Kay Chun

Good-quality ingredients brought together with a minimum of fuss: That kitchen philosophy is inventively illustrated by this dish. Tender, delicate crab usually shows up amid other tender, delicate things, but when teamed with a rustic, chewy homemade semolina pasta (the real star of the show), it develops a certain swagger. Spring onions, fresh chile, and a bit of lemon juice add even more verve.

Springtime in Tuscany means eating young green fava beans with salty, nutty crumbles of Pecorino Toscano—a firm sheep's-milk cheese. That favorite snack was a jumping-off point for these savory little toasts. Fresh arugula, both puréed and roughly chopped, punctuates the spread with spice and texture. If you can't get your hands on fresh fava beans, frozen edamame work well, too.

Tuscans are commonly known as mangiafagioli, or bean eaters, and when you simmer cannellini beans on top of the stove and then finish them in the oven with a fresh tomato ragù, you'll understand why. The dish is saucy and comforting—have plenty of good bread on hand—with welcome bursts of acidity from the extra tomatoes scattered on top of the casserole. Grape tomatoes tend to have a sweeter, more concentrated flavor than cherry tomatoes.

Grilled squid is a revelation to people who have only encountered it fried—the sweet meat takes nicely to the smokiness of the coals, and a stuffing of homemade pork sausage gives it a whole new layer of interest. As the bundles cook, the fennel-scented sausage bastes the squid from within, keeping it from drying out.

The salads of shaved raw porcini mushrooms that are served throughout Italy are the inspiration here. A big squeeze of lemon and a scattering of herbaceous celery leaves contribute brightness. Speedy yet luxurious, it just may become your new party dish.

Aromatic sprigs of rosemary smooth out vodka-spiked lemonade, providing a bracing counterpoint to the lusty flavors of the many antipasti dishes. It's a great addition to anyone's cocktail canon. To make a kid-friendly quaff, simply omit the vodka.

Radicchio is a type of chicory with an alluring bittersweet flavor. The variety called Treviso, so named for its growing region in Italy, has tapering, wine-colored leaves. Its charm increases exponentially when it's cooked—in this case, broiled—and tossed with a sweet balsamic dressing. Fresh basil and a dollop of creamy ricotta round everything out.

Rubbed all over with a mixture of garlic, fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper, then grilled, these chops are so good that you might imagine they need no further embellishment—until you try them with a dab of the pungent porcini mustard. For tips on how to cut a rack of lamb into chops.

Tonkatsu—deep-fried breaded pork—is a European-inspired dish that evolved during the late 19th century in Japan. Here, the pork is pounded thin and simply panfried. Pickled carrots offer a cool bite.

Radishes become lusciously tender and mild when braised with butter. Mustard sauce restores just the right amount of sharpness to complement the full, meaty flavor of quick-cooking skirt steak.

It's March, which feels like the longest month, and for many of us, it's still cold and dreary outside. Time to start fantasizing about sitting at a café table somewhere hot and dazzlingly sunnyéa Greek island would do nicely. These hearty sandwiches will take you there.

Homemade stock will make any risotto fabulous. Here, the delicate, springlike combination of leeks and peas is given texture and heft with the addition of calamari, turning it into a main course.

No-boil lasagne noodles are a lifesaver: They can turn what's often perceived as a party dish into a practical weeknight supper—especially since you have the luxury of simply reaching into the refrigerator and pulling out the main ingredient: half a roast chicken. Leftover lasagne noodles are handy for crumbling into soup.

This time-honored example of kitchen thrift is ready when you are: Have it simmering away while you tend to another meal or are puttering around on a Saturday morning. Just looking at it in the refrigerator or freezer will make you happy, secure in the knowledge that you can put a terrific meal on the table in no time at all.

This pound cake not only keeps well but also intensifies in flavor over the first day or so. It's delicious toasted or served with ice cream.

A Provençal barigoule is almost always applied to artichokes, but why limit yourself? Nutty-sweet Brussels sprouts take beautifully to the wine-lemon broth.