Recipe Sifter

Tri-pasta salad combines ziti, bow-tie, and spinach rotini with tri-color peppers, olives, and capers in a no-oil herbed red wine vinaigrette. Colorful, tangy, and low-fat for picnics and potlucks.

Pasta e fagioli simmers tender navy beans, canned tomatoes, and macaroni in a basil-and-oregano broth, with onions sautéed in balsamic instead of oil. A naturally lean Italian peasant soup.

Rice with black beans, stewed tomatoes, garlic, and oregano cooked in one pot. An oil-free, plant-based side dish or light meal ready in under 30 minutes.

Marinated tortellini skewers with mushrooms and bell pepper diamonds, threaded and displayed on an acorn squash for a dramatic party platter.

Shrimp and wine spaghetti in a garlicky tomato sauce with white wine, basil, and oregano. A quick Italian-style seafood pasta dinner ready in under 45 minutes.

Chicken braised in dry white wine with oregano, basil, and garlic salt. A simple, flavorful one-pan dinner ready in 45 minutes with just a handful of ingredients.

Greek marinated smelts fried in flour, then simmered in a white wine and vinegar marinade with herbs and mustard. A classic cold appetizer served chilled, perfect for a meze spread.

Couscous with tomato-eggplant sauce simmered with green pepper, garlic, and a Mediterranean herb blend. Hearty, low-fat vegetarian one-skillet dinner.

Chunky marinara sauce loaded with zucchini, mushrooms, celery, and red onion sauteed in balsamic vinegar. A no-oil vegetable-packed pasta sauce simmered in 40 minutes.

Baked garlic butter shrimp with crispy bread crumbs, oregano, parsley, and lemon served over spaghetti. Jumbo shrimp roasted until golden and saucy in garlicky butter.

Rabbit with sweet Italian sausage braised in a tomato-and-wine sauce with peppers, garlic, and a bright lift of orange. Lean rabbit browns in the sausage fat for deep, rustic Italian flavor over pasta or rice.

Chilled Mediterranean grilled vegetable soup with charred bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, vine-ripened tomatoes, basil, and red wine vinegar. A smoky, no-cook summer soup served cold.

Howard Karten's salsa is a Mediterranean-leaning chunky tomato dip: peeled tomatoes, red onion, black olives, cumin, garlic, oregano, and red wine vinegar. No chiles, no cilantro, all flavor.

Tomato and herb salad layers sliced ripe tomatoes over crisp lettuce with a chopped-tomato oregano vinaigrette. Fat-free, low calorie, diabetic-friendly side ready in 20 minutes.

French style herbed cheese spreads softened cream cheese with oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and milk into a five-minute Boursin-style appetizer for crusty bread or crackers.

Spanish pan con tomate with Serrano ham slow-roasts plum tomatoes for a sweet, garlicky spread piled onto toasted baguette and topped with thin slices of jamón. A classic tapas party platter.