Pasta

The pesto can be made up to 1 hour before serving without losing its freshness; store it at room temperature.

This is a great dish to serve at an informal lunch or dinner party. Set out all the ingredients, and let your guests assemble their own bundles. Store-bought roasted duck or chicken can be used; skip step 2.

You’ll need to plan ahead for this Mediterranean-Middle Eastern combo; the flank steak marinates for 6 to 8 hours. Since meat, vegetables, and grain are included in this dish, all you need to add is some sliced tomatoes or a light dessert.

Portobello mushrooms have a meaty texture that’s perfect for this classic meat-lovers’ dish.

When you want to serve a crowd but don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen, this great recipe is the answer.

Simmer spring vegetables and chunks of chicken in a rich tomato sauce to serve over whole-grain fettuccine. Round out the meal with a seasonal fresh fruit salad.

Give leftover beef (or pork) a well-balanced makeover by adding bell pepper, broccoli, and whole-grain pasta. The result is an easy one-skillet meal.

Richly colored with paprika, this traditional Hungarian entrée is full bodied and satisfying. It goes well with Balsamic-Marinated Vegetables (page 78).

Layers of cheese, chunky tomatoes, and earthy greens make this one of the best vegetarian lasagnas you’ll try.

A creamy Alfredo-type sauce binds layers of pasta, vegetables, and cheeses in this vegetarian lasagna. No tomatoes allowed!

Now you can have all the richness of Alfredo sauce with only a fraction of the usual sodium, saturated fat, and calories. The addition of lemon gives this dish a fresh twist.