Asparagus

This healthful vegetarian dish would be perfect for a picnic. To speed prep time, use trimmed sugar snap peas with the strings removed (find them in the produce section of many supermarkets).

Here's a very simple trick for making pasta dishes as delicious as possible: cook them in the classic Italian fashion by adding almost-cooked, drained pasta to the pan or pot with the sauce and let it finish cooking there. Instead of swelling with more salted water during the final minutes, it'll drink in as much flavor as possible, in this case, the potent essence of sautéed mushrooms, red onion, cream, and herbs.

Ricotta and Asparagus Ravioli with Green Pea Sauce In spring, the Roman markets are vivid with the bright green of the baby peas and young asparagus that grow in the volcanic soils of Lazio and neighboring Campania. Here's a fresh idea for combining both vegetables in a dinner-party-worthy dish.

Velvety risotto shows off the flavors and textures of young spring produce.

Ask your butcher to butterfly the chicken breasts. What to drink: Unoaked Chardonnay.

The unofficial national dish of Spain, paella makes a fantastic main course for entertaining. Once you've prepped the components a couple of hours ahead, the finished product comes together in about 30 minutes. Just add a green salad dressed with Sherry vinaigrette. What to drink: Chilled Spanish rosé (called rosado); Rick Rodgers likes Las Rocas de San Alejandro Rosado.

This inventive salad is a terrific addition to any summer buffet. For this party, also prepare red cabbage coleslaw, or buy some at the market or a take-out spot.