Italian American

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This delicious pasta uses store-bought pesto.

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Use this focaccia to make Sausage, Bell Pepper, and Onion Sandwiches and Genoa Toasts.

Debbie Daly of Morris Township, New Jersey, writes: "When my husband and I visit my brother in Madison, Connecticut, we frequently dine at a spot called Perfect Parties. The last time I was there, I enjoyed sweet potato ravioli with brown butter sauce served over spinach. I would love to make it at home." Serve the ravioli atop a bed of wilted spinach, if desired, to soak up every bit of the flavorful brown butter sauce.

This style of pizza is called "sfincione" in its native Sicily. Precede it with some canned bean soup that has been accented with chopped fresh sage and diced tomatoes. End with strawberries drizzled with Marsala, and pass nougat candies or assorted chocolates.

You don't have to cook the lasagna noodles first - just assemble the dish, cover and bake.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Cipolline in Agrodolce These onions — an homage to New York's Italian-American communities — are great as part of an antipasto or as a condiment for salty meats such as baked ham or duck confit. Although they are hard to resist as soon as they are cooked, the flavors continue to develop over a few days. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 hr (plus 1 day for flavors to develop)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This "red sauce meets Guido in Little Italy" classic has much more to do with the clams than what you may be used to eating. Note that the bread crumbs here are fresh—that is to say, made only from today's bread, not from day-old bread (and definitely not the kind that comes in a can).

A classic sandwich that is guaranteed to satisfy, whether served as a weekend lunch or an easy weeknight supper.

Serve this dish at the end of a meal — it's a fruit and cheese course in one. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min

"I visit Portland, Oregon, frequently because my son is in college there. Of the restaurants we've tried, Bread and Ink Cafe is one of the best," says Shelly Pearlman of Fairfax, California. "It's located in a funky part of town not far from the school. The squash and leek risotto I had for lunch was superb." Some shaved Parmesan and fresh sage leaves would make an attractive garnish.

Serve with: Tossed green salad. Dessert: Chocolate sorbet with biscotti.