Pasta

Pasta with butter and mushrooms is appealing all by itself, but the cheesy, garlicky bread crumbs make this dish a showstopper.

Wrapping salmon fillets in crespelle (crêpelike pasta) infused with fresh tarragon brings a mild herbal flavor to the fish and keeps the fillets moist. A lemon sauce adds another layer of sophistication.

Spaghetti con Salsa di Olive e Pinoli All'arturo This pretty, confetti-like dish is sure to become one of your weekday standbys. Not only is it easy to prepare, but you've likely got all the ingredients right there in your fridge. The trick is to hand-chop everything very finely, so that you get just the right amount of fiery crunch in every bite.

Corkscrew pasta gets a wake-up call with the unexpected übercrunch of toasted panko and a salty jolt from anchovies.

Cauliflower, enhanced with toasty almonds and a briny parsley-olive mixture, holds its own as the star in this simple and slightly spicy vegetarian supper.

Executive chef Michael Psilakis, at Dona in New York City, recommends piling leftovers of this dish over greens for an easy next-day salad.

It takes only a few powerful ingredients like these to pull off amazingly full flavor. This rich, sophisticated pasta is guaranteed to keep the winter doldrums at bay.

This will be a hit with fans of blue cheese. It's so rich that small portions would also be great as a starter or side dish.

After the porcini mushrooms add their flavor to the broth, you can use them in an omelet or a sauté.

These delicious ravioli come from the hot Buenos Aires restaurant Social Paraiso. Freezing the Brie for 20 minutes will make trimming the rind easier.

This one-skillet meal is an instant classic — and a perfect Hanukkah dish.

This classic Italian trio never gets old, because it works so well: The saltiness of Parmigiano-Reggiano accentuates the sweetness in the popular winter squash while earthy sage rounds it all out.

This bolognese lacks one traditional main ingredient—meat. However, with hearty vegetables, you'll hardly know it's missing.

Hearty ingredients load this quick Italian dinner with spicy, cheesy flavor.