Salad recipes

Cold tuna pasta salad with ziti, fresh basil, red bell pepper, and lemon juice. A no-cook, five-ingredient summer main course that chills before serving.

Fava bean and tiny pasta salad with blanched carrots, chives, and a red wine vinegar-basil dressing. A light, marinated vegan side served at room temperature.

Never think about fried lemon with some refreshing asparagus salad, this recipe will totally change your mind and let you fall in love with these delicious pair!

Wine-poached chicken tossed with rigatoni, fresh basil, sweet red peppers, and olives in a bright garlic-lemon dressing. A chilled Italian pasta salad built for hot summer nights.

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.

Italian no-cook tomato cucumber summer salad with red onion, basil, parsley, and a touch of red pepper flakes. Italian-style topping for bruschetta or tossed cold with pasta.

Southwest meatball supper with chili-spiced beef meatballs in taco sauce and fresh tomatoes, served over shredded lettuce with cheese, avocado, and tortilla chips. A taco salad meets meatball dinner.

Penne alla malefemmina, a no-cook Southern Italian pasta sauce of raw tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, and garlic marinated in olive oil. Tossed with hot pasta or served cold as pasta salad.

No-cook black bean salad with diced cucumber, plum tomato, celery, slivered basil, orange zest, and lemon juice. A bright vegan side that gets better as it sits and doubles as a protein-packed lunch.

Savor the fresh, vibrant flavors of Italy with these Caprese Melts. Toasted bread is layered with juicy tomato slices, creamy mozzarella, and fragrant basil, then broiled to golden perfection. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a light lunch or appetizer, delivering classic Caprese salad flavors in a warm, melty sandwich.

This is an old Ruthenian peasant dish, very popular in the Carpathian Alps, as well as here in Fair Oaks, CA. Great for warming the tummy on a cold winter day. This is easy to prepare, and good as a luncheon dish served with salad, or as a first course soup prior to a lighter entree.

Here is a kind of throw together recipe I came up with: If you are entertaining you can garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a caesar salad, garlic bread and a nice chablis. The vegetables can vary. I've used mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower etc. Grouper works well with this because it has a lot of flavor. I've used fresh tuna and halibut but prefer grouper.

There is a bit of confusion about these two plants. For some reason,the fennel plant, which resembles celery with fern like tops, has been called sweet anise in produce markets. The true anise is cultivated only for its seeds. So what you see labelled "sweet anise" in your market is probably fennel, but no matter what you call it, this is a highly interesting vegetable. Every part of this aromatic plant has a taste and aroma similar to licorice. The stems are eaten like celery,uncook, or cooked and served as a vegetable (heavenly with apples in waldorf salad) available from September to May.

This is lovely, fresh, simple, quick and easy pasta dish that can be served as fast as the spaghetti can cook. Fresh Italian flavor rings through and the ingredients are perfectly matched.

Hearty vegetable barley soup with lean ground beef, pearl barley, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and frozen mixed vegetables. A budget-friendly weeknight pot full of fiber.

Stovetop chicken lasagna layered with ground chicken, cottage cheese, egg noodles, and crushed tomatoes in one skillet. All the lasagna flavor without the oven or the wait.