Italian Recipes

Pasta with pesto and grilled chicken: linguine tossed with jarred or homemade pesto and charred chicken pieces. Quick 30-minute dinner, warm or room temperature.

Nutty roasted corn, fresh tomatoes and romano beans make this hearty side dish a winner, especially during fresh corn season in the fall.

Italian-flavored shrimp dip with baby shrimp, cream cheese, sour cream, and Italian dressing mix brightened with lemon juice and chopped bell pepper. No-cook appetizer ready after a one-hour chill.

Homestyle lasagna rolls turn a meaty mushroom-and-beef filling, spiked with red wine and nutmeg, into tidy individual rolls baked in spaghetti sauce under melty mozzarella and parmesan. No messy slicing.

Chunky Italian sausage baked in a hearty tomato and vegetable casserole with red wine, oregano, and melted cheese on top. A Sicilian-style one-dish dinner ready in an hour.

Polenta pasticciata layers firm cooled polenta squares with porcini-spiked beef ragù, plum tomatoes, and grated pecorino into a rustic Northern Italian bake. Lasagne, but with cornmeal instead of pasta.

Fava bean salad with lemon, olive oil, garlic, and fresh parsley. Dried favas simmered until tender and tossed in a bright Italian-style dressing.

Classic chicken parmigiana, streamlined: saute chicken breasts, fan them out, blanket with marinara and melty mozzarella, then broil until bubbling. No breading, no deep-frying, one skillet, on the table in about 40 minutes.

Italian vegetable salad with chickpeas, mixed vegetables, olives, and cherry tomatoes in a basil-garlic vinaigrette. A make-ahead marinated salad for potlucks.

Italian turkey burgers seasoned with oregano, basil, garlic, and onion, baked until golden and topped with a mushroom-tomato sauce with thyme. A lean, flavorful burger done oven-style.

Vegetable lasagna layered with zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, and a red wine tomato sauce. Make-ahead and lighter than meat lasagna, with cottage cheese standing in for ricotta.

Italian tiramisu cake with layers of sponge cake, mascarpone-Tia Maria filling stabilized with gelatin, and an espresso-amaretto topping dusted with cocoa. A make-ahead party dessert.

Quick Italian pasta shells tossed with garlic-sauteed shrimp, fresh green beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and crushed red pepper in olive oil. A 25-minute weeknight dinner with big Mediterranean flavor.

Italian vegetable stew with eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper, and briny black olives. Rustic Southern Italian peasant dish that tastes even better the next day, served hot or at room temperature.

Manicotti shells stuffed with curry-spiced chicken and green onions, baked until tender, then topped with a cool yogurt-tomato-cumin sauce. A bold Italian-Indian fusion that's unlike anything you've tried.

Roman-style concia: zucchini slices fried golden in olive oil, then layered with garlic, basil, and vinegar. An old-world Italian appetizer that improves as it sits.