffed shells with a cabbage twist, baked in tomato-broth sauce with nutmeg. A lighter Italian-American main with hidden-vegetable smarts.

Chunky pesto with two kinds of basil, leftover chicken, pecans, and anchovies for depth. A no-cook sauce that turns pasta salad or hot pasta into a full meal.

Strawberries Italian style macerate ripe berries with sugar, lemon, orange juice, port, and white wine. Boozy fragole al vino dessert that needs nothing more than a chilled glass.

Stuffed cheese pizza: Chicago-style deep dish with whole wheat crust hiding mozzarella and broccoli between two layers, topped with pizza sauce at the end. Inside-out flavor.

Stuffed polenta with meat sauce: two layers of Parmesan polenta sandwiching a meaty tomato-basil sauce and mozzarella, baked hot until bubbly. A lighter Italian alternative to lasagna.

Classic three-cheese manicotti stuffing with ricotta, diced mozzarella, Parmesan, and eggs. A quick no-cook filling that pipes or spoons into manicotti shells for a rich, creamy Italian dinner.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce/Dressing recipe

Crunchy Italian orange almond biscotti, twice-baked for that signature snap and loaded with toasted almonds and bright orange zest. A no-butter cookie made for dunking in coffee or vin santo.

Homemade Italian sausage with ground pork shoulder, fennel seed, garlic, and crushed red pepper. The classic from-scratch sausage for grilling, frying, or pasta sauces.