Recipe Sifter

Spinach lasagna layered with sauteed mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, cottage cheese, Parmesan, and bubbly mozzarella. Inspired by Frances Moore Lappe's wholesome, vegetarian approach.

Herb-seasoned beef meatballs simmered in homemade red sauce, loaded into hollowed-out hoagie rolls with melted mozzarella and Parmesan, then baked until bubbly and golden.

Italian meatballs and spaghetti sauce simmer parmesan-laced beef meatballs in a wine-spiked tomato sauce with onion, garlic, green pepper, basil, and oregano. Weeknight ready in 45 minutes.

My family loves Italian food so I created this recipe to fit our tastes of a savory marinara sauce that is great over pasta, in lasagna, on pizza and as a dipping sauce. We love it over cooked spaghetti squash. You can make it with the meatballs or leave them out. It very freezes well.

Vegetarian ratatouille lasagna layers Provencal vegetables with ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, and bechamel between tender noodles. Meatless, hearty, feeds six.

Lasagne pie is a crustless impossible pie with all the flavors of lasagna but none of the noodles. Ground beef, three cheeses, tomato paste, and a Bisquick batter that forms its own crust.

Baked rotini casserole with hot Italian sausage, chickpeas, spinach, fresh herbs, and bubbly Parmesan crust. A hearty, fiber-packed weeknight pasta bake.

Spinach and mushroom Florentine lasagna with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan layered three times and baked under marinara or tomato-cream sauce. A vegetarian restaurant copycat.

Vegetarian baked pasta with mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes, layered with a cottage cheese filling and topped with savory tomato sauce. Lighter, lower-fat take on classic baked ziti.

Italian stuffed meatloaf layered with zucchini, mushrooms, black olives, and mozzarella, blanketed in spaghetti sauce. A showstopping party loaf that serves a crowd of twenty.

Stuffed squid in saffron sauce: whole squid bodies filled with chopped tentacles, smoked ham, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs, then braised in a saffron-tomato-white wine sauce. Spanish-Italian dinner-party seafood.

Skillet fettuccine pie with seasoned beef sauce on the bottom and a Parmesan-egg-noodle crust on top. Pan-flipped onto a platter for a stovetop one-pan dinner.

Low-fat fettuccine primavera tossed with broccoli, red bell pepper, and a microwave cheese sauce made from skim milk, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Light, creamy, and under 30 minutes.

Pasta e fagioli with sweet Italian sausage, white beans, Roma tomatoes, white wine, and fusilli. A hearty Italian pasta and bean dish loaded with herbs and Parmesan.

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.

Pasta and kidney bean soup is a quick Italian pasta e fagioli style soup with rosamarina (orzo), canned tomatoes, red kidney beans, oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.