Recipe Sifter

Leek and pea risotto with grilled calamari crowns creamy arborio with flash-grilled squid tossed in lemon-scallion vinaigrette. Bright, briny, deeply savory.

Kale and leek pie with poached fish in bechamel sauce, cheddar, and Parmesan baked in a pie shell. A savory British-style fish pie with greens.

Fettuccine with lime-marinated chicken breast in a tomato and green chili sauce. Butter and lime zest tossed into the pasta for a bright, Southwestern-inspired dinner.

Mike's Baked Stuffed Eggplant fills eggplant shells with a Parmesan, breadcrumb, and egg stuffing, then bakes over a rustic potato-tomato sauce for 90 minutes. A hearty Italian-style vegetarian main.

Garlic soup with fusilli pasta and broccoli, finished with a Parmesan egg swirl like Italian stracciatella. A light, brothy one-pot meal ready in 40 minutes.

Pan-fried fusilli with toasted pine nuts, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, and Parmesan. The pasta crisps at the edges in the skillet for a nutty, textural Italian dinner.

One-pot whole wheat couscous with brown lentils, fresh tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan in a vegetable juice broth. A filling low-fat vegetarian dinner for two, ready in about an hour.

Philly-style white pizza loaded with shaved roast beef, sauteed onions, peppers, and mushrooms over garlic-brushed bread dough. No tomato sauce, just melty cheese and cheesesteak energy.

Ham and cheese calzones fry yeasted dough pockets stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and chopped ham until puffed and golden. A handheld Italian-American classic, crispy outside and molten in the middle.

Ratatouille lasagna layers salted eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and Parmesan. No pasta, no bechamel, just pure Provencal vegetables baked golden.

A vegetable-packed white lasagna layered with a creamy pesto sauce, mashed white beans, mushrooms, peppers, eggplant, and spinach-ricotta. No tomato in sight, finished with a parmesan-breadcrumb crust.

Slow cooker vegetable fettuccine with zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, and carrots tossed in a creamy Parmesan-mozzarella sauce. A vegetarian crockpot pasta that does the work while you're out.

A buttery lemon-garlic orzo finished with parmesan and fresh herbs. The chicken broth reduces and gets mounted with butter into a silky sauce that coats every grain. A quick, savory side for any meat.

Baked ziti loaded with ground beef, Italian sausage, mozzarella, and parmesan in a herby spaghetti sauce. The crowd-feeding casserole that earns its place on every Sunday table.

Grilled four-cheese pizza with mozzarella, fontina, provolone, and Parmesan over sliced tomatoes on a pre-baked crust. A white pizza cooked on the grill with fresh basil.

Halibut piccata broiled with Parmesan and served with a white wine, lemon, and caper sauce. A lighter fish take on classic chicken piccata ready in 30 minutes.