Recipe Sifter

Spaghetti and meatballs simmered in a slow-cooked tomato sauce with red wine, mushrooms, green pepper, basil, and oregano. Tender pan-fried beef meatballs and a deeply layered sauce that builds for two hours.

Mexi-corn lasagna layered with corn tortillas, seasoned ground beef with corn and picante sauce, and a cottage cheese-Parmesan filling. A Tex-Mex casserole mashup of lasagna and enchiladas.

Sourdough pizza bread for the bread machine with pepperoni, parmesan, basil, and oregano baked right into the dough. All the flavors of pizza night in a sliceable loaf.

Quinoa Italian style layers cooked quinoa with a lean beef and tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan like a gluten-free lasagna. A high-protein, lower-fat twist on the classic.

Classic ground beef meatloaf with Parmesan, oregano, and bread cubes, topped with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. Old-school diner comfort food that serves 6 hungry people.

Low-calorie eggplant Parmesan: baked (not fried) eggplant slices coated in cracker-Parmesan crumbs, smothered in tomato sauce and topped with part-skim mozzarella. Guilt-free Italian comfort food.

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.

Hearty baked rigatoni loaded with homemade turkey meatballs in a chunky mushroom and tomato sauce, topped with bubbly mozzarella and Parmesan. Comfort food that feeds the whole family.

Stovetop beef and noodles in a lighter cream sauce made with skim milk, white wine, fresh mushrooms, oregano, and Parmesan cheese. A satisfying weeknight dinner ready in 40 minutes.

Picante turkey pie with a ground turkey crust filled with zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, and picante sauce, topped with melted mozzarella. A low-carb, high-protein dinner.

Savory meat-filled manicotti stuffs pasta tubes with seasoned ground chicken, mozzarella, parmesan, and bread crumbs, baked in marinara with melted cheese. Italian-American comfort food, lighter version.

Butter-sauteed mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers, and fresh tomatoes tossed with spaghetti and topped with Parmesan. A quick veggie-loaded pasta dinner ready in 35 minutes.

This summer lasagna swaps pasta noodles for tender zucchini strips layered with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh tomatoes, and herb-seasoned tomato sauce. Low-carb, veggie-loaded, and ready in about an hour.

A show-stopping Italian roast turkey rubbed with rosemary and bathed in white wine, stuffed with a Lombardy-style dressing of Italian sausage, chestnuts, pine nuts, apples, and Parmesan. The holiday centerpiece that changes everything.

Grami's meatloaf: Italian-leaning meatloaf with ground beef, cottage cheese, rolled oats, oregano, basil, and parmesan crust. A lighter, juicier take on the Sunday dinner staple.

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.