Cannellini Bean

This thick and comforting dish is delicious sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Begin with chicken soup enriched with tiny pasta and fresh spinach leaves. Thick slices of country bread are perfect with the tuna salad, and tiramisù is the dessert of choice.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

A stunning vegetarian platter.

Use vegetable stock or broth to make this soup vegetarian.

Hummus, a dip/spread traditional in many Middle Eastern countries, is usually made with chick-peas (garbanzo beans), but we use white beans for a change of pace. It is delicious with steamed potatoes and artichokes as well as blanched broccoli, cauliflower and green beans.

A colorful dish that has great texture and deep, rich flavors.

This hearty soup makes delicious use of the flavorful 1/4-inch-thick rinds that remain after wedges of Parmesan have been grated away; they infuse the soup with a nice salty bite as it simmers.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The following antipasto is based on an octopus and cannellini salad served at La Baraonda in Florence.

This bean dip is a staple at Fresco — we use it instead of butter with our homemade breads. It will last 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator.

"Usually I rely on cookbooks or magazines for recipes, but occasionally I develop one of my own," writes Kimberly R. Diamondidis of Germantown, Maryland. "A few years ago, I created this delicious, hearty soup as a new way to enjoy turkey."