Ricotta

"I developed this recipe last winter and think it makes excellent cold-weather fare," says Lora Anderson of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 4 hr (includes making fresh pasta)

The shortbread cookie crumbs will hold together in the pan without any additional butter. Fromage blanc gives this cheesecake a light and silky texture.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

This easy-to-make lasagne evolved from a pasta dish that one of us enjoyed on a trip to Portofino, Italy, some 30 years ago. Our version is even quicker, using won ton skins, which cook in a flash. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

(Sformati di Asparagi e Parmigiano) Sformato, which is a cross between a savory custard and a soufflé, can be made from a number of different vegetables. Asparagus is ideal and a Tuscan favorite — particularly in April and May when it is at its best. Serve these puddings as a first course or as a side dish; or accompany them with a salad for brunch or a light supper.

(Pastiera Napoletana) "My mother, who is a native of Calabria, Italy, but now resides in Brooklyn, learned to make the Neapolitan specialty, pastiera napoletana, from her sister-in-law when my parents were married, in 1941," writes Marie Pacella of Howard Beach, New York. "Since then, our family and close friends look forward to having this pie every Easter. My mother and my daughter and I still get together to make them—it has become a family tradition.

Originally this dish consisted of topfenpalatschinken (Hungarian cheese crêpes) baked in a rich custard. This variation skips the time-consuming process of making blintzes. Double the recipe and bake in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

You can use 4 small regular bell peppers (1 1/2 lb total) instead of the 24 baby bell peppers, but you'll need to make 1 1/2 times the filling.

This recipe was adapted from Richard Sax's ricotta Bavarian, in his book Classic Home Desserts. The pudding's flavor is similar to cannoli filling, but it has the lightness of Bavarian cream. It's important to use fine-quality candied fruit.*

This dish has wonderful smoky flavors and just a touch of sweetness. Using oven-ready lasagna noodles simplifies the preparation.

Flat omelets known as frittatas are popular throughout mainland Italy. In Apulia, this version is made to celebrate the harvest of spring onions.

These deep-fried dessert pastries, which are sweetened with honey, are known as sebadas.

An easy no-bake lasagna.